10.3.14

winter treats quilt

Spring is not far, we hear robins singing in the morning lately and sunlight creeping into the house in the evenings, which happens only in warmer months. In the meantime I was spending more time in the kitchen trying recipes, staying close to the stove to escape the chill. Very little progress to show on the projects, but today I am excited to have a finish to share.


I had no hopes of completing it in time for our anniversary.. I ran out of thread in the middle of quilting and had to wait until last week to go to the quilt shop. But I barely made it, putting last stitches into the binding early in the morning when I should be making a nice breakfast for us. We decided to eat cake and not bother with stirring oats :)


Because of all the linen fabrics on the front and back, this quilt was somewhat heavy to handle. I was going to stitch-in-ditch for center squares but found it difficult to squeeze and turn bulk of the quilt in tight throat space. After trying two blocks, I gave up.


So the quilting remained simple with straight lines in the sashing, just enough to keep it all together. I used 'Quilter's dream request ' batting which is light & soft and didn't add any extra weight.


I felt pink and green of these tiny flowers belonged in the binding, spreading their springiness to a wintery quilt.  


I made up silly stories around each block, even things that we do everyday like grinding coffee in the morning or picking out favorite socks to wear..  but most of the stories revolve around treats, especially the ones we crave in winter when there is little comfort otherwise.


There are so many treats in this quilt, I am afraid I am going to be hungry more often. I don't know if I should be happy to have a snuggly quilt to enjoy the quiet hours in, or worry about all sorts of sweets tempting me the whole time!


This is what the backing looks like. There are flowers and trains on a yellow background and playful kittens on one side. With 63 blocks in a 7 x 9 setting, the quilt came out to be around 68" x 86".


These are the measurements to cut the pieces for the block. I thought I will put them here in case anyone is interested. Please note that the single digits are meant to be cut as squares and rest of them as strips. The sashing and corner stones are not pictured here but I used them to sew the rows together in the quilt. And the borders are random sizes, adjusted to fit the limited fabric I had.

Thank you for taking time to visit. Have a wonderful week ( ' v ' )

8 comments:

Ann Champion said...

I absolutely love how this quilt came together! I enjoy seeing your story quilts and I'm sure it will keep you warm and snuggly for many years to come. The binding adds a nice pop of color. Happy anniversary too!

Jane's Fabrics and Quilts said...

It turned out beautiful! Love the pictures outside. That is the same batting I use for all my quilts. It is light and I think it adds a vintage look. And why not eat cake for breakfast! Great finish!

Abby and Stephanie said...

What a perfect photo. I love the quiteness of the quilt with special meaning in each block. A wonderful memento for such a special occasion. Happy Anniversary!!!

Candace said...

Happy Anniversary, Pratima! What a lovely quilt for you and Kalyan to share for many years to come. The sweet stories make it even more special. Soon you two will be walking amongst the daffodils in the park and spending less time staying warm in the kitchen!
Cheers!

Anonymous said...

It's a fantastic story in linen andI can almost feel the wonderful weight of it! The paleness is so complimented by your colorful snippets, your tales! When you get hungry, pull it over your head and close your eyes and snuggle! WELL DONE!

Martha said...

I love the look of this quilt -- the natural shades with just a hint of color -- the textures -- and, of course, there's always a bit of Pratima whimsey, too. A spectacular finish!

Unknown said...

Love this quilt!! And love your talent, Pratima!! I could probably stare at each and every block of this gorgeous quilt for hours and keep myself entertained (and yes, I may feel hungry, too! lol) Thanks so much for sharing your lovely work and inspiring all of us out here!! xoxo from California

Gina said...

This quilt is so pretty!!! i can't imagine how long it took to acquire all of the linen prints.