making a summer quilt

So, remember this list?  My list of yearly goals for 2015.  I’ve completed several items and ever since I finished my curtains for our bedroom I have been dreaming of making a summer quilt for our bed out of the rest of the fabric that I bought from an estate sale last summer.  Something not too heavy but that would complement our summer sheets and not make me too hot on summer nights.  The fabric is old but beautiful and I am basically cutting my squares from pieces of scrap and actual pieces of old clothing projects that either didn’t fit or didn’t get finished.  I had to make the executive decision to cut down my wishes of solid squares to pieced together squares by cutting pieces half the size of my regular ones and sewing two together to make a regular size one.  I just couldn’t resist some of the gorgeous scraps that had hems and sewn seams so smaller pieces allowed me to use them.  I want my quilt to semi match the curtains in our room which has twelve inch squares.  I feel I don’t quite have the patience for teeny tiny squares and complicated patterns as summer is quickly approaching and I want the quilt to be ready.  Besides, when you make it yourself it is all about what you want right? 

Sunday morning began nicely and was a wonderful day to begin cutting pieces with a spring breeze coming through the open windows, Led Zeppelin playing on my pc and incense drifting through the air.  Not to mention my two helpers, Kate and Tommy, napping in their chosen spots in the room with me. 

As for the backing on my quilt, I had a dream of using a light top sheet and sewing the quilt top to it and possibly using the old fashioned method that my Grandmother used of tying each square in the center, which I still may do. I also wanted a bigger size than a queen, which is what size our bed is, so I can use it as a bedspread and it would have good coverage and hang down on the sides.   I wound up finding a light gray, king size flat sheet made of t-shirt type cotton to use as the backing at Goodwill for a few dollars.  It is in good shape but has a stretch to it that the top will not have.  I have decided not to worry and take it one step at a time and enjoy the process.  It doesn’t have to be perfect and I doubt it will be a fair winner but it will be my creation.  I like to think my quilt-making Granddaddy would be proud of my efforts and interest.  And all I can do is picture myself curled up in it at home or in the camper.

 

And my favorite song of the day while cutting...