Love to use Leftovers!

Last year in Jo Morton's Little Women Club, we made Courthouse Step Blocks using one inch strips.  I had lots of Leftovers, so I kept them in one of my little sorting boxes (recycled check boxes!) until I could get time to work on these little Four Patch Blocks.  Each block has 4 Half Inch squares so the finished block size is One Inch.  I machine-quilted in the ditch between all the blocks.......may go back and quilt my favorite little wavy line in the borders by hand later.  The batting is wool that has been split in half, making a very thin quilt!  The other half is in 

 this little quilt that I made from the leftover Leftovers!  Can't stand to waste/throw away even the smallest pieces that I know I can use!  The cheddar in the second quilt really makes it Sing!....Whereas the first little quilt is quite subdued, perhaps even drab, but it does look to me like it's old!

 This is a recent Finish of a quilt in Jo Morton's Club for this year......tiny little geese that are 5/8" x 1-1/4".......really not that hard to do when you are sure you have the correct math!  However, it was time-consuming!  I figure that I have about 10 hours in this quilt!  I have made a paper-piecing pattern and we'll see if that makes the quiltmaking process any quicker!  Will let you know!  I used Jo's fabric choices because I really liked them but used a bit darker binding fabric.  My paper-pieced one is going to be very different colors!

 This is what is in my quilting hoop for tonight's work while watching "Hatfields and McCoys" on History Channel.  This little quilt is from Country Threads "Return to Charm School", using elongated Hexagons from Barbara Brackman's "Civil War Homefront" collection.  I will be able to kit this one!

 Lovely weather recently here in New England!  Flowers blooming, breezes blowing in the windows that I will leave open until late Fall.....love the fresh air!  My laundry that I dried outside on my clotheslines smells Heavenly when I fold it!  The photos below are my Bridal Wreath that grows outside my living room windows.  Gorgeous, but of course, will not last long enough!  The Lilacs  were at peak for Mother's Day and are gone now until next year!  Years ago I spent lots more time gardening that I do now....I miss it but there is only so much time in a day and something has to give!

 Oh, one more thing!  I found this Applecore quilt top that I completely forgot I had until I ran across it while looking for another quilt!  It is from the 1930's and is hand-pieced quite nicely.  However, along the edges, some fabrics are fraying and I will likely have to remove them IF I decide to finish the quilt Someday!

 This closeup shows a couple Novelty fabrics that are just darling and too few in the quilt!  The one on the right shows a little girl ironing!  How cute is that!  I have a friend who loves 1930's fabrics/feedsacks and her love for them has rubbed off on me!  Nineteenth century Fabrics are my first love but 1930's is a close Second!  I'm  beginning to like the 1950's too since I have acquired some.....made a String Star Miniature Quilt that I must remember to photo for next time!

One Finish......Many in Progress!!

 Spent many Winter evenings quietly quilting away on this Toile Center Medallion, inspired by one in Gwen Marston's "Liberated Quiltmaking ll".  Now would like to make a bedsize quilt.  One friend suggested I just keep on going with this one, but I think the 12" center toile would be too small proportionately for a fullsize quilt..........so I will sometime start another.  This kind of quilt is one I can easily work on, set aside and pick up again without losing my train of thought!  I did use a quilting hoop with this one and my quilting is so much more even than when I don't use a hoop.  For small Jo Morton-type quilts, I often just quilt in my lap but quilting is not as even.  I still do it, tho, hoping for improvement!  I hung this on my little clothesline that I strung up in my dining room to display quilts just to take this photo, but I think I have decided that it has found a home for now!  I never hung quilts in my home much as I hang them in my shop, but after 30 years of quiltmaking, I have enough for beds, walls, tabletops, cupboard doors, and the shop!  Below the quilt is a scrappy (charm) log cabin runner (my first big-stitch project if I recall correctly) on the limed oak cabinet of my 1956 Pfaff sewing machine that provides a flat surface for such stuff!  There are two detail shots below.....had fun picking out early 1800's fabrics for this quilt!

