#myquiltcouldlivehere : Turquoise Trail Quilt

Turquoise Trail Quilt by Wise Craft Handmade
Turquoise Trail Quilt, 49″ x 52″
I don’t know what exactly felt so right about this one. Maybe it was the onset of Fall, lack of deadlines, sunshine. Whatever it was, there was some good creative energy in my studio the day I started making this one, and I was happy to take full advantage of it.

I made this during the same period of time I made the salesman sample pillows. The swatches are all from the same batch of 1956 salesman sample swatch cards I was given a little over a year ago. When I was first asked if I wanted them, I wasn’t sure and almost said no. A bunch of little swatches glued to cards (7 travel cases worth). I was void of any bright ideas, so I said let me think about it. A few days later, I woke up in the middle of the night and just KNEW I wanted those cases, every one of them. I’d hoped I wasn’t too late. Luckily I wasn’t.

I tore the swatches off all but a few cards. Seven boxes of at least 40 cards in each box, some cards with several swatches. I put them all in lingerie bags and washed them on the gentle cycle, and dried them in the dryer. (I do this with any fabric I plan to reuse in a quilt, because if it can’t be successfully washed and dried, I don’t use it.) I steam pressed each little swatch and set to work.

From languishing in an attic to patchwork muse. Check!

I used mostly the darker swatches for this quilt. Blacks, charcoal grays, medium grays, some espresso browns. In addition, I mixed some turquoise, periwinkle, and cornflower blues, which were not part of the salesman sample boxes. Some were wool swatches I had and others were overdyed woolens I purchased. I was so happy with how it all came together. This one, like in many of the quilts I make, I try to appeal to male as well as female tastes. I kept thinking it would be so beautiful in a family room the whole time I was making it.

The back is a flannel plaid that brings all the color notes from the front to the back. A pinwale corduroy binding to finish it off, and, let me tell you, this quilt is extremely cozy. Less like a layer, more like an honest blanket. It’s warm and comforting, so soft. Rather than machine quilting, it is tied with wool yarn. Tying quilts gives them incredible drape. It’s a drape you just don’t get from machine quilting. Which makes this quilt feel like an old friend.

And where would this quilt live? I see it in a city apartment with beautiful yet minimal style, every detail well-chosen. Owned by the most sophisticated woman, of course.
Turquoise Trail Quilt Collage

Clockwise from top: Succulent arrangement/Turquoise Trail Quilt/

White room with blue bed/Painting by Robert Hopkin/Effortless black/

See all the quilt collages I’ve done for #myquiltcouldlivehere on Instagram or Pinterest.

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