Levi Ambition

Do you remember me talking about the Levi quilt I made in the late 1970s, the one I never completed? This quilt has been wrapped in a plastic bag, then stored inside a plastic container ever since that time. It probably should have been stored in cotton, but that was then, this is now. This quilt is a story of my past ambition, Levi ambition, forestalled till now.


Today I took the quilt top and bottom out, spread them out on our king sized bed and took a photo of them. Yes, it's a king sized reversible quilt; matching my king sized ambitions from back then. This is the first photo of this quilt and the first time I've held this Levi quilt in my hands since the late 1970s. Oh how time and ambitions fly by, so quickly by.


I was inspired to design this reversible Levi quilt back then because Levi's were the most popular staple of American dress. So many pieces of this quilt were worn by me and others back when cotton lasted, really lasted, a lifetime. Of course I had to cut the squares of Levi from worn pieces of material. I wanted that worn look and that soft feeling Levi material gets after it's been washed, worn, and washed many times.


I remember going in many a thrift store for several years looking for just the right size and worn look Levi's. Only the top part of a larger sized Levi pants leg could be used for a square because each square had to be 6.5 inches in order to have the seam allowance for a 6 inch square. Lots of Levi's have been recycled into this quilt.


I've already quilted the center red star and blue star. The thread in the red star is rotted on one side and will have to be re-stitched. I intended to tie the corners of each square together. Some time after I made this Levi quilt top and bottom, I met Gary. We were married and the project went to the back burner.

I googled Levi quilt and apparently others have used Levi for quilts too, but mine is the only one with a star in the center. Using a star in the center of the front and back of the quilt had nothing to do with my married last name; I made the Levi quilt before I even met Gary. He and I have been married for twenty five years, so the quilt is older than that.


Each Levi square is six inches. The quilt top, Levi with red square, measures 102 x 72 inches. The quilt back, red with Levi square, measures slightly smaller. I intended to add more Levi squares around the edge to make the back the same size as the top.

Miraculously I saved a multitude of Levi squares, a few pair of Levi's, and some extra of the red material. Today I'm wondering if I have enough ambition to finish this Levi quilt from the past. Comments are welcome.