In 2020, Susan, Rondi, Nanci and I had gone to a quilt show at Alden Nursery to see the various quilts hanging from the trees. While there, I spied a quilt that I couldn't take my eyes from, a king size quilt in a Jacob's Ladder pattern. I knew that one day I would make this quilt. I examined it to see what made it so special. The scrappiness of many fabrics gave it movement and made it unique.
After I had finished the top for the A Tisket, A Tasket, A Flower Basket quilt, I took the remaining blue and grey fabrics and began making half square triangles and four-patch blocks.
I had originally planned to make the blocks as leaders and enders, but instead continued to sew non-stop. I like the concept of making a second quilt between other projects using leaders and enders, but I get so excited that I find myself working on only the L&E project. It seems to be easier to focus on one project at a time rather than two projects simultaneously.
I finished the top fairly quickly during the month of August (2020) but didn't have a chance to complete it with the quilting.
At Christmas (2020), when I was showing some of my quilts to Tiffany and Jimmy, Tiffany mentioned that the quilt was in her colors and that she liked it.
I knew then that I would gift this quilt to her the following Christmas.
For months, I would think about this quilt being meant for Tiffany and finishing it. However, in the back of my mind, I felt the size of it just wasn't right. At a size of 66" x 74", it was too big for a lap quilt but not large enough for a bed quilt. Finally, in September, I sent a message to Tiffany saying that I wanted to gift her the quilt but wanted to check to see what size she might like. Should I make it smaller or make it larger by adding additional rows? I didn't want to ruin a Christmas gift surprise, but I also wanted her to like what she received. We agreed that the quilt would be used more often if it was smaller.
Tiffany also mentioned that the medium blue border on the quilt was a bit dark for her liking.
Out came the seam ripper. I removed the border fabric and 2 rows from the right, 2 rows from the left, and 2 rows from the bottom of the quilt. I had also pieced a backing with the same blue fabric (in the border) and newspaper fabric to give it a design element. The backing was dismantled to use for a different project.
While I was modifying the quilt, Sheila requested a prayer quilt for a friend whose husband had unexpectedly passed away. I found a blue fabric for the prayer quilt that was also the perfect color for Tiffany's new and improved quilt. After purchasing fabric for the prayer quilt, I returned to the store to get the same fabric for Tiffany's quilt. The lighter fabric was a better choice for the quilt border.
I found some grey fabric that complimented the quilt and used it for the binding and backing. It was quilted with an echo stitch on each side of the diagonal seams and through the points of the 4-squares.
The quilt was finished and set aside for Tiffany's Christmas present. What joy I had presenting her with a quilt that was meant just for her. I just didn't know it when I began. Meanwhile Jimmy's koi fish quilt (Swimming in Circles) was also in the works.
Every quilt tells a story. This is the story of taking a finished quilt top, seam ripping the border and extra rows, and putting it back together again for a custom quilt for my daughter. It was truly something blue made new.
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Every Quilt Tells A Story
Whether it is the fabrics chosen, the design, the colors, the occasion, the recipient, or the people I quilt with, every quilt tells a story. This blog captures in images and words what has been created for others and for my own home through the hum and stitching of my sewing machine.
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