The first antique quilt of our collection

We have been married for 30 years this upcoming June 1st. So just after we bought our house, before we married and before we adopted our children, we started our antique quilt collection. I mean...really, first things first!! I can remember finding this quilt and being soooo excited...Byrd..do you remember when we came to your house to find out the name of the block??? It is hand pieced and hand quilted from the turn of the last century. I will always think of it with great fondness....I guess you all know the name of the block...At first glance for the novice collector...it was so confusing. Now it is very clear that it is a "T" block, a utilitarian quilt that still brings great comfort to me.

Ann Champion had this to say today about this quilt.

Temperance quilts were made by women who believed in abstinence or moderation of the use of alcohol. There were Temperance movements in many countries starting back as far as the early 1800's. Back then women had very little say in the way things were done and often times they and their children bore the brunt of abuse due to the use of alcohol by their menfolkThey usually contain blocks with the letter T in them.
I took a peek at your blog..(which is very nice, by the way) and IMO your T quilt is a nice example of a Temperance quilt.

Eamon's airplane quilt

My son Eamon needed a quilt for his bed since his mean mother would not let him have the hand pieced Mariner's Compass quilt. So, I decided that since I worked for the airlines at the time and he had been in many airplanes, that I would make him an airplane quilt. It would not be right to just make him the quilt, but his stuffed Racoon needed one to match. These quilts were made 20 years ago and were well loved at the time. They are machine pieced and hand quilted and embroidered.

Antique Alabama Spiderweb

Now this quilt comes from the barn in Greenville, Alabama where Aunt Carl kept some of her old things. She said that her grandmother made it but I do not know how that could be. I think that this quilt is from the 30's/40's from the coloring and style and Aunt Carl is about 85. So I think maybe her mother made it...but then I do not really know cause her mother died when Aunt Carl was only a teenager and I have never been that good in math. I only know for sure that when I went to Greenville to visit, I found it in her barn with a few other treats and she said I could have it. It is all hand pieced and hand quilted. It is a very cozy quilt.

Antique Ocean Waves, scrap with white

The November 22, 2009 post shows a lovely blue/yellow lone star antique quilt. The story of my husband going back to the estate sale and surprising me with another quilt...well this is the other part of that story. This ocean waves was made by the same lady and lucky me found it spread on my bed when I got home that day. This quilt is hand pieced and hand quilted. I hope you enjoy it.

Eamon's Quilt

The story.....We adopted Eamon when he was 6 weeks old, getting one day's notice. What is the most important thing for a baby in a quilter's home is of course the quilt...the baby ones were made in anticipation, but I decided to make a big boy quilt somewhere along the way. I used some of the fabric from my clothes I had bought in India and started the quilt by making his name. I drafted his name and the mariner's compass block and stitched them by hand. At that time, it was popular to do sampler quilts where every block was different. I did those by machine and hand quilted the whole thing. This of course took forever with two young children and full time work. When it was finished I wouldn't give it to him!! He was too wild and I had put too much work into the quilt. Eamon was not into chess and checkers. Eamon was into mud and climbing trees and running fast. No way. Eamon is now 25 with his third child on the way in a few weeks. I still have the quilt, albeit faded from the Florida sun. I offered him the quilt and he refused saying it was too special...Dear me...now what... So this is not an antique, but it is surely old and its home is yet to be determined.

Going Green/ My Bento Box

Inspite of my broken arm and because of the snow...my Bento Box is finished. My challenge as usual was fabric. Now, I struggle using the new and I want to use up the old...the ageless problem for me. But, 2010 brings a changed plan for my life and it is to use the fabric I love. So, I just purchased the yellow jacks and the orange butterflies..and I used them...so brave I am. Then those 20 some year old browns that I had been threatening myself to donate to whomever....no one really wanted the old things...came in perfectly handy for my border to tone down the brightness of the green/yellow and orange. I "borrowed" the green spots on brown from my daughter Emily...and voila...a new quilt. Great thanks to Ruth Ingram from http://ruthsloan.blogspot.com/, who brought hers to share on a visit and to film in the fridge http://www.filminthefridge.com/2009/06/24/quartered-squares-a-modified-bento-box-block-tutorial/ for the tutorial. Jean took the measurements from this tutorial and tweeked them for us to match the Moda Bake shop precuts for folks who do not like to cut.

