Lawn chairs, UPS men and quilts. Oh my.
September 3rd, 2010
I love, love, love those plastic webbed lawn chairs. Even that creaking aluminum sound they make, I love. When I was a kid, we belonged to the Orinda Park Pool - every day of our summers were spent here. My mom and her friends had super cool low-rider lawn chairs, and would sit in the sun and play gin rummy and bridge on the lawn. This was in the pre-melanoma and pre-mom’s-had-to-go-to-work era. Priceless childhood memories. (in the “1960’s Stingers” [color] photo… that’s me, 4th on the left in the front - the one fiddling with her bathing cap - twas the height of the Pixie cut era!)
Oh for the love of lawn chairs, quilts and Moda… I have a Lawn Chair quilt tutorial at the Moda Bakeshop. One Jelly Roll of MoMo’s It’s a Hoot (I’m so madly in love with this line!!!) and two Jelly Rolls of Moda Bella solids will make TWO 48″ x 75″ lap size quilts (or one 75″ x 96″ quilt).
I started playing around with a Honey Bun (1½” wide strips roll) of Urban Chick’s Sweet (one of my all time fave lines… along with Swell… hoping the Urban Chicks are working on a Savory for me next!!) - and putting the solid in the center.
I’m still in playing mode (which is one of my favorite modes) - and adjustments in the measurements have to be made for the 1½” striping - cutting the 3-piece units into 3½” x 3½”, 3½” x 6½” and 2″ x 3½ units. I don’t know yet what I’m going to make… or what my finished size will be… I’ll probably figure it all out (and post it) when I finish what I started next week month year.
I secretly refer to the Lawn Chair quilt as the UPS quilt. Last July, during a freak NW Oregon heat spell - Violet made a tweet the about the heat and her UPS man JUST as I had finished making the Lawn Chair quilts. I will forever think of Violet (and Melissa too!) and a hunky hot UPS man when I think of this quilt.
[/barry white music]
Posted in Make Something |
Farting around with needle & thread and then blogging about it.
This is really lovely - a perfect blend of simple and unexpected!
September 3rd, 2010Truly wonderful quilt pattern with great inspiration and back story! And don’t get me started on the old photos! Awesome! My sister had a pixie haircut (mostly because she got a brush stuck in her hair and had to get it cut out). I didn’t cut my hair until just before 7th grade. Remember the shag?
September 3rd, 2010Had a pixie too of course and the In 7th grade I got something called The Artichoke” a longer pixie that all pulled forward from the crown, oh I thought I was so cool. Whats really cool are these quilts! I’m thinking one…oops two are in my future. An most of my online favorite places have wonderful sales this weekend too.
September 3rd, 2010I love those quilts, love the pictures and love the Urban Chiks and of course love you xo!
September 3rd, 2010I saw this and didn’t realize it was your pattern! Very cute, I bookmarked it!
September 3rd, 2010Ha ha — we belonged to Sleepy Hollow Pool at about the same time. I didn’t like the Orinda Park Pool because I wasn’t used to the sloping sides, and always managed to scrape my knees! Cool photos, and I love the new pattern!
September 3rd, 2010Just like I said on the Moda Bake Shop blog, another winner by the fabulous Monica!
September 3rd, 2010Love the quilts. Love the story!
September 3rd, 2010I love the story and the quilts!
September 3rd, 2010Love it! Hmmm…two quilts, two kiddos. I think I can see where this is headed. My poor kids will probably be drowning in quilts by the time they head off to college.
September 3rd, 2010ooo, love this, you’re just too creative, holy crap, when do you have the time?! :)
September 3rd, 2010Toooo cute…just like you!! xo
September 3rd, 2010Ya Know …. the hubs can only overlook this little UPS indiscretion because those quilts are FABULOUS! I Love them — you’re AH-Mazing!
September 3rd, 2010I printed this one RIGHT AWAY… after the UPS story I MUST make for my ’shipping dept’…. really…maybe not white… but yes.. he needs a sofa quilt!
September 3rd, 2010both colorways are fabulous. I like your urban chicks version too.
September 3rd, 2010Totally love the quilts and the inspiration behind them. I’m afraid I don’t share your love for those annoying chairs, though. I’m not fond of the butt indentations in the seats, and it’s also not good when the aluminum frame folds up while you’re sitting in the chair!
P.S. I had a pixie haircut for a good chunk of my childhood. It looked especially smart when I got glasses in fifth grade, and I had to wear the frames over my “sideburns.”
September 3rd, 2010I love the quilt…printing the directions out now…I just got rid of those Aluminum folding chairs this summer…John got tired of restringing them every year. Do you know how hard it is getting to find the webbing? (15 chairs and 5 lawn chairs)
September 3rd, 2010I had that same doo! it fit perfectly under my bathing cap (required at the Valley Pool for “ladies and beatles” …. no kidding …. there was a sign that actually said that! 1960’s definately! My pal Suzy and I would pile into the back of her mom Franny’s station wagon with our “suits” on , bathing caps on and our inner tubes around our waists (didn’t want to waste any time … as soon as the car was parked we were OUT THE DOOR and running into the pool …. that’s why the inner tubes had to be worn in the car … we were always prepared! … also, this was before any body used seat belts so I guess those inner tubes were kind of like air bags!)
September 3rd, 2010….anyhow …. LOVE your lawn chair quilts!!! very nostalgic for us 1960″s pool kids !
Great quilt Monica,
I remember those days too…it was so cool to nab one of those chairs :)
September 3rd, 2010I also loved sweet & swell…would love more along those lines too :)
Hugs, Sharon
As much as I love the quilts (and I do), I love the exchange with Violet even more. Barry White music?! Too funny!
