"Memories,
August 6, 2012 (singing)
like the corners of my mind, Misty water-coloured memories ..."
(record scratch)
Sorry. I've been told (repeatedly) that I shouldn't subject anyone to my singing. By all accounts it's pretty awful. I only know of one person in the world who disagrees ... and that's me. In my mind I sound EXACTLY like Barbra Streisand.
And Celine Dion.
And Barry Manilow.
And the Doobie Brothers.
And Abba.
And Shirley Bassey. (I do an awesome "Goldfinger", btw, 'cause I sing "FING-GAAAA" just like she does.)
ANYHOW.
Memories is what I want to talk about today. Not like the ones I just had about my dad's record collection, but rather the quilting of them.
My new scrap quilt - inspiration/pattern courtesy of "Sunday Morning Quilts" - is a virtual patchwork (pun intended) of memories.
Every single piece came from my stash. Most came from my scrap bin. (Guess I just outed myself for "liquidating" didn't I! LOL!) So I can look at each little bit of fabric in this quilt and remember any number of things:
- when, where, why I bought it, or
- who gave it to me
- what I made from it
- who I made it for
- why I made it
Here, let me take you down my memory lane for a second.
Made my first set of drapes with this Laura Ashley fabric.
You may think by looking at this pretty little print that I had a very lovely bedroom in my childhood home. You would be wrong.
I WAS allowed to replace the hideous 1960s gold polyester fire hazards that I probably could have sold for a million dollars to the Madmen set designers. But I was NOT allowed to replace the 1970s beige walls and 1980s dark chocolate carpet. But at least my homemade drapes went with the Holly Hobbie paint by number art on the walls that my Aunt made for me & my sister when we were younger. I am not even joking about that.
This is the very first thing I ever bought on eBay - Laura Ashley fabric.
I know.
Shock and awe.
Walked into a local quilt store, saw the entire line of this fabric, died, went to heaven, came back and bought ALL of it.
Then crossed my fingers that I would get pregnant and have a baby girl so I could make something for her. 
Lucky for me I had 2 girls ...
and enough fabric to make a quilt for both of them with the stuff ... which oddly enough I don't really care for so much anymore.
The fabric, I mean, not the girls. ;)
Leftovers from my most recent MBOM quilt.
A bit of Susan Branch fabric that I fussy cut.
Because it just so happens we were married at 4:00. And plus I really like clocks.
Made a skirt for my kitchen sink with that fabric.
Scraps gifted to me from my BFF when she was cleaning out her scrap bin.
She's not burdened with sentimentality like I am. She's lovely.
And I totally admire her aversion to clutter and hoarding.
From a placemat I made for my daughter's school lunch bag.
I could go on for hours but I'm afraid your eyes would start to roll back into your head and then you'd lose conciousness, 'cause it just occurred to me that telling you ALL about my scraps and their histories is probably a lot like me trapping you at a cocktail party and forcing you to look at all 5,673 of my vacation photos, LOL!
But my point - and yes I have one - is that there's something so magically and exponentially special about a scrap quilt vs any other. It's a treasured trail of bread crumbs left by a quilter along his/her journey of passion, creativity, growth & evolution as a person who expresses themselves by making things with fabric.
At least that's how I feel.
I don't know how you feel about scrap quilts. But I'd bet the farm if you don't at least PARTLY agree with my above declaration then you simply haven't made one yet.
Either that or you're totally dead inside.
In which case, "Don't come any closer ... I'm armed with a rotary cutter ... and the safety guard is OFF!"
Reader Comments (17)
Somehow I had never thought of myself as 'armed and dangerous'. I don't know how my husband can sleep at night!
No, don't stop, show us more ;o) Maybe you could make us a slide show and sing a backing track for it?! Seriously though...I love your scrappy project!
Did we share a room? I enjoyed your reminiscing!
