The Fully Sick Quilt
I started The Fully Sick Quilt during an August week of actual sickness. I hadn’t been bed-bound in years, so it literally knocked me off my feet. Despite the coughing, sputtering, feverish chills, and hot flashes, I dosed up on some cold and flu meds, then went to work. I created what I called my Cottage Windows block, along with a tutorial, and went stash diving.
I have inherited a lot of various fabric from Grandma Sparkles (Magic Suitcase for the win!) through the years. Some of it has been fresh, modern and chic, while some of it has been plucked straight from 1997. Amongst it all, were several fat eighths of 1930s repros, and other traditional floral motifs. In an effort to push these out of my stash for good, I combined them with some fabrics of my own devices (e.g. Denyse Schmidt, American Jane) to create a down-home, country-esque, rainbow aesthetic.
The cream framings utilise floral tone on tone fabrics originally used in my Bartering for Flowers quilt, and from more modern collections like Mirror Ball Dot and Botanics. I may have been fully sick, but I wasn’t fully dead! The back is yardage of Salt Air Blooms in Coral, combined with Art Gallery Pure Elements stripes for a little extra width.
One of my good friends called it all “floral vomit” and while I can’t disagree, at least all the flowers and vomit are hanging out together! In the end, after a match stick quilting disaster, I settled on some stitching in the ditch around each block. In all honesty, I couldn’t bear to spend any more time on it than absolutely necessary. I then bound it with Genealogy Azul from Angela Walter’s Legacy collection.
Listen, if I’m serving up my own cold, glass of truth tea, I’ll agree it’s not a total aesthetic powerhouse, but I’m still glad it exists. It definitely has too many ideas competing for attention, and none of them are actually all that strong. The backing fabric, while a bit more traditional, still doesn’t feel quite right, especially with that more modern stripe. Plus, you know, I’m a modern gal, and this drags me back to my Okla-home-land.
That being said, it’s cleared out room for more (and better) fabrics. Despite some of the floral motifs, I’m kinda diggin’ the muted, tonal rainbow. Using a rainbow spectrum with a lot of varying values assists in movement, depth and visual interest. The Fully Sick Quilt also gave me reason to write up another tutorial, and finally, it led to making The House of Versace cushion.
I’m just glad I’m well again.
I love your "favourite part" comment – that makes it awesome 🙂
I'm going to admit that I was not feeling this the first time you showed it to us, but now that it's done, I rather like it. It looks good, taken as a whole anyway. You may not like individual fabrics, but it works as a finished piece.
It's a really great block. I have a quilt top I'm working on to clear out some fabric I got from someone else. It's hard to work on that quilt, but it's so nice to think of the fabrics going to a project and getting out of my stash. Hopefully my quilt turns out as great as yours did.
It's a really great block. I have a quilt top I'm working on to clear out some fabric I got from someone else. It's hard to work on that quilt, but it's so nice to think of the fabrics going to a project and getting out of my stash. Hopefully my quilt turns out as great as yours did.
I adore those cute florals but have to agree there's something about it that doesn't work. I was looking at it and thinking if the strips were a different colour I might like it more and then blam!! Versace cushion for the win!! I might have an aversion to white?!
Glad you are better. The flu is noooo fun.
great spot for picture taking 🙂
Wow, the quilt is nice (love the backing!) but the pillow is killer! Yay for the new pattern and the joy of seeing how versatile it is with different fabric choices!
The pillow is killer. It's hard not to have black and gold look like it's trying too hard. The Cottage windows quilt is sweet. Sometimes quilts that remind me of my childhood make me really happy, sometimes they make me want to punch things, so I get that. But have you seen the road to Oklahoma quilt block? It is a winner.
Glad you pushed through with this one! I really believe all our quilts teach us something even if it's what we don't like. And the pattern is really cool regardless. And I"m sure it feels good to have those fabrics out of your stash. Next time, maybe find a school or someone to donate them to and save yourself the angst. 😉 Glad you are feeling better!
Floral vomit? Sounds like someone mixed some Syrup of Ipecac in that Truth Tea. A little strong for my liking! I think it says a lot about a quilter when they can make a great quilt with fabrics that don't really speak to their usual way of work. And it should give us all ideas on how patterns using traditional fabrics can be re-worked in a more modern way. No need to throw out all those 80's country quilt mags just yet… unless you're ready for an episode of Hoarders. Then it's time.
Well done on pushing through to a finish with a quilt that doesn't use the fabrics you love – Grandma loved them and that's good enough!! I'm also thrilled that you have already found someone who loves it!! The backing and binding are kickass!! Now, that pillow…LOVE IT!! That gold fabric is wonderful…where can I find it?????
As a whole, I enjoy this much better than the first couple of blocks your showed. A little more traditional than I like (and than I'm used to seeing from you!) but I don't hate it 🙂
Love the cushion… like the quilt – I think – glad you've found someone who will love it!
Not my cuppa tea either, but definitely a great cuddle if you are sick. Those kinds of quilts have a different vibe to them.
I actually like the quilt. Not everything has to be cutting edge to be usable. I bet it will get a lot more snuggles since no one will worry about getting it dirty etc…
I love that block! It would be so much fun to stitch in so many different colour/fabric combinations. Thanks for sharing. And that cushion is amazing.
i think the darker reds and deep blue save this quit from total blah. but wouldn't it be amazing in all solids?
Yep, its not to my taste but there's always someone out there who will love it and it looks like you've found them and got some of those fabrics out of the way!
Well Molli, you've given me some inspiration for my Grandma's stash! She's now in a nursing home & I feel her room needs a little personalisation and love! She was a seamstress, but there's some cotton in there I'd love to quilt for her. I've worried that just using the fabrics from her stash will be rather dull, but why didn't I think of mixing them up a bit with some of my stuff? Off to check out the tutorial & probably add it it my never-ending list of projects! Thanks! xo
Well while it's not entirely my aesthetic, I can see it would be a good workhorse of a quilt that people would use with abandon without being paranoid about ruining it if they spilled wine or chocolate on it (not that you would ever have such careless people around)