This quilt has been a long time in the works, and now all the finished top needs is layering and quilting. The pattern is from Kaffe Fassett's book Passionate Patchwork. I love all of Kaffe's work. He combines fabrics in a fearless way.
Several years ago I started this quilt by collecting home dec sample books for the hatboxes at the center. The pieced border is also mostly made up of home dec fabrics from sample books. In the original version of this quilt, there are more hatboxes and less border.
Here are a few close ups of the hatboxes.
Once I got beyond the pieced border I got stuck. Without the blue border the quilt is 71x71," which I considered to be too big for a wall hanging, but I wasn't sure I wanted to use this as a bed quilt. I chose a blue outer border from this sweet toile fabric, but I got frustrated at the prospect of piecing it so it would fit across the width of the quilt, since the motifs didn't seem to line up. So I put the quilt aside for another day.
Recently I took the quilt out, put on my big girl pants, and cut the borders, pieced them and attached them to the quilt. It now seems perfect for a bed quilt at 85x85." Maybe quilts are like wine. They are ready in their own time. That's my story anyway, and I'm sticking to it.
11 comments:
Oh wow, that's a great quilt!
love the hatbox quilt and I'm crazy about the toile fabrics-so pretty.
My husband calls it aging-like good wine. When the time is right you'll finish the quilt. He says that hoping I'll finish one of the MANY things residing in the Closet of Shame upstairs.
What a perfect use for toile fabric..the hatboxes and the border too.
How could you not have this quilt on your bed?
I think you are right about time. I have several quilts aging in the "cellar." This one is lovely and it's nice to see it finished.
Nice! It must have been fun making those hatboxes. I know what you mean about the border--on a big quilt that is a pain.
Very pretty, Barbara! Isn't is funny how "fresh eyes" can solve all sorts of problems?
I gotta get me some of them big girl pants so I can get the borders on my friendship quilt ;- )
I think this will be charming on your bed. And I agree that quilt projects sometimes need to age before finishing!
I've always admired this hatbox quilt! And I completely agree that every project has its time...some need to age more than others...just like wine....you couldn't have bed it any setter...***hiccough**
Seems to me you were working on this when we all got started blogging and I believe I have been blogging about 4 years. . . .*wink*
oh- what a great way to use those beautiful fabrics.
It's a great quilt Barb, and such a statifying feeling to say it's ready for layering. I love the blue that you had for the outer border. And the hatboxes seem the perfect way to use the fancy sample fabric. Great job! Hugs, Finn
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