Thursday, April 26, 2018

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.

This blogpost contains affiliate links.




33 comments:

  1. I love it! I recently had Me and My Sister fabrics accumulated and decided to use up the stash to make several tops. Now I am much more prepared for a Lesstime quilt, as you put it. In fact, I need to baste one soon, as a new baby is coming, and I have the baby's quilt done but want her older sister to get one too.

    If I couldn't quilt fast, I wouldn't get anything done! :)

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  2. a cute baby quilt and you did it very quickly indeed!

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  3. Oh that Captiva fabric is just lovely!

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  4. Hi Preeti,
    What?!! Wide backing on sale . . . gotta go get me some of that. Oh Paul. No details other than to drop the bomb of a baby next door. Gotta love that. I think all of your quilts are timeless . . . ~smile~ Roseanne

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  5. Darling baby quilt. I love the term Lesstime! I’ve definitely rushed crankily through making one, but haven’t enjoyed it much. Currently I’m making one of your Meet Cute quilts in baby size. I have until May 20th to get it done. Naturally there are three other projects ahead of that date...fingers crossed I get them all done.

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  6. I love your cheater fabric, at first glance I was wondering how you made that block, lol. Amazing how fast you got it done.

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  7. Oh Preeti, I can just envision the thread and needle flying to get that baby quilt finished, but oh what a fun thing to do. The quilt is so sweet, and the colors are perfect! Oh, that Captiva line is yummy! (Save the trimmings -- you know what to do with them ;-)

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  8. Timeless and Lesstime - perfect! And how sweet of you to rush to put something together for the new baby. Perfect!

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  9. So, planning a timeless apple core quilt next then? The one from the museum is lovely, you rushed up the Lesstime one so fast I'm sure you can do apple core in say two weeks? :-) Lovely cheater fabric by the way, and the perfect shade of binding too.

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  10. Nice save! At first I was looking to see what you pieced so fast, but the cheater fabric is so perfect that I was fooled. But now that's twice that you needed a baby quilt fast, so I think you need to piece some baby tops. You know, to keep around for emergency purposes! :)

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  11. Great baby quilt. And those new fabrics....ooooh so pretty.

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  12. You did a wonderful job pulling Michael's little quilt together! It’s beautiful cheater fabric. I can see why you bought it! I’ve learned a good lesson. Looking forward to your day at the hop. I think it looks like a fun book.

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  13. WOW, Preeti! Even with a cheater cloth, I couldn’t make a quilt that fast. You are a blessing to your neighbors and to their little boy.

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  14. Thankfully you had cheater fabric it made a beautiful quilt! Love the new fabrics.

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  15. I've loved that Captiva too since I first saw it, but I have been resisting...I have been very good in the NOT buying department (you know why) of late. So wonderful to SEE the quilt I heard you tell me about last weekend when we FaceTimed :-) so adorable. And -grin- good to see again those 'fun' triangle slabs that I already saw! Can't wait for the quilt!

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  16. I firmly believe in keeping pieces and parts at hand for quickly needed quilts (although less than 2 days is daunting no matter what). I have three baby-toddler tops right now waiting for their new owners to appear - all I will need to do is sandwich and quilt when the time comes. P.S. I do so enjoy your posts!!

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  17. Very nice save on the baby quilt. The barn yard fabric is perfect. Hope you get in lots of stitching time on your projects with a deadline.

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  18. You rock, Ms Preeti! I would not have been able to get a quilt together in such a short time and I don't even have a day job! "giggle"

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  19. You must have been sewing every waking moment and not sleeping, at all. I have done this a time or two and it was embarrassing to have to admit I didn't have a quilt after all. I can't even pretend I could pull off your trick. I used to say I was a speed demon on the sewing machine, but girl, you've got me beat!

    I hope you took advantage of the sale to get the rest of the fabrics in the Captiva line. What a sweet, happy quilt those would make. And since you have the wide backing, you just need to make a top to fit. Tell me you now have the full line! :)

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  20. Great result for a quick to make quilt. Love the fabric you used for both sides. And well done!

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  21. Moral of the story is make more quilts! Or have panels or cheater fabric in the stash — I have neither. Or maybe keep a top or two hanging around that could be quickly quilted. At least I have a few of those! Great story!

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  22. You are the best!! how sweet of you to make the new baby a quilt and welcome him to the neighborhood ( and apparently America! ) too cool! And your quilt was perfect! I am intrigued by your scrappy triangles - they look cool too!

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  23. Well you sure fooled me! I glanced through the pictures before reading and was sure you had pieced that. I think a Lesstime quilt is a spectacular idea. It's so neat that you had that fabric in your stash!! I mean, really. It was meant to be. I love how you said you had a quilt and then went home and MADE one. Oh, and by the way, I am drooling right now over that turquoise/yellow bundle.

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  24. That made me laugh Preeti. I too have done that. Oh, I have a present for you. See you at the weekend. Then rushed to make a baby quilt, as my husband walks away shaking his head. And what a lovely happy event for "Suzie"'s brother. It is nice to see people happy, especially quiet reserved people.

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  25. I LOVE this post! I can so relate! Glad you got the lesstime quilt done in time.

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  26. You are so generous! It is always and ever again inspiring to me. I have no idea how you manage this much sewing and especially all the baby gift quilts. Even if it is a timeless, cheater fabric one.

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  27. I always try to keep a couple baby quilts around just for occasions like this. In fact my pile is getting a little low. I like the idea of using a cheater cloth. Thanks for linking up with Oh Scrap!

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  28. That's very sweet of you. The cheater fabric is really pretty, perfect for a baby boy.

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  29. Thank you for yet another reason to buy more fabric. My list officially has 70 reasons plus some unofficial reasons lying around. To have cheater panels for an emergency gift. And, it is just right for this occasion, well intended and well received.

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  30. Love reading your post and what a pretty lesstime quilt you made.

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  31. What a great cheater cloth quilt! You could've fooled me--looks like the real thing. What a story about the new baby on the block. Thanks for sharing. I love the quilting on that spool quilt--very unexpected.

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  32. As usual, such a cute story. I was intrigued when I saw the title of the post. Well done Pretti! IT is a cute quilt and a very nice thing to do for your neighbors.

    Also, love that blue and yellow line of summery fabric!!

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  33. That's such a great story and your quilt turned out super cute!!

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