Something Old, Something New

Something old - a number of years ago Julie posted a photo of a fabric she had decided to sell, if memory serves me she had originally intended it as a backing, correct me here if I'm wrong Julie, I thought it was just glorious and promptly said I was happy to purchase, here it is

still tucked away with my large yardage pieces waiting to border a quilt to be made. I think there is just over 5 yards.

Something new is the progress (slow) on Tussie Mussie but only three more rows to go. It's 80" square finished so I think this is going to have to be sent out for quilting. Could be tricky making a decision on the quilting design, something loose appeals, I'm not too happy with heavy quilting. My design wall is around 72" so anything larger has to go around a corner

two close ups here

My other new project is, of course, Bramble Blooms seen in previous posts and I'm still struggling with the border set up, had my centre applique been a looser design I think the borders would have been easier, BB1 will be having a break for a few days unless inspiration strikes suddenly!

On to something old and this one has a story, many of my quilts do have a story behind them but this one is very special to me. It's just a top right now and has been tucked away for the past 12 years, here's a couple of photos and then the story. This is Mollie's Quilt. 

Over the past 50 years we have  had one, two and sometimes three Irish Setters as part of our family. A short break when we came to live in New Zealand. So over the years we have had Crispin, Penny, Rufus, Chessie, Applejack, and Seamus and Mollie were our last two and these were brother and sister. Seamus was a big dog, Mollie a petite lady and as with the other girls we were pretty much inseparable, she was so pretty, a real sweetie.

Mollie became unwell some time before I happened to see two beautiful jelly rolls on a quilting site, I sent off for them. I noticed her weight was dropping a little and she had began having trouble breathing when walking and coughing now and again. Vet advised a CT - lungs and liver full of cancer and she had possibly a few days left! It was so very quick. My birthday was the 26th October and after a particularly bad attack I knew we were coming to the end of our friendship. We did so the next day with a visit to the house by our vet. There will be many among you who will know the emotions involved.

The following day the jelly rolls arrived and went straight into a drawer, I couldn't bear to work with them. Two years later I felt I would make a quilt in memory of her, the one above but the top then went back into the drawer again and only four days ago was I able to take it out, look at it and take the photographs. As it is 70" x 84" I think I'll have to send it out for quilting although I would really like to carry this out myself - I shall think about it for a little while longer.

Here's a photo of Mollie and also one with Seamus down at the beach.

 

On a brighter note I'll end with a photo of a small hanging from around 20 years ago when I was making pieces with silk and using arashi shibori to create the patterns which used to fascinate me. It's not possible to truly predict the outcome, just depended on the winding of the string/rope, the tightness and scrunching down around the tube and the placement on the silk of the dyes and also repeating the process sometimes twice or more.

Touched With Fire

So that's all from me, Happy Quilting

Maureen