First I have to show you something I got from Santa (aka Habou) that is going to make my life a lot better, once I learn to type with them on:
Fabulous, non? Now the tops of my hands, particularly my “mouse” hand, will be cozy and not numb with cold.
Now, onto quilting. If quilting were as quick and easy as some other crafts — if you could do it with a glue gun, a camera, or a…glue gun, everyone I know would have a quilt from me!
Everyone.
Right now I have my list of the minimum number of people who are getting a quilt, and it's constantly growing. Some of these people are going to have to wait a while, but I truly sincerely verily hope to give them a quilt:
*My daughter and son-in-law
*My son and daughter-in-law (no clue yet what form this will take, other than yellow, and possibly blue)
*My godson when he is confirmed, and I certainly hope that a teenage boy who runs, plays hockey, plays baseball, and has 7 brothers does not mind a cowboy quilt, and I further hope I find a way to get scripture into a cowboy quilt
*My husband's goddaughter when she graduates from high school, and I hope I can get scripture into hers too
*My daughter's dear college roommate's other son (her first son has just received the cowboy quilt I'm posting about here — I'm getting there, hold onto yer hat, pardner)
*My dear Annie (daughter's sister-in-law, daughters' friend, friends' daughter)'s son and then her daughter-who-is-about-to-be born
And what about the many many children my own-age friends have and continue to have, but I was on a one-quilt-every-three-years schedule and trying to make them for my own kids, so never even thought to get started on theirs? I feel they all need a quilt…
Ei-yi-yi.
Considering that every quilt is the product of intensive creative and physical labor, sans benefit of epidural or other nerve blockers, I hope I get a little quicker.
Anyway, I checked one off the list this Christmas. So, without further eloquence… (The Quiet Man, anyone?)
You will now be the victim of me showing you practically every picture I took of this quilt, because I love looking at quilts, the light was pretty good that day, and I can, it's my blog.
I ordered it online. Right now, until some good soul opens a fabric store near me, I am not closer than 35 minutes from anywhere to buy fabric. This is partly due to evil Walmart, which had an underpriced (but bad) craft section until the other places went out of business, and then eliminated the craft section.
Not that Walmart is that close, but still. Now, to buy a needle, a quarter yard of fabric, or a snap, I have to dedicate an afternoon. By the way, that's why we started the fabric swap, so if you need a needle or a scrap of muslin, let me know.
Quilting notes: Baptist fans for the cowboys, straight lines for the sashing.
I used a modified log cabin and raided my stash, big time. Yesterday I finally acknowledged that I need more material, so I put in an order to two different online fabric stores! Excitement! Did you know that Fabric.com has free shipping over $35? And did you further know that it is a matter of no difficulty whatsoever to spend much more than $35 on any given fabric spree?
I really love the idea of patching the strips.
It feels so homey to me! And speaking of using up and making do, I also patched the batting and pieced the backing, which was a length of seersucker madras I had in my stash. It was the right size, once I had my way with it!
I hear that little Paul makes up stories about the cowboy children, which is just as I had hoped…
Rhonda in OK says
I think scrapy quilts are the best, this cowboy one is so nice. I really like how you used the novelty prints and worked them into a traditional log cabin
Betsy says
Oh, this is so adorable. I can just imagine the stories that would be created looking at those cowboys. I actually almost purchased that cowboy fabric when sewing our nursery bedding items. I regret not choosing it – now more than ever seeing how cute it is done up! Oh well. You have me inspired to start on a quilt that I am making for my dad. It will not be so fancy – just blocks made from old denim and cordory pants. He likes his quilts heavy and I think that this may suit the bill. 🙂 Betsy M
Camille says
Perfect for a boy! So cute!I read an article in October that Wal-Mart's new goal is to shut down Michaels. I immediately ceased as much shopping as I possibly could at Wal-Mart. I don't mind good old fashioned competition, but they took out the craft departments in almost ALL stores and the few that are left are AWFUL. But I did score Christmas material there yesterday for $.61/yard… bad me!
Anonymous says
How adorable! I love the cowboy fabric! And I love The Quiet Man too!womanofthehouse
Connie says
OOOh I covet your quiltmaking skills! This is on my "bucket list" -one day I will make one. And I totally agree about fabric.com. It rocks! I've got about $50 in a cart waiting to checkout.
Freckled Hen says
Y'all shore know how to make a quilt! I love anything cowboy, I imagine all those on your quilt list (such commitment, by the way, to write that out so they can hold it against you in court) must feel very honored. Love your gloves!