I guess I am dead inside :)
I do love looking at my scrap quilts and remembering what else I have sewn with that fabric but to be honest, there are never more then a handful of scraps in a big scrap quilt that I am sad to see go. After all, quilts are so much more cosy then fabric scraps :)
I love all the bits, sweet, sweet fabrics!!!!
Got the book last week & I'm smitten, am thinking the quilt on the back cover, love it
Karen x
Fabric savants. Like you, I can remember where I bought it, who I might have been with, if I bought it for something specific (yeah, right...) and so on.
If you think about it, scrap quilts are like a "life well-lived". Each fabric represents a choice and a moment in time. It might be associated with something big and important, or it might simply reflect a moment in time. Just as none of us is just one thing - wife, mother, friend, sister, daughter, quilter, etc. - scrap quilts aren't just one fabric. Their beauty comes from that compilation - the sum of all the parts, choices, quirks and "WednesdayThursdayFriday" moments.
Then again, maybe they are just evidence that we're all fabric @(*#$s and just can't say No. We want it all. ;)
I loved seeing your scraps. I am so over the moon about that book. I started a bee/swap of slabs, a different color for each month. I want to make every quilt in the book, and with the pile of scraps I have, I think I can. The low volume quilt is the only one I may not have enough of the right scraps to make. If I put that one off for a bit, maybe I can gather some. Your scraps are beautiful. I love all the pink and the flowers. You can show them off any time.
LMAO......you sound completely sane to me......I can even remember how much each fabric cost,weird I know......what about the beautiful piles of fabric that you've put together complete with pattern all ready to go but then you just can't bring yourself to cut them up........or is that just me? Anyone?....Anyone?
Oh Carrie said it all perfectly!! I have that fabric Kristyne used for her kitchen sink curtain! Love it,and I too,remember each scrap I have and every little thng that goes with it!!! It is hard for me to cut scraps too! After all,people who collect postage stamps don't have to lick the,do they???? Another week until I hope my Birthday elves have my book!!! Skip the cake, I just want the book!!
Loved this post - you are so funny! My children beg me to stop singing - I guess we can't be good at everything.! My book finally arrived last week and it's a lovely read. My only concern is that because I have a slight obsession (well maybe over the top, shelves bulging,cupboards full etc..) of American Jane fabrics and the beautiful Bonnie & Camille's fabrics and only a few others that I may just have to purchase more fabrics to make mine truly scrappy!! does that make sense?? I can justify any fabric purchase in my own head!! Keep up your lovely work.
Such pretty fabrics!! Love your sweet new kitchen skirt! xo Heather
each quilt i make (20+) has to have at least one piece of everybody else's fabric in it...sooo i have a big scrap box and use it frequently...tried to clear it out last year and make a quilt for me just using the scrap box...no new fabric...which resulted in a queen size, double sided...and the &*())_ box looks like it hasn't been touched...fabric scraps, i've decided , are like coat hangers...they multiply on their own!
Sending out a big thank you! Thanks for such an amazing blog. When I read your blog, it is like catching up with a dear old friend. A friend who is witty, insightful, expressive and, well, just plain entertaining. And a talented quilter to top it all off! Keep up the marvelous work!
Oh my ... I am in love with the quilts you did for your baby girls... the Laura Ashley still floats my boat after all these years... and cannot wait to see your low volume reveal! (I can't sing either... LOL) (ps have you been bitten by the great granny square bug yet... just wondered if you'd done any of those squares? Been thinking about them...
My mom made me a small quilt out of that cute little Laura Ashley print and some of it's companions. I love it! Also have a few of your other srappy fabrics that have not yet felt the slice of scissor or rotary cutter. Hmmm...may have to get them out and play with them. Thanks!!!
ohhhhh I have quilting envy!
I'm whipping off my quilting' L Plates' in shame.
Beautiful work.
Sophie
"Memories ... light the corner of my mind" is one I do know probably because I read it in a piano book when I practiced in my youth. :)