Thursday, August 7, 2008

opposites attract



My husband claims I make nothing for him.


Of course he's completely wrong on that. I've made him a pillowcase and a pair of pajama pants (which the dog chewed up).


Wait, that doesn't count for much compared to the oodles of dresses, pants, shorts, shirts, etc., that I have sewn for the girls? I guess not.


As it turns out, his birthday (shh.. his 30th) is next Friday. Last week I had a brilliant idea: make him a quilt.


You know, because quilts are "quick" projects... right? It's something I can throw together in two weeks.


Well, I've just about managed to do it.


But I'm getting ahead of myself.


One of the best things of this project was it's cost-effectiveness. I purchased the material for this quilt *gasp* at least two or three years ago (yes, see, I'm a lovely wife... I *thought* about making him something... I just never got around to it). I dug out the bag (original bag from the fabric shop, still holding the very same material it came home with) and it still had six half-yards of orange fabrics and six half-yards of blue fabrics.


Why orange and blue? Because they're the colors of his favorite football team -- the Denver Broncos.


But I didn't want to purchase Broncos fabric... I wanted this to be 'classy' (no offense to those who sew with team fabrics).


(sorry, I know most just want pictures, but I'm a story-teller)


While I do love seeing the results of quilting, sometimes it can be challenging for me. Actually trying to follow a real pattern really doesn't suit my personality. I just can't do it. But randomness? Ah, that's right up my alley.


So, I cut out a bunch of 6" squares from the fabrics. Then I sewed them into half-square triangles. And my randomness went to work (all the while I was praying it really WOULD all work out!).




So, I pieced and pieced and pieced (or at least it felt like it... along with not being able to follow a pattern, I easily get bored... I don't have the attention span of a good quilter).


And the result of the piecing? Oh, I love it. It's so much more amazing than I could have hoped for.



I'm always amazed when I finish any project, but especially quiltling ones.

It All. Worked. Out.

All those random fabrics came together and formed *this*! Now really, how amazing is that?

I pinned it all up last night and quilted it also (nothing terribly fancy, but it will work). I thought about at least starting the binding, but it was already 2 a.m. and I couldn't do it.

So I'm hoping to be able to show the finished quilt later today or at least tomorrow.

And, for the record, I finished piecing the top in three days... and during those three days I really didn't a lot of sewing time.. but I got it done and I'm quite pleased. Now, onto the binding!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

totally gorgeous!

jacquie said...

judy, it's fabulous...totally fun!

Lerin said...

What a wonderful gift!