Tuesday, October 12, 2010

A Picnic Quilt

I have always been a bit envious when I see someone at a park... watching fireworks... at the beach... with a patchwork quilt to sit on.

I have quilts. Handmade quilts. Lovely quilts. But none that I am ready to throw on the ground just yet. And to be honest, don't know if I ever will be ready. They all have special value and meaning to me, and I doubt they will ever be relegated to dirty uses.

But I have quite a lot of small bits of fabric that I have bought here and there for one project or another. Fabrics that I like a lot, but that I can't actually see myself wearing or decorating with. And I adore the look of a truly random patchwork quilt with no carefully planned color scheme.

So what was I waiting for? The right moment in time, I suppose.

This is what I have done so far...
Measured a worn out flannel sheet which I intend to use for backing.
Calculated how many 4x4 squares of fabric I would need to make the top.
Cut out a massive pile of squares (668 to be exact).
Began creating 9-patch blocks (12 finished so far).

I am now in the process, now that I see how the 9-patch blocks look (I'm truly digging the color combinations), I am now putting the rest of the squares in groupings of 9, just to make sure the fabric prints are distributed relatively evenly throughout.

Its a bit tedious, but a great project to have spread out on the kitchen counter to work on while dinner simmers on the stove.

I can hardly wait until all the blocks are sewn together so I can get the whole quilt laid out.

Do any of you have a picnic quilt? If so, do you have a story to go with it? Won't you share?

10 comments:

Heather said...

I have two small quilts that my mom picked up at a second hand store. We use those out in the yard, I am not ready to use any of my own quilts for such, and I feel guilty using the ones I do.

Your blocks look beautiful!! Good luck and I can't wait to see it when it's done.

Chelle (Dana) said...

I love your blocks. I don't have a quilt like that either. I remember my Aunt having a couple of quilts like this and how warm they were. I think I want to make one like this to take to the park. I've got loads of fabrics already cut into charm sqs from some charm swaps and they would be perfect to do this. Can't wait to see how your's comes out.

Catherine said...

What a great project!! This will be fun to watch your progress!!

Kathy Barrick said...

Clever girl! Is there NOTHING you can't do???

xoxox
Kathy

Anonymous said...

What beautiful blocks! Your quilt is going to look beautiful once it is completed.

Shana said...

I first have to say that I LOVE the blocks with your name and Jacks name!

I do not have a picnic quilt. I am like you and the quilts that I do have I could never put on the ground. I have one that was given to me by a very dear friend when my son was born and no one but me is allowed to use it! Lol!

Anonymous said...

i have a quilt my grand ma made me. and hopefully will be getting a couple family quilts. as for a picnic quilt....none here...too many fire ants and other bugs to even want to sit on the ground! LOL!

but if i did, it would be one i picked up from the store, not one of the heirloom family quilts! :)

i love your quilt pieces. maybe one day the quilt bug will bite me too. right now i'm still a counted stitcher! :)

joann in tx

Colleen said...

That must be one enormous flannel sheet! I love the look so far.

joann boswell said...

I can't wait to see the finished product, Bethy!

Kathy said...

The quilt is going to be gorgeous. I love all the colors. And can't wait to see it finished.