Friday, August 22, 2008

doll quilts...

Last June I stopped by Lucy's blog and saw this picture and was enthralled! It inspired her to do a spectacular quilt! Just one of many, in fact. When I saw the picture on her blog I saved it, knowing that one day I would make a few of those lovely quilts too. Then yesterday morning while sorting and deleting some old pictures, I came across it again... WOW! Lucy told me, when I asked permission to show it, that Kathie had found it in a book! I consider Kathie my resident historian, she answers so many of my questions! The book is Collecting American Country by Mary Emmerling...love her books!Thanks Kathie!

So inspired again, I grabbed the fabrics I needed and started cutting! This is my version of one of the little quilts on the wall.
It's to the right of the doorway. I blew it up and started cutting! By dinner time I was all done. I decided to make it bigger with tumblers instead of the thimbles, but I do plan to make an exact copy too, using the same colors as the original maker. She used all the same dark blue fabrics for all the blue pieces, a darker beige in the center diamond section and a lighter beige on the outer sections.

And, No, I didn't leave off a row...yes, it's uneven. I love the uneven pattern. You have to enlarge the original picture pretty big to see the beige pieces beside the left binding, but that's how the maker did this quilt, so I left it exactly how it was made. It was hard let me tell you! I tried at least 4 times to add another beige row on the right side...or maybe drop the beige on the left.. NO! leave it as is. The sides will be straight cut and then quilting. But what to do...?

I'm thinking baptist fans, but was worried it would obscure the pattern. Then I saw Lucy's clam shells and they look marvelous! I've wanted to try free hand baptist fans and this might be the one. Any other suggestions are welcome! I'm still thinking...I'm also looking forward to doing some hand quilting...since the arm issues I haven't tried it, so we will see how well it goes!

** Hey one more question?? How do you think these quilts are secured to the wall** I use clear head push pins for larger ones, but they leave a heck of a hole and the clear head shows. These don't have anything showing. Lucy... how are yours secured? Just wondered...

12 comments:

Linda said...

Hi, When I'm hanging little bitty things, I use old sewing needles. They don't leave much of a hole and they're pretty invisible. Otherwise, it's a casing on the back and a flat piece of board with a hole in either end to fit over finishing nails!

Ms. Jan said...

I use my old sewing machine needles because they leave such a tiny hole and don't show. Great quilt!

Carol said...

How fun..a start and a finish all in the same day...yippee! I've used fine silk pins to hang...the hole disappears in the wall and you don't even notice the.

Libby said...

It is my goal to have a such a wall one day. I have a good start with quilts . . . just waiting for a wall *s*

Lucy said...

oohh Judy this quilt is lovely!! I like it so much! My walls are very hard so I can't use a pin and I don't want to create holes with nalesin my walls so I stick them with 'buddies' A kind of gum,you can stick posters with it on the wall. I heard you can by it in the US in blue? We do have them white and it is easy to wash it out. the only thing is that they sometimes fall from teh wall... I stick them back .. and you can't use it for bigger quilts.. I hope this information is helpful, if not let me know.

Shelina said...

I have been dreaming about having a wall of quilts like this ever since I saw this picture. I have been slowly collecting (and making) the little quilts, but so far, haven't figured out how to get them on the wall yet. I'll have to try out the needles.

Anonymous said...

I used straight pins for the doll quilts in Cosette's room. I was able to hammer them in, and they only leave the tiniest of holes. That's assuming you don't have old plaster walls though!

Darlene said...

It's adorable, Judy! I remember seeing that picture on Lucy's blog - very inspiring. I've used needles in my walls to hang small quilts - very tiny holes.

tami said...

I remember seeing that picture too and wanting to recreate that in my stairway. So far I only have 3flimsies. I'm going to finish them someday, I swear. I have been wanting to do a tumbler quilt too. I love it.

Wendy said...

I hope to have a wall like that one day, I've been thinking about a poison green little quilt. I use small dress makers pins and you can hardly see the hole when I move them around.

Ginger Patches said...

Oh I love that wall. I'm going to save that picture too!! At the Country Loft they use tiny little safety pins and hook them over nails in the wall.

Paula, the quilter said...

When I saw that picture on Lucy's blog it inspired me to start my own 'little quilt' wall, it's in my sewing room. I will have to take a pic and post it on my blog. I hang mine with old sewing machine needles. I don't have a hammer in my sewing room so I use one of those antique cast-iron irons.