Vintage Calico Nine-Patch: A Finish

A Finish! A Friday Finish! What are you feeling good about today? Here it is sunny, warm and a new day. What is better than that - how about a finish almost 3 years in the making.



I started this quilt by cutting up little bitty 2" squares out of a stack of calico's that came from who knows where. Little flowers on soft pastel backgrounds. I cut and cut then I sewed and sewed. There wasn't a real plan, just quilting along.

Vintage Calico Nine Patch Quilt

Then all the little squares were sewn up. Each nine-patch had a white middle square that was the extent of the plan. It sat a while and I auditioned fabrics to go with the scrappy blocks. 

Vintage Calico Nine Patch Quilt - Close Up

That's when I found the background print, tucked away in a pile of fabric. It took a while to commit to it, but it was about the same time that I bought the book Material Obsession 2 and I knew I needed to take a chance, step away from the kona white and go for the print. That is also when the design came together. With not enough fabric to make every other square I came up with another plan. 

Vintage Calico Nine Patch Quilt - Close Up

The large patch of nine-patches is surrounded by patchwork. I love it, it's perfect. Material Obsession 2 was also the inspiration for the boarder print. Vintage, check. In the stash, check. Unexpected, check. I had a quilt top. 


Once the top was complete I knew it needed free motion quilting in a dog wood pattern. The squares lent itself to that, no marking needed. The boarders are quilted in a petal in petal design that meanders around the quilt.

The back is the left overs from the calico stash. I am happy to say that it took every last bit to make the back and I don't have anymore calico left. Not sad about that. 


Now I have a question for you. I am experimenting with quilt photography and I took pictures with my happy snappy digital and my iphone camera. Which do you prefer? 

Digital Camera

Vintage Calico Nine Patch Quilt
iphone camera

They are both touched up to look their best, but they each have such a different look. I'm not quite happy with either, but that's what I got. 

Best to you! A new month awaits, a weekend and I am feeling more like myself. 
Cheers!
Kelly 

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