Hallelujah, it's done! Thanks to my darling husband who entertained the girls for almost an hour after dinner while I finished hand stitching the binding upstairs in our room, the Vintage Holiday lap quilt is ready for delivery. It was a lot of fun to make a version of this quilt that is so different from the one I'm making for the QAL, and now that I've completed this project, I'll be starting on the backing for my own quilt tomorrow.
When my grandmother asked me to make this quilt for her, she had only two requests: Christmas themed fabric and a green border on the front. I made sure to add both. Because this was a lap quilt, I dropped the number of ornaments from twelve to just nine and eliminated the inside grid of sashing as well. It gives the quilt a simpler look and makes it the perfect size for a lap quilt.
I love the retro prints in the Dear Mr. Claus collection by Cosmo Cricket -- you would think that they were truly vintage if you didn't know better. My layer cake was enough to make all the ornaments and part of the backing with plenty left over for other projects. I also used a green snowflake print for the border and backing, one of the stylized red and green ornament prints for the rest of the backing, and a red striped print for the binding that looks just like it belongs on a candy cane.
For the quilting, I returned to the wavy stitch on my sewing machine that worked so well for last month's baby quilt, only this time I sewed rows across the entire face of the quilt. I love the way it makes me think of ric-rac, garlands, and icicles...
I cannot wait to deliver this to my grandmother tomorrow. She's been one of my biggest cheerleaders since I started sewing and has often insisted on funding my fabric purchases so that I could afford to make the projects you see on this blog. Though she has no computer and very poor eyesight, she uses a magnifying glass to study the details on my sewing projects in the pictures I send her, and she's been so excited to hear about the QAL and all of you who are taking part in it. It has given me so much pleasure to make this quilt for her.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!
Linking up to TGIFF.
It's lovely, your grandma is going to love it. My grandma is a long time seamstress (professionally and personally) who sadly can no longer sew, she say's she's glad I turned out to be a 'sew and sew' like her.
ReplyDeleteDarling! The quilting is perfect. It looks like streamers or what's it called, tinsel maybe, in the background.
ReplyDeleteHow cool is that , your biggest fan is grandma! She will love it!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely story! Your Grandma sounds like a lovely lady, you are very lucky :) The quilt is beautiful, I am sure she will love it!
ReplyDeleteAwww she'll love it!!! Looks fab! You have imspired me to get moving again on my own Vintage Holiday - I took a little break from it but MUST get it done! Your (2nd) is awesome!
ReplyDeleteSo in love with this!! She's going to love it!
ReplyDeleteDo you think you'd be able to get all 12 ornaments out of one layer cake?
You and your Grandmother are both lucky women!
ReplyDeleteyay!!! what a lovely quilt, Heidi! Way to go!
ReplyDeleteFabulous!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful gift for your grandmother! It's beautiful and I'm sure she'll love it. The wavy quilting does give that icicle effect - love it!
ReplyDeleteIt looks great! I read your last two posts back-to-back so it was fun to see just the quilt top and then the reveal of the finished quilt immediately after. I literally said "awwww" out loud - it's so sweet. :)
ReplyDeleteStunning - your grandmother will love it.
ReplyDeleteOh how nice! Be sure and report back what Grandma says!
ReplyDeleteIt's wonderful! And I love the wavy stitch you are using. Wish I had one!
ReplyDeleteNo wonder she left you two messages - it's gorgeous! I love the colours - that green is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteWow, this is just beautiful, I would be wanting to start my Christmas decorating already.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up with TGIFF