I finished the quilt I have been working on for a few months. My aunt traveled around the world by herself 20-something years ago. While in Bali, she watched the local women hand-batiking cloth that they made into skirts, pants, wall hangings, etc. She gifted me some of her vintage skirts and fabric from the trip, including two big patchwork quilt tops.
She gave me one of the quilt tops in return for making the other one into a quilt for her!
I was honored to do this job for my aunt. She was very close to my mom and has been such an emotional and practical support since my mom passed. My mom had made a handful of beautiful home dec items for my aunt’s home: pillows, window treatments, etc. It felt nice to channel my mom’s inner giving spirit in making the quilt.
However, my mom would have hand quilted and hand applied the bias binding. I machine sewed both of those!! I’m much less of a perfectionist, and I know that I just don’t have the time for hand sewing right now. My aunts will love it either way, and if I set out to hand sew it, I would put it off for years.
I am having to patch some holes in the quilt top, which has been trying. I really don’t enjoy hand sewing unless it’s decorative embroidery.
Details: I used organic cotton batting that I got for 40% off (with coupon) at A.C. Moore. The backing was purchased at my local discount fabric store. I machine quilted on the diagonal, pseudo-stitching-in-the-ditch on my industrial Singer sewing machine. I handmade the bias tape from fabric from my stash using one of these.
It’s super cozy, and I’ve enjoyed cuddling up under it while repairing the holes. Quilting always reminds me of my mom and her meticulous hand stitching. It also reminds me of her millions of pairs of reading glasses, how she could never thread her needles, and her hilarious expletives when she realized she made a big mistake.
Rebourne Diapers 