Sometimes, you need a little distance...

Some things just look better when you step back a bit.  I'd like to think that could be said of me!  While I was quilting this top, two of the kids drifted in and both asked the same question.  "So... what's the story behind this quilt."  The fabrics are from the 70's- maybe the 60's.  And they were slapped together with no rhyme or reason.  Which, generally, I like. But when you're obviously trying to attain a specific goal... a little organisation could go a long way. Some of it is hand sewn, some on the sewing machine.  The muslin is the cheapest money could buy. You can literally read through it. It just looks really ugly, up close.  But if you tip your head just right I think you can see where it has some redeemable qualities. 

My sister-in-law found this quilt top at a thrift shop.  She called my husband and asked if he wanted to buy it for me and that she thought I would like it.  (William never denies me anything.  Ever.  So I have to be very careful about what I say I want or even like.  Yeah, I'm a tad bit spoiled.)  That's how the quilt top came to me.  I tried to like it.  Really.  But it was a struggle.  There are a couple of snaffoos in the lay out of the blocks.  Some would call them humility blocks, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it just happened and no one noticed.  Let's face it, it's a humility quilt. However, I'm going to give it the benefit of the doubt.  Maybe some one's granny- who was half blind- started the piecing and then some one else finished it. There's a lot to be said for finishing and every quilt deserves the right to be useful. 

 I found this length of fabric in a bin and sewed it together for the backing. It's thin like the top.  Maybe not quite as thin.  Also ugly, so they seem to deserve each other. If I were going to stay true to the age of the quilt, I would have used some nasty polyester batting.  But I just couldn't go there.  The binding is from the scrap binding bag. I love this bag full of goodness.  I mean, who likes making binding?  And here I have a bag full of it.  A lot of the time, I make the binding when I make the quilt top- that way, it matches and it's another step closer to being done.  But with the quilting of so many scrap quilts in my future, this is the perfect solution.