The Quilting Gift - part 1

A just for fun short story about a cushion

School holidays had arrived and Bailee had once again come to stay at her grandparents' house. It was always fun staying there as Bailee and her grandmother spent lots of time creating pretty things. It was Mimi who had taught her how to quilt and sew.

"Quilting and piecing", Mimi said, "is just like life Bailee. We take what we have and rearrange the pieces until we have something with which we can be content. Sometimes the fabrics are bright, sometimes they are muted, but they all have their place. It's not what we're given, but how we put it to use that makes everything fit together". 

At first, Bailee had helped Mimi to choose fabrics for Mimi to sew together on her behalf, but as Bailee grew older, she gradually learnt to choose fabrics on her own, and even learnt how to operate the sewing machine safely. 

She was very proud the day she finished her first Bailee- made quilt. Mimi took lots of photos of the small quilt and made Bailee's uncles look at the photos again and again.

Bailee and Mimi would sit for hours, chatting about school friends and little brothers while they sipped cups of tea and hot chocolate. Bailee watched and learnt as Mimi quilted finished tops, crocheted and knitted with soft yarns, or embroidered designs using skeins of shiny floss. Bailee became interested in each and every skill. In time her crocheting skills might surpass Mimi's, but for now she was happy to have her grandmother's guiding hands.

A new project was chosen each time Bailee visited. She couldn't wait to get started on this particular new project. She and her family would soon be moving into their new house and Bailee wanted to make something for her new room. A cushion for her new bedroom would be just right.

"Firstly", said Mimi, "you need to choose the fabrics you wish to use. Let's go shopping at the Vintage Market".
Bailee chose to ride her bike while Mimi walked.

They didn't have far to go, but even so, Bailee knew they would find animal friends to greet along the way.

Mr Kanga Roo popped his head up from the tuft of grass he had been grazing on to grunt a greeting to them. Bailee told him where they were going. He chewed slowly while he considered the best road that would lead to the market."Thank you Mr Roo but I know the way very well and really can't stop to chat". 

Off she cycled waving goodbye to her friend.

It was no time at all  before the Vintage Market came into view. 

Bailee and Mimi walked past a stall that had many tempting varieties of homemade jam, a flower stall with fresh, local blooms ....

and the colourful greengrocer's stall. Many of the stall holders knew them well and greeted Bailee and Mimi with a friendly smile and a wave.

Eventually they found themselves in front of the stall they had come to visit. The fabric stall! New fabric, old fabric, sweet, soft florals and classic ginghams all had a special place in Mimi's sewing room. In fact, Mimi believed there was always another piece of printed cotton or fine lawn waiting to be bought and taken home to include in a future project. 
Bailee's grandfather often half- joked they would soon need to add another room to the house just to store Mimi's fabric collection.

Bailee sifted carefully through the display of beautiful fabrics, showing Mimi those she thought might be suitable. She eventually chose several fabrics from a range called "Vintage Market". While the sales lady was wrapping Bailee's selection, Mimi suggested they stop for a glass of ice cold lemonade before heading home.

Bailee and Mimi spent hours in the sunny workroom making, talking and laughing while they decided how Bailee would make her new cushion cover. Their heads bumped together as they leant over sheets of paper, brows furrowed in concentration, pencils in hand, sketching ideas for the new project.
Mimi gave snippets of advice as Bailee began to piece her chosen design. She watched Bailee, as Bailee had often watched her. 

While Bailee carefully used one sewing machine, Mimi used another machine to piece together two lengths of hexagons for Bailee to add to her cushion cover. Mimi had cut tiny hexagons using the size B template from her "Mathilda's Own- small hexagon template" set.

After embroidering her design, Bailee and Mimi put together a quilt sandwich, using Pellon instead of cotton batting. Mimi had previously found that using cotton batting made the finished cushion way too uncomfortable to pierce with a needle when it came time to prepare for the crocheting.
Bailee decided to quilt the cushion cover with the walking foot attached to the sewing machine.

Finally, the cushion cover was sewn together.

....................... the story concludes in the next post,
xo

P.S. it ends happily ;)

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