Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Vintage Style ~ a la Grand-mère

It is a busy week here at RPQ with major behind the scenes family celebrations happening all week; let's just say a "big" birthday is fast approaching for my daughter and a much talked about party is imminent.  I have however managed to squeeze in some time behind the sewing machine:


I don't often do soft and pretty, and I wasn't overly confident about how this design and quilt top was going to turn out until I started sewing the units together. Once I saw just how charming the quilt top was I went back to the sewing machine and added some more rows to the quilt; a decision which I might regret once I start basting and quilting!  The quilt top measures 62 inches x 80 inches.


The fabrics include many from my stash, most of which are beautiful Yuwa prints bought locally as well as numerous vintage recycled linens (previously blogged:  Sunday Stash #95) from Whimsie Dots @ Etsy.  As usual I have used Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton ~ White ~ as a contrast fabric.


The response from my family when this quilt was on the design floor?  Um ... very grandmotherly with an emphasis on the VERY.  They're rather blase about the whole fabric and quilting drama that plays out in front of them, and I've learned to take their critique in a light hearted manner.


Loving the vintage floral style and basting a quilt today,
Rita

46 comments:

  1. i LOVE it! don't listen to them :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Okay, so I guess I'm not the only crazy "old" lady, because I LOVE this one! I can't wait to see it finished! You always put a modern spin on everything, which I love :).

    Happy Quilting!

    www.skippitydodahquilts.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. It is NOT "grandmotherly".... soft, yes... but intriguing and subtle... drawing you in closer...

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love it!! I can imagine this design working really well for a memory quilt... using fabrics from a child's baby clothes. Don't know if I could actually bring myself to cut into them though. ~ Melissa

    ReplyDelete
  5. I just love your style. You introduced me to using vintage linens in quilts and I can't express how important it is to me. My grandmother died in January and she LOVED flowers, particularly daffodils. Whenever she saw something with a daffodil on it, she bought it. Can you guess what fills the linen closet? Yup, sheets with daffodils and all kinds of flowers. I'm going to her house in June to help my mother clear things out and I kept thinking that there really had to be something I could do with all the linens. Thanks to you, know I know what to do with them. If I'm feeling charitable, I might even make something for a few other members of the family.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Just beautiful! It's spring & summer all rolled into one gorgeous quilt!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Even if it is VERY grandmotherly (but I'm not saying it is) there is a place in the world for Grandmothers and their things, and I don't think any of us would be without grandmotherly things.

    ReplyDelete
  8. i just love this quilt top too. can't wait to see how you finish it!

    ReplyDelete
  9. me too. i love it, and it's nowhere near my usual palette either. it seems very spring-like to me, though it's the opposite of spring in your parts. come to think of it, it's felt like the opposite of spring in these parts too. maybe just wishful thinking then!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I really like this one Rit. A gorgeous mix of different fabrics - beautiful x

    ReplyDelete
  11. very nice! ignore the critics. it's gonna be lovely when it's finished!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I've got a soft spot for these softer quilts of late. It's loverly.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Very pretty indeed,feminine radiates through and through!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I think it looks great! It may not be as graphic and modern as some of your other work, but it's still fresh and contemporary in my books. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  15. This grand mother gives it a 10;)

    ReplyDelete
  16. So soft and beautiful Rita!

    ReplyDelete
  17. just gorgeous, loving the vintage style :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Really beautiful Rita! ~ as usual.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Rita, I think the quilt is just gorgeous, it's so very fresh looking. Keep up with your good work, it's so inspiring.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I really like all the white in this quilt, keeps it very clean looking and I love the way you've tiled your patterned fabric with white on either side.

    It's funny, I grew up in Quebec, we never used a hyphen in the word Grandmere (or Grandmama), it was always one word. There is a town called Grand-Mere in Quebec. I'll have to ask my Mom this weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Beautiful!!! You inspired me with my big horse-work (you can see it in my blog) and I decided to quilt just with straight lines!!!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Oh my, it's absolutely gorgeous! I love it!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hmmm . . . not VERY grandmotherly at all, as my grandmother would not have made a quilt like this. It's bright and clean. Love the colours. As always, a beautiful top.

    ReplyDelete
  24. The fabric is very different from what you typically use, but...you brought your Rita modern quilt in and the two work very well together. I think its lovely. And its always good to expand one's pallet every once in a while.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I love it! It is indeed very charming! Great work!

    ReplyDelete
  26. I think it's dreamy. Love the vintage look this quilt has, it's very pretty.

    ReplyDelete
  27. It's very vintage and dreamy, but also quite "you", which means it's definitely fun. You won't regret it!

    ReplyDelete
  28. I think this quilt is magical - like walking through a secret garden (one of my favourite stories too!). Love vintage prints, and love your quilt (& I'm not a grannie either!). Jxo

    ReplyDelete
  29. I love it, and I'm 25. Definitely not a grandma. Put that in your back pocket. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  30. Wow, simply incredible. I am so in love with this. I hope all our enthusiastic comments have made up for the blasé-ness!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Mmmmm, makes me think of fresh crisp laundry on the summer clothes line, and I may as well go ahead and run through a meadow of daisies while I'm at it. Good job! Very,very lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Oh, I forgot to mention that I'm a grandmother, but reat assured that I'm a very, very young one.

    ReplyDelete
  33. I lean toward bright colored quilt with polka dots and stripes and also funky, but this is a beautiful quilt. I don't know if it is the pattern you chose but it is soft feminine and very charming. I ordered a bunch of fabric from whimsie dots after your inspiring and beautiful quilt made with this fabric. Eve(not scott, same email)

    ReplyDelete
  34. definitely a step away from your usual but it's so fresh! it's lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Everything you make is gorgeous, and this is no exception.

    You know kids can't think what their parents do is cool, that is *so* against the rules! :)

    ReplyDelete
  36. I think its lovely. Fresh and springy.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment! I really appreciate it.

Comments are published after review.

Feel free to ask questions and I will answer either here or by email, as is appropriate.