1. The middle block is 5" like a charm from the charm pack.
2. The first ring is 1.5 inches like a honey bun.
3. The second ring is 2.5 inches like a jelly roll.
4. The 3rd ring is 1.5 inches like a honey bun.
5. The 4th ring is 2.5 inches like a jelly roll.

I sized my blocks to 16 inches before sewing them together.

Ruth...notice the little bit of turquoise that we got at JoAnn's fabric store?

Antique Red English Log Cabin

I bought this quilt about 26 years ago at an antique show in Miami, Florida from two antique dealers from England. They said that the quilt was from Bath, England but that they did not know anything else about it. I knew it was a treasure immediately with the embroidered dates on the hearts. I do not know the significance of the four crosses. First I thought it was a funeral quilt with the dates and crosses but the color red put me off. So it is still a puzzle for me. Any input would be wonderful. The chintz is lovely. Unfortunately with the adoption of my two children about that time, my antique quilt collection was put on hold. I mean...children are quite expensive to raise and life got quite busy, so the quilt has not had the wonderful care I should have given it. I see now that one of the nine's on the heart is coming out which wasnt there before. It is still in wonderful condition considering.As I notice anew the fabrics in this quilt, some are being reproduced now as modern fabrics as there seems to be nothing new under the sun as things are cycled around again. I hope you enjoy seeing this quilt as much as I do. The quilt is quite large and needs two people to hold it for a picture. When I get ahold of those two people, I will post another picture.

Everything about this quilt is hand done...This is the binding with the loose weave backing. There is no batting in the quilt. You can see the borders are different with the bottom having baby blocks and the sides having one patches. Stars are appliqued along the border.

I am very excited to show you this post. The pictures may not be the best because I still have a broken arm, but I could not wait and the sun is shining in Charlotte...Carolina blue so I got up my motivation. It is one of the dearest quilts in my collection as it is so unusual and such a puzzle.

Milito

My name is Milo or Milito as they call me for bed or for food or for cuddling or for lying on pieced goods of all kinds. I am really smart and have been part of this studio for almost 14 years. So...I find it quite insulting that she took pictures of the entire quilting room and left me out...Me...Milito...the king of all kings. I know she is sorry cause here I am finally.

The Good and the Bad

Laura Wasilowski came to town...and I was never the same again. With her hand dyed fabric, her clever instructions and great sense of humor, I freehand cut and fused this cute piece. The next step will be some thread embellishment and some machine quilting. A word to the wise...never ever pass up a chance to hear a lecture or go to a workshop by Laura...I had a wonderful day...almost right to the end!

This workshop was one of the most fun of all the fun workshops I have ever taken. Lots of laughs and tips that I can use in all that I do...I great day until the end when I went up to Laura to tell her thank you and promptly slipped and fell backwards on my arm.

And this is the end of a wonderful day. A broken arm......

It's a generational thing

When my son was 3 or 4 or 5, my sister made flannel pajamas for him. He hated scratchy things and these pajamas had no itchy labels and no itchy fabric. They were just for him. Now he just turned 25, he has a four year old son and a new son arriving in 6 weeks. As you know by now, I save everything, can give nothing away unless it has a good home. So this fall, I pulled out the old flannel pajamas, added some other fabrics and made these two quilts, one for Evan and one for the new baby coming along. Just passing on the love from one generation to another.

Valentine String Heart Quilt

To make this quilt, I first made fabric out of strings, then cut out heart shapes and wonder-undered them onto the black fabric. I wish I could give credit to the person who first made a quilt similar to this, but I made it from a picture I had cut out of a catalogue or magazine years and years ago. If it was your idea...thank you. I just loved making this quilt and I think it is perfect for a February hanging.

Lynsey learning early

My cup runneth over! Lynsey will be one year in two weeks on February 16th....and look...she is a future quilter already!!!

