Wednesday, January 29, 2014

c. 1800 Reproduction Quilt


Finally a quieter day when I can sit down and think about writing a post!  Winter has been a challenge this year!

Today am showing a copy of an 1800 quilt that I started in 2003 and finished in 2009! I was inspired by a photo of an old quilt in "Saved for the People of Pennsylvania"......Quilts from the State Museum in Pennsylvania by Lucinda Cawley, Lorraine Ezbiansky, and Denise Nordberg 1997.  The quilt is signed N. Virginia Robinson Drum, June 16th 1800, Pittsburg Pa.  I may have written about this earlier but I recently found another version of it on Mary Jenkins' blog (10/31/13 posting) and could find no way to contact her so hopefully she may find her way here!    Her blog is "littlewelshquiltsandothertraditions" and her posting is about a similar quilt (maybe inspired by the same quilt?!) called Cotswald.  I had just received the new Dargate Doubles fabric line by Margo Krager and was eager to use them as they were so light compared to the fabrics I generally use!

I enjoyed figuring out the math for each  of the 9 borders surrounding the center star......and then making them.  The handquilting is what took me so long......sometimes would not work on it for months before picking it up again.....you know the story.......start too many new projects!  Also, I kept going back and adding more handquilting!

My eldest granddaughter loved the quilt (even before I asked her if she liked it!) so it became hers!





Continuing in my quest for creating "scraps" from yardage!  I cut 4", 1-1/2" and 1" strips from my 6 inch strips.  Forgot to take a photo of my 3.75" log cabin blocks and the 3" railfence blocks but will do it next time!!  
 Have been wanting to make a quilt with plaids/strips and recently found this pattern.  Love the true story of the Navaho Code Talkers who created a code in WW2 that the Japanese were never able to break!  I believe the movie was called "Windtalkers".  The quilt is simply an enhanced Railfence but it sure appeals to me!
 My first "code".......now need to find time to cut strips from the plaids/stripes!  

I'll leave you with the photo of our sweet little "Tommy" who thinks it's ok to sleep on my quilt tops!!  


I have Comments emailed to my Inbox but cannot always answer because of No-Reply Commenter.  So, I am going to try to answer any comments/questions here on the blog.  

For information about changing from a No Reply Commenter check out Lori's blog!
http://humblequilts.blogspot.com/2013/11/are-you-no-reply-commenter.html#comment-form

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Happy New Year after Ice Storm!!




Well, we really have Winter this year!  Certainly is different than the milder winters we have been experiencing in the past few years! For this area, it's the Twelfth "snowiest" December ever and the "snowiest" since 1970.  If only it could be just Snow.....so much easier to cope with!  Ice Storm arrived Dec 22 and hung around for a few days.  Now, 12 days later, we are still ice-covered!  Very cold and windy today......outside it sounds like a giant Windchime with all the tinkling ice!  Wish something so beautiful was not so destructive!!  

Winterberries encased in ice.




Birds still need to eat!!


Ice about 3/4" thick in some places!
Love that blue sky!


Bird Bath out of order for now!
This is Sweet Annie still encased in ice twelve days after storm!
Have not seen much of the sun, but I know it is still there somewhere!

Found this postcard from 1909 in an old postcard album..........Happy New Year to Everyone!  May you find lots of Time to do whatever it is you like to do!!