 There is something wrong with this picture below!  Can you tell what it is?  This is a current Jo Morton Club project of brown/shirting flying geese....very tiny..finish at 5/8" x 1-1/4"!  Made my test block (4 geese at far left).  A few nights later I cut out the remaining parts needed and proceeded to sew ....should not do this after a long day in the shop during shophop month!  I cut, sewed, pressed AND trimmed 44 units without noticing anything was Wrong!  I spread them out to take this photo and it hit me!  I did it backwards!  Geese should be light, not dark! Well Jo made her little quilt from a mistake She had made in the same manner.........she wanted dark geese and ended up with light geese!  I did the same thing, but in reverse!  I like her method of flying geese......don't know exactly who invented it, but this website gives great directions.  Click on "sharing patch" in the bar at the top of the webpage for Flying Geese directions as well as many other free patterns.  Spent last evening doing the prep work (drawing lines on Dark Squares for background!) for a second set.  Now I will have two quilts because I am too frugal to just let these sit around!  

 Leaders and Enders.....another thing I am frugal with is thread.  Had for some reason gotten away from using little blocks to start and end machine sewing thread......using a scrap is fine, but nothing is Accomplished!  Remembered these little pinwheels (actually Found Them buried under other projects.....started these in Fall 2008....it is a smaller version (used the charm pack) of the project from the first Moda Collection for a Cause "Heritage" which I fell in love with the focal fabric that will be the sashing.  The Pinwheel blocks are made into 4-patches alternating with plain blocks if you can pick the block out at the bottom of the photo.  So-o-o-o, I've been using these as my Leaders/Enders.  First in joining two little units together and then by sewing the center seams.  Really made quick work of something I hadn't found time to do!  Not only does using Leaders/Enders help you to make two projects at once, it does it so neatly in that there are no threads hanging all over the backs of patchwork!  Now it's time to retire to the sofa for some handquilting of a small quilt from Country Threads "Back to Charm School" and/or the binding of two small quilts........stay tuned....will show them as soon as I finish them!

Charm Quilts and More

 This is my charm quilt that has been in progress since 1994 (about 1/4 showing)!  It has been my "Carry Along Project" mostly when I visit my Mom.  I have a hard time just sitting and talking so I try to always have something available to work on!  At home this is not a problem as I always have Many Projects in various stages of completion to choose from when I finally sit down in the evening!  I could not remember exactly when I started this Applecore quilt but one day while browsing through back issues of "American Patchwork and Quilting", I found the pattern I used.....think it was Issue #8.  At one point a couple years ago, I thought I would discontinue it as it had older fabrics in it that I did not think really worked with the newer fabrics of today that are so much more wonderful!  Then, I decided that it would be a great "catalog" of fabrics over a span of nearly 20 years!  Originally I planned to make 25 rows of 25 for a total of 625, but I think I will make it a little wider for a nice drop on my bed.  I have always been fascinated with "Charm Quilts" since I first read of them in quilt history books in the 1980's when I became interested in Antique Quilts.   Charm Quilts (a quilt in which each fabric is used Only Once) were a popular fad in the late 19th century when young ladies would strive for 1000 different fabrics in their quilt!  Now I've read of another theory wherein ladies would collect only 999 because 1000 charms would ensure that they would not marry!  




Charm patterns could be any One-Patch pattern...squares, triangles, diamonds, hexagons, tumblers, applecores, etc.   I plan to start a second Charm Quilt in the near future using Hexagons in Reproduction fabrics only as I have seen a few antiques in books that really spoke to me!  The following three photos are closeups of some of the applecores.  Oh yes, I have another Applecore in progress....using the Cindy Blackberg stamp (much smaller than this) for a tablerunner in only Moda fabrics.  Both of the charm projects are pieced by hand.  After I join each applecore, I press the seam with my thumbnail....have never touched an iron to my large quilt but it looks like I did from the finger-pressing!

 The next two photos are from a charm quilt I have from the late 19th century....would love to photo each section of the quilt for a photographic record of all the fabrics!  Maybe someday!  This quilt is handquilted in 3" diagonal grid.  One of these days I'll hang it on the clothesline for an overall photo.  I have also a 1000 Pyramid Charm Quilt (again late 19th century) Top that I should photo.  Charm Quilts stayed popular for a long time as I also have a 1930's Top done in triangles.....I  have more Tops than Quilts!

 This is a quilt that is One of my current handquilting projects (yes, there are others too!).....a center medallion (toile) that was inspired by one in Gwen Marston's "Liberated Quiltmaking 2".  Again, would love to make this in a fullsize bed quilt as this one is about a crib/wallhanging size.  This one is a Charm but I do have a lot of different fabrics in it.  I used the 3" grid quilting design from the above antique quilt.  I find it so relaxing to do handwork in the evening all cozy on the couch with my plaid brushed homespun quilt (also a Charm!) and the woodstove across the room........cheery with its glass doors allowing the warm glow of the flames to be seen.

