Fabric is Fiber Too

Well, hello there! Sorry about the radio silence. I had lots of little things going on last week, and … brace yourself … I didn’t have one single thing actively on the needles last Wednesday, so there was nothing to show you for WiP Wednesday.

I do have two more things to show you that fit under 2011 projects, then I’ll do my annual year-in-review archive. Yeah, I’m a little late, but it’s my blog so I can do whatever I want, right?

I wasn’t sure whether or not to include this project, but then I decided I was working on it for over a year (off and on … mostly off), so I’d include it on things that I finished in 2011.

A knitting friend of mine had been given a pile of cones of Rowan yarns. Wool and cotton, all 4-ply or thinner. She is not the kind of knitter that will eagerly tackle the challenge of these minimally-labeled very thin yarns. So we made a deal.

I’d take this pile of her mother’s tablecloths …


… and turn it into a pair of twin-size-ish quilts. One for Mary, one for her sister.

I got one top finished for last Christmas. I had intended to have both tops done by then, but the first of last winter’s debilitating colds hit at an inopportune time, and I managed to sew a strip wrong-side-out on one top, so I focused on finishing the absolutely-required lone top.

Because I am a bad friend, was overloaded with writing assignments and barely had time to breathe the first six months of 2011 … and because nearly all of my crafting spaces were out of commission for nearly all of the summer months … the tops weren’t finished until September. At which point I high-tailed it up to the Lake to drop them off with my fabulous and wonderful machine quilter.



Mary (different Mary … the quilter and owner of these quilts are both named Mary) did a fabulous job with the quilting, as always. This was not the time to try someone new. I wanted a quilter that I was sure would do a great job. Which she did. The backs of these quilts are extra-wide bleached muslin, so they are seamless. The backs look like wonderful whole-cloth quilts.

I picked the quilts up at the Lake in mid-December. When I bought the backing, I was lucky enough to find a pre-made bias binding at The Quilt Company that matched the green damask on the long sides. Two evenings of hand-sewing and they were finally finished. The fronts?

If I remember correctly, the more-scrappy quilt is going to be Mary’s


and the less-scrappy quilt will go to Mary’s sister.


I hope both sisters are pleased with the final products. I handed both quilts off to Mary’s husband on Christmas Eve, and haven’t seen her since delivery. Here’s hoping they will be enjoyed for years to come.

Me? I’m just happy they’re finished.