How do you enjoy your quilt?

 

I looked into the living room yesterday to see my two boys curled up together in a quilt on the couch watching a movie and eating pizza… how could it not make me smile.  The oldest, 4 year old Caleb, will often share the quilt with his brother, 2 year old Lucas, and together they watch movies or pull the quilt over their heads giggling underneath, or catch the dog in a quilt “net.”  This quilt, which spends most of its days on the back of the couch, is well loved, often washed, and, to be honest, it is very much abused.  As I looked over the beautiful fabrics offered at Quilt Market in Houston, I thought about what old and new fabrics I wanted to use in my next quilt, which I will be making for my niece’s new baby.  I am happily planning this quilt with the intention of it receiving the same kinds of loving abuse as the one my boys have.  Some quilts aren’t meant to be hung on a wall for a long time – they are meant to be very well loved just for a short while.

 

 

This got me thinking about a poem my co-worker, Neva, shared with me, written by Nancy Riddel. I am happy to share that poem with you, and hope more than a few of you recognize this quilt in your own family.  Happy Quilting!   ~Jane~

 

It’s Your Quilt

By Nancy Riddel

 It’s OK if you sit on your quilt.

It’s OK if your bottle gets spilt

If you swallow some air

And you burp, don’t despair,

It’s OK if you spit on your quilt.

 

There are scraps old and new

in your quilt

Put together for you on your quilt.

If your gums feel numb

‘Cause your teeth haven’t come,

It’s OK if you chew on your quilt.

 

We expect you to lie on your quilt.

If you hurt, you may cry

on your quilt.

On a cold rainy night,

Don’t you fret, you’re all right,

You’ll be snug, warm and dry

On your quilt

Happy Quilting!

 ~The Dream Team

 

~Things I learned from my first quilt~

·    Save time and energy by just going to the quilt shop to get the quality fabric and supplies you want.  They are far more knowledgeable, helpful, and friendlier than discount stores, with better quality supplies, to boot (including Quilters Dream Batting, which is not sold in discount stores). They even gave me snacks while we visited- thank you Sarah’s Thimble!

·     If you have young children, you may need a locked safe to keep all your fabric pieces out of their hands.

·    Don’t even bother putting away the ironing board.

·    Buy three times as many pins as you think you will need, and there is a slight possibility that you will have enough.

·    Don’t leave the half pinned quilt on the dining room table with a cat in the house or it stands a good chance of getting a furball left on it.

·    If you tell a three year old to keep his snacks away from the half finished quilt, it will end up with a piece of American cheese stuck to it.

·    When free motion quilting words (thank you La Pierre Studio and their Free Motion Slider), write dark enough to be able to easily follow or the word “Faith” may end up saying “Faih.” 

·    Buy twice as much thread as you think you will need, and you may have enough

·    Don’t leave the binding to finish the day before it needs to be done, or you may just have to bind while suffering from strep throat.

·    The big hug and sincere “Thank you – I will keep it forever” you get when giving the quilt to a college bound graduate is well worth the effort!

      ~Quilted & written by Jane~