I love the movement of the birdy toile'. Final inspiration came from a Quilt Engagement Calendar from July (cool coincidence) 1981.
Wish I had this pillar print, but I'm really happy with the large fruity print I had in the stash.
Can this quilt be saved? My oldest quit friends will remember this quit. I started it over 10 years ago.
There are 2 problems with it. I is entirely too big. I saw a quilt like this at an antique booth at Paducah and fell in love it. I mis-calculated the size of the block and it turned out the size of a circus tent - seriously.
I also don't like the border fabric. It is too weak and does not frame the quilt well.
I have already invested a lot of hand quilting (a lot) so I'm keen to save this. I'll be back with updates and raw numbers soon.
Finally, I give myself a Star today for donating blood. I was inspired by my sister-in-law, Nancy, who is a regular giver.
After donating, I was treated to a chocolate donut and a free movie ticket - hooray!!
Happy Summer!
31 comments:
your too funny Barb. Maybe the Shelburne Museum might like the circus tent to house all those little carved pwiple they have.
I think both quilts are fab and a choc doughnut is worth donating blood for. Just don't pass out at the cinema.
passing out is what I did frequently after donating.
I love circuses (sp?) so I could take it off your hands!! LOL
Sure don't know how you could divide it without losing your quilt stitches - I don't think you could just chop off the border. Maybe cut off one row and one column and make those into dresser scarves (does anyone use them anymore?) Hope someone comes up with a good idea for you!
Thank you for donating blood!
Your large star quilt is gorgeous and yes, I think the circus tent star quilt is worth saving.
Love your stars in both quilts....and you are right that one quilt is sooo big but it is delightful...
Good for you and donating blood...
Barb!
I am reading Sue's comment and laughing out loud.. The Shelburne Museum will appreciate the tent quilt for carved people.
Okay jokes aside, I think that quilt is gorgeous! Can you cut it and bind it again? I had made my first quilt, King size with double nine patch blocks. Went through half way of hand quilting and gave up. Literally! I took it to Goodwill. I had spent hours and days working on that quilt.
I am sure you can make this one work beautifully as you do everything else.
Hurray for donated blood, they finally told me not to go back, but I've had family need blood in emergencies, so I'm very grateful to those who donate. As for the circus tent, ABSOLUTELY it is savable (is that even a word?) I can't see how far out to the edge you have quilted, but take the border off and bind the top, it's perfect without any borders, but if you want a border, use a dark binding. If it's still too big, unsew one row and make a runner for the foot of a bed or a dresser runner, or use the blocks for pillow shams, Lots of uses for the extra blocks if you need to remove them. BTW, your quilting is amazing on this, love the feathers, so beautiful.
Your stars are looking good - I can hardly wait to see that border with the bird toile. Yum!
Sharon has some great ideas for transforming the circus tent into a more manageable size. If you can bear to take out the quilting in the border, removing it seems like the way to go. I think I'd like a bit of a border though, one from the same white/cream as the background, to give the blocks some breathing space before the binding. That, or do you have any really, really good friends who are giants?
And yay! for donating blood.
I would just take off the border, solving two problems, it would make it smaller and get rid of the part you don't like. The just bind it and be done with it so you can enjoy it.
Holy cow, that is a big quilt! And you are hand quilting it?! Amazing! What size bed do you have?
Your EPP star quilt is wonderful- your name on the quilt keeps getting bigger and bigger...are people swiping your photos?
Both quilts are gorgeous! Can't they giant one just be folded over and layed on the bed with a double thickness? I hate the thought of cutting into it! Especially when your hand quilting on it is so lovely. Keep us posted!
Barb, Just read my post back, I had just put my contact lenses in when I wrote it. Guess i should have kept my glasses on. LOL.
Woo hoo you have pink wiggly starfish fussy cut into your star! Love them all...they look great with the birdie toile. It will be fab - aren't the old QEC such wonderful inspiration?
