Sunday, December 13, 2009

A Scrap Quilt for Judah

It once happened, in a doomful and unfortunate time Before Me, that David had a girlfriend by the name of Tabatha.

Early in our marriage David spent several days going through his belongings, digging into the hidden recesses of his closet into dusty and long-forgotten boxes, to remove from his life anything pertaining to this lady. I had felt quite natural feelings of dislike and suspicion towards her and was quite glad to help David in his riddances.

However, even then, I was not so hard hearted or jealous to deny that despite the evil tendencies of this woman (who had inconsiderately claimed my husbands affection for four years prior), she was not completely devoid of usefulness or interest. For she had made David a quilt that I asked him not to get rid of.

It was made all in squares, all in plaids and tied with maroon yarn at the top. It seems she had never finished it completely. It had, in the years of its use, become rather disfigured and worn but I thought it would work well for a spare blanket for reenacting.

We did use it as a spare blanket at reenactments. At home it sat folded up with other spare blankets.
It was a sad and forlorn little blanket until Judah moved from his crib to his toddler bed. At that time he needed a larger blanket and for some reason had an affection for the raggedy plaid quilt. So he has used it all this past year and it has become even more worn and disfigured - but loved.
Last year I made little David a quilt for his 2nd birthday. I wanted to make Judah a quilt for his second birthday but unfortunately the quilt did not materialize as I, as usual, procrastinated.
I have spent the past month or so trying to cut all my scraps into 4" squares. On Tuesday I decided that I had enough cut to make Judah a quilt for Christmas. I pieced eighteen 9-patch blocks with scraps, alternating with plain white squares. I sewed them together 5 x 7 alternating with 17 plain calico squares and then sewed calico sashed around all the edges. I used a big full size sheet for the backing and an old blanket for the middle and tied the corners of each square with dark turquoise colored wool yarn and there it was.
Now Judah has his very own quilt and the poor plaid one can once again be a spare, though I do not know how long it will remain here with us as it is definitely in the final stages of its life.
Now to make one for little Malachi. . .
Love,
Sarah

17 comments:

  1. It's so lovely! I can't believe its just scraps :) I want to make one just like that someday... thanks for inspiring again!

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  2. What a wonderful quilt! It looks quite cozy :-)

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  3. What a lovely quilt! I just love how warm and cozy scrap quilts are :)

    Blessings,
    Bethany

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  4. Its lovely! Yes I too adore scrap quilts and I am hoping to make another for our family soon! And one out of modern scraps for my own bed. Reenacting quilts must be finished first right beth?!

    Its so great to use old scraps that you remember using for past projects I think. Each scrap tells a story! :)

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  5. How nice! It's both pretty and suitable for a boy. I like to think of a child sleeping beneath a blanket lovingly made by his mother.

    Now, as for husband's old girlfriends, I know exactly how you feel there. I never went with anyone except Anthony, but he had several casual girlfriends before his conversion and afterwards, he seriously courted a few girls. I am a little jealous of all those girls, to be honest. I am not jealous of the girlfriend who was dearest to him. She seemed like a genuinely lovely person and I wish I could have known her. Anthony had some of her clothes mixed in with his stuff-they were nice tops and he was using them as oil changing rags for his car! I commandeered them and I still wear two of them.

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  6. Lovely, lovely quilt! I think it's brilliant that you used a sheet and a blanket to make it. I've never made a quilt out of anything but new fabric and it's missing a certain charm and warmth that can only come from repurposed, well loved pieces. I've got some that may find themselves parts of quilts in the comming years.

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  7. What a lovely quilt! Perhaps one of these days I will do something similar with all my (many, many!) scraps... hmmm. You are always an inspiration, Sarah!

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  8. Very beautiful. I also have thought of making a quilt for my grandson and for us. I never seem to follow through. I also thought it was a very kind hearted thing for you to keep the quilt. GBU

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  9. Thank you! I want to eventually quilt this quilt but since Christmas is so close at hand I knew I wouldn't have time to hand quilt all of it before then, and I don't have a quilting/walking foot for my machine. The wool ties can work as basting stitches in the mean time. :)

    Emily, David was also my first real boyfriend. I had had crushes/interest in people prior to him, of course, but no boyfriend per se. He also had a few casual girlfriends in middle school and Tabatha was his only serious one (they actually were engaged for a time, apparantly and she eventually left David for his at-the-time best friend). It's funny how I disliked her so much at first, yet now I don't. She has a lot in common with me and I would have enjoyed being her friend, though now I do not know where she is or what she is doing. I used to keep in touch with her from time to time on Myspace but since I have boycotted myspace I have no other contact with her.

    Jenny, I used all new fabrics for little Davids quilt but this scrap one IS fun. I've used scraps I've had for years and its like looking through an old photo album seeing all the different pieces in the quilt. "Oh, that was my dress when I was pregnant with little David" or "This is the first baby dress I made for Judah", etc. :) The full size sheet was nice so I don't have a seam in the backing and the old blanket in the middle used to belong to my sister Grace. Judah LOVES his Aunt Grace so it is sentimental to have it used up this way.

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  10. Your quilt is just beautiful! What I love about these are the memories each fabric provides, for life. The quilt holds onto even tiny memories you might have forgotten about.

    I used to be a head docent for a historic house museum in San Diego, the Whaley House. I made nearly all the period correct clothing the docents there wear. I fortuitiously saved all the scraps of the dresses I'd made, and decided to make a quilt from them.

    I'd never made a quilt before, and didn't bother researching them (naughty me). Just sort of did what 'came' to me. Nine patch squares with borders. I too used an old windowpane checked sheet from Goodwill to back it, as well as a matelesse (sp?)covering I found there.

    Man, that thing is HEAVY! I still haven't to this day finished the thing,it's in storage for years now, and until your post I'd forgotten my quilt of memories!

    You've inspired me to go dig that poor thing out and finish it!

    Thank you Sarah Jane!

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  11. Sarah I tagged you in a meme over at my blog.

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  12. That is a lovely quilt. I'm glad you were able to finish it.

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  13. I love that quilt! The white and colors mixed with brown is just right!

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  14. I so love your style of writing, thanks so much for sharing your tidbits and life :)

    God Bless-
    EMS

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  15. It's helpful for this very visual person to "see" the fabric/color combination. You beautifully pulled together what I never would be able to imagine!
    Blessings~
    Kathy

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  16. So sweet and simple, and just right for one of your sons, given the life I picture you living, based on your blog! (Yes, that is a compliment--all the way through!)

    www.xanga.com/happymom4

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Thank you for your lovely thoughts!