Ode to My Wife, the Quilter
author unknown
She learned to quilt on Monday.
Her stitches were very fine.
She forgot to thaw out dinner,
So we went out to dine.
She quilted miniatures Tuesday.
She says they are a must.
They really were quite lovely,
But she forgot to dust.
On Wednesday, it was a sampler.
She says the stipplin's fun.
What highlights! Oh what shadows!
But the laundry wasn't done.
Her charm quilt was on Thursday.
Green patches, blue and red.
I guess she really was engrossed:
She never made the bed.
It was wall hangings on Friday,
In colors she adores.
But she never seemed to notice
The crumbs on all the floors.
I found a maid on Saturday!
My week is now complete.
My wife can quilt the hours away:
The house will still be neat.
Well, it's already Sunday.
I think I'm about to wilt.
I cursed, I raved, I ranted--
The maid has learned to quilt!
The quilt above was based on a design from "Laurel Burch Quilts: Kindred Creatures". It currently hangs on a wall in a dental hygienist room in Appleton Dental, Grand Junction, CO. Vivian and I both love Laurel's cat designs and I was tired of looking at the blank wall in front of me when I got my teeth cleaned, so I offered to make something for her.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Monday, May 28, 2012
My First Quilt
When I was in the 8th grade, my mom arranged for a neighbor to teach me how to sew. My mom was so wise not to try teaching me at that age. I remember making a blouse and a pair of shorts and I was hooked on being able to make my own clothes from whatever fabrics I wanted instead of having to pick from what the department store had in stock.
So I sewed my way through high school and college. My parents gave me a Singer sewing machine for college graduation. Singer had such a good reputation in those days, but something changed in 1969 and the machine I got sewed OK but the top thread was constantly snarling under the fabric. I finally got tired of it, sold it and vowed never to buy a Singer sewing machine again. From what I've read by others online, I gather the machines have not improved.
My second machine was a Sears model and I used it for 33 years, sewing not only for myself, but also clothes for my husband and 2 boys. That machine finally got to a point where it was just worn out and I replaced it a few years ago with a Janome Memory Craft 11000 Special Edition.
One day I saw an ad for a pattern to make an ABC quilt for a child where you used fabric paint to paint the blocks and then quilted it. Now I had never made a quilt, but I had a child who would love such a quilt and sent off for the pattern. I used a bed sheet and painted all the blocks on it. Then, I used another sheet for the backing and put a double layer of batting in between (a quilt should be warm, right?) I used my sewing machine to stitch (quilt) around the designs Then, because I had seen quilts with borders (sashing) in between block, I sewed strips of decorative ribbon to divide the blocks. Finally I sewed satin blanket binding around the edges and I had just made my first quilt?
In 1978, I entered it in the Guilford County Agricultural Fair in High Point, NC. You won't believe it but it got a ribbon for 2nd place in the "Best Designed Quilt" category and I received a prize of $2.50! This quilt was so bad that later, when I had joined a quilt guild and had to tell about my first quilt, I did NOT show this quilt! Instead, I told about my second quilt, which I still have today. But that's another story.
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