Beautiful starry circus tent too, ditch the borders and carry on, I say.
xx K
Oh Barb I love the big little star quilt! Your hand quilting looks lovely! I think it would look wonderful without the border - have you quilted much in the border yet? Absolutely worth saving!!
The bird toile is marvelous. I love that star quilt top too!
Have you already quilted the border?
If you haven't maybe just take border off and use a darkish binding and call it done. It is lovely in it's simplicity.
Happy Sewing
Your quot is looking great, I also love your other quilt.
Could you not just take the borders off and bind, I love quilts without binding it would make this a very soft looking quilt.
I am sure you work it out.
Love both of the star quilts!
How big are the stars on the big one? Will it fit on your bed? I am very impressed by the hand quilting, that's dedication!
I love the nice ladies who give you juice and cookies afterwards,the keep saying "have another cookie".
you didn't ask but I am going to give you my two cents anyway. The circus tent is great... like someone said - take the borders off and bind. I would use the light background fabric to make it the way it would have been done in "the old days". but as some one mentioned there is merit to the dark binding.
Just how big is this quilt? The new mattresses are so deep it would probably hang on a queen or king just fine. As some of the above mentioned take off the outside borders and bind it. I'm also doing an applique from 1984 and to update it I'm sashing it with a new toile fabric, improved it 100% so don't give up.
Both quilts are super. If you need to make the second one smaller, I like the idea others have said about removing the border and binding it in something dark. Your hand quilting is exquisite. Keep going!
I like Sujata's idea! Just cut off the borders and bind it for a vintage flair, of course I don't know if that would make it that much smaller..???
Your other star quilt is FAB!!!
MMMMMmmmmmm.....donut!
I would soldier on with the star quilt, Barb. It really is a lovely quilt, and looks nice to wrap up in during the winter. Bravo to you for giving blood. I have tried and tried, but I'm a fainter when it comes to needles, so think I'm on the banished list for now.
I was just wondering how your EPP stars were going! I see they are looking wonderful!!! I couldn't help giggling at your your circus tent description of your huge quilt. It really does look enormous and goes forever!!! It's so beautiful though and your hand quilting is really special. I don't mind the border but it's hard when you don't like it. I hope you somehow learn to really love it again and finish quilting it. Good on you for giving blood, I haven't done so in ages. When we were young we'd find out which place had the best after donation snacks, I got a chocolate milk shake once! I think the heart sticker is very cute!
I just adore your touching stars and the biggie will look great once you're done with it. Good for you donating blood, I wish they gave out the movie ticket here.
Love the large radiating stars! Saw a similar quilt at the Maine exhibit in Lowell - was reviewing notes on that quilt recently. Good luck with the re-do - don't you just love a challenge!
Love your stars--both new and old!! I think they used to cut and rebind quilts that got too big. In one book on old quilts I read that two siblings fought over who got a favorite quilt made by their mother. So she cut it down the middle, put on more binding, and gave them each half.
Love both your star projects even if the one is a bit large! lol I hope you soldier on with the hand quilting of the "tent". I think the fact that it is large makes it all the more impressive. The border looks fine to me, but I see others are saying take it off. Well, that would look good, too!
Don't give up on the circus tent -- you'll have grandchildren some day! It's beautiful besides -- I say soldier on -- you'll find a great use for it -- even if it's only for display. And those first stars are awesome! They're at the top of my short list for my next quilt -- if I could just decide on colors!
oh my I love that star quilt...I think you should just finish and maybe someday when you have grandchildren you can use it for a tent for them to play under or a picnic blanket! will be interested in hearing what you decide.
love the stars and I Love your border print choice...
Kathie
I love, love, love that star quilt. I agree about the border but it's not bad just off a little. However, my eye RARELY strayed to the border the stars adn quilting are so impressive.
That's a beautiful quilt and definitely worth saving. I am sure you could either change out the border, or to make it smaller, just take it out entirely.
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