 This little quilt (15" x 19") is from "Back to Charm School" by Country Threads.  I love both of their Charm books!  This is the first quilt I have made from the books and it is probably the most complicated because of all the small half-square triangles.....the rest of the patterns look easier and therefore faster to finish!  I machine-quilted this one in the ditch around the blocks (am not a good machine quilter so I mostly quilt where you can't see it but it holds everything together!).  Then, I just can't leave well enough alone and have started handquilting in the pink setting triangles!

 This photo shows the top before I added the half-square triangle border (see them in the box?)  The box at the top of the photo is my overflowing box of leftovers from this and other current projects that will eventually become strips in another log cabin quilt.  The log cabin in my Header did not provide any handquilting space so I am making another (will take years!) with 3/8" logs so that there will be just that little tiny place with no seam allowance behind it to handquilt!  19th century log cabin quilts were not generally handquilted but I just love the feel of a closely-handquilted quilt!

 Closeup showing the handquilting that I just can't help adding!

 I am not much of a Gadget Queen, preferring to use tools/methods of quiltmakers in days gone by who somehow still managed to produce masterpieces among their Everyday Quilts!  I use the Hera marker to mark the quilting lines on the Medallion quilt in the hoop above.  Just run the Hera along the straight edge of my ruler.....it makes a little crease that is easy to follow with no lines to erase.  Only mark a couple lines at a time as I'm not sure how long the crease will remain visible.  Also pictured is my Roxanne thimble that I Love!  I am allergic to inexpensive metals....even the silver one wreaked havoc on my finger.  The gold-plated one lets me quilt without abusing my finger!  Lastly, I have slight arthritis that is beginning to bother when pulling the needle through the quilt layers.  One of my customers gave me a few of these little "Needle Grip It" dots and they work great!  Place one on my thumb and one on my index finger and it makes gripping the needle much easier!  The dots are clear and smooth and I did not see how they would work being that smooth (as opposed gripping power of little finger cots) but they certainly work for me!  Forget I have them on!   Now it is 9:30 in the Evening and time to go get some handquilting done!!

A Special Gift and New Fabrics!

 This gorgeous little Wallhanging is a birthday gift from my friend, Wendy.  Her applique and handquilting are just perfect!  To prove that, she has won many prizes at many quilt shows!  I am honored to have been the recipient of her handwork, and guess what, she made TWO!  The second one is for our mutual friend, Kathryn.  The fabric is the Collections for a Cause "Friendship" line and the pattern is from Lori Smith of From My Heart to Your Hands.  I am going to answer this question about her fine handquilting  in advance......yes, she does use batting...........wool batting!!  

 Now we are on to what's new at the shop for fabric deliveries!  Jo Morton's Simple Charms (that word "Charms" reminds me of a topic I am getting ready to discuss as soon as I get some photos taken!!) fabrics arrived today!    Wonderful homespuns that look terrific in hers and others'  reproduction quilts, Toiles that I can't get enough of, and nice fine Ticking stripes (printed stripes on quilt fabric this time.....not the "real" ticking).  Think I forgot to show Jo's "Bridgeport" when it came in last month; also received "Crimson Bouquet" and "Elizabethtown" with its showstopping Sunflower Stripe!

 These are what is left in the shop for "old" Toiles....also Jo's.

 This is a bit of a departure for me but I love this line from Moda's 3 Sisters, "Papillon".  The lighter colors and airy pattern designs are reminiscent to me of early 1800's fabrics....Remember how we loved the light colors of the 1830's French dressgoods fabrics that Margo Krager did from her fabulous auction find of a catalogue of dress fabric samples in excellent condition?  I made a Framed Medallion Quilt from that line, gave it to my granddaughter, but it is here at my home at the moment......I'll try to get some photos of it one of these Very Fine Spring days we are experiencing, even before the official start of spring!  We had No Winter here in Maine......I missed it, but a lot of folks disagree with me!  My wood stove in the living room keeps me cozy and warm while I do handwork in the evenings!  During the day, I am moving around too much to feel cold!  One of those activities is carrying in the wood to keep that stove fired up!  Of course, if I had to drive in snowstorms, I am sure I would be singing a different tune!

Guess that is it for now......have been working on a few quilt projects.....really I have!  But nothing is quite done enough to bother with photos yet.  One, well actually two, are Jo Morton Club #11 quilts and the third is from Country Threads new book "Back to Charm School"....naturally I chose one of the more complicated ones.......see page 45!  Happened to find that I still had a few "Charity" charm packs left which this little quilt is made from.   Oh, yes, still working on those tiny little blue/brown 4-Patches made from 1" strip leftovers that I mentioned previously.....actually enough for two little quilts!

