"My Version of a Primitive Quilt"

Well, more hearts! It is still February, and I'm still 'into' hearts....so how about these? My guild once had a quilt challenge and one of the requirements was the use of homespun fabrics. At the time, I had a pretty good stash of homespuns and I always did like participating in the challenges so, of course, I intended to join in the fun. I also had a plaid shirt type fabric which I thought would make a good border.

After considering my options, a small quilt (27" x 32") using 4 inch blocks was decided upon and I immediately went through my 'stash' to gather all the homespuns I could find. There are thirty blocks with only a couple of fabric repeats. I knew I wanted to write names on the hearts in each block to make a friendship quilt of sorts, so I used a tan fabric for those. I used a dark brown permanent pen to do the writing of the names and the quotes in the border. The smaller hearts have no names in them, the larger hearts have names of my good friends. This was made some years ago. Some of my friends named here have passed away....others have moved away....others have found themselves moving in different social circles...so our paths rarely cross. It's the way life is. However, it is nice to read all the names every once in a while and remember what fun times we all had.

I've written things on that skinny border....you've noticed me doing that on other quilts I've shown. On the bottom border, I wrote: "They say true friends know all about you, but love you anyway. Thanks all of you for knowing and still caring...for your encouragement and support." Pat Eaton.

On the left side border: "Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art...it has no survival value, rather it is one of those things that give value to survival." C.S. Lewis.

Across the top border: "You can always tell a real friend: when you've made a fool of yourself, he doesn't feel you've done a permanent job." Laurence J. Peter.

And, down the right hand border: "The happiest moments my heart knows are those in which it is pouring forth its affections to a few esteemed characters." Thomas Jefferson.

The applique is done with a running stitch in embroidery floss, beginning and ending in the 'valley' of the heart and tying in a knot. I hand-quilted about a quarter inch out around each heart. Because I wasn't doing a lot of quilting here, I used buttons where all the squares meet, to further tie the front to the back...this also helps if your corners don't match perfectly.

Being a 'primitive style' quilt, I decided not to quilt at all in the border, but to hold all the layers in place by tying the quilt with different colors of embroidery floss. I used all six strands.

You'll notice I added the binding by using a running stitch to attach it to the quilt....no perfection achieved here...but on this quilt it 'works.' I might add that this quilt is as close as I can get to a primitive style. I have too many perfectionistic tendencies to be very good at making primitives....but I do enjoy seeing them, and making this one was 'quick' and fun.

Speaking of primitives, have you heard of the new "primitive"magazine coming out on April 1st? It is called "PRIMS" (published by Stampington) and, I for one, can't wait to see it, as I know I will like several of the pieces published in it...there are some neat looking dolls I've seen in the ads and there will be other items also....I'll be checking it out for sure.

For a better look at this quilt, if you happen to have the book "Country Friends Go Quilting" by Gooseberry Patch, published by Leisure Arts, Inc., in the year 2000, you can see it on the cover and on pages 21, instructions on page 76. They 'renamed' it the Friendship Button Wall Quilt. You can also see more of my quilts on pages 28-31.

OK, then....a primitive style quilt...some writing, some friends....great fun. take care, pat