String-A-Long Quilt Show, Part 1

Popping in to share the antique quilts that were exhibited at the local guild show.  The first three quilts are part of the county exhibit.   

The quilting on this sawtooth star was amazing.  Wouldn't you love to see the full quilts!

This log cabin was folded with only a small section displayed. Unfortunately, the info sheet was pinned to the quilt.  This was one of my favorites - very soft colors.

Next, a 30's quilt.  Again, beautiful hand quilting!

I saved the best for last!  This quilt is owned by a guild member - part of a small antique display.  Another example of beautiful hand quilting and wonderful applique!

Roberta Horton Plaids

Well, National Quilting Day proved to be more like National Basting Day for me. I basted some little tops to have ready for hand quilting, and haven't spent much time in the sewing room since. So, I thought that I would show you one of my quilts for napping/reading. This was made from the Roberta Horton plaids. I remember buying small amounts of all of them. In anticipation of making what, I don't remember.
The pillow on the settee began life as a reticule, I believe. It had a casing with a drawstring of the same fabric. The linen fabric is so beautiful, that I wanted to see more of it. Three edges were already sewn, so the casing and drawstring just got tucked down inside, and one more seam made a pillow. Couldn't have been much easier! Here is a detail of the quilt. I quilted it with embroidery thread using a big stitch. It must have been the "thing to do" at the time. There is no give to the thread, which has caused breakage of the stitches. Perhaps that's why that type of quilting isn't done much! Oh well, it's not the first one of my quilts to be used, and somewhat abused. My dog still likes to lie on it when it's on my lap, so it's serving it's purpose.

Vicki and I are attending the local String A Long quilt show tomorrow, so we should have some great quilts to post!

Variable Star

Finishing up these 4 1/2" star blocks has been my leader/ender while piecing the T quilt top (the top is almost together!).  I made three sets of 50 star blocks in 2008 - one for Jan for a special birthday, one for a special friend for a Christmas surprise, and one for me - each with a different background.  I had a few blocks of my set to complete.

Jamie's stars are sewn with an alternate cheddar block.  Jan already had a setting in mind for a star block, so her's just needs to come up in the project rotation.  I've been pondering what to do with mine as I've been constructing the T quilt.  One day we'll post the three tops for comparison.

  

I thought you might like to see the pitcher I use for refilling the water in my steam iron.  This rogue piece was gifted to me - a little cream pitcher (I'm guessing).  I'm not sure if it's real Majolica, but I love it.  Much better use than stuck in a cabinet - I enjoy it every sewing day!

Four Block

This four block quilt was hanging up in the back of a booth at an antique show. I fell in love with it's quirky, folky appearance. It has some wear, but I really don't mind it. The price was right, and, for once, I didn't even bargain. I used to sell antiques, so it's in the blood! This quilt just makes me happy, and I never tire of looking at it. Often, the yellow dye in the old, two process greens would fade to blue, but I really think that this one was just blue, right from day one.

Confirmation from Gramma Flo

I've been following Lazy Gal Liberated Amish 2010 Get Together - great stuff going on over there!  My resolve has been weakening and I took a trip to the stacks to find Cherrywood remnants I purchased in Paducah years ago.  In the same container was a cardboard box I inherited from my Gramma Flo.  I gave the box a cursory glance years ago when my life didn't include time for quilting.  I remembered a section of a Wedding Ring quilt, but not much else.  This small Welch's Grape Jelly box is overflowing with 30's fabrics and pieced blocks. 

There are 29 machine-pieced Dresden Plate circles.  Three have the centers appliqued.  They lay fairly flat without the center, but adding it creates a definite ruffle.

A bonanza of depression era stars - 41 hand-pieced stars with 1/8" seam allowance.  Some of the fabrics are rather thin, but all in great shape. 

There are a few orphan blocks (auditioning?) and the Wedding Ring I remembered.

Finding my Great Grandma Stanley's work has left me with mixed emotions.  Of course I'm thrilled to be the recipient, but I'm sad that her handwork, representing hours of her life, has been unappreciated for decades.  I'm assuming the quilt pieces are from Grandma Stanley because she pieced appliqued butterfly quilt tops (outlined in black buttonhole stitch) for my mom and aunt in 1934 as a Christmas gift.  Sadly, the tops were never quilted and have been folded in a closet for over 70 years.  I inherited my mom's (still unquilted).  Recently, I asked my aunt about her butterfly top and she couldn't remember what she did with it.  Those quilt tops were only inscribed with the recipient's initial ('D' for my mom and 'E' for my aunt) and 'XMAS 1934'.  Within a couple generations, the maker will be anonymous. 

I've mentioned a couple times that I'm trying to finish up projects.  I've been chipping away at the UFO pile and have finished four tops in the last year.  So, Gramma Flo is confirming my decision to 'finish what I start' (at least those I still like) and maybe what Grandma Stanley started, too.   I don't want the quilts in my head to be only pieces in a cardboard box .

Triangle Top

The last few days in the sewing room have been for cutting, so I thought that I would share one of my antique quilt tops. This one just has some yummy fabrics, so there are lots of pics.

Aerial view (from a stepstool)

Three yards of this, please.

The End...Hope you liked it!