Where I Sew, January, 2010

Well...ok now..with my awesome new lighting and some organizing done during this snow day, I decided to brave showing my studio/ quilting room in all its glory, threads, scraps and all. We moved from Miami 17 years ago from a tiny house in a fine neighborhood..Miami is pricey. The house we found in Charlotte had so many more rooms than we were used to that we could really spread out. I figured that we never had a dining room before, so why would we need one now. Imediately, with my dear husband's approval, I claimed the dining room as my own. We put on an extra door and I could be alone. Actually I think the rest of the family was delighted too..LOL..Then mom moved from Phoenix to Charlotte and saw to it that each of her daughters had a china cabinet for the family china. But, then when she came to visit, she saw a bit of fabric where the china should be. Each year another shelf was claimed as the china was boxed. Now the hutch holds true treasure.

I have been collecting fabric since I was 13 and I am now 62 and I cannot give anything away...so good thing I have a room of my own. My husband built me these two white book shelves when we first moved here. But, alas, they have never seen a book. The fabric on one side is folded so I could take this picture and the rest is the normal mess...but tomorrow is another snow day!!

Before we left Miami, I bought a Bernina 1230..which is now 17 years old and has been very well loved. I hope it does not have its feelings hurt because this summer I bought a Janome 6600 with an awesome table and an extra wide space between needle and arm. I am so in love with this machine that my friends have to beg me to have an outing and leave it..It is the best ever and poor wonderful Bernina is now for classes only.

The last two pictures round it all off...the once dining room turned quilting studio retreat from the world...The red carts on wheels with drawers that come out from IKEA...so awesome to be able to wheel them around and take out the drawer..and then the design wall which is ceiling tile from Lowes. I found some on sale for $5 a package cause the edges where chipped. We just stapled Walmart flannel on it. Now the only thing I am hoping for is an ironing board on wheels. I think I am going to design one with a small shelf underneath and a top that is 1.5 feet wide hoping that my husband will make if for me when the weather gets better. Snowy days are great for dreaming. Thank you for letting me share my room..Happy quilting

Antique 9 Patch Variation or Puss in the Corner

All snowed in here in Charlotte, NC with 2 inches of snow..ha ha.. on the ground and everything a sheet of ice. We cannot get up the hill to get out of our neighborhood today. So..I thought quilting and organizing my sewing room would be nice. First of all I finished the antique quilt top I bought at the Metrolina a few months back. As far as I can see,the quilt top is from about 1900/1910. The pattern has been called Nine Patch variation or Puss in the Corner, but I have never seen Puss in the Corner with that particular coloring. Any other suggestions on names are welcome. The dealer there was a furniture dealer who happened to have had this top thrown in at an estate sale in Boone. She sold it to me for $15. It is all hand pieced. I found a period piece of fabric for the back at Mary Jo's Cloth store and decided to try wool as the batting. Thanks to my dear friends at the Charlotte Irish quilters and the Charlotte UFO bee, it has been tied now with pearl cotton thread. Today, while housebound, I hand stitched the binding on. I cannot wait to cuddle under it in front of the fire tonight.

Pillowcase tutorial link to Film in the Fridge

This site has a great Pillowcase tutorial. Check it out.

Marie's birthday signature quilt/p.s. i quilt: siggy block tutorial

p.s. i quilt: siggy block tutorial.

Well I am working now on Marie's birthday signature quilt--see the pictures on my design wall. It is the same as the one I did for Auntie Eileen and for Margaret's b-day. We made the blocks, ironed them on freezer paper and put them out at the party with Micron pigma pens for guests to sign. I see now that this great site already has a tutorial for you all to follow to make a quilt like this of your own. So, I am making a link to this site for your enjoyment.

p.s. i quilt: block o' strings tutorial.

p.s. i quilt: block o' strings tutorial.

This is an awesome site with great tutorials. I thought I would share with you her take on the block of strings. We usually use muslin base, but she uses paper and peels it off...your choice. And her site is so organized that I am jealous that I do not know how to do all that.....yet:)

Amy Karol's awesome binding tutorial

http://www.youtube.com/user/akarol123#p/u/7/4fEv3vxpues This is the link to Amy Karol's NO SWEARING BINDING TUTORIAL. No one does it better than Amy. Enjoy