Out of the cupboard at last

Way back in the early to mid 1980s, I came across a quilt pattern in McCall's magazine and decided to make it. It wasn't difficult and was made entirely with solids - using a mix of all cottons and polyester cotton broadcloth. I think it was the use of solids that appealed to me. Twelve inch squares divided diagonally but positioned in a set pattern.

Once I put it together, I sandwiched it and basted it. I'm pretty sure I put it in a hoop but maybe I just started quilting it without one. Anyway, the very middle has some quilting lines on it in white. I didn't know if I wanted to quilt it all in white or if I should get some coloured quilting threads and quilt it in the colour of the background.

In those days, quilting thread was limited to a few colours. I put the quilt away because I was undecided. It was moved to a couple of different locations and last year I knew that I would just dig it out and start quilting it. It will be next up on the frame but since it has been folded up for so long, I thought I would lay it out and give it a rest before I stretch it onto a frame. I also have to trim it. I think initially I was going to use the backing as binding and that's why there is so much along the edges OR I left so much backing so it would fit OK while using a quilting hoop. It is definitely an old UFO.

I did make another quilt using exactly the same pattern but I used a limited palette and moved the segments around. I called it Mid Night. You can see a photo of it here (please excuse the grammar errors.) Oddly enough, with all of the black in that quilt, I chose to use white thread for all the quilting.

I'll get better photos of this once it's in the frame and I start quilting it. I have yet to decide if I will use white or coloured quilting thread.