Every once in a while, we get to work on something truly special. This will be one of my most memorable projects because I had the chance to work out of my comfort zone and honor the unknown creator of the hand embroidered blocks and showcase her incredible craftsmanship.
Working with purple isn't easy for me. When it comes to purple, I avoid it most of the time. The color purple only appears in my scrap quilts because I don’t really like it. In scrap quilts, purple is just another part of the rainbow, blending in nicely without stealing the spotlight. As you can imagine, there’s very little purple in my fabric stash. So, to make these gorgeous blocks shine, I had to buy some fabrics...and it was worth every penny.
While working on the quilt top, I considered giving hand quilting another try, thinking the unknown maker of the blocks might have preferred it. But after some thought, I realized the best way to honor her and make it the best it could be in my care was to stick with what I know and do well...machine quilting.
She put so much time and love into every stitch. I can’t help but feel a little sad knowing her family will never get to snuggle up with this quilt. All I can do now is make sure it’s cherished the way it truly deserves.
Even though I don't know her name I did my best to give her credit on the label. I also gave it the name "Purple Passion". Purple because of the color. Passion, because it took her passion for handwork and my passion for quilting to get it to a finished quilt.
The last thing I did to honor the maker was to hand stitch the binding to the back. Normally on quilts I plan to give away I 100% machine bind.
A big thank you to Melissa, a new local quilting friend, who gave me the embroidered blocks. For those of you who missed the original post about this quilt, below is how it looked.
Melissa's mom gave it to her. Her mom passed last year. Her mom got them from a neighbor who has also passed, hence the Unknown Indianapolis Woman on the label.
The finish is bittersweet because I would love to keep it my quilt collection just because of all the handwork, but I know it's going to someone who will appreciate the handwork, the colors and the story behind its journey.
Now it's back to working on my own UFO's. They too have gone unloved for far too long and they don't have any purple in them!
Next up on the frame...this one was started in 2013. It's a small quilt so let's hope for a quick finish.
I am glad you were able to put your dislike for purple aside and finish this quilt as it turned out spectacular!
ReplyDeleteIsn’t it the most wonderful feeling to finish the work of a kindred spirit, even if you never knew them? I have a friend that brought me a quilt to longarm that she made out of hand embroidered blocks she rescued from the local hospice thrift shop. She doesn’t see well and didn’t notice the stains on the sashing fabric she used. I asked her if I could work on it first and then quilt it. She immediately agreed. I found fabric that would bring out the beauty of the hand stitching and remade the quilt. I almost cried when I finished quilting it because it was so beautiful. She was going to donate the quilt but after she saw it, she told me to give it to someone special!
ReplyDelete