Let’s talk about old, unfinished projects. With autumn upon us it seemed like time to finish this nearly six year old nosegay quilt. If you remember, I unfinished projects take up space in the back of your mind & make anxiety worse. This project definitely caused anxiety when I thought about sewing. But I don’t like to rush into things, you see? I finished these nosegay quilt blocks when my middle child was born. I set them aside when I couldn’t decide on a layout, and then this year I picked them back up when I realized any layout was more useful than having a set of blocks hanging around taunting me.
I chose to set my nosegay blocks on point and I LOVE how it turned out. I used 5″ wide sashing and there was a bit of stress since this black and white polka dot is now sold out everywhere. BUT, I had stashed away a few yards and had exactly enough to finish this colorful nosegay quilt. It’s backed in minky because otherwise my family refuses to use any of my handmade quilts. Picky people.
The individual blocks on this quilt were english paper pieced – something I’ll never do again on this scale. The sashing and corners were all pieced using my machine. I’m not sure if you can tell, but the binding is flea market fancy pink bubble dots. They are still one of my all time favorite prints. I used to have a yard of the orange bubble dots but I’ve somehow lost them. Darn.
This nosegay quilt is almost twin sized, but would be best as a generous throw. I used Paper Pieces from paperpieces.com. I had enough pieces for four or five blocks and just kept reusing them. All total, this quilt required 17 completed blocks. I used a mix of prints but since it’s been so long most are very out of print.
Tell me about your oldest works in progress? I have at least a dozen more that need to be finished and just thinking about them is a bit overwhelming. How do you tackle your overdue things?!
Oldest unfinished project: I recently inherited my grandmother’s almost-completed quilt top of 1940’s fabrics (she died in 1950); I want to finish it and quilt it on her New Home sewing machine.
My own oldest uncompleted quilts: I assembled 2 sampler quilt tops in 1982 but still haven’t quilted them!
That quilt has a lot of history! I need to enable my comments section to include pictures because I would love to see it!
That is just lovely! The design and colors are so inviting I just want to curl up under it.
Minky is a great idea in winter. That sounds so cosy. I need to try that, if I ever get back to quilting…too many hobbies!
Thank you! My family has decided anything not backed in minky isn’t something they’ll use. Picky people!!!
I am slowly setting together a 1930’s Farmer’s Wife Quilt that I handpieced a few winters back. I enjoyed making the blocks but not so much the setting together!
Those blocks are so pretty but they do look intense! I made about ten before giving up. Perhaps they’ll become a pillow!
EPP is intense on a large scale, This quilt is beautiful and you can take great pride in it.
I love the fabrics
This is truly a gem
Thank you very much! I’m really happy with how this one turned out!
I loved the blocks when you showed them on IG. I’m glad you finished the quilt, even if it did take awhile. Some of the best finishes take some time to “gel” in the brain, I think. I finished up a bunch of quilts a few years ago when I wasn’t working, but now I think I have 25 or more that need quilting. I just hate the sandwiching process… And my knees hate it too. I need to find a way to sandwich quilts using a big table so I’m not crouching down on the floor. I do have a Grandmother’s Flower Garden that I started about 2010 I think… It’s giant-sized now, and I have no idea how to manage stitching the edges together, if I ever get that far.