Wednesday, November 15, 2006

OK, so don't laugh at this quilt....

I want to start off this post with - "OK, so don't laugh at this quilt"! When I saw what Lucy had done at her retreat this weekend I had to share my quilt I made with the same blocks - a long, long, long time ago. This quilt got made from a challenge where we were given a bag of these ugly - very ugly - fabrics. And a lot of them were not high quality (they weren't low quality though either). We had to make something with them. About that same time I saw this quilt in an Australian P&Q magazine and decided that is what I could make with my strips. So I used scraps and uglies from my stash for the bigger triangle piece. Well at that time I couldn't picture all those ugly fabrics making anything nice looking - and I didn't want to kill myself over this quilt then - so I just pieced it fast. Well my pinwheels didn't match up too well, part of the problem was the bias and stretch on these ugly fabrics! Well once I got it done I fell in love with the purple pinwheels and the light border fabric. And heck - even the ugly fabrics worked well together. So its grown on me and is my TV quilt in the family room. Of course now I wish I would have spent more time matching up the pinwheels! (Oh and guess what - Lucy thinks the pattern they used is the same one I used those many years ago from the Australian P&Q!)

I also worked just a tad on my Horse Feathers quilt from my retreat where I forgot the fabric for the V in the feathers. Here is a picture from this weekend where I got the V fabric cut and the arms all made for the star. Don't you just love the blue tape! Adds something special to it doesn't it! I actually got the star all put together this weekend but I have to take a picture yet, so I thought I would show you the taped up (in more ways than one) version.

22 comments from wonderful readers:

Anonymous said...

That is a pretty quilt & it shows how much you have improved...

(I still have my Stack & Whack that ended up to be a less that successful completion to remind myself of where I started.)

Darcie said...

Your *Uglies* quilt is quite striking, Dawn! I can see why it's a favorite now.

That is just so ironic that you and Lucy actually made the same quilt...and you two have been sharing so many likenesses lately! How fun!

Love your Feathered Star! All of those plaids and stripes are so inviting and warm feeling already.

May Britt said...

The blue tape makes it twinkle like tiny stars LOL
I have also made one quilt only using my most ugly fabrics and when it was done I loved it. It is so worn out that I have to make another one. Yours look really beautiful. And it is so fun that you and Lucy have made the same one.

Jeanne said...

Ha, Dawn, come take a peek at mine!
Jeanne :)

Elaine Adair said...

I DO like your blue tape! I looked at the photo for a long time trying to figure what was happening, and liked the 'mystery'! LOL


It's very gratifying -- a life lesson - that something that looks to be 'ugly' ends up beautiful. That's life, isn't it?

Anonymous said...

What a great quilt - a super way to 'hide' your uglies in plain sight!

Anonymous said...

Your quilt with the ugly fabrics is great! Over the years you have learned alot because Horse Feathers is outstanding.

Judy said...

Very very Pretty Dawn...both of them even though one used uglies!!

Beth said...

I'm not laughing...I think is GREAT! Do you remember the name? I'm loving scrap quilts (does it surprise you as I'm on no-buy till April!!??) The Horsefeathers reminds me of Feathered stars...still and always my favorite block!

Anonymous said...

I love the quilt, not even a giggle here ... how fun that so many people have made it! Ugly fabric quilts are among my favourite kinds, even fabric we think isn't pretty can look just beautiful in a quilt!
*hugs*
Tazzie
:-)

Anonymous said...

Great quilt - I can't see many uglies there. Wonder what that says about my taste LOL.

Anonymous said...

What you thought were uglies all changed into something pretty - very nice indeed.

Your horsefeathers layout is very pretty - all those little HST's wouldn't do well in my sewing room!

Tracey @ozcountryquiltingmum said...

All looks great to me-pretty and loved from ugly and unwanted- aint that the Cinderella story!

Jenni said...

But it looks great Dawn. It's amazing how they look good when they're all together.

Lily Mulholland said...

I would never laugh at one of your quilts Dawn :)

Wow look how far you've come with that Horse Feathers star. It looks amazing...even with that funny blue tape!

Unknown said...

Dawn - I love the horse feathers - but couldn't you find some tape to match - shame on you :o)

Libby said...

Your Horsefeathers looks great -- the blue tape just adds that little, something special *s*

Linda C. said...

Love both "candidates"! I think uglies are so much fun . . . of course, there are two rules about ugly fabric. The first is Dear Bonnie's: If it's still ugly, you didn't cut it small enough.

The second relates to the natural law about ugly fabric being self-healing . . . no matter how much you cut off your original piece, it never gets any smaller!

Finn said...

Hi Dawn, I like your scrappy/ugly quilt. I think it all works together very well. And you, you have to have some quilts that don't have matched pointed just to keep your Maverick status in good standing...*VBG* Well all know how perfect your piecing is just about ALL the time...LOL

I agree, the blue tape really adds "something" to your Horse Feathers...just not sure quite "what"..but I love the colors so far. Hugs, Finn

Patti said...

How totally marvelous - you, Lucy and Finn all doing the same quilt at different times and totally apart from each other. Sure makes me think of our foremothers making quilts from patterns carried from village to village by the travelling tinker or some such person - block names changing to fit the surroundings as the quilt patterns moved westward. I love this quilt - do you remember where you got the pattern?

Patti said...

Guess I should read the entire post before I comment - now I'm sure I don't have the directsions anywhere.

Love how your Horse Feathers is coming along - great fabrics!

Patti said...

What's with the blue tape anyway - I can't tell if it's holding something together, marking where the pieces go or what. Certainly "makes little girls ask questions" as my mother would have said.

:-)