Busy Thimble

The Pleasure of Reading...New This Week

2012-02-19T15:07:00.000-08:00

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

2012-02-16T17:54:00.000-08:00

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.

New Book, Leftovers, Broken Dishes and Toile

2012-02-07T17:46:00.000-08:00

"Amish Quilts and the Welsh Connection"

Received this wonderful new book this week! Have looked at all the photos and read the captions and need to find time to read the rest! If I didn't like to read so much, I might get more sewing done!

This little Courthouse Step quilt is a Jo Morton Club project.....wanted to show you what a member and I did with the leftover 1" strip scraps!

Linda made the darling little bowl and I have tiny Four Patches in progress!
I like to try to make Somethin' from Nothin'.....little scraps that some folks throw away! Linda is a Kindred Spirit! I am one of those Fugal Sorts.....among the many things that I recycle are the little boxes that checks come in to store and sort fabric scraps!

This is a little Broken Dishes quilt made from a charm pack and border fabrics from Barbara Brackman's "Civil War Crossings".........actually two quilts can be made from one charm pack! I love little blocks (these are 3") and I love Busy Quilts with lots of color! Machine-quilted the body of the quilt by stitching in the ditch and then hand-quilted the border with my favorite little wavy line. Looks like I should go back and quilt something in the corner stones! Takes me a long time to decide a quilt is finally Done!

I used this black/white Toile as the center in a Medallion quilt that I showed earlier on. (I have started hand-quilting it!) A friend (a quilt historian)called me the other day and told me that my toile was on the cover of "Toiles for All Seasons". I had the book but had not yet recognized the scenes as being in my reproduction fabric! The original Toile was made after 1793 and was based on four paintings by two different artists depicting the four seasons of the year!

Friend's John Hewson quilt top finished!

2012-01-25T16:59:00.000-08:00

With permission from both of my friends, I have some amazing work to share!

My Friend Susan made this John Hewson Winterthur quilt top and what a wonderful job she did! Using her impressive mathematical skills and her Determination to Piece the top with no Fusing, she accomplished her Goal! It was not easy and was frustrating at times and some fabric was wasted, but she persevered! She got the fabric in Nov and showed me the top Dec 12 at one of our quilt study meetings! Her speed is also impressive in addition to her workmanship!

This framed fabric art picture is hanging in my shop to showcase Barbara Martin's design and embroidery skills. The embroidered details are amazing! Each little tiny stone (cotton fabric) in the Wall is hand-appliqued! Most of the fabrics are wool.

Old and New Comparison

2012-01-16T18:18:00.000-08:00

A friend sold me this antique crib quilt many years ago and I tried to recreate it Long Before we had what we know as Reproduction Fabrics today! There definitely were "fabrics that looked old" to me so I used them.....it was before Jan 1994 that I made this quilt. The c.1830 quilt is a "cutdown" but not obvious at first. The chintz binding is on 3 sides and the top edge is folded and stitched down which is a combination we've seen many times in antique quilts we've documented here in Maine. The first "cutdown" clue was that the chevron quilting lines in the center of the quilt did not always line up correctly. Second clue was the very finely stitched center seam down the back of the quilt that was so well done, it was not noticed for a while! I love to wonder why this was done.........was the quilt damaged along one side and the crib quilt salvaged from it? The Cutdown was done a very long time ago. It was a wonderful quilt when it was whole with its chintz border.....I've been told that the original color of the chintz print was in shades of rose. The handquilting is wonderful. I wonder if all the Flying Geese were of different prints as are the ones in these two strips.

The following photos are from my copy of the quilt, using a few early Jinny Beyer prints and I see some from Judie Rothermel and I think from Jeff Gutcheon. I used muslin for the background because probably a tan muslin was not yet known to me. Maybe I ought to overdye with Rit tan to age it....we'll see. I remember ordering the border fabric prior to Jan 1994 while my shop was still at my mother's house about 7 miles up the road. I used the front 2 rooms of her cape for 3 years and then she told me I had to build a building as I was beginning to encroach on her living space! I was so excited as it was the first fabric that I had found that looked, to me, like an antique chintz. Sure am glad that situation has changed over the years!! The colors in the "chintz" closeup photo are pretty true to the original. I enjoy making copies of old quilts.........my friend has another quilt that I copied........a late 19th century center medallion that we have hung together in shows.......that will be for another day!

It's been awhile........................

