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After countless hours, I have finished my version of the Civil War diary Quilt. I used the EQ program to paper piece the little 6 inch block and used the book of the same title for my inspiration. I learned how to paper piece on the quilt. I always jump into the deep end in a project, no small ones here!
I decided to use up my scrap bin. This quilt is a statement about my style as a fusion between traditional and modern. After I made these blocks, I was given the Farmer’s Wife book and the blocks were on point…..idea sparking
I loved idea of mixing solids and prints. This queen sized quilt is the result of a work that came straight from the heart.
Taking it off the frame, it is quilted in free hand feathers in an all over design.
And it took almost one cone of thread!! See full cone is on the left!
I was so upset when I finished the top. It languished in the pile of tops to be quilted. You see, just like me and you will see many life parallels here, it wasn’t perfect. And I have this lingering idea from the deepest parts of my inner self that imperfection is unacceptable.
It’s points had a few chopped off, the on point setting was a bit off in spots, didn’t line up. And the worst was, it had a few spots where it didn’t lay flat. Kinda like my abs…..
I wanted to pitch it, you know throw it in the trash, to hide it to never show it to anyone. It would be my secret that I made a quilt with so many technical problems . But I had so much invested in it, I decided to finish it and make it a utilitarian quilt. Hmmmm, lots of work massaging the bulges, pulling the batting and there are a couple of spots where things aren’t flat. Lots of work and I fell in love with this quilt all over again. How could I have even entertained the thought of abandoning this in a unfinished pile of work???
It wouldn’t win any prizes at a quilt show, nor I at a beauty pageant lol, but it is really wonderful. I am so glad. It is a quilt of accumulated experiences and was finished as I had the skills to complete the tasks.
It isn’t always about the finished quilt. It was the process and this one will be truly loved and used. And maybe shown in public next year for a Civil War display at the library but not a judged show. A little twinge of sadness hits me that it is finally finished but I have it’s sister quilt top, Farmer’s wife laying in a UFO pile as the block aren’t perfect….this sounds familiar…. 🙂
And a special thank you to Mary Fons because she encouraged me by saying that “enjoy the process, if you love your quilt it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks or says about it.” From Quilty magazine, My Medal pattern.
Vicki
mycreativecorner3.com 
Love your quilt! Bravo for sharing your feelings with us. None of us are perfect but the end result is a beautiful, loveable work of art.
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Your quilt is amazingly beautiful! I am not sure I have ever made a perfect quilt even though I give it my best efforts. As a friend states in another quilting group a rider on a galloping horse will not notice any imperfections! Enjoy your quilt for its beauty, the experience of learning and challenging yourself. Anyone making that many 6 inch paper pieced blocks is esteemed by me knowing how much time is involved with sewing those tiny pieces!
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Glad you were able to quilt it into submission and now you can enjoy it!
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Congratulations!! Love your comparisons, especially lumpy like my abs – coffee sprayed on my computer now LOL I have had lumpy areas in my tops like my abs too. So glad you finished and are in love with it all over!
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Quilting and piecing is suppose to be fun or relaxing or liberating or educational or … there is a lot you can get out of a quilt and perfect isn’t anywhere near the top of the list. Your feathers look FABULOUS! I am so jealous. Of course, truth be told I haven’t really practiced any feathers for a long time. Tell me how you got that good at them.
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Every quilt is a snapshot in time. So glad you stuck with it and have a finished quilt to enjoy.
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It is absolutely wonderful, and I often feel that way about my quilts. To me, there is ALWAYS one huge glaring problem (usually just to me) with every one I make. 🙂 You’re not alone!
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wow, what a keepsake to have. I love how it looks, the deep colors are always so comforting to me.
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I think your quilt is beautiful. I have to remind myself all the time …that everything does not have to be perfect. Only god can make perfect…
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Your words are so true! I want perfection, too, when I quilt, but it doesn’t happen. Quilting really is a life lesson… enjoy the journey… there will be bumps in the road… beauty comes from fusing many parts together…nothing is perfect…. but I made it with my hands. Beautiful quilt!
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Love the story, the most valuable lesson I am learning from my quilting experience is I AM GOING TO MAKE A MISTAKE on every project. At first I was really frustrated and disappointed in myself, I am finally beginning to embrace the lessons/mistakes some I can fix some I can’t..sounds like life:)
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