DECEMBER 7, 2012
Green and White Applique, c. 1860-1880. From the International Quilt Study Center, Byron and Sara Rhodes Dillow Collection
Another mystery block! I love the way the “arm” elements of this pattern curl around the hearts.
Back to Brackman I went, this time to her Encyclopaedia of Applique and the closest I could find was on page 96, #24.4 “Double Hearts”, only the quilt above doesn’t have the double hearts of the illustration in the book. What they share are the floral centre, four elements, a heart motif and symmetry.
“The call lines are open!!!!” Has anyone seen this pattern before?
Happy Stitching!
DECEMBER 5, 2012
Quilt made in Western Ontario, Canada, c. 1920. Maker unknown.
A Canadian entry into this twelve quilt celebration! This beauty used to be in the collection of a renown Canadian textile and antique collector. Sold at auction a few years ago, it’s new owner is thrilled with it I am sure. It makes my heart sing and it has so much movement.
Now this one had me running to my bookshelf. I could not find the block in Brackman, although it is very possible that I was staring right at it and didn’t see it. So I am throwing it out to all of you … does anyone know this pattern?
Happy Stitching!
DECEMBER 5, 2012
As we are all preparing for the festivities of the season, I thought some green and white antique quilts would be a lovely way to celebrate our quilting heritage during the holidays! Every other day, I will share a wonderful green and white antique quilt to inspire and entice. I hope you will join me and share my blog with your friends.
From the Michigan State University Collection, Green and White Applique With Trees, c. 1900, Maker Unknown
The power of suggestion! The delicate design, which otherwise might be interpreted as leaves or pineapple elements, looks like snowflakes!
I would love to hear your comments.
Happy Stitching!
NOVEMBER 27, 2012
We all have them … in bags in the bottom of the cupboard, or neatly packed into clear boxes on our shelves (guilty as charged), silently calling to us … “finish me, finish me!” Taking up not only physical space in our homes but mental space in our minds. The dreaded “UFO’s” or “Unfinished Objects”.
A number of years ago, at my local quilt guild meeting, the speaker that month talked about a woman who brought a quilt for show and tell to a guild meeting she was speaking at. The woman told the story about how her daughter had wanted to redecorate her bedroom. As a single mom on a very tight budget, they went off to Goodwill. What they found there was a large bag that contained everything necessary to complete a quilt: fabric, pattern, batting and backing. She expressed her gratitude to the silent angel who had donated it and proudly showed the finished quilt she and her daughter had made.
The speaker at our meeting went on to talk about how quilters love to take classes and with great enthusiasm buy everything to complete the class project, however sometimes these projects become UFO’s for good reason … because we have learned the technique or method, which is the whole point of the class and there is no longer a need for the project! It is okay to let go of “the project” concept. The person who had donated all of those supplies had done just that and blessed someone else in the process.
Over the weeks following that meeting I went through my UFO’s. If I had fallen out of love with the project fabric it went in the donation pile with the pattern and necessary pieces. If I still loved the fabric, I refiled it in my stash. I took all of the blocks from all of the classes where I had learned what I needed to learn and put them in one container … I have a plan for them.
What a relief! I have never looked back and thought “Gee, wish I had followed through on making x, y or z.” As Martha Stewart would say … it is a good thing!
Now my UFO pile has three quilts and the crazy part is that they are soooooo close to being done. My WIP (works in progress) pile has about 8 projects all poking along at their own rate. Now you might ask how is a WIP different from a UFO? A WIP remains top of mind and progress is being made on it regularly. My biggest pile is my WFQ (waiting for quilting) …
I think it is time to call my machine quilting friends!
My plan for completing my UFO’s … basic personal organizing 101 tip 1 … make a date with myself in my calendar. I am blocking off 2 hours in my calendar this week and next specifically for UFO’s. This lovely red and white is first up.
Where do you stash your UFO’s and how many do you have?
Have a great week
&
Happy Stitching!
NOVEMBER 21, 2012
I love seeing how people, inspired by the quilts in the books, move on to create their own interpretations! I have watched with delight my friend Judy’s progress on her version of the “Village Quilt” from Small Blocks, Stunning Quilts. As one of the original stitchers on that project for the book Judy got hooked on English paper piecing. She collected all of her fabrics during various travel adventures (including one to my stash!) and she took the quilt with her as she continued her travels, including a sabbatical to Sweden. Memories truly stitched into place.
In addition to all of the adorable, quilter’s eye candy, fussy cut florets, I love her border treatment! Not wanting to fuss with half pieces of hexies, she instead appliquéd the top onto a thin border of blue and then added a wider border. This allows the quilt to visually float in it’s “frame”. Smashing results I think!
Judy plans to hand quilt her masterpiece, so stay tuned for the full reveal and her induction as an honoured member into the Spa Society!
I also want to let you know that this weekend Martingale has a “Shop Without Cars, Crowds, Or Makeup. We’re Ready When You Are” sale, with 50% off and free shipping (over $30) to the US and Canada! The sale will start on Thursday for blog readers, so if you have one of our books and have been thinking about getting the other, this is definitely a sale you don’t want to miss!
Have a great week,
Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers!
&
Happy Stitching to everyone!
