Gail asked me in a comment how I came up with the name of my blog.
You can click on the top of the page that says "About Me" and that will give you a brief overview.
Since I'm a visual learner I thought I'd show you some beautiful amazing humble quilts!
As fantastic as these quilts are, I do not believe any of them would ever get a ribbon at a show in 2013.
This quiltmaker did not line up her red stripes at all! Gasp!
All that applique for the border to be chopped off!
Oops, this quilter ran a little short...... oh well.... she'll make do.
That make-do border is on this wonderful quilt.
So, you see, I make many unintentional mistakes in my quilts and they remind me of the humble quilts of old. All of my quilts are made to be used, washed, loved and repaired.
PS- On that note I got a call from Denmark and my quilt (and my son) is loved. She told me she plans on bringing it to her chemo treatments as she did get chilled at her first treatment. I know she loves it and treasures it and yea, it's got a whopper error in it, but she only sees the love.
PSS- There is still plenty of time to get in on my 4 year celebration! Click here.
PSS- There is still plenty of time to get in on my 4 year celebration! Click here.
I did enjoy this post Lori, I have always loved quirky quilts, with odd bits and non-aligned corners. Just as well, with my lack of skills :-)
ReplyDeleteI was happy you mentioned your gift quilt, I would love to have been a fly on the wall when your friend opened it up and seen her beaming smile!
Love the post. It's funny how much stress there seems to be on making perfect quilts, like you, I prefer to see the quilt's individuality-slip ups and all.
ReplyDeleteVery good post, Lori. One of the things I have liked about your quilts is the "humble".
ReplyDeleteI am intrigued by the applique quilt you show that is red & green except for that bottom border is blue and red. Do you remember if there was more blue & red combination on the quilt somewhere?
Thanks Lori! A great reminder that our craft is founded in LOVE! I call those little "things" CHARACTER!!!
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you, all yours, and all that you put your hands to today!!
I fully and whole-hardheartedly subscribe to your philosophy on quilt-making! They are no less beautiful for their flaws.
ReplyDeleteI love each of your quilts, plenty of love and coziness in each one....
ReplyDeleteI admire beautifully made quilts, but I love hand made quilts with all their flaws;)
ReplyDeleteDebbie
I love those oops in quilts too. I recently made a peony quilt and set one of the on point blocks the wrong direction. I didn't notice it until I had the whole thing hand quilted. I posted a pic of it on my blog and no one even noticed because the quilt is high contrast and well balanced with hand quilting. It is my favorite quilt, because it reminds me that beauty is not perfect, we all have flaws but we can still shine.
ReplyDeleteI so enjoyed the quilts in your post today. I hope Lene feels loved and warm at her next chemo treatment.
ReplyDeletegreat post!...I love what you said: "All of my quilts are made to be used, washed, loved and repaired." this is my goal as well.... Perfection is not necessary ... quilts become real when they are more than decorative...they should also call to you to wrap up and be warmed
ReplyDeleteThis is such a lovely reminder of what a quilt should be. I want my quilts to be used and loved, too. Unfortunately, the obsessive side of me wants to correct any mistakes I find along the way. Luckily, my lazy side prevents me from correcting any I find too far into the process. : )
ReplyDeleteMust share a story. I was inspired to begin quilting by a lone star quilt my grandmother made. I adored it. Years after I learned to piece, I had the chance to visit it again. No points matched! I decided right then to give myself some leeway. I am still trying to loosen up a little, so I love your humble quilts. They look just like my grandmother's...beautiful and full of love. So glad to hear your Porch Time is bringing comfort.
ReplyDeleteOur culture has become so enthralled with mass produced, identical "perfect" (we wish) items, many have forgotten the real beauty in a piece lies in the love and caring that went into the making. Thanks for sharing these gorgeous humble quilts.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful post Lori. All of the quilts are more special because of the little ooops in them. I never look for mistakes, I usually just see the pretty colors and interesting shapes.
ReplyDeleteAmen to that, Lori. As quilters (myself included) we get so hung up on being perfect and those little quirky mistakes are what we love best. Perhaps we should all learn from them.
ReplyDeleteThanks you for sharing the pics of those quilts. I adore 'humble' quilts and yet it's really hard for me to figure out which mistakes I want to keep in my quilts.:) Some of mine don't seem to look humble so much as brain dead. lol
ReplyDeleteWhat a great show and tell. Lovely quilts, these are the ones that make my heart sing as well. Same w/machine quilting. When it's done by computer, and every wreath is exactly the same, it just seems static. I'm making blocks right now and got the fabric reversed for one patch, I left it. Not because I couldn't take it apart, but because I'd taken that block apart 2 x's already and I was done with the seam ripper! The sun will still rise in the east and set in the west!
