right now

right now

Feb 13, 2012

The late quilt!

I have been saying how I haven't gotten any of the sewing and quilting I wanted to accomplish done this winter, but I did make one quilt ...  I had forgotten to post it!  I made it for my new nephew in Minnesota, this past Christmas was his very first and I never posted the project on the blog because it was a Christmas surprise for my brother's family, and this was a new technique I was learning and I wasn't sure it would even work out!


Can you tell what it's going to be?



It's a VW Bus!


There is no binding on the quilt, so it involved quilting the batting onto the top first, then sewing the backing on backwards and flipping the whole thing inside out kind of like a pillow cover.  Then the backing is just tacked on in places throughout the quilt to hold it all together.  I used a simple star embroidery machine stitch in places, I guess the machine equivalent of a tied quilt.  I had never done applique either, so I was pretty nervous about those wheels, bumpers, headlight and door handle!  It was hard to pick colors for a little boy, but once I picked out the yellow, my inner Marsha Brady took over, as she often does :)

The bonus of waiting to post?  I now have a photo of the little guy on his quilt!


I wouldn't be surprised a bit if my brother actually sleeps with this quilt, the back story here is that their family are total VW junkies.  (Actually my whole family is!).  Bugs, Beetles, Micro Buses, Camper Buses, Things, you name it, I think he even has one of those VW pickups now.  He restores them and shows them at the VW shows.  

I happen to have a cool photo - below is the VW my parents bought when I was born - it has traveled several times cross-country, endured countless frigid Minnesota winters and road salt, my mom drove it with all us kids in it for many, many years.  I'm not sure if the odometer even kept working but my brother fished it out of my parents' garage a few years back and restored it and they used it on their wedding day as their getaway car and it now spends its winters in the safety of his garage.


That's one loved car.  Not too shabby for being 42 years old, eh?  (I meant the car)... :)


11 comments:

  1. Is there no END to your talent, woman? That is the most amazing quilt! What a clever idea. You (and Marsha) did a beautiful job. And what an adorable baby...my first car was a VW bug. I loved that car and drove it until it was broad-sided by a Buick. My hackles still rise thinking about it. It was totaled and I couldn't talk my dad into saving it.

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  2. Oh, Erin, what a PERFECT quilt for the little guy considering your family's history with VWs! I can only imagine what a hit it was at Christmas time. I've used that same star embroidery motif to tack/tie baby quilts I've made, too. I sure hope your brother and wife hold on to that quilt for-EVAH! What a treasure!

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  3. How adorable!! And the quilt is pretty cute too! What a great gift, and one he won't outgrow- unlike many "baby" quilts.
    Judy

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  4. How clever--I love it!

    I'd love to get my hands on an old VW camper van. They have TONS of them out in California---kinda fits, doesn't it?

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    1. Is there anything you can't do? that quilt plus the baby is such a doll. hope he isn't full grown by the time you get back to MN.

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  5. Do you think you brother can do as good a job restoring me? I'm 48 so a bit older than that car but in pretty good shape. LOL!

    Love the quilt and that nephew is so cute!

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  6. Susan, that story made me cringe!!! And yes, there are ends to the talent everywhere I turn LOL, lots of starts and stops :)
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    Jane & Carolyn Renee, thanks!
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    Mama Pea, glad you liked it, you are such an inspiration to me - I channeled the quilting energy that you didn't get to use up this winter :)
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    "in pink Judy", LOL... oooh I hope he stays little until this summer when I can meet him!
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    Sparkless, hahaha!
    Judy (Full Freezer), I've never been much of a "baby quilt" kind of gal, or baby anything for that matter. I couldn't wait to get rid of the high chair and crib even and I relish my boys every day they get older, that's probably weird LOL but I've always been that way :)
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    Sue, my parents have one and I think they still use it in the summertime!
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  7. We have VW love too. Got our bus in the garage. :)

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  8. I am not sure which is better- your quilt or the restored bug. This is why we love you Erin, the stories, the creativity, your thoughtfulness. Great post!

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