2012-01-10T17:04:00.000-08:00

since I posted on my blog...........you know the drill......busy with holidays and family! Tonight I'll show you two quilts (am experimenting with higher resolution photos hoping they will enlarge better, and now I think I also need to make the flash stronger!). The Churn Dash is from quite a few years ago using Judie Rothermel's first Civil War line in late 1990's (some fabrics have been reproduced again recently)....one of my favorites and it was an experiment in using 6" charm squares for the blocks.

Second quilt is a 16-Patch from one of Jo Morton's early Clubs. It was the first quilt I machine-quilted that I was happy with my quilting! And it was rather accidental! I was quilting the straight lines and had lengthened my stitch as usual for quilting. Then I noticed that my stitches were quite tiny.....my robe sleeve must have turned the stitch length dial on my machine...but hey! I liked the look of the smaller stitches anyway! So I took out the longer ones, knowing it would be very hard to take out these small stitches if I made a mistake. Luckily, it worked out fine!

This last quilt top is one from a Prairie Women's Sewing Circle club that I decided to do in different colors. First one, in blue and shirting, is pictured aways back the blog. I love the color called "cheddar" and it looks great with the indigo blue! I machine-quilted the first one but may hand-quilt this one....wish I could handquilt everything but it's not possible! Today I spent part of my "day off" pin-basting 3 small quilts and am in the process of pin-basting my Gwen Marston-inspired toile center medallion...hard on my back to do it all at once! I pin-baste my quilts on the dining room table (anchor small ones with masking tape and larger ones with bulldog clips along the edge of the table.) Then, I either machine-quilt (mostly just in the ditch or straight lines across the blocks as might have been done "in the old days") OR machine-baste for handquilting.......seems like overkill to baste twice but I think it helps make my quilts nice and flat! Quilter's Dream Request is my usual choice of batting but I also use Mountain Mist Blue Ribbon sometimes.

Small Quilts

2011-12-11T16:07:00.000-08:00

I love making small quilts! Especially Reproductions! This is a doll-size version of a baby quilt from "Small Endearments" referenced by Kathie a few days ago. Can't remember the measurements of my quilt but the center Toile is about 12". That Toile is one of my Favorites from "The Rising Sun" Smithsonian collection back in the mid 1990's! There are SO MANY more wonderful reproductions available now than when I made that quilt! And, I love to handquilt so that is how I spend my the quiet evenings.

This little quilt I made in the early to mid 1990's after "Miniature Quilts" magazine and books were first published. Might be able to study the fabrics to determine just when! This little quilt is also a "Charm Quilt" having 99 different fabrics.....well 101 if you count the borders! Charm Quilts are Another Favorite of mine and I will get photos of my 3 old tops (I have more tops than quilts!).

Maine Variable Star Quilt c.1820

2011-12-11T15:45:00.000-08:00

This quilt from my small collection is c.1820 and recently returned home after a showing at New England Quilt Museum in Lowell MA of Maine quilts. The quilt is huge.....too large for my double bed. For its age, the fabrics seem in remarkably good condition! There are splits in some of the chintzes here and there and the binding is worn, but it doesn't detract from the beauty of those

glorious fabrics! Lots of ombres! The handquilting is very good. There have been a few tasteful repairs which were done before I bought it several years ago....don't like the glaring white block in the center of the photo!

This chintz is the alternating block and I think you can see the handquilting.....

This last photo is one of the light setting triangles....sheen from the chintz is still visible. Many of the fabrics in this quilt are chintz and I will always wonder how a woman in early 19th century Maine acquired such a large collection of them!!

The Hewson Fabrics are here and they are wonderful!!

2011-11-07T14:56:00.000-08:00

The Winterthur Museum John Hewson Fabrics by Andover Fabrics arrived last week and they are wonderful!!! Can't wait to start making a Medallion Quilt with them! The quality of the fabric is stupendous! The vase shown above is about 21" high and the floral below (see the little "corner" which is how the floral spray will be placed in a corner to tilt diagonally toward the center vase?) is about 17" high.....will probably applique in place using broderie perse if I can't figure out a way to piece it in. There are butterflies galore to leave in place or applique by broderie perse wherever you desire! The accompanying background fabric is the same fabric Winterthur and Jo Morton have both used before.....a faint linen-look appearance with a wonderful "hand". Google "John Hewson" to find antique quilts using his prints made in Philadelphia beginning in the 1770's. Many are in musems and will provide inspiration for you to make one of your own!!