September 3rd, 2010The quilts seem to be hanging on to summer for us a little longer. Thanks. And I thought it was a little spooky that you made quilts with the word chairs in the name. My next quilt will be for my brother who has a thing for chairs, and I’ve been collecting fabrics with chairs on them to use in the centers of some log cabin-ish style blocks. I don’t know if I have any of the style you described, but I’ll keep looking. Neat design!
Its a cracker of a pattern Monica. Thanks for putting it up at the Moda Bake Shop for all of us.
September 3rd, 2010The fabric line is adorable but your quilt pattern so perfect! I was folded up one two many times in one of those chairs so my love for them is not quite on your level …
September 4th, 2010Mon, Long time no see :)
September 4th, 2010I made a star quilt from the Sweet line and keep it on my daybed … love it.
How are you?
I just bought some of YOUR HH fabric from Sharon’s website!!! and hope to get a table quilt made eventually … right now life is too busy to sew. If life slows down some time stop by to chat (I undeleted my blog).
Love ya,
Cootie Bug Connie
xo
Your posts always make me smile… and I am on my way over to the Moda Bake Shop now to take a look at the tutorial. :o)
September 4th, 2010i love your quilt designs, monica! congrats on your superfun Bake Shop tute. And your memories of those lawn chairs are so darned sweet..i remember those so well and the stripey impression they’d make on the back of my legs! they sure were comfy! happy labor-free labor day. xox
September 4th, 2010We all had pixie cuts back then. My bangs were always very short and crooked as they were cut by my Mom.
Now please explain to me what the two boys on the back left in the stingers picture are trying to do and I certainly hope someone fed the second boy from the left!
September 4th, 2010I always had a “pixie cut” when I was a girl. I think I have one now too - only more modern and updated. At last I hope so. :)
S.W.A.K.
Great Quilt!
September 4th, 2010Monica - what a great way to keep summer with us all year long! It was ingenious of you to make that boring old rail fence pattern into something new and modern!
Extending one section and keeping the white piece in the middle makes a whole new pattern.
I hereby rescind my promise not to make anynew quilts until I finish something. I HAVE to make this quilt while it’s still summer.
Thank you Monica - you’re the best!
September 4th, 2010Oh, happy memories! Only for us it was the lake. I had my very own kid-sized aluminum lounge, with bright turquoise webbing!
I want to make a blue/turquoise lawn chair quilt now!
Julie
September 4th, 2010Hi MOnicas! YOu’ve done it again. I absolutely, positively, LOVE, LOVE, Love, your newest creation. It’s amazing and the photograph with the lawn chairs is so adorable. I want to enlarge it and then frame it, it’s just that dang CUTE!!!! You inspire me!
September 4th, 2010THose are great! I have always loved the woven look patterns.
September 4th, 2010So clever and original! Great choice of fabric lines, too, those colors are scrummy. That last photo is awesome, I think I happily stared at it for at least a few minutes.
September 4th, 2010Love this! I have added to my list of projects I would like to make :)
September 4th, 2010Baby Monica was sooo cute!! And these quilts I am in LOVE with. They remind me of my grandparents’ chairs. They are ever present in their backyard during the summer. His and hers, side by side. I MUST make one now. I’ll have to call it “Joe and Leona”. x
September 4th, 2010p.s., you can kma for adding another quilt to my list mf.
Oh these are amazing, don’t know if I will ever be brave enough to try it lol…I too can remember this time–lots of polyester, cigarette smoke, no seatbelts, enjoying our summer…I too also hear the scrape of the metal, the creak as the chairs open and the hilarity when that fabric gave way after time in the elements and someone fell through lol lol
September 4th, 2010Nice quilts! I can see one of those in my house for sure.
September 4th, 2010NICE!!!! I Love this quilt design.
September 4th, 2010So pretty! I didn’t really love lawn chairs before, but now that you’ve pointed out their hidden beauty…. well… I’m reconsidering. :-)
September 5th, 2010Oh I love the picture of you!
September 5th, 2010What a cutey-patooty!
I must make the quilt…lawn chairs without the waffley indents on the thighs…because we know that waffley / cottage cheese thighs just don’t go well with Barry White. I think my lawn chair indentations must be permanent. Couldn’t be age now could it??
I love these quilts - absolutely the picture of summer! Now to decide where to put them on my ever growing list of ‘want-to’s’.
September 6th, 2010And just so you know, consider yourself lucky to have a hunky UPS man. We just have an old guy ;(.
Ah yes, pixie cuts. I had a crooked one with too-short-bangs given to me by my mother. Can’t say it was my favorite. Your story brought back the memories of the smell of swim caps. Nothing else quite smells like that. LOVE the UPS story and the addition of the Barry White music is priceless!
September 7th, 2010First of all, get better my dear. Owie. I love this quilt. IT is so cute. I love lawn chairs too. Reminds me of camping, parents and uncles sitting outside late at night talking, and watching my little kids in the kiddie pool.
September 7th, 2010This is AWESOME! I just found a photo of me as a kid sitting in one of those chairs. : ) Brings back such happy momories and I LOVE the quilt! Beautiful job!
September 10th, 2010i love your lawn chair quilts! love the name, especially. you are a genius.
September 10th, 2010Love this quilt and have printed it from the Bake Shop to add to my to-do list!
I also sent the links with the pictures to my husband who grew up in Orinda. I am sure he know someone in there.
September 13th, 2010My UPSer literally jumps in the pool. Granted he is my hubby but love when he jumps in when he is in his browns. What a new meaning to What can Brown do for you?
September 30th, 2010