Thursday, April 30, 2009

Quilt: Secondhand Rose

So Australian Patchwork and Quilting magazine decided to do a Recycled-theme issue, and asked me to design a larger quilt as well as the Kalgoorlie quiltlet.  OK, I thought, shirt quilt coming up, I always enjoy making shirt quilts and I won't have to go out to buy anything, I know that....
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And then the editor said, oh, we already have a shirt quilt, it would be good to have something done with only a couple of fabrics.
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Now that's a harder call, with recycled fabrics.  I thought for a bit, then remembered a tablecloth I'd bought with Recycled Threads in mind, when I was writing and designing that for Australian Country Threads magazine.  I found it, and looked at it, and thought.  Washed it, for starters.  Began harvesting the largest pieces I could from it, since it had frayed sections.  I then bought some pink cotton gingham in two different scales, and started a jigsaw game. 
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It resulted in Secondhand Rose, in the current issue of APQ, vol. 17. no. 11.  You may not have a tablecloth the same size, but I hope it's an inspiration for what is possible.  I had it commercially quilted by Kim Bradley, who is a brilliant machine quilter with so many designs to choose from (not all machine quilters have so many)...this quilt, I thought, needed that extra surface texture, given the areas of white space and gingham.  Hasn't one old tablecloth, with frayed and shabby bits, come up nicely?
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2 comments:

Judy said...

A truly magical use for an old tablecloth.

Quilty Cat said...

A challenge indeed. But a very pretty outcome.
I haven't seen the mag but will have to check it out at the local library.
I really like the tablecloth starting point.