My Grandmother (my dad's mom, whom Summerlin Grace is named in honor of - Summerlin was her maiden name and Grace was one of her favorite names) was an avid quilter - as was her mother and probably many generations before. She made all three of her granddaughters a full size quilt for our 16th birthdays - along with quilts for many other family members. I remember going with her to the church reception hall to assemble the "quilt sandwich" - the backing, batting, and pieced together top. Working on Jackson's quilt brought back many memories.
I have always been appreciative of the quilt she made, but I have so much more respect for her labors now. She pieced the quilts together by machine, but all of her quilting stitches were done by hand. Think about that for a minute - quilts large enough for a full size bed with nothing but hand stitching. HAND STITCHING. Holy cow, no wonder why she worked on each one for over a year (or two). She let each of us help select the pattern and some of the fabrics/colors. I choose a double wedding ring pattern with pinks, greens, yellows, and blues. I wish she were still alive today so that I could apologize for selecting such a complicated pattern. I can't believe she willing made such an intricate quilt for me. That is love. Maybe I will eventually get to that level, but for now I'm happy to machine stitch.
I like to think that she is looking down on us now and smiling that the family tradition of quilting is still being carried on. I wish she were still alive so I could call her to talk and ask her questions - but mostly so that she could share in the joy of my sweet babies. But like I just said, I like to think that she's looking down and seeing it all.
Close view of the fabrics used and stitching. I made this quilt entirely by machine (with the exception of a slip stitch on the binding). The firetruck fabric is a jersey knit. I will NEVER again attempt to quilt using any jersey knit. It has way too much stretch in it. I drove me crazy and no matter how careful I was, not all my corners matched up perfectly. But, it's for a two year old and he loves it, as do I.
View of the backside and binding.
Close view of the backside and binding. I was very pleased with my slip stitch to finish the binding. It took a considerable amount of time, but was still enjoyable.
The finished product. I made the "pattern" up. The squares are 5"x5" and the red pieces are a combination of 3"x3" squares and 3"x5" rectangles. If I were to make this style quilt again, I would make the larger squares bigger - 6"x6" or 8"x8". I selected the sizes I did because I had to make sure I had enough fabric. I was avoiding another trip to the quilt store. This was an excellent beginning quilt style, but I'm excited to try something different next! What's your favorite style/pattern?
Great job, I can't tell at all that it is your 1st quilt!!! As for my style, I stitch in the ditch and don't do Xs through the squares if they have prints. However I also take some to a special quilt lady who has a long arm machine if it is a special one.
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