Quilting | Melanie Fletcher

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I wound up getting an unexpected commission to make two throw quilts based on my Arkansas Rainbow quilt. Even better, the client didn’t blink when I quoted a price for them. Handmade quilts are expensive, pure and simple, not only for all the fabric that goes into them but the sheer amount of work it takes to design the quilt top, cut out and sew the patchwork pieces together, sandwich and baste the backing, batting, and top, and then actually quilt the whole thing together. And too often artisans run into people who are basing their budget on cheap mass-produced stuff made overseas instead of a custom piece made to their design and balk when you give them a reasonable quote that covers material and time. This song explains the problem far better than I ever could.

But nope, my client was good with the costs, so as soon as I get the deposit I’ll head out to Joann’s and pick up the necessary fabric. Even better, I’ll have time to finish quilting Arkansas Rainbow before I have to get started on these quilts, which makes me happy. Always nice to know what I’ll be doing for the next three weeks or so.

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quilt, Quilting

When I first moved to Texas in 2001 I bought this really cute (and fairly old) quilt at a local thrift/vintage store. The quilt was yellow and green with white borders, and was great for chilly days when I wanted to curl up on the couch and read or nap.

Unfortunately the quilt quickly fell apart beyond even my repair skills. I really liked the design, however, so I took apart one of the sections and copied the pattern, intending to make a new quilt in homage to my lost cozy quilt. Instead of yellow, green, and white, however, I would make it in green, purple, and cream. I know that color combo isn’t everybody’s cup of tea but I adore it and it’s my quilt so whatever.

I went out, bought green, purple, and cream floral fabric, cut out some pieces, and promptly learned that sewing together curves is a stone bitch. I think I made one full motif from four squares before I got frustrated and the fabric went into my office closet.

Over the next 22 years I’d pull out the fabric occasionally and put together another couple of squares. During one of these occasions I learned that I hadn’t bought nearly enough green floral fabric for a queen quilt and decided to integrate another floral pattern into the quilt, as you can see above.

Cut to December 2022 when I went into my office closet to see if I had any other batik fabric in there for a twin quilt top I was piecing and stumbled across … well, a lot of orphaned projects. I decided to make 2023 the Year of Finishing All The Projects. After the twin quilt top was done I finished two pending baby quilts, then pulled out the green and purple monster. Apparently in the intervening decades I got a lot better at sewing curves because I could knock out a full motif in one evening.

Unfortunately, I also discovered to my dismay that I didn’t have enough cream fabric to complete the quilt. I have enough for three rows of six motifs, but I need another two rows. The fabric is a fairly simple white on cream floral design, but it’s also roughly twenty years old and neither Jo-Ann Fabrics or Jesus Crafts carry anything like it. I’m going to have to hit the various quilt stores in the area and see if I can find something that will match the tones—doesn’t have to match the floral pattern if the design is small enough, and I can put the three existing rows together and bracket them with the two rows and the new fabric. If worse comes to worse I can get a solid cream or ivory fabric and use that, but I’d really like to have a white floral design of some sort on it if I can find something with the right tones—

D’OH! Ebay. Gotta check Ebay.