Considering quilts

***

I’ve been rather intrigued by quiltmaking recently. Which is a little odd for me because I never once considered making one before and always thought of them as shabby chic, which is something I don’t really like. However, I’ve come to realize that quilts can be absolutely amazing and beautiful.

I think there were 3 factors that influenced my change in attitude.

First factor: Owning a real, homemade quilt.

The first one I’ve ever owned is our wedding quilt–lovingly and painstakingly made by my aunt. Not only does it have special meaning to me, but it’s the first quilt ever made especially for me and it’s bright, it’s bold, and it’s balanced! The colors pop and they all tie together in a simple, symetrical grid. It’s not shabby chic at all and I love it! It’s been our favorite blanket for movie nights curled up on the couch and it’s been great having some extra warmth on our bed on these cold, winter nights. (Thank you, Aunt Kiki!)

Second factor: the Sewing & Stitchery Expo.

There were so many booths dedicated to quilting and some of the creations that were being displayed were truly stunning! The colors and the patterns were so bright and intricate that all the blocks seems to merge into one glorious tapestry. My favorite ones usually displayed two colors that were so entirely different from each other and yet, when paired together, they were beautifully complimentary! I had no idea that quilts could be so intricate and how someone could think of making them like that… I was very, very impressed.

Third factor: Repurposing.

I picked up an issue of CraftStylish the other day when I was out looking for the March issue of Burda World of Fashion (which unfortunately was all sold out). There are a lot of cool ideas on how to recycle stuff, but this quilt really stood out to me. It’s made out of cotton dress shirts. Too easy! I just love the clean and simple design of this and I really want to try making one myself. I think it would be a good beginner’s quilt.

Now since I’ve come to the realization that this is something I could design and sew myself, I am considering making a quilt out of my wedding dress. How beautiful would that be? And it would be such a good use for a garment that I will never wear again and is just taking up space in my closet. My husband won’t let me sell it and I don’t want to keep it for a future daughter to wear (most likely she’ll be like me and want to make her own wedding style statement), so I have to think of something else to do with it.

I’m not especially sentimental about the dress as you can probably tell. I aboslutely love it and it was what I wanted to walk down the aisle in, but it’s not like I need it anymore, you know? Although, since I have to keep it, I want to preserve its beauty! If I did make it into a quilt, I’d be so cautious about putting it to actual use on a bed and I would definitely have to work on letting go of keeping it clean and rip-free.

It should be loved and used and mended lovingly when needed. It should be a wonderful memory to curl up in…

What do you think?

~ Erin