Thursday, August 02, 2007

The Craftiness That Ended All Craftiness:

At least until we move.

And. I'm claiming that no more crafts until we move means no more crafts that make big messes and take up a lot of time. No major crafts. And I'm not asking Matt for any clarification that could change my perception of this "no crafts" decree.

So, while going through my grandfather's closets with my mom, I saw an opportunity to make a quilt I'd been thinking about for a while: a frayed denim quilt. My grandfather had several shirts that, while they had no use for her, my mother was reluctant to give to charity because she had such memories of them. I told her I would take them and make a quick quilt with them, and also use two pairs of denim jeans that my grandfather had rarely, if ever worn (men born in the 20's rarely wear jeans, to my knowledge).

And this is the result:

denim quilt front

I used a lot of leftover denim from all the denim skirts I've been making lately. This quilt was made possible by the skanky lengths of the skirts that women are wearing today.

And the back:

Denim quilt back

Pretty cool, eh? That orange fabric is from a pair of Lily Pulitzer for Men shorts from the 50's. Both hideous and awesome at the same time.

And now for the dorky part - if you don't care how the quilt was made, skip this paragraph. They're 6" square blocks, no batting, with 1/2" seams. My quilt is 10 blocks x 15 blocks. Then sew a 1/2" seam all around the border (instead of sewing on a traditional binding). Finally, cut the denim overhang in about 1" intervals almost to the seam. Then wash and dry, and when they say that you should take out the lint filter at least 3 times during the first drying, that's true. I had at least 3 full lint filters during the first washing and 2 during the second. The inside of the washer was also a mess - at least 3 full handfuls of denim scraps left on the inside of the washer. But I think the worst is over.

I have some old khakis of Matt's that I think I'm going to use to make a similar quilt for my sister Elizabeth - with beach-glass-y colored fabrics on the reverse side. While it won't fray as dramatically as the denim, I think it will be enough, and since she lives on the beach in Long Island, I think the beach glass colors will be pretty.

13 comments:

Princess in Galoshes said...

Holy cow. That is AWESOME.

And the orange shorts? Rule.

Anonymous said...

That's amazing. You are amazing. Your mom will be so happy.

jo! said...

that's beautiful! well done to you.

Christie said...

How awesome are you! That is gorgeous. I really wished you lived closer, I would love to have something like that for my boys room, and I could knit you sweaters, scarves, and hats. Maybe I should take up quilting?

Bobealia... said...

It's fabulous!!! I've been wanting to make something like it for years, but I've never made it happen. Wow!

Anonymous said...

Marcia, I am overwhelmed and very appreciative. It is the best quilt ever and I can see the little cars from Grandpa the car dealer and the Lily Pulitizer fabric that he also had two sportcoats in and I love it. Thank you so much, I can't wait to see it in person!! Love, Mom

Kiki said...

What an awesome quilt. I haven't gotten into the quilt making yet as it seems way overwhelming to me. But of course, you make it look oh so easy.

And since you're moving to NYC, does this mean you won't make any games this season?

Andie said...

that came out awesome! now I want one. LOL

Angela said...

The quilt is SO amazing. Seriously.

Anonymous said...

love it love it love it!!!! functional, beautiful, meaningfull all at the same time :) have you seen t-shirt quilts where the quilt squares are large and made from usually college t-shirts??? they are all the rage down here. see you soooonnn!
alli

Logan said...

You know, I wonder how many times Matt has arrived home to see that a piece of clothing he didn't normally wear (but had every intention to eventually wear again) had been scissored up for the sake of craftiness.

SarahReznor said...

I LOVE THE DENIM!!! it looks so cool!!!

Anonymous said...

I am in awe. I love it.