General Chat

About forty years ago I began making a patchwork bed spread. It started off with my old clothes and stuff I gathered from jumble sales and other people.

Originally I thought it might become a single bed spread, then, maybe, a double one but it was on top of the wardrobe for many, many years.

After I became obsolete I took it down and got stuck into it again but it is not longer a cheap hobby and I have spent far more than I would have liked on fabric.

Anyway, we have a six foot bed and I think that will need a ten foot square spread which will cost me an enormous amount to have quilted because I don't know how to do it.

Having measured it the other day, I am delighted to say that my little forty year old project is now eight foot square.It might be done to cover my coffin!

Hi Sharon,have a look on you tube,i broke my arm 2 years ago and was housebound for 8 weeks,i got addicted to the tube,found masses of info on all sorts of crafts but particularly quilting.so have a browse,and you will finish your quilt in no time.

wendy(lincs)

I just have to get stuck in now for the home straight but, even if I knew how, I think it would be too big for me to quilt myself.

Have been having a look at some lovely 5" squares and doing a shopping cart on an American site, all reduced stuff and I really, really, knew I had to have it because I really, really needed it but then I saw that I was going over £150 with packaging so, maybe I don't need any of it after all.

Sharron Go to a market and buy yourself some cheap fabric by half a metre one metre etc and cut your own squares.

But then I end up with acres of bits of fabric.

One 5" square makes one hexagon for my quiilt and one tiny hexagon that I use for the pin cushions and lavender pillows.

I think I have an outlet for the pincushions so I am hoping it might give me a bit of help with the price of the last fabric I need to finish the bedspread.

What is really going to make my eyes water is having it quilted. That really will be mega.

You could use it as a cover for when you're lounging on the sofa :-D

It already is really.

There is a fair bit of it, as you can imagine, and it goes on my lap on the sofa while I am building it.

Can you not find a quilting or patchwork group who would help you, Sharron?

Why not advertise on gumtree for unwanted fabric? I will have a look and see if I can find some pieces, anything specific, such as colours, fabric content, weight etc?

Glad you are progressing well with it anyway, it would have been a shame to leave it up on the wardrobe

Lizxx

PS I took my donation to a MAcmillan coffee morning at the end of September, whilst I was on hols at the coast.

Have you thought about cutting up clothes from a charity shop?

When we were clearing out Mum's dress making/craft things after she died, we found a 3/4s completed patchwork coverlet or throw. One of OH's cousins took it, to finish off as I couldn't bear to throw it out. Every now and again we get a progress report.

There is all that stuff already in there. Jumble sales of forty years ago were very different affairs from what they are now and I never did like them much anyway.

People do give me the odd bit of material but, now the end is nigh and I don't spend a lot on other things, I quite like choosing the odd charm pack.

Would it not be a bit presumptious to join a group of quilters carrying 100sq ft of already made patchwork and expect them to help quilt it?

Thank you for the contribution Liz.