Bloggers Quilt Festival: Fall 2013-Vintage Reproduction

Vintage Reproduction has been pictured on my blog, over and over again. I know that. But the fact remains that it is one of my very favorite quilts. When it came time to decide on a second quilt to enter into Amy's quilt festival, this one won hands down. You'll find it in the bed quilt section if you care to go looking for it.

My Vintage Reproduction quilt

In fact, since I finished it up this summer, it currently resides on my bed all of the time. That way I can have something to smile about first thing in the morning. Even a cranky morning person like me will smile at this luscious thing, don't you think? lol

It looks so different in outdoor light...

It all started when I saw a picture in Quilmania magazine years ago of an antique quilt with a cut paper centerpiece. I tore that picture out and pinned it to my board in my quilting room, drooling over it until one day I thought, I can make that! Uh huh.

This quilt came out of the dryer at 89"x89"

Many stops, starts, revisions, and lurches sideways, I ended up with this. Of course, it didn't help that I was determined to play mostly from what was already in my stash. That really can be limiting you know. Also, I immediately gave up on the intricate cut paper center idea and decided to give an abandoned Hawaiian applique piece new life. Which, by the way, a big thank you to whomever it was that passed it on to me in the first place! It was a bit tricky to get pinned down properly so I could do my needleturn, but I kept at it until I thought it looked about right.

Love my less than perfect center. My quilts
will probably never be accused of being too perfect...

That cheddar piece changed the tone from the very start. I personally love the mix of cheddar, pink, turquoise, black, purple, greens and light blues in this quilt. I really, really do. So improbable together and yes, definitely brighter than the antique version I was loosely trying to copy! Okay, I admit that it was a brilliant day for me when I finally realized that it's possible to keep the integrity of the inspiration piece without copying down to the minutia. Obviously not happening after I ditched the cut paper idea, but hey! this quilting brain of mine is not always logical.

Doesn't hand quilting just add a little extra?

I also had some struggles trying to get the hand quilting figured out, but all was well in the end. (Especially after I got over being stubborn and added in those extra quilting lines in the last border. lol)

So happy to be able to participate once again in the Blogger's Quilt Festival. Love seeing all the wonderful eye candy!