This is a little off the beaten path for me. My mom surprised me with a sewing machine about seven years ago. A nice little Janome with a carrying case, and most importantly a complete set of instructions.
I've been wanting to recreate the baby blanket that my great-grandma Leona made form me when I was an infant. It's a pattern that I can handle. Nine squares wide and nine squares tall. A nice little blanket to lay under a baby, or over a carrier when the weather gets chilly.
The fabric in the original is a hoot. Dots, checks, plaids, bicycles, tulips, one-of-a-kind pieces that could only have come from a blouse or an item of clothing. Now I need to figure out how to sew on the binding and how to quilt it on my machine.
I keep on reminding myself it doesn't have to be perfect, just made with love. It would also be nice if it could withstand a few hundred cycles in the washing machine - like the original.
Is that asking too much?
You've mananged to capture the vibe of the original so well and it's really gorgeous! There's no reason why it shouldn't survive the washing machine, especially if you are machine quilting it. My main recommendation for quilting, if you are doing straight lines, is using a walking foot - it means that the fabric will be fed through your machine from the top and the bottom and prevents the layers slipping around and getting out of alignment (which causes puckers). Email me if you want more detailed advice, but there is heaps of info out there online :-)
ReplyDeleteKeep the quilting simple - I don't have a walking foot - a couple of my quilts have had basic straight line quilting done by the seams - others a mix of hand and machine quilting. I keep telling myself that handmade means there will be imperfections - that is what makes it unique.
ReplyDeleteIt will be lovely and special because you've made it yourself your grandma would be proud x
ReplyDelete