Sew Crafty Friday - Bear Paw Quilt, Vintage Dress

After having so much to post about last week, I thought I wouldn't have much this week. But thanks to a big snow, I was able to sew quite a bit this week. Last week I showed you the following photo of a tiny pile of little quilt blocks that had been languishing away on a shelf.

Well, on Sunday when I looked at my sewing options, I remembered the advice of my watercolor teacher. Start where you think you can succeed. I knew that the tiny bright blocks of my daughters quilt would really challenge me, and I didn't want to start a new project, so I grabbed the bear paw blocks. And I'm excited to say that it didn't take me that long to turn them into a queen sized quilt top!I got the pattern out of an Australian Patchwork and Quilting magazine, Volume 8, Number 4, dated from 2001. So I think that I must have started this quilt in about 2002 or 2003. I thought up the inner border of rust and green blocks myself so I could use up the remaining rust and green fabric. I love how the middle border of the background fabric really makes the pieced border stand out. I also like the contrast of the wide outer border of the dark rusty red leaf fabric, hanging off the side of the bed.

Now comes the challenge of how to finish it. I don't even know how many quilt tops I have that aren't finished. Paying for machine quilting in my area is way too expensive. I've heard there are less expensive places in other places, but don't know where they are, or if they are trust worthy. I would never finish hand quilting a queen sized quilt. I resist tying quilts. For some reason it just doesn't seem as nice. It seems that it lowers the artist level to more utilitarian and practical, but this quilt may just have to be tied, so it can be used. I do long to snuggle down under it's cozy warmth before I'm too old. I'd be open to suggestions if anyone had any for me.

The second project I'm going to show you is one that I haven't done yet, but I'm excited about. It looks rather shapeless on the hanger, but seems that it must have had an interesting past. At the same estate sale where I got the partially complete green and blue plaid skirt, I found this vintage dress. It has only 2 of it's twelve buttons, but other then that it is in good repair. The dress has really cute sleeves. The is lace trim on the sleeves and collar. The fabric feels lovely in my hand. It is a light silky smooth cotton. I am going to replace the buttons with some white pearl ones of similar shape and style, then I think it can take it in just a little on the sides to make it fit well. I think this would be really fun to wear at home in the summer when the temperatures soar and I want to be cool and comfortable. I am wondering if any of you might have any ideas of the time period of the dress, and if it really is a dress or night wear or something else.