Sewing memories
Here's a top I made a little while ago.
To make it I raided my scrap buckets and found unused blocks, trimmings from oversized backings, extra pieces of fabric from quilts I've made over the years. It's truly a mix of leftovers.
As I rummaged through the blocks and fabrics I couldn't help but think about the quilts that these pieces came from.
For example this intersection comes from three different quits:
The blue yellow geese were a rejected border from my Meet You in the Garden quilt
They're from this quilt. I used it as a backing for another quilt and had to trim it back to size.
The cobalt blue flowery fabric was used for the border on Peacock Garden,
I used the Denise Schmidt pink floral as the backing for Charming Smiles.
The red and white daisy print is a favourite fabric that I used in the border of my Undercover Colour red and white quilt.
Peacock Garden
Charming Smiles
Undercover Colour
Along one side of my scrappy leftovers flimsy is the cut off edge of this colourful quilt,
which was the backing for the Love Quilt that I made for some friends as a wedding present.
In the middle of this photo there is a Lightning Bolt block from a quilt I never finished. It's nice that it's found a home in a quilt after all.
So as you can see this top is like a fabric diary of my quilting journey so far.
I certainly enjoyed the journey of memories it took me on as I chose pieces and sewed them together.
I'm sure you'll agree that reminiscing is one of the joys of sewing with our scraps and leftovers! Maybe our scrap bins should be renamed as Happy Memories buckets?
35 Comments
I love this! I have a drawer of orphan blocks that I thought maybe someday could be used for something. This may be a great thing to do with them! Love your blog and your quilts.
ReplyDeleteHappy Memory buckets - yes, I like that. I have a few orphan blocks and have been contemplating creating a quilt with them.
ReplyDeleteThis is why we love scraps so much, because they bring back so many lovely memories:)
ReplyDeleteHi Rachael,wow your quilts are amazing i love the way you use colour,thankyou for sharing xx
ReplyDeleteAnother lovely quilt, Rachael. Happy Memory Buckets is a great way to describe a stash of scraps. We all have these don't we? I once tried to trace some of my favourite fabrics through looking back at photos of my quilts. They appeared in smaller and smaller scraps in so many quilts!
ReplyDeleteI'd admire your ability Rachael, to put together such a diverse group of fabrics and blocks and create such a wonderful memory quilt! I often look at my finished quilts and marvel at the stash I have managed to 'sew through'!
ReplyDeleteThe fabricof our lives are our memories. Happy Bucket of memories. Great fun quilt.
ReplyDeleteSo lovely to have all these memories in one place
ReplyDeleteHello Rachael !
ReplyDeleteThe quilt "Peacok Garden"is very traditional! It's very cute but not the same style that you quilt nowadays !
The quilt "Love" is one of my fav...I admit ! :))
Thank you for these wonderful photos !
What a fun quilt. Fabric scraps certainly make for happy memories. I've been going through some of Mum's scraps as she gets ready to move to a retirement village. Not many suitable for quilts, but so many memories......going way, way back.
ReplyDeleteOh, Rachel....what a lovely post today! I truly enjoyed looking at each picture and relishing the idea of digging through your fabric stash. My scraps are not nearly as bright and cheerful. And each block just shows your delightful, curative spirit. I am here in Portland this a.m. Awaiting thre awakening of three little grandchildren and holding my breath for the adventure to begin. My daughter is having minor surgery and I am here to help. A trip thru your sewing memories was a wonderful diversion to calm my nerves and prepare me for the coming chaos! But what fun! They are 1, 3 and 4.
ReplyDeleteCreative spirit....I hate spell correct
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely time I have had reminiscing with you! I'm wondering if I could use some orphan blocks in a similar way. They are so different that they might just come together in an eclectic way. I love eclectic! This is a beautiful quilt. I enjoyed seeing fabrics that we have in common!
ReplyDeleteOh squeal! This is my favorite type of quilt. I am such a scrap freak and this quilt is just delightful. I am currently working on an orphan block quilt that I am calling "pot luck". Thanks for the nudge to get cracking on it.
ReplyDeleteYour Happy Memory Bucket was filled to the brim with fantastic bits and pieces and now all live happily together in a brand new quilt.
ReplyDeleteI see a lot of happiness in your quilting past ... I have a few orphan blocks ... all I feel is guilt for them, this quilt top shows me that maybe I should see what I can do with them?
ReplyDeleteAs I just sit here moping with no direction in sight...ahhh inspiration from down under...thank you..
ReplyDeleteAnd I hope you are keeping this wonderfully scrappy quilt for yourself to keep the memories strong. I have a bunch of those wandering baby pieces too. Now I know what to do with them, but I am not very imaginative when mixing different sizes together so we shall see. Thanks for the trip down your memory lane.
ReplyDeleteThis is my favorite kind of quilt--all made from scraps at hand--just like they did years ago. Plus, it's got all those memories. What fun to see so many of your quilts! Some of them are new to me, or else I had forgotten them. I've been meaning to make a quilt out of my orphan blocks. Maybe you've inspired me to get going on it at last!
ReplyDeleteA wonderful bright & colourful quilt, full of scrappy goodness & memories! And I enjoyed looking back over your earlier quilts too!
ReplyDeletefabulous one woman quilt show today! wow it was great to see all of these quilts and the resulting memory quit that you made with their leftovers.
ReplyDeleteWell done!
Beautiful quilt and I love the stories beef fabrics used from previous quilts. What a wonderful "memory" quilt.
ReplyDeleteIt is such a lovely trip down memory lane. This quilt top will always be a reminder of so many other quilts. Love the way it goes together.
ReplyDeleteI love that - "a fabric diary". Oh so true. What a fun quilt!!!
ReplyDeleteRachael your quilts are always an absolute delight! Fabulous memories! Your blog posts create a happy space.
ReplyDeleteYou are very good at keeping a scrap bin like this; in a name of "declutter" I am trying not to do that, as I found I don't usually do anything with bits of old blocks. My workroom is so small, I just can't afford the space!
ReplyDeletexx
What a lovely diary of your quilting journey! You have made me want to run to my sewing room and find fun fabrics.. If not, I am going to go to some quilting shop and find some summer prints.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous, fun quilt full of lovely memories for you. I keep meaning to delve into my (overflowing) scrap bin and make something, but there always seem to be other things calling my attention!
ReplyDeleteLove the name of Happy Memories, great idea!
ReplyDeleteAnother masterpiece, from many masterpieces! Brilliant, Rachel!
ReplyDeleteThis is so fun! It always a joy to spend time with my stash (scraps or otherwise) precisely because of the associated memories. Even if some of those are memories of things I intended but still haven't gotten done.
ReplyDeleteQuilts like this I love - the memories from other quilts! I love finding a piece of fabric with a hexagon or orange peel shape cut out - I know where exactly it's been used last!
ReplyDeleteRachael, your trip is lovely to go on with your reminicing too. Thank you. Love your quilts.
ReplyDeleteRachael, your trip is lovely to go on with your reminicing too. Thank you. Love your quilts.
ReplyDeleteJust fantastic Rachael....so colourful and happy!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for leaving me a comment. Your kind words encourage me to keep sharing my work and stories.