And, I've had to spend time Learning New Stuff!  IT stuff mostly!  Doesn't come as easily to me as it does the Grands!  Tax program is different and I had to start working with Google browser (getting easier after getting used to it!)  and Thanks to  Lori from Humble Quilts who helped me figure out how to turn off the Word Verification!  One of these days, I'd like to experiment with a new blog layout but for now this simple beginner one suits me just fine!  Finding time to sew/quilt is hard enough without throwing other activities into the mix!

Exciting New Book for Quilt History Lovers!

What Joy today when my friend Pam Weeks' (w/Don Beld) new book "Civil War Quilts" (Schiffer) arrived!....... The 15 known Sanitary Commission quilts in a lovely hardcover book!  Eleven of them are "potholder" quilts  (another book forthcoming from Pam on THAT subject!).  Have been waiting quite a while for this book and certainly find that it is worth the wait!  The photos are wonderful.....always the first thing I do with a new quilt history book......look at all the photos and read the captions.....then go back to read the History! 

Reproduction quiltmakers will love her fabric pages with suggestions as to what are Indigo Blues, Madders, Turkey Reds, Double Pinks, madder browns, bright chrome yellows, poison greens, etc!  Interesting to find that I have many of the fabrics pictured!  But everyone knows the 19th century reproductions are my favorite fabrics!  I did not know that the book was to include patterns and there are many to choose from!  19th century techniques and Edge Finishes chapter is most informative...includes instruction for Potholder quilt style.

A recent quilt discovery that is Most exciting to me is a well-documented Flag Quilt from Belfast Maine that just last fall found its way back to Maine after about 147 years!  The Historical Society knew the quilt was made from reading the Ladies Volunteer Aid Society 1864 records but did not know the whereabouts of the quilt....until a phone call from MT.....you will need the book to read "the rest of the story!"  The quilt will be shown every Flag Day, June 14!

Pam asked me to include the little permission notes for copyright issues.

The Pleasure of Reading...New This Week

I love to read almost as much as I love to piece, applique and handquilt!  Guess what I will be doing this evening while watching the final installment of "Downton Abbey"!!    Here are some of the reasons why I love to read.......Two new books came this week ...."Utility Quilting" by Carolyn Forster which has lovely photos of old quilts interspersed with instructions.  Very good instructions about layering quilts to baste, big stitch quilting, and best of all, methods of creating quilting designs such as cables that have been greatly simplified!  Instructions for eleven projects.

"Back to Charm School" is the second book by Country Threads about making small quilts with charm packs.  This book is as good as the first!  And I can't wait to make one, but have to work on my monthly Jo Morton quilt first!!  Priorities you know!!

Here are three new more new books!  Edyta Sitar has outdone herself with "Reasons for Quilts"!  It is primarily a photo book with excellent shots of her loverly quilts, but there is a CD with patterns for 9 of the quilts.  This book could easily while away the evening hours without you realizing it!  A Hexagon Craze by English Paper Piecing method is sweeping the Quilting World and here is a book that shows you More Patterns (actually, nearly any pattern could be done EPP!).  If you love the handwork of EPP, you will like this book!  "New English Paper Piecing" by Sue Daley, A Faster Approach to a Traditional Favourite  contain 10 quilted projects. Clear photos and instructions should make this technique easy for anyone who wants to try it!  The third book is "Quilts in the Attic", a collection of 30 short stories about "Uncovering the Hidden Stories of the Quilts We Love" by Karen Musgrave.  Have enjoyed the first two and I am sure the rest will be equally interesting!

 Now we come to this week's magazines!  I should make a list of all the magazines I read each month....might provide some insight as to why I am slow at finishing quilt projects!!  "Early American Life" has been a favorite for years and I believe I have collected every issue since it began in the early 1970's.  I love old houses and can easily while away a few more hours learning about wonderful restorations that folks have done!  The other magazine is only a couple years old....."A Simple Life"  ...again more restoration, history, beautiful gardens, but the homes are a bit more "primitive".  Even the ads are wonderful!  Visiting all the websites could take up a whole day!  (Much like the blog-following we are becoming deeply addicted to!)
                                    



Now we have three magazines from my childhood that I found on ebay!  When I was a child, I loved to read my mother's "Woman's Day" magazines....I collected the little monthly recipe booklets for many years!
When I happened onto the June 1959 issue on ebay, I noticed that it had a Quilt article and I wanted to see what quilts were being made in 1959!  I am sure I read the issue in 1959 but do not remember it!


