Timeless and Lesstime

Some quilts are timeless, like the one in the picture below.  This apple core quilt is displayed in the Smithsonian Portrait Gallery.  Hand quilted with Baptist fans, it is definitely beautiful and impressive.

Display from the Portrait Gallery, Washington DC 

Someone must have used a cardboard template and a ball point pen to trace and cut each piece. That sure took a lot of time. The fact that it is displayed in a museum qualifies it as a timeless piece.

Of course, I was there!

I, on the other hand, make lesstime quilts. Here is the story of a lesstime quilt.

Paul: I saw our neighbor with a baby.
Me: Suzie (not her real name)???
Paul: Yea.
Me: How old was the baby?
Paul: a couple of months, I guess

Now, this house has three occupants. An elderly father and his two grown children. No spouses. I have chatted with Suzie on a few occasions. I have seen the father once or twice. The brother is shy, rarely makes eye contact, and he may have nodded to me when he was out walking the dog.
So a baby was a big news and an unexpected one.
There was only one way to find out. I called Suzie. Yes, direct approach is the best approach.

Me: Paul tells me there is a new baby in the house. Are you baby-sitting for someone?
Suzie: No, it is my brother's baby boy.
Me: I did not know he was married. I have never seen his wife.
Suzie: When we travelled to (home country), he got married. His wife just got the visa and came last week.
Me: Oh, that is wonderful news. What is the boy's name?
Suzie: Michael (not his real name)
Me: Let me know when I can see the baby. I have a quilt for him.
Suzie: Oh that is so sweet. How is Saturday?
Me: Perfect.


I recounted our conversation to Paul. Then went looking for the quilt - Snowmen Express (plaid front, flannel snowmen on the back) would be perfect.

Oh no, I exclaimed aloud in shock and horror.
Paul: What happened?
Me: I gave the quilt to Jeanne in the quilt guild.
Paul: Huh?
Me: Jeanne had been asking for baby quilts for her charity for single mothers. So I gave her two quilts - the Charlie's Birds and the Snowmen Express.
Paul: Don't you have any other quilts?
Me: Yes, I do, but they are not fit for a baby.
Paul gave up and walked away to read the news or play his games.

For the baby next door

It was Thursday night and I needed a quilt by Saturday. Friday was a working day (I do have a day job). It was time to figure out a lesstime quilt.

Cheater Fabric

An hour of rummaging in my fabric room, I found a cheater fabric and the ubercute and kid-friendly farm animal backing.

Labelled

A few furious hours of layering, basting, quilting, trimming, binding and labeling stretched into Saturday morning, resulting in a lesstime quilt. PHEW!!!

When I met the baby, he had just woken up from a nap. He was in no mood to be social. Fortunately, the pink pigs and cute cows seemed interesting to him. He reached out his tiny fingers to touch the animals.

Pink Pigs & Cute Cows

My job was done.
Moral of the Story - it is a good idea to have a few cheater fabrics to make lesstime quilts.


May be some of my quilts will eventually become timeless - Esmerlada or the Queen's Necklace. These are the quilts I will make painstakingly, over several weeks, even months, choosing fabrics carefully, cutting diligently, measuring and re-measuring, sewing slowly, matching points meticulously and agonizing over every detail.

Drop Everything and Make a Lesstime Quilt

And in between, the lesstime quilts will just squeeze their way in...whether I like it or not. What has been occupying your attention? I'd love to hear from you. I will be linking with all my favorite linky parties (see full list on the sidebar).

This quilt for Michael also became my Dreami (Drop everything and make it) and therefore I will be linking with Sandra's Dreami Linky party.


For now, let's get back to the Fire Pit Quilt from Stash Statement. The blog hop has already begun and my turn is May 14, 2018 and there is much to do before that.

Blocks in the works

And one last thing. 

Captiva from Connecting Threads

Do you remember that I had been drooling over the Captiva line at Connecting Threads? So I went ahead and bought a few of those yummy fabrics. Look, don't you love these sunny and beachy hues.

These colors are so droolworthy

And today, they went on sale. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Yes, they are 30% off. It is too late for me, but you can get these fab fabrics at a discount, but hurry the flash sale closes on 4/26/18.

Wide Backing under $9 per yard

I also got the Captiva wide backing. All wide backing is 25% off till 4/30/18.

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