most popular ugly quilt~~rambling post

This was my mom's sewing machine.
I think it was given to her when she married my dad way back in the 50's.
This machine did a lot of midnight sewing before weddings, plays, Christmases, and other special occasions.
When my mom passed away, I got to have the sewing machine.
It always ran a little rough, but I never sewed my finger with it.
There was a time that I used a newer machine, and it did sew my finger, right through the nail. OUCH!
So, this machine has been my main form of sewing for the last decade.
A couple years ago, something stopped working with it, and I was too lazy to bring it somewhere to get it fixed.
So, I went and bought a new machine.
Plastic all over.
The light doesn't work.
The bobbin holder snapped in the new machine within just a couple sewing sessions.
So, exasperated, I brought both machines in to get serviced and fixed.
The new machine still does not have a light, since it would cost $16 to replace that and have it installed.
It's too complicated for us to take the machine apart and put in the new lightbulb too.
But, the new machine does have different kinds of stitches to use.
So, while making a quilt for the youngest member of the household, I've been using the newer machine.
It stopped working again.
I'm back to the old machine, and it works like a dream!
It's solid, runs smooth now, and it won't be breaking down for another 40 years, I'm sure.

I haven't quilted in many years and wanted to make a fun, colorful quilt for the youngest person in our home.
There were some great quilts I found online, but nothing felt right.
So, I gathered up some fabrics and started working on it.
My purpose was to have some fun things on the quilt for the youngest person to search for later on...the crabs, fish, frogs, stars, etc.
Originally, there were 15 blocks in a 3 x 5 layout.
It was too ugly, so I took 3 blocks out, and came up with this.
I still don't like it, but the youngest person and the other young'uns do like it.
Daniel says it's the coolest handmade quilt he's ever seen...ooook.
Kelly wants a quilt now, with a back like the one on this.
I've got a long way to go to impress people with quilting again.

There once was a time when my quilts impressed everyone.

But now, it seems like a quilter isn't official unless they machine-quilt.

I tie my quilts with yarn still.

And, I don't do very good bindings or edges.

I'd rather just get it done and let the person enjoy the quilt.

It's not like they're going to reject it for not being perfect.

Someday I'll make nicer quilts.

In the meantime, I'll continue to make quilts that get used.

It's actually kind of funny.

When Andy and I were first married, I had 3 months left of high school.

Since I had earned enough credits for required classes, I took easy classes.

One was Home Ec.

For one of my projects, I made a patch-work quilt, made from fabrics of several of my old favorite clothes.
So, there was chartreuse (fluorescent green) squares next to red and navy velvet, plus flannel patterns, etc.

It was so ugly, yet so comfy.

That was Andy's favorite quilt, until it was left in the car too long last year and it disintegrated.

I wasn't sad to see it go, since it was so used and thread-bare.

Andy was heartbroken.

Tonight, while I was tying the quilt, the girls had fun looking on Youtube.