Old and Bold Repurposed

I just put the final stitches into the Wedding Ring Quilt sewn from thrifted vintage sheets in pinks, oranges and yellows. The first time I made a quilt completely from vintage sheets it was blue, it's such a favourite that I knew I would make another and that it had to be pink. This one is just as soft as the first one and I love the mish-mash of old and bold prints!

  Machine quilting a meandering design seemed the best way to make sure those (bazillion...well, it seemed like that many!) batting scraps I pieced together, wouldn't have a chance to separate over time.  I love that all those batting scraps I save were put to good use!

Many of my vintage sheets have bold colours and large floral patterns, which certainly can't get lost in blocks that are 32" finished. ;o)   It seemed to make sense to show them off in a big block rather than chopping them too tiny to be seen and enjoyed.  Plus, it was fun enlarging a traditional block to  this huge size.

 You would think I would have a complete vintage sheet to use for the backing, but that didn't happen. I kept finding patched spots (some nice darning work!) or overly worn/ faded places on the hopeful candidates and in the end decided to simply use the nicest parts of  two sheets - pairing a light and dark to show off those large floral motifs.  It turned out better than I had hoped - I had considered piecing leftovers in various combinations to make the yardage I needed, but  I think going 50/50 with two sheets was best.  Once again reaffirming that simplicity is often all that's needed to make something beautiful.

 Even though it's Sept., our weather here is still sunny and warm, perfect for a picnic.  Now I have just the right quilt for one.   Care to join me?