Sunday, April 10, 2011

It'll Quilt Out

I spent yesterday putting a final border on a quilt for my 94 year old mother. She started a Christmas lap quilt and evidently couldn't make herself stop sewing blocks and ended up with queen size quilt. When I was there Monday evening she had the brute on the guest room bed and thought it "needed" a pieced border. So I cut many, many, many 2.5 by 3.5 rectangles (since she is nearly blind - I really don't like it when she grabs a rotary cutter to start chopping fabric so I'm her designated fabric slicer.) In just three days she managed to get the pieced border on. Friday at 8 pm she called me asking if I would come over to piece the back of the quilt. Since I didn't get home until 7 PM and I went into work at 6 AM I asked if morning would be soon enough. Luckily she said yes... and I said I would be there in the morning. I think this is what you could call a quilt emergency! I was tempted to go in my jammie pants but KNEW the day would also include an outing of some sort.

Again we surveyed the quilt top - she announced it needed a solid border too! So...3 hours later the beast had another border and a back pieced and ready to go to the machine quilters tomorrow. She needs to stick to making lap size quilts as she just can't man-handle a queen size quilt. Her sewing skills aren't what they used to be but the Christmas quilt will be a nice addition to her bedspread collection. MY sewing skills aren't what they used to be either. I actually had to call sister Gail to get a reminder on diagonal piecing of borders!

She mentioned that she won't be around to use the quilt. As always I say, "Why?" "Where are you going?" She has been saying "I won't be around to do...." for about 20 years. I just keep asking her the same questions. She usually responds with the same look at me that suggests I am just a bit too puckish for my own good.

By the way the day did include an outing. A trip to the grocery store, lunch, and a visit to Trinity Heights to see if the two trees planted in my father's memory were in bloom yet. While it was a lovely day to go for a short walk among the gardens - nothing is yet in bloom. We will make a return visit in a couple of weeks.


I Made it Myself
~Base card - PaperTrey Ink Vintage Cream
~Layer of Cosmo Cricket Garden Variety (reminds me of vintage fabric)
~Layer of shimmery ribbon
~Rusty red cardstock cut using Spellbinder scallop circle and Cuttlebug
~Image from Phindy's Place colored with Copics, printed on Paper Temptress Cryogen Iridescent
~Assorted die cut flowers with metal brads
Challenges
Flourishes - photo inspiration of a quilt
Etsy Inspired - Think Fast Designs
Fairy Tale - Happy Birthday
Mami Doodles - die cut or punches
Paper Sundaes - childhood memories
Totally Gorjuss - anything fluffy (at least PART of her cake is fluffy)
Frosted Designs - use brads

Thanks for clicking by.
Nancy in Iowa

13 comments:

  1. Cute image! Wow, your grandma is a fast sewer! So awesome that you can help with the cutting. It is nice that she has Ben able to continue an activity that she obviously enjoys!

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  2. CUTE card! Really like those little flowers and dearly love the wonderful colors!
    Just great that you mom still can quilt! Would love to see a picture of the Christmas quilt she just finished (with your wonderful help!). I know it must be pretty and it'll be something you can always treasure. Sounds like she's going full blast at 94 and will have many more years to go!!
    Lynn

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  3. What an adorable card!! Thanks for playing along with us at Frosted Designs!
    Melissa

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  4. So sweet! Beautiful coloring. Thanks for playing in the FTTC this week.

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  5. Hello
    this is a very nice card and a sweet image.

    Thanks for joining us at Fairy Tale Challenge.
    **Karla

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  6. This is lovely, a really cute image. Thanks for joining us at TG this week.

    Kat x

    By the way your mother sounds wonderful!

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  7. You have made a very pritty card! I love the colours and the image. Thank you for joining us at Fairy Tale Cahllenge! xx Bianca

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  8. What a pretty card! I love the colors!! The brads on the flowers are perfect!

    Thanks for joining us this week at Frosted Designs for our Brad Challenge this week!!

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  9. This card is soooo sweet! The image looks lovely against that patterned paper! Thanks for playing EIC with us this week!

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  10. I love your card the sunny yellow and orange are just perk me up colors.
    I especially enjoyed reading about the quilt you're helping your Mom with. Enjoy these times with her, my Mom passed in January at almost 100 and she was as sharp as your Mom sounds.
    We are so blessed to have these wonderful people in our lives for so long. I just smiled as I read how she decided you should add another border and then another, I love her ambition and what's the word, stubbornness? Will you be posting a picture of her quilt? Patti

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  11. Pretty card:) Thanks for joining this weeks challenge at TG. Bettina

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  12. this is such a sweet card! I've never seen that adorable image before. Thanks for sharing and joining us at paper sundaes this week!

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  13. So sweet of you to help out with the quilting! I bet it's beautiful!! Love your card too, those flowers are fabulous and love the image too. Thanks for playing along with us at Paper Sundaes this week :)

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