Amy's Bridges
And the back: Fassett Bridges
I can't believe it's time for the Blogger's Quilt Festival already, time flies.
This Quilt is one of my favorites at the moment, because it happened by accident rather than good planning, just like the best of my quilts usually happen by accident actually.
It is a handmade reversible quilt and the top is called Amy's Bridges and the back is called Fassett Bridges. I still don't own a machine and am still trying to decide whether I should buy one or not.
Making this quilt was an accident because I had some strips of fabric I had no room for and needed to use them up in a quick and simple quilt. I had bought a number of storage drawers for my fabric stash, reorganizing the sewing room completely but realized my fabric was too big for the drawers. It was so neatly folded I didn't want to refold it so I decided to cut strips off and use them instead.
YES, I do feel guilty for cutting into my beautiful fabric just because it didn't FIT. Maybe that shows my obsessive nature. But the result makes up for the little transgression.
same design on the back:
I cut into my whole stash of Amy Butler fabrics and had a really hard time deciding what to do with them. I even asked my blog followers for advice and ended up with a very simple design I call the 'Bridges' pattern. It looks a bit like a stacked coin design and may well have some other name for all I know.
I used strips of Kaffe Fassett fabrics that I also had to cut off in order to fit the fabrics into the storage drawers and used them on the back. (I think I have several quilt snow made with fabrics I had to cut when I reorganized the sewing room.) I used the same pattern on the front and back of the quilts in order to make sure the quilting doesn't look too out of place on the back. Didn't work as well as I hoped, oh well.
I decided to use straight line quilting, my favorite.
The problem with having two sided quilts and hand quilting them, hand sewing everything in fact, is that the quilting on the back never looks absolutely right.
Maybe I am too much of a perfectionist and the appeal of handmade items are those quirky imperfections (???)
Would love to hear your thoughts on that, quilters and friends.
I just don't know how to deal with that once I decide to sell some quilts. Will have to give it a proper think.
close ups:
close ups, quilting on the back
Hope you like it.
Love, Nadine
This is gorgeous! Great idea. Your hand quilting is way neater than mine!
ReplyDeleteI think this is gorgeous! I love it! I think we're all awfully critical of our own work, but as an impartial third party, I really love this quilt and think it's beautiful just the way it is.
ReplyDeleteI really like it! I love the brown on one, and the white on the other side. And how on earth did you manage to make it all match up?? (front and back strips for quilting I mean) Great job!
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if you hand quilted that...it's beautiful! I like the reversible characteristic and I love the AB fabrics too!
ReplyDeleteOnce again, Nadine, a finished beauty! The hand quilting is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great accident! It's PERFECT!
ReplyDeleteBeautifully done.
ReplyDeleteI'm experimenting with running back stitch at the moment. Gives an interesting effect to double sided quilts.
It is lovely!Sometimes we store our fabric too much instead of using it anyway. The result of the gradient color scheme is beautiful against that wonderful gray too. I love the quilting too!
ReplyDeleteI also have to fight a perfectionist streak. I have to remind myself a little error or two is only going to be found by the maker most of the time! :)
This is a beautiful quilt. Love all the fabrics you have used. I really like your quilt name. I thinks its so appropriate. All those fabrics forming bridges across the quilt.
ReplyDeleteThis is a beautifully simple design that really lets the fabrics shine. I love the ROYGBIV placement. As for your question about hand quilting and "imperfections" - I think it looks beautiful and homey and folky. All in a good way. And people who like that style of item not only appreciate the "quirks" of handmade, but seek them out.
ReplyDeletebeautiful!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful quilt - I love that it's reversible and both sides have a name! Beautiful job!
ReplyDeleteLove it! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteOMG!!! Thats simple beautiful hand quilting... You sure are talented...
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing it...
I love the simplicity of this quilt - very contemporary! And I love your blog theme too!~ :)
ReplyDeleteI love this Blogger's Quilt Festival!! This is my first year participating, and having a looksie, and there are so many beautiful quilts.
ReplyDeleteThis quilt is so beautiful. I love the way the brown really contrasts the colors on Amy's Bridges side, but also complements them at the same time. Same with the gray on the Fasset side.
I just love when I see quilts that weren't planned turn into something beautiful! I can't wait till I get there someday! For now, it's pattern/instruction following all the way.
:)
I've seen the quilt before but not heard the story behind it, lovely :-)
ReplyDeleteBenta
sLIKstitches.blogspot.com
Ummmm, okay, your hand quilting is FREAKIN' AWESOME! Are you kidding?!? I can never get front and back to line up straight, and here you did with a reversible quilt, all by hand. You rocked it, girl! I love all the fabrics, and how you arranged them. One of my faves from the festival, nice work! Will be following you now :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun modern quilt. I like the fabrics and the quilting. I just found your blog on the BQF - your design is really neat!
ReplyDeleteI think you had better continue to make quilts by accident because they will all turn out as wonderful as this one. I love the idea of the double sided design. Yur quilt is great!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful way to use just a little of your treasured fabrics. I do like your designs on both sides and admire your use of the solids to set off the rows. I bet it must have been challenging to get the row to match for the quilting step.
ReplyDeleteoh wow, thank you all so much for your lovely comments. it is great to get compliments on my work from talented crafters such as yourselves. I am very flattered.
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother hand quilted everything and really looked down on her machine quilts. It wasn't until I started quilting myself that I realized what a treasure her "just machine quilts" were, because machine is all I can manage. I see bold stitching like yours though and it almost makes me want to try.
ReplyDeletethis is so beautiful...i love love love the amy side
ReplyDeleteHi, Nadine! This was a happy accident, a really wonderful quilt you have made here. Just love how you managed to show all the different colours. And the handsewing/quilting is amazing! Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteI love reversible things, what a great quilt!
ReplyDeleteGreat fabrics; how fun! Hand stitched too; bravo!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful quilt. I really like the reversability of it! And, I'm impressed that it's all done by hand.
ReplyDeleteVery beautiful quilt! Amazing hand stitching! Love it! :)
ReplyDeleteJust to make sure I understood everything right: you had no design, you "just" used pieces you had to cut off. You sewed everything by hand, did a two-sides-design, quilted it all by hand ... and wonder whether it is good enough??? Well - to me it is perfect, a stunner, beautiful - unbelievable!!! thanks for sharing (and for the grin ...)
ReplyDeleteI think it's fantastic! From the colors to the design, the quilting - all of it!! Great job!
ReplyDeleteaww, thank you all. think I am blushing now. it means a lot to get so much praise from other quilters. thanks.
ReplyDeleteIt's fine to sell. I love the handmade quality. The Kaffe Fassett and Amy Butler sides are a great idea.
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh at the way you came up with the design but it is a happy result. I use stacking buckle-boxes for my fabric pieces and when the lid won't fit well, I know it is a time to find a use for that color. My grandson got a blue and green quilt and it hardly made a dent in the stash ... but at least the lids fit on the box now.
ReplyDeleteI love your hand quilting. I don't have a machine as I've no place to set it up (other than the dining room table and we tend to use that for eating)
handsewing and quilting! fantastic and just wonderful. how fun it is reversible, love the serendipitousness of it all. thanks so much for sharing and have a great day.
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