Summer is quickly turning to fall, but I’m just not ready for the change of seasons. I’m still focused on this summer’s project, a doll quilt that features a vintage embroidered strawberry. Perhaps you remember it from here.
Motifs like this one are typical of the 1940s-50s when they embellished household linens such as tea towels, tablecloths and napkins. I added calicos, polkadots and gingham checks for vintage charm and bordered the quilt with a retro style daisy print from American Jane Fabrics.
The quilt top itself was finished years ago but got set aside when I gave up doing handwork. What a shame, I thought, to leave something this sweet half-done. Apparently, my friend Ruth agreed, because when I brought it out to show her, she offered to finish it for me.
It couldn't have been in better hands. Just look at Ruth's gorgeous stitching and the way the perle cotton adds subtle luster to the overall design.
"Strawberry Patch Preserves" will always remind me of the late 1950s summers of my childhood. Happy times! Thank you to Vicki Haninger for her inspiration and to Ruth, of course, for seeing this project to fruition. I couldn't be happier with the result!
Strawberry Patch Preserves
15” x 17”
machine pieced, hand quilted
2019