Emily says
I love the quilt, Leila! What a treasure for a little boy. Just imagine it being handed down through the generations.My mother-in-law just gave me a quilt that she made. Or I should say, helped make. This past summer she got an entire box of quilt tops at a yard sale – they had been pieced by a 90yo lady and her daughter – for only $5!!! For about a dozen tops, can you believe it?!! So she finished the job and it will now reside on my bed, a sea of colorful hexagons.
scmom (Barbara) says
Very, very cute. I need to manage my flannel remnants (some big ones) and get sewing.We have a JoAnn nearby but they put the really great neighborhood fabric stores out of business. Pooh on those big chain stores.
Melanie B says
I love looking at pictures of quilts. I think most bloggers don't include enough detail pictures when they post about their quilts. Yours is just about right. The log cabin with patchy stripes is a super-cute design. Oh I am itching to get behind my sewing machine. I have half a dozen blocks to make for my virtual quilting bee. Plus a baby quilt for my six-month old that still needs three more blocks pieced and then needs to be put together. And that quilt I've been making for my mother-in-law for two years now… But it's just about impossible to find time to sew with an infant, a toddler, and a three-year old.Well, I can live vicariously through your quilting for now.
Sophie says
What a lovely, lovely quilt. You may be pleased to hear that you've inspired me, and I have been doing a little bit of hand-quilting. Just a little bit–so far I've quilted six coaster and am working on a hotpad, but still. It's not nearly as difficult as I'd though. So thank you for giving me the courage to try it.
Amy Caroline says
That quilt is simply beautiful! I wish I had the patience and talent for quilting, sigh. My boys would LOVE something like that!
Anonymous says
Scripture in a cowboy quilt?Well, there's the whole notion that a shepherd is just a cowboy whose business is sheep, and it's a short hop from there to the Good Shepherd…Or you could do some of the manly Psalms. I know a lot of cowboys and they are easily choked up by some of David's tender ones.Super cute quilt!(And I love the Quiet Man too.)Raven
Leila says
Thanks for all the quilt love! I'm counting it a success if you start making… quilting isn't hard…it just takes getting stuff together. Melanie — I agree, it's impossible to use a machine with little kids around. I used to put up a gate on my sewing room door, and the kids would hang on it, waiting for me…just find something to do, you little squints!Somehow I always did better with handwork, and you'd be surprised how much quilting you can do by hand!
Pam says
Awesome quilt!! And just think…you FINISHED it before he went to college!! Thanks for showing us so many pictures. Love the fan quilting. :)Off to thread my needle…Pam
Dawn says
That is so amazingly cute and cowboyish! And I love your fingerless gloves. I have some at school that I cut the ends of the fingers off so I can work at my desk without my hands freezing. I want a heated mouse! The students look at me a little funny when they see them but I'm used to that and they are getting used to my eccentricities!
Anne R Triolo says
Oh, I just WANT EVERY quilt.No, that's not true. Some people make ugly quilts. I do not want them.But I want so many quilts. Just to have. And touch. To put on my lap. To wrap around my babies. And of course to look at, preferably draped artistically over my sofas, beds, and rockers.Anyway, the cowboy quilt definitely falls into the category of quilts that I WANT. Watch out Paul!
Leila says
But…what about a zoo? Doesn't every boy want to live in a zoo? Cause some cute zoo fabric is coming…:)
Laura @ the shorehou says
I am in love with the cowboy fabric!! I adore that quilt. And yes; $35 is a drop in the bucket (and I just started sewing this past year! 🙂
Sarah says
That little buck-a-roo sure is lucky to have this cowboy quilt! It is fantastic! And yes, I think every little boy does want to be a cowboy … My mom just gave our family a quilt made out of my step-dad's plaid shirts. (He passed away last Feb.) And the backing of it is a flannel cowboy print, because, like my mom says, he was a cowboy at heart =) I have photos of it on my blog, if you'd like to take a look.
Mary says
I LOVE this quilt! It reminds me of my husbands room when he was a boy in Oklahoma. Cowboys came before rocket ships. You are a wonderful seamstress my friend. I wish I was on the receiving end of a Leila quilt.Happy Sewing!
