Bloggers' Quilt Festival - Cowboy Up!

Whoo Hoo for Friday! I started my day with a homemade pumpkin spice latte, because today just needed it.  How about you?  What gets you going in the morning?

If you are here as part of the Bloggers' Quilt Festival, welcome!  The quilt I have to show you all hasn't been on my blog before, so this is new for my regular readers, too {I heart my followers!}

I am a huge enthusiast of The Deerfield Fair.  I went to my first one when I was 2 weeks old, and have only missed it once in my life.  {I had sick Little People, and it was cold & raining that year.  O, the depths of a Mother's love, right?}  ;)

Anyway, since my kids share my love of the Fair, Son #2 would really love it if I entered the quilt I made for him.  The only problem is, he would have to give it up for about a week, and that just isn't something he is willing to do.  He is thrilled to have it entered in the Festival - this way his quilt can be shown off and he doesn't have to part with it; and that is why I'm showing you a Golden Oldie today  {He asked me to make sure you know this is his quilt, all for him.  It makes me so happy that my kids appreciate handmade} :)

Son #2 wanted a cowboy quilt; a red cowboy quilt.  At that time, cowboy prints were not the 'in' thing, and the ones I did find were not red.  I can't remember how many years ago I made this quilt {4 or 5? more?} but it was before I discovered Etsy, or online fabric shopping.  It took months to chase down suitable fabrics.  I went to shops all over NH, ME, and even one or two in MA.  My mother brought two or three prints home from Florida.

I fussy-cut squares of large scale cowboy prints on point, then put delectable mountain blocks on each side of the squares.  I love the secondary pattern that gives the look of flying geese units when the blocks are put together.  I did use a pattern - I can't remember the name or designer, but I wouldn't recommend it anyway because it had a couple significant errors.  Like listing yardage and cutting directions for half of the background pieces really needed.  Not a fun thing to notice months after you have already bought the fabric :(  {this experience is a big reason why I always over buy}

My Mom quilted this on a longarm.

Can you see the different patterns she used in each section of the design?

The binding is extra wide, which I think is a great complement to the 'rustic' theme.  If you want to make your binding wider, after quilting just don't trim your batting and backing fabric to the edge of your top.  Stitch your binding strips a 1/4" away from the top's edge a usual, fold around to the back and stitch down as usual.  Don't forget to cut your binding wide enough to accommodate the extra width.

I hunted all over for a red bandanna fabric for the binding; this paisley was the closest I could find.  Don't you just know, once this quilt was done cowboy fabrics apparently 'came back'.  Red ones, too.  And bandanna fabrics.  :)

The backing is a flannel buffalo print - I was so excited to find that fabric :)
Even though I pre-washed everything, with all the reds, this quilt bled like a stuck pig in the wash.  I was heartbroken, because I had put so much into this quilt and was so proud of it and it was for my son.  Son #2 couldn't have cared less - it's all about perspective, right? :)

This quilt lives on my son's bed, no matter what the weather.  So much so, that his older brother just looked at the photos and said  'wow, I didn't know it looked like that!'  lol

This quilt has been snuggled with, dragged around the house, used to build bunkers for various war re-enactments, thrown up on, washed a ton, and generally loved hard continuously since the last stitch was made.  And it has just gotten softer and better with use. {I use cotton batting, either Warm & Natural or Warm & White in all my quilts, if you wanted to know}

The leaves were deliberately left on the ground in the backyard to add character to the pictures. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  {cough}

Thank-you Kris for coming over just to hold up a quilt!

The important details:
measurements - 66" x 82"
quilted by - my mother, a professional long-armer  :)
best category - Favorite bed quilt or Favorite professionally quilted quilt

 

I'm taking son #2's quilt over to the Blogger's Quilt Festival to show it off & check out the other fabulous quilts.  You should head over there, too. :)