09 July 2015

tag poppin' in ballard


My latest quilt top on the design wall, in the process of being put together.

This is my third time sewing with reclaimed shirts. I think they are a bit more challenging to use than quilting cotton, as they vary in weight and weave. So I went with simple shapes.

I also wanted to make them a bit big to show off the pretty fabrics that are generously gifted from a dear friends stash and joyfully selected on a memorable day of tag poppin' in Ballard, Seattle.
Happy memories in each square of fabric!

The colors is a hommage to LeeAnn's stash and love of a beautiful warm palette. I always admire her way of choosing colors.

The design is simple, 9 patches measures 7.5" finished size.  The medallion / trip around the world variation is inspired by a golden brooch from viking times found in a creek near my grandmothers childhood home. A true fairytale that is now exhibited in the archeological museum in my home town Stavanger. As a stark contrast my grandmother was one of 5 girls raised by their mother with no such luxury. They learned to make do and mend. My grandmother was an excellent cook and a seamstress.  And I was lucky enough to spend time with her and my grandfather in the summertime with my siblings and cousins, completely spoilt on homemade bread and cake, fish from the fjords and fresh vegetables from their patch. This spring we have been spending a lot of time refreshing the gardens of this place, her childhood home, chopping down trees and clearing brush.

Visiting LeeAnn I was privileged to see and touch her quilts and quilts of her good friends in the Rebels quilt group. The softness of those quilts made from recycled shirts are just wonderful!

For me, so many happy things come together in this simple quilt top. tag poppin' in ballard is 67.5" square and I will spend some time wondering about adding a border or not.

The mystery of the struggle accessing my blog and uploading pictures are still not completely solved. It seems like our service provider might not be consistent in providing stable lines. Hopefully there will be more posts this summer. The weather is only good for indoor activities right now...

; )

5 comments:

Nifty Quilts said...

It's so nice to see you in blog land again! Your quilt top is wonderful--smart and sassy. It's a wonderful memory of the fun time we had! Oh, how I would like to spend more time at a design wall with you! Hopefully someday again.

Anonymous said...

Techno problems - ugh! But what lovely quilt!

audrey said...

I am loving this picture of your quilt! It looks wonderful, esp. in the little tiny pic that shows up on my blog link list. Very inspiring.:)

mary truax said...

Hi Marit. I love your design and how it showcases the special shirting fabrics. I really enjoyed the story of your grandmother and the found brooch. Hope you are enjoying warmer weather by now and getting some sewing done.

Sharon said...

What a great quilt, and wonderful memories. I imagine Nifty has a pretty great stash. And I agree - she has a way with picking colors! Hmmm, didn't know thrift shopping was called tag poppin'. *grin*

Hope you're doing well, and that you get the techno problems sorted soon. Hope to see a post from you in the near future!