Monday, November 4, 2019

Finally A Finish!

It's been a nice long weekend. I have some vacation that has to be used or I give it back, so I was able to take last Friday off.  It's been nice to get some extra time in the sewing room for a change.  I used my time wisely, Vintage Dresses is finally finished. 


 Sophia's Closet (Vintage Dresses)
block pattern by 
Charise Randell
Started January 10, 2016
Completed November 1, 2019

Trudy custom quilted it, some of the dresses have some very cool details.









I can't pick a favorite dress from the set, I like all of them. 

The backing is a Connecting Threads sale fabric that I had ordered specifically to use for backing a quilt.   



When it came time to draft a label, I didn't want to just keep using the pattern name, I wanted to give it my own spin.  My Guy vetoed most of my ideas. He said that the quilt is too sophisticated to have a quirky name.  So I looked at photos of well known actresses from the 50's and decided that Sophia Loren's wardrobe had dresses of the right vintage and style. So this quit became Sophia's Closet. 



This label isn't anything like the one I'd been working on.  The first label just looked so drab when I did the test print that I decided a new bright one was really needed.  This one definitely worked and the blue gingham dress blends perfectly with the backing. 

Sophia's Closet was started in January 2016 as my Rainbow Scrap Challenge project for that year.  The goal was to finish two blocks in each color per month.  That's the only way I'd ever finish such complicated blocks. This was my first introduction to complex paper piecing. It didn't always go smoothly, but I really loved how the blocks worked out. The finished quilt is full/queen sized (sorry I never remember to write down the final measurements).   

For now, the quilt is going to stay with me.  Eventually it may go live with someone else, but I want to enjoy it for a bit before turning loose of it. 

Linking up with the normal beginning of the week linky parties:  Monday Making and Monday Design Wall.  Vintage Dresses/Sophia's Closet is on my 2019 Finish Along 4th quarter list, so I'll be linking up with the last Finish Along post for 2019 in January when that becomes active.  

34 comments:

Libby in TN said...

To date, that is my favorite of your quilts. But you always surprise me with something spectacular. The quilting definitely puts it over the top.

dortha said...

I love this quilt. It reminds me of paper doll dresses or Barbie doll dresses from when I was growing up. You did a great job.

Vroomans' Quilts said...

OMG - just a unique and fabulous quilt! Love the label and just a perfect name for it.

Chris said...

Congratulations on completing it! It is stunning. I remember wearing a dress like that. I have a family picture of me wearing a brown plaid that I hated when I was 12 but looking back, I realized that is was a beautiful dress. Everyone else was wearing mini skirts by then.

Julie in GA said...

Congratulations on a fabulous finish! I love your quilt, and Sophia's Closet is the perfect name.

Jayne said...

I'm so glad I got to see this one finished! I've been awestruck by each of these dresses. And the name couldn't be more perfect! Congrats ... it's gorgeous!

Alison V. said...

This is so gorgeous and the quilting is just perfect for it!

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

Your beautiful dresses turned into an amazing quilt, Kate! And your long-armer really added to it with her special details in each dress, too. That's a wonderful finish!

Sharon - IN said...

What lovely little dresses! Nice name for your quilt too. Neat that you used the RSC as inspiration for each dress.

The Colorful Fabriholic said...

Congratulations on a lovely finish! Definitely a keeper. I really like your new label - goes perfectly with the dresses. Great quilt, enjoy it!

Rebecca said...

Love the quilt... The colors ....The Name...The quilting.
Thank you for sharing.

Quilter Kathy said...

Spectacular finish! Truly... you must submit this to the big quilting show so that people can enjoy it!
Love the special quilting touches... and the label is divine!

Barbara said...

Oh my gosh! I LOVE it! I love everything about it. Beautiful quilting. Beautiful piecing. A perfect name. Nice work.

chrisknits said...

I love it!!! It is such a cute quilt, and the label is perfect.

Sandra Walker said...

Oh that baby would for SURE stay with me - you know how much I have loved watching this quilt's gestation and now birth! It's wonderful and Trudy did a FABULOUS job on the quilting. I love the name too! I am sad to see the last of it but happy to think of you using it.

Bonnie said...

Wow! Trudy did such a great job adding to your quilt without overpowering the design. I bet Sophia would love to wear any one of these dresses. Give yourself an A+. Outstanding. I'm looking forward to what you have coming up. Enjoy your extra stitching time. Will you be taking off more Friday's over the next few weeks?

Janice Holton said...

What a GREAT idea for the label! It's perfect! I started reading quilting blogs about the time you started this quilt and your dresses are definitely what got me hooked on your blog. So fun to see it all finished and I would have a hard time parting with it for sure!

Louise said...

Perfect name, perfect finish! The quilting adds a wonderful extra touch to the dresses. Congrats on this final finish. I don't blame you one bit for holding onto this one...it's a keeper :)

QUILTING IS BLISSFUL, DI said...

Oh wow--you did an excellent job on the quilt blocks,then doing special borders on each block, and then doing the top with all those borders--and now look at all the fine quilting details on each dress--how awesome!! And I am so very glad that you have decided to keep this quilt for awhile at least--me I would keep it forever--it it truly an work of art!! Thanks for sharing it on your site--
luv, di

Denise :) said...

This may be my second favorite of all of the quilts you've done! Or top ten, anyways, because you've done some really marvelous quilts! GREAT job!!! :)

The Joyful Quilter said...

Congratulations on a stunning finish!!

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

Yay for the finish!!! But wow - all that detail quilting makes it really shine even more!! Love the label!

DawnyK said...

Congratulations!!! It is exquisite and the quilt that had me start following you. Well done. It's lovely. Enjoy it while you have it.

Cathy said...

What masterpiece! I’ve loved the blocks from the get-go, and the finished quilt is absolutely gorgeous. I don’t know how you could ever part with it! Congratulations on a superb finish!!

Marti said...

Congratulations on a great finish! I like the name too, it fits perfectly. Is the picture your label? So cute!

Chopin - A Passionate Quilter said...

This is such a beautiful labor of love and the colors are beautiful! You did an excellent job on making this one!

Home Sewn By Us said...

Fabulous, Kate! What a great accomplishment. Aren't you so glad it's finished?! It really is lovely, and the little extra quilting details just push it way over the top. LOVE it. ~smile~ Roseanne

Emily said...

I think seeing these dresses on the RSC link up is how I found you. I love these so much, and am so glad you are keeping it at least for a little while. It is absolutely stunning. I especially love the little touches Trudy gave the dresses. Congratulations on an epic finish!

Sandy Panagos said...

It's so exciting to see this finished after watching it come together. Sophia's Closet if the perfect name and the perfect label. The custom quilting on the dresses is exquisite. You must be s proud.

Beausoleil Quilts said...

I am so happy to this this quilt finished and looking so lovely. I cant believe it is 3 years of watching it in it's creation.

thea said...

Love it! and the quilting is amazing. I loved watching this come together.

Jennifer said...

Hooray and congratulations Kate! This isn’t such a great quilt made even better with the custom quilting and custom label. You know I’ve loved seeing this one along the way, so happy for you to have a finish so you can enjoy it!

Kate @ Smiles From Kate said...

I so love the details in the quilting of the dresses, it’s a wonderful quilt. This is a tribute to a wonderful era when women dressed as women, not that I’m aversed to modern fashions, just this was such a wonderful era. I love it Kate, congratulations on this beautiful finish.

Kathleen Kingsbury said...

Ah, I've been waiting for this finish. I just love this!! Quite an accomplishment and it must feel great to have it completed.
Kathleen, kakingsbury at verizon dot net