ReplyDeleteGreat post.Thanks you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI love every one of the quilts you showed. They give us more to look at and that makes them much more interesting than a 'perfect' quilt.
ReplyDeleteSuper quilts Lori. Their is nothing like a vintage quilt with all the quirkiness that goes with them . Yours are ever so humble and lovely.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post - and it is so true! The quilts that make you smile are often the ones that are wonky or downright humble in some way - and that is their charm, and we love them. I don't aim for perfection in my quilts - there is a lot of make-do where the skills are lacking !
ReplyDeleteHilda
So nice to see some well loved quilts. And some lovely mistakes. (Glad to know I'm not alone) All your mistakes just make me smile.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah! I love charming and delightful quilts like those. As you say, they are used and loved and that's what quilts are for. What a lovely thought that your gifted quilt is being used and loved.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lori for the great post. I love to look at old quilts (and new ones too) when the maker tried her best at making a lovely quilt with what fabric she had on hands and poured all her talents and love into it. They are but wee mistakes when you think of all the other corners, points, etc that are aligned just right in that same quilt. No, we do not have to be perfect to be beautiful and interesting; we just have to be ourselves (even if it means to be with a chopped off border sometimes). Imagine, perfect people !!! We would be sooooooo boring !!! ;o)
ReplyDeleteHi Lori, great pictures and post. Thank you for explaining the meaning of "humble quilts", now I understand.
ReplyDeleteGail :)
Great post Lori! All those quilts are beautiful because of the little errors, or quirkiness as I like to think of it.
ReplyDeleteit's good to be back reading your blog with a little more regularity. i've missed it.
ReplyDeletethese quilts that you have shown are wonderful as are the quilts that you make. i can only imagine the comfort that your quilt is giving and know that although it's warmth is appreciated, the love that each stitch represents is keeping her comforted in a completely different yet extremely important way. may she heal completely and quickly.
i LOVE that applique border~!!
and i enjoy the 'humble' look of a chopped off border. that said, i still find it difficult to do in my own pieces . . . practice makes "perfect" and all that . . .
;-)
libbyQ
isn't it amazing that we can look at antique quilts and LOVE them unconditionally and then when we make a quilt we are so hung up on it being perfect? So many antique quilts have those quirks about them that just make me smile and adore the quilt even more.
ReplyDeletegreat post :)
Kathie
Fun!
ReplyDeleteYou know I feel the same way, I love the charm of little "what?" moments in quilt.
One of the best exhibit at Vermont was called "quirks in design" and I LOVED it. IT was the basis for my Mothers garden center.
A wonderful show and share of some charming quilts. I appreciate the way you provided thoughtful commentary on each. I love to Gasp! in the morning over coffee. Makes me smile.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post! I love the make-do quality in quilts, it is what ties us [artistically, emotionally, aesthetically/] to that quilter of long ago [or now]. That said, I am looking at your gorgeous Porch quilt and I certainly do not see a mistake, let alone a whopper! [do tell!] LOL. It's wonderful....lizzy
ReplyDeleteLizzy, I cannot find your email address. Send me a quick email an I'll tell you about my Porch Quilt. :)
DeleteI love these antique quilts,Lori and am really enjoying your blog.I'm a quiltmaker from the UK and I also put a deliberate flaw in my bed quilts.It's part of the Amish quilting tradition that "Only God Is Perfect", much as the Turkish and Pakistani carpet makers wove a flaw into their floor and wall coverings (just substitute "Allah" for "God"). I try to make my flaws in my hand quilting and it's fun to challenge my friends to find it.(i did feathered hearts in the plain blocks of my daughters quilt and sewed a double line around only one of the hearts).
ReplyDeleteHi Lori, I was a non-reply blogger, thanks for your post about correcting it. If you write me a comment on my blog, I can write back to see if it's working correctly. Your blog is wonderful and you are a very busy woman! Thanks for taking the time to help us fellow bloggers with the technical stuff.
ReplyDeleteHi, I want to thank you for helping us fellow bloggers with your non-reply fix-it post. Hope it worked. Your quilts are stunning. Be back soon.
ReplyDelete