This is a piece I made in the early 2000’s. I didn’t document it with a label. It is from a pattern by Betty Alderman.
I used white sateen for the background, and more of my ombre sateen stash for the sashing. It is bound with an interesting batik stripe. The colors are a little off – it is a rainy, cloudy day today. The background is a really bright white.
The project was a lot of fun. I used regular Crayola crayons and pressed the design after coloring. It creates such a beautiful, soft coloring. I’m not sure it can be washed without losing the colors, so I have never given it to anyone. I hate the idea of a quilt for a baby hanging on a wall, rather than being snuggled. I wouldn’t want someone to wash it and destroy the design, and possibly the rest of their laundry.
The outlines around the colored sections were hand quilted with black thread. I’m not sure, but I think my mother may have done that for me. The rest of the background is quilted using a tight stippling. Once in a while I become obsessed with free motion quilting, but I usually just have a mad spree of stippling.
When I was a child I remember a lot of nursery rhymes being sung to me. I don’t think they are quite the thing anymore, which is a little sad. I have clear memories of a nursery rhyme book being read to me by both my mother and my grandmother.
Maybe it is time to give this one away to someone, along with a book. And some color catchers.
Have you ever tried coloring on quilts? It is certainly easier than appliqué, but now I have a quilt I am afraid to use, and it has been sitting around for at least 10 years.
Nursery Rhymes Crayon Quilt
This is so sweet! I bet if you gave it to someone who would care for it, and use it gently, it could get a lot of love. Our youngest used to recite a whole list of nursery rhymes, always in the same order.
Thank you! I need to find some friends who are currently making babies.
On Fri, Sep 30, 2016 at 10:31 AM, Dizzy Quilter wrote:
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I have a pillow I made in 1979, that has been washed countless times and it has not faded at all. The dye in the crayon is still as bright as when I made it. You could make a small piece and wash it a few times to see for yourself.
What a sweet quilt. I have never tried coloring a quilt myself. I did paint panels on a quilt for a project for the book “Lord of the Flies” in high school once and it washed just fine (and was a very ugly quilt). The panels do bring back great memories of the nursery rhymes.
This is very sweet. I love it.
It’s funny you say that about the nursery rhymes. A co-worker and I were discussing that very thing just the other day. How, we don’t think they are as common now as they were when we were children. It is a lovely quilt.
Have you ever heat set the drawlings on the quilt? You could try this technique on something and then launder it to see what happens? I have this pattern and I love it but have never made it. Just this week, the same day actually, I found out that there are 2 babies due on each side of the family. Your post came at a Wonderful time and you did beautiful work on this. I think I will look for my pattern and get to it ! Thank You!!!!!
I did heat set the crayons, and the color definitely changed – maybe melted into the fabric better. I’ve never tried washing them.
I have my grand kids color quilt square. I then set them and we make rag quilts. They get lots of washing. Colors never fade or run.
Thanks! That is good to know.