Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Cathedral Window Therapy

I think I need therapy.  I am hooked on Catherdral Windows.  For those of you who are not familiar with Cathedral Windows, it is a quilting pattern that entails folding and sewing a square of fabric, usually muslin,  several times and then inserting a colored piece of fabric, i.e. the window.  I have never had an interest in making a Cathedral Windows quilt.  I mean never.  It is just a little old fashioned for me, and yet not old enough to be interesting.  I hope I am not offending anyone, but I just had no interest.  Until now. 

Loren, my future DIL, has needlework in her blood.  Her grandmother does lots of wonderful sewing projects.  Last year I was the happy recipient of one of her Make Do pincushions - a wool crow one.  For Christmas she gave Loren some quilt blocks she found in a consignment shop in Ohio.  One set was a group of feedsack blocks.  The other was a stack of  10 Cathedral Window blocks.  Loren decided that this year she would surprise her grandmother and  regift the cathedral window blocks back to her  as a finished project.  She figured I would help her because surely I know how to do all things quilty. Hahahahaha! (Talk about pressure.)

So through the beauty of the Internet, I googled cathedral windows and found some tutorials.  The one that helped me the most was:http://hyena-in-petticoats.blogspot.com/2007/08/cathedral-window-quilt-tutorial.html.  This blog also modernized the look.


I wanted to complement the fabric that was already in the windows and at the same time give it an updated look.  Loren shopped a bit and picked out some modern fabrics.  I checked my stash.   The fabrics were just not speaking to me in combination with the floral that was already there.  After many trials and errors,  nothing was working.  That's when you know you have to change course. It was time to abandon the plan or modify it.  The original blue fabric needed to be eliminated.  It was not hard to take out and replace.

Loren said that purple was her Grandma's favorite color.  I happened to have a bundle of Lonni Rossi's assorted pueple fabrics.

I am almost halfway done.  Now it's Loren's turn. 







3 comments:

  1. I have to try this. This looks wonderful.

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  2. Cathedral Windows is one of those patterns I prefer to admire from afar. Lovely work, and I think you made the right choice going with a coherent look for the feature fabrics!

    Linda C.

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  3. It's so pretty! I need to make a date to come down and learn from the master. Oh great Quilt Guru... Teach me! Loren =P

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