September Mini--barely

Wendy issued an invitation at the beginning of the year for anyone who would like to join her in making a mini a month. Mine are usually just squeaking under the wire--like this one.

When I realized the month was almost over, and my time at home was very limited, I decided to quilt up a top I already had made. This little quilt has a story behind it.

My Mom was always making bed quilts to give to family members. Each time she started a new one Dad would tease that maybe this one would finally be for him. So when she started on a quilt that came to be known in the family as "The Cowboy Quilt", Dad asked if this one was his and she surprised him by saying yes. 

I made this little basket wall hanging almost entirely out of leftover pieces from the making of the cowboy quilt, that did in fact become Dad's (and since Dad's passing, my brother owns The Cowboy quilt). The only exception is that the blue sashing and binding are made from pieces of my Dad's favorite shirt.

That shirt had become so threadbare in places, I had to cut carefully to get the strips I needed. It is a little curly in one corner in the photo above. I hadn't finished the binding yet and the pins that were holding it down distorted the corner.


The quilting is just  stitch-in-the-ditch on the basket blocks and around the sashing. I did a simple rope design in the border. That is a quick "go to" design for me when I don't want to feather a border.

The backing fabric has little blue flowers, and you will notice that the baskets are holding something blue as well. There is significance to that. Mom has always joked with us about a couple of songs that she says we should sing at her funeral one day. One song references gathering armfuls of blossoms of blue, and ends with the line "Dear Mother, all flowers remind me of you." 

We recently learned of the origins of the song and it makes the whole thing rather melancholy, but I didn't know the origin when I planned this quilt, and that song was going through my mind the whole time I worked on it.

That's it for now. Quite a lack of sewing time lately.
Until next time, 
Janet O.

Oops, I forgot to announce the winner of the drawing. :)
Brenda's name was drawn from those interested. Please send me your snail mail address Brenda, and I will get this little package sent your way.