Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Doll Quilt arrives from Australia!

Received this loverly doll quilt from Dorothy Ramage of dorothysthreadsoflife blog.  It traveled thousands of miles from Australia!  Isn't it beautiful!  I will be sending my quilt to the  midwest tomorrow!  Thanks so much to Lori of humblequilts blog for organizing this swap!!  Can't wait to see all the quilts!





Can't seem to get my Time Warp stars done in a timely fashion, but here are the California Gold and Serpentine Stripes..............but late or not, I am enjoying making them!  And I will enjoy the quilt they make!!



Now I need to go check Barbara's blog to see what is in store for this week's stars!  Check out civilwarquilts blog to see for yourself!!

Thursday, May 21, 2015

NEW FABRICS


Spring Fabric Arrivals!  Since we always need backgrounds/shirtings, I have 6 new bolts of "Miniature Gatherings Backgrounds"........in tan and in off white......can't really tell that from the photos! 




From Andover we have some new Paisleys from the International Quilt Study Center quilt collection.  Overall paisleys in 3 colorways and 3 coordinating stripes (except they forgot to send the Red!)  Includes three nice fabrics that can read as a solid but do have texture.  Called "Pinwheels" for the quilt from which the designs were taken.

Stripes for sashing/borders!









This is Gorgeous!  From Moda, the new Collection for a Cause, "Circa 1892".....lovely purples! 

Circa 1892 includes these "Eccentrics".........they are "curvy" like Hoyle's Wave but also resemble "Lane's Net" (which is geometric).  Have Layer Cakes and Charm Packs for this line.


Always love ferny types!  




From Andover, Margo Krager's new line "Dargate Treasury"  with Yet Another floral stripe in four colorways!   And she has even more coming!  Check out Andover's website!!





Here are 3 coordinates for the stripes......looks like one is California Gold!




Trying to downsize isn't going to work for me if they keep producing such loverly fabrics that I cannot resist!  Barbara Brackman's "Alice's Scrapbag" will arrive in Sep and Collection for a Cause "Nuture" also.   Edyta Sitar (also from Moda) has a Great line coming .....called "Color Daze" due in Nov!  The large "focal" fabric looks like a reprint of a previous line called "Kashmir 5" but that's okay....it will be very good for broderie perse applique lovers!  A  "cheater" (aka printed patchwork) of Sunflower blocks is a wonderful addition to this line.  I love the "Sunflower" block and have the Ardco templates to make them by hand......too many quilts I want to make and the days/weeks/months pass too quickly! And....French General has a new line called "Le Marais" due in Oct.  Here too are some reprints from a previous line called "Maison de Garance"......luscious browns and reds as well as a toile in several colorways.  More prints suitable for broderie perse applique. 

Betsy Chutchian has joined Moda and ""Eliza's Indigo" will come out in Oct.  Brown and Blue Lovers will be so excited!!

Hope to be back in a few days with my Stars in a Time Warp in the California Gold and Serpentine Stripes........I am behind again!

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Stars in a Time Warp Caught Up (for a few minutes!)


Made four blocks with Conversationals....worse than potato chips!  Can't stop with just one!  




Another block for my Jane Stickle quilt.....A5 I believe. Noticed that I had skipped it tho the fabric was in my book to remind me!  Did partial paper-pieceing (on the flying geese units).  


The little quilt below is one of the reasons I get sidetracked from my good intentions!  Found 3 little quilts on the back of my sewing machine chair waiting patiently for their bindings.  So, on Mother's Day after everyone had left, I prepared and attached the 3 bindings.  This is the first to be completed......made a paper piecing pattern for the flying geese strips....each little goose is 5/8" x 1-1/4".  I had made the same quilt in the regular fashion and felt that paper-piecing might speed things up a bit.....I was wrong.....it did not!  More accurate, perhaps, but definitely not faster!


Now I need to go look for some California Gold for the next Stars....finding some oldies but goodies Favorites while doing this Stars in a Time Warp!!

Saturday, May 9, 2015

And the Giveaway Winner is...................................

Linda in Montana!  Will send her an email right now!  And there will always be more Giveaways.........too much stuff.......and in downsizing mood!  







Saturday, May 2, 2015

New Fabric Arrivals! Giveaway!

Tree of Life........Starting with my Favorite first!   This is the palampore which measures 47" x 87".  These were made in India beginning in the 16th century, where they were hand-painted and/or mordant-dyed and exported to Europe.



Tree of Life tiny circles, wavy stripes, and teardrops and twigs.  Fabrics are 1800-1820.



More lovely prints and colors!  Nice busy backgrounds that I like to use!
And very colorful!!


Absolutely beautiful Toiles!!  Ruler is to show scale.


Now the bad news about the Toiles, the red and blue are sold out and I can't get any more!  The brown is still available which is the color I have seen twice recently used in c.1790 quilts.


This is new from Edyta Sitar (Laundry Basket Quilts Moda).  Her lines are always wonderful......just look at those colors and variety of designs!


This is new from French General (Moda) who also consistently Great!!
French General's Toile is lovely also.....and, printed in a larger scale like the originals from 1700-1800's were when using copper plates that often had a 36" repeat.  That stripe both in the blue and in the off-white background are stupendous!  Can't wait to use them!



A closer view of the gorgeous flowers and colors......love the variegated leaves.....perfect for broderie perse applique!  The narrow stripe would make vibrant sashing!



A few scenes from the Toile.  I got only the tan but might have to check and see if I can still get the blue and the red!!  Choosing fabric for the shop is So Hard....always second-guessing yourself!!


Did you know hot air balloons flew in the 1790's?




And now for my Giveaway!  A little different this time......I have Too Much Stuff (a perennial problem for die-hard Quilters I know!).   These are samples of fabric groups from Benartex from a few years ago.  Back when I first opened this shop 25 years ago, we did not have as many salesreps (nor the number of fabric manufacturers!) as we do now!  Samples were sent in the mail and orders were placed from them.   I think, tho, if I remember right, these Benartex samples were part of a newsletter that I received from the company.
There are 24 plastic bags of samples and as you can see (except for one small package that you can't see), they are all 4" samples or larger.  Leave a comment to go into the Drawing which I will do May 9th!!!

I am Woefully behind on making my Stars in a Time Warp with Barbara Brackman (click on her button at the top right of my page......that was a feat accomplished for me to learn how to do that!), but the shop will be closed until May 13 and I plan to spend as much time as possible in my sewing room!  During the month-long April shophop I have had Serious Sewing Withdrawal and now need to make up for lost time!!