"Cube Mates" Completed

Today I finished binding my quilt and the weather cooperated, so I was able to get some quick pictures outdoors before supper - (well most of them were outdoors - this first one was on my living room floor.) Don't you just love the late-afternoon sun? It was almost around the side of the house by this time so it didn't hinder my photography, but you can still see the yellow glow in the background.

I quilted this one with straight-rows of stitching 1/2" away from each seam, using a light grey cotton thread.

I mentioned before that the top is pieced entirely from oxford shirts I collected from my co-workers in the 1980's, and you might think "Free Fabric - Great!" - right??? Well, it might have been free, but what I didn't spend in cash, I spent in time. It's definitely a labor-intensive process. After washing & drying the shirts, you have to cut the sections apart, remove all the buttons (ok - I could have just thrown them out, but I love to collect buttons!), discard the stained and/or worn areas, then starch them all before cutting. The old fabric was so soft that I thought it would be easier to work with if I starched it first, and it made a huge difference! Definitely worth the time! Of course, that meant I had to wash the quilt when I was done, to remove the starch, but that's ok.

Using newly purchased fabric would have been much faster, but wouldn't have that "well-worn/loved" look that I love. And if you know anyone who worked at Wellsboro's Glass Factory in the 1980's, you just might find a piece of their shirt somewhere in this quilt! :)

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