Margo says
AK – this is GREAT!!! I have some Dick and Jane fabric waiting to make a quilt for my son and I was going to do some kind of nine-patch, but I think I'm going to do what you did. It's perfect for showcasing that sweet cowboy print and I LOVE the aesthetic of pieced sides. I quilt because I love colors and prints jumbled together. Believe me, the process itself takes entirely too long for my liking. I have (blush) 3 quilts in process right now.Now, a quilting question: how do you mark your quilting lines? I've only machine quilted so far OR hand quilted at sewing circle at church where the lines were marked already. But I'm thinking of hand quilting one my quilts-in-progress (mainly because of the problem you mentioned of children dripping over me if I get my machine out. . . sighhhh).You have a great eye for color, I meant to say too!
Margo says
one more thing: I love all the pics of the quilt – not too many for me! In fact, could you take a picture of the entire thing? I'd love to see it in all its colorful glory 🙂
Leila says
Margo, you are so kind. As are the rest of you!! Liberate yourself as much as possible from marking…it's sometimes necessary, but once you get your eye trained, you can do your lines more or less a quarter, or a half, or whatever part of an inch from the seam…use a body part like a fingernail to keep on track. Overall it will be fine in a quilt like this.The Baptist fans are easy. Get something like a CD or a jar lid to make your first, inner circle, then just eyeball with your finger joint (if you know what I mean)the outer ones. The old quilts have VERY wonky Baptist fans. The olden days quilters were not particular with their utility or less formal quilts, and theirs look better than ours.When I do want to mark (for a more formal quilt), I use, gasp, washable markers. It's really scary. Mostly they wash out. You can test them on scraps and throw away the ones that stain. I get them at the dollar store. The problem is that they don't have pointy tips, and get more mushy as you use them.I also use colored pencils. Mostly I find marking a huge pain and try to avoid it.I have now given this quilt away, but dear MaryBeth has a fabulous camera and perhaps could be persuaded to help out here! It's hard to take a picture of the whole thing…
Sophie says
For marking, I got a fabric pen at that horrible place WalMart. It has two ends–one fades, the other washes out with a bit of water. The fading end fades too quickly, so I usually use the washable end. It washes quite easily–touching the cloth with a wet finger will wash it out.
Leila says
Hi Sophie — I have used those pens, but they are expensive, and then they dry up. So it's kind of like an expense for that one quilt. And if you leave it for a long time, it can be tricky to get out, or else disappear right away. They are handy, though, when working.
patches of me says
I remember this fabric when you first showed it. How grand your quilt turned out! In the past, I've pieced together fabrics on the borders or binding, but never thought of doing that in the log cabin strips – what a great idea and they look fab! You are inspirational … again … I need to get busy!
Margo says
Leila and others – so helpful on the marking lines. I often like to hark back to our great grandmothers and how they made quilts (it is almost impossible for me to purchase fabric expressly for a quilt). So knowing they didn't mark lines gives me great new vision!And Leila, a while ago, you had commented on my newly started quilt top, recommending that I check out Gee's Bend quilts – and I am. The book is waiting for me to pick up at the library. Thanks for the quilting wisdom 🙂
patches of me says
Oh. I can get emotional when I see some of the quilts from Gee's Bend. Quilts … aren't they just wonderful … from the simple ones made by a child to the masterful. Leila – I appreciate all the pictures you have of your quilts, the details and sharing all your excitement and suggestions.
Melanie B says
I saw the Gee's Bend exhibit in DC some years ago. Oh it opened up a whole new world of quilting for me: you mean you can quilt without a pattern!?!?!
Sophie says
Hmmm…mine hasn't dried up so far. *crosses fingers tightly*
Mab says
I tried posting before (but I don't think that it worked, but if it did, forgive me if I have two almost identical posts…) I'm the mother of lucky Paul who ADORES his quilt. He absolutely loves it. We keep it in his favorite corner of the sofa where we sit to read books. When we read, he needs his "big boy cowboy quilt." Oftentimes I find him sitting with it draped over him pointing at the little cowboys and dogs and making up stories. He calls one of the cowboys "Paul" – actually one of them looks quite like him! I will be having a quilt photo shoot this weekend, so get ready – more pictures to come! Thank you so much Mrs. L! He LOVES it (as does everyone else who walks into our family room!)
Carrien says
Have you ever tried the quilt in a day patterns? That's how my MIL started me out learning to quilt. They go together really fast, literally in a day or two if you have all day. Then it's just the quilting afterward.I'm sure you could make a pattern like that just as charming and scrappy looking as the ones you have already made. And it may speed up your every 3 years schedule a tad. 🙂