Friday, May 11, 2012

Another Lesson Learned



Today is my mom's birthday.   With her birthday so close to Mother's Day, it makes this time of year especially difficult.  She died seven years ago.  I miss her so much everyday.  She was my best friend.  I am lucky, though, that I have some special ladies in my life that I consider like mothers to me.  I made the red Friendship Star/Disappearing Nine Patch table topper for one of those ladies.  I made another quilted topper for another.  I used the fat quarters I won from Annie's Ruby Slipperz.


My Aunt Pat loves bunnies and her home is decorated with very light pastels and romantic flowers.  These fabrics were perfect!  The topper I made measures 18" X 18" (finished).

Post Washed

The bunny image had printed so beautifully onto my fabric, but when I washed it, it almost disappeared completely! I could have cried.  I scrambled researching how I could fix it.  In the end, however, I decided the faded image just made the piece look more authentically vintage.

Pre-Washed
Pinwheels were a first here and I think they turned out pretty nice.  I also think the fabric is fabulous...love it!


I've learned a lot during my brief quilting journey.  The lesson here:  Make your fabric color fast BEFORE printing on it!  This only applies if you are printing directly onto regular fabric using freezer paper and you are going to wash your quilt.  (You might not feel it necessary to wash a wall hanging; like my Octopus Wall Hanging).  I believe if you use products designed for transferring images, that fabric is already treated.  I've done computer research and I have discovered that if you use something called Bubble Jet Set, you can use your own fabric and the freezer paper method.  I'm off to find that product and will give it a try!

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there and all those "like" moms, too!  And Happy Birthday Mom.  

Tootles!
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9 comments:

  1. You Mom is sooooo pretty! I dread this time of year too. It seems to me that every time I turn around there is another reason to miss our mothers. I am taking my "sort of" mom out on sunday too. She is a dear friend that my mother really liked and I do too. Not quite the same as taking my mom out, but close enough right now.

    I like the quilting you have done. The bunny one is adorable!!! Keep up the good work!

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  2. Your faded bunny makes your quilt look very vintage. I love it.

    hugs,
    Penny

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  3. aww so sweet, i love the quilt!
    Sorry I've not commented much on your blog, but my blogger thingmebob has your url wrong, so it doesn't send me updates when you post a new post. arrgghh! So i have to rely on my silly old muddled brain to remember to check in!!
    I've missed lots of good posts i see, and your quilts are lovely!
    Thank you again for your kind comment on my blog, and for commenting despite my absence from blogworld!! Xx

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  4. I love the little quilt just the way it turned out...so sweet! Your Mom certainly was a beauty! Have a great day!!

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  5. Lovely table topper quilts. I hope you had a good Mothers day. Your mum is very pretty. x

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