Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Oh Odalolly!

This is the Odalolly Quilt, it was the project I chose for the final project in my Curves Class, I will also be participating in Scrap Attack over at Stitched in Color with her.

I think that this quilt is the most beautiful quilt I have made. It was also the most challenging with the improv curves and so much piecing. The original Odalolly that my instructor made was entirely solids but I looked at my twelve bins of scraps and decided to make the quilt as scrappy as possible.

Scrappiest back ever!
Through the last few weeks I have slaved away, cutting, ironing, piecing and often, complaining about how much work this quilt was or about a block being just 1/2 an inch shy of wide or long enough (arghh!). I worried that my choice to randomly piece the strips and blocks would turn beautiful fabric into an ugly quilt.  At one point intended to gift this quilt to someone or donate it to the silent auction at the gala for my son's school. That was all before the quilt came together.

Last Tuesday I laid the blocks out on the floor in sequence and was amazed at how well they fit together. By the end of the day she was pieced ; beautiful! The quilt would be mine, it was not going anywhere.

Last Tuesday I liked the quilt a lot and on Sunday night, I fell in love! I sat on the half quilted quilt in the middle of living room and ran my hands over all of the scraps; everything is in this quilt! There is so much memory, so much nostalgia, so much love in this quilt! I cried a bit as I saw pieces of my sons' and nephew's quilts and bits of the lining from every cape, bits of The Wedding Quilt and The Ugly Duckling. Some pieces are just scraps but others are gifts from friends, amazing thrift store finds or indulgent fabric shopping sprees.

This quilt makes me cry, smile and giggle all at once. This quilt could tell a lot of my story in this place, a place I hated at first and couldn't wait to leave but is now is somewhere that feels like home; a place I am likely to have to leave soon and that is why this quilt is mine.

11 comments:

  1. I am so glad the journey has been worth it. I'm often a product person, and it's really nice to be reminded that the process is not only valuable on it's own, but also as a way to enhance the product.

    Enjoy your Edmonton Quilt. (which looks alot like what I'd imagine an air photo of a busy parkinglot after the first snow looks like...) :)

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  2. Your quilt is wonderful! It looks great with scraps, and how fun that it also holds stories and memories in its beauty : )

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  3. Oooh, I love your story about how the quilt makes you feel. Of course, I'm totally thrilled that you love how it came out too. Congratulations!!!

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    1. Thanks for creating such an amazing pattern Rachel.

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  4. i love how your oodalolly turned out. i get the same nostalgia whenever i work with my scraps-- sometimes i still find bits and pieces from my very first days of sewing. what a special quilt!

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    1. I am so loving cuddling up with it. It may have me addicted to scrap quilts!

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  5. It's beautiful, Amanda! I love how it came out. I would have been cursing at every seam I had to press open.

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