The middle issue contains an nice article on rugbraiding, something I tried, and enjoyed, but did not pursue beyond two small rugs.....am still using them! Someday I would like to try Rughooking.....no time to do everything one would like to do!


The issue on the far right contained an excellent article on antique dolls, a hobby I pursued in a different life and I still have a few dolls that I will talk about another time!  I wonder if that article with its beautiful photos and history of dollmaking planted the seed in my heart that I would follow many years later!

 This is what quilts were in 1959.....bigger pieces with solid fabrics! Machine-sewn and Machine-quilted!  To me it is the typical "modern" look that ladies were after in the 1950's, including my own mother!  Instructions are similar to what you read today, but of course no mention of rotary-cutters....would be a little more than 20 years before I heard of a rotary cutter!  Must have been a bit tedious using scissors and less accurate too!  But I'll bet it was Satisfying, nonetheless......later, when I was a young mother, I loved making everything for my children and home that I could!  Quiltmaking is my primary sewing endeavor these days!

I was particularly thrilled when I came across this Singer ad!  If I have identified the machines correctly, I own all three!  Collecting older sewing machines is another hobby of mine, but unless something Spectacular comes my way, I have reached my limit!  Running out of room!   As much as I love the neat stitches and the purring motors of the older Singers, I will admit that my first choice of machine is my trusty 22-year-old Bernina 1120!  Have the 1/4" seam allowance down pat and am addicted to the the knee-lift for the pressure foot and the needle-down button!  Hope she lasts for many more years but, if not, I have plenty of back-up!

The first two photos are slant post zig-zag machines and the last one looks like the 404, a straight-stitcher that was made for the school home economics classes from the good old days! The $69.50 price was for the SPARTAN Portable, a small basic machine.  No prices given for the other 3.  It is noted that all three machines are made in America by American craftsmen!

More Old and New Comparisons

Yesterday a friend and I spent four hours going through two boxes of old fabric scraps and quilt blocks...one box was mine and one was hers!  We marveled at some of the fabrics we found that we remembered as having been reproduced.  First photo is from a log cabin quilt top that I am thrilled to own!  Sixty-four blocks of gorgeous fabrics in very good condition!  When I bought the top, I thought there had been a repair as I recognized the fabric design.  Well, when they are side by side, one can see the difference!  The old fabric seems to have a glaze.  The new fabric I think might have been made by Concord (someone correct me if they know otherwise!).  The repro has a navy ground instead of teal; the large red motif is similar but not exact; the old fabric has tiny flowers in pink and blue and two shades of green in the leaves, but the new one has only pink flowers with leaves in one shade only, rather dun-colored I would say.

 Two more blocks from the log cabin quilt......recognize any more as having been reproduced?  I think the long strip on the far right has been....either by Judie Rothermel or Jan Patek?

 Now that you can see a whole block, check out the construction technique.  It is a "regular" log cabin block with the contrasting lights and darks adjacent to each other.  But it is Made like a Courthouse Step block with the logs added opposite each other!  Interesting.............Instead of adding two lights or two darks on each round, the maker added one light and then one dark opposite.  Anyone else ever notice this log cabin contruction technique before?

  
On the right below is a reproduction stripe by Judy Roche and Corienne Kramer from the Peddlar's Pack line.  I lined it up with the original from a quilt fragment on the left.  Check out the other early fabrics! 

  The design in the shirting fabric below of little diamonds with 4 dots at each point is quite similar to the Indigo Berries fabric by Jo Morton!

Now we have a reproduction stripe done several years ago by Virginia Robertson lined up with its antique counterpart!  Stripes are the same size; colors are quite similar.  The new fabric feels wonderful but the old fabric feels a bit stiff and is thin; however, the colors are still great!

 Just remembered where to find the reproduction (to any Non-Quilter walking into my sewing room/fabric storage it looks like Chaos but I can usually find any fabric that I am seeking in a relatively short time!  Not every time, but usually!) in the photo below.  The reproduction fabric on the right is similar in scale and colors but they left out the blue!  Don't you think that is what made the fabric eye-catching?  I believe this fabric was from an old Christmas line by Judie Rothermel......maybe Christmas in Virginia or in Williamsburg?  


The red centers in this quilt appear to be a fine linen and aren't quite as bright as the photo portrays.