Vintage Charm Quilt

2011-11-07T14:25:00.000-08:00

This is a small charm quilt I made several years ago using vintage triangles given to me by a quilting friend. They belonged to her mother and are from c. 1900. Those claret (purpley-red) fabrics were popular in the 1890's. There are a couple "Neons" also from the 1890s"s. All in all it is a good representation of the fabrics available at the time....no two fabrics alike....that is what makes it a charm" quilt! I think in today's quilting world, people believe "charms" to just be small size squares.....which they can be of course....but need to all be different!! I think the oldest fabric to be the blue/brown floral chintz (still retains glaze) shown below in the close-up. I was fortunate to have other period fabrics to use for the backing/binding. Each triangle is about 3-1/2" tall and I did have to re-size them to make it all go together well!

Older Quilt and New Top

2011-10-07T17:18:00.000-07:00

I made this Triangle Quilt several years ago from a pattern in an Australian magazine.......love triangles (these are 1.25") and that Civil War line from Judie Rothermel, "Bits of Blue and Grey"! Took forever to handquilt but am enjoying it on my living room wall. Had to take it down to pin up the Medallion quilt top that I'm showing next.....only place in my house I could think of to do it! Putting pins in plaster walls is a challenge .........the wallpaper is as far as the pin will go!

I started this Medallion quilt last winter and it languished until August before I could get back to it. Inspired by a quilt in Gwen Marston's "Liberated Quiltmaking II". It was fun looking for my early 1800's reproductions and now have found that I need to have a new category for storage so I can find them more easily!! And of course, I now want to make a larger one to fit my double bed! One of my friends suggested that I just make this one bigger, but I think the Toile center is too small for a larger quilt. I might make Two.....one with random-length strip borders like this one and one with planned borders.....same fabric on all four sides!

My husband went to Fryeburg Fair today so I had time to myself this evening.....anytime I don't have to cook a meal is a Holiday for me!!

Hope you think I put the time to good use!!!

Crossroads to Texas

2011-10-07T16:09:00.000-07:00

This fabric came mid-summer but I have been too busy/tired to update my blog.....am hoping that all obligations will be done after the weekend of Oct 22/23 when I vend at my local PTQG chapter's quilt show! Sure looking forward to Nov and hunkering down for the winter and some serious Me Time Sewing and Reading! Crossroads has a wonderful Cheater (aka Printed Patchwork) as does many other collections recently. Stay tuned and I will try to show you a collection of the cheaters I have accumulated in my shop!

Collections Comfort from Moda

2011-10-07T16:03:00.000-07:00

More new reproduction fabric! This one is Collections Comfort the 8th in a series of fabric lines based on antique quilts in the collection of Mark Dunn, owner of Moda Fabrics....this from an 1861 quilt from MA. Did a wonderful job on the border fabric in photo #1! Fabric is printed so that four 10" borders may be cut from one length! I have recently seen an antique quilt in one of my many books with that large floral border, but I can't remember which book! Don't you just love to look through books of old quilts? I could spend way more time than I do if I didn't have Life tugging at me all the time! Now I May have another fabric match here, but I won't know for sure until I go to New England Quilt Museum Oct 15 for our final gallery walk of the Maine Quilt Heritage show. The fabric on bolt #3 down from the top in photo 2 seems very similar to the backing of my c.1825 Sawtooth Star! Can't wait to check it out and will let you know if my memory has served me well.......or not!

Little Gatherings Backgrounds

2011-10-07T15:33:00.000-07:00

These Little Gatherings from Primitive Gatherings are just right backgrounds for all those dark and medium fabrics I order too much of!!

Begonia

2011-10-07T15:30:00.000-07:00

Isn't this Begonia just beautiful! Has been hanging on my shop porch all summer but really came back to life when the weather cooled! I take it inside at night but now we have a stretch of 70 degree days coming, prolonging that first frost that I dread! May try to overwinter this plant by cutting back and storing in the cellar.

Lately Arrived from London and a Fabric Match!

2011-10-07T15:26:00.000-07:00

Lately Arrived from London by Barbara Brackman has arrived! And a gorgeous line it is! And guess what! The backing on one of my late 19th century Log Cabin quilts is the same pattern design as one of hers (#8192 Charming Betsy) though mine is pink. I bid on this quilt at auction because I loved the backing! Had already won one log cabin and wasn'tlooking for another until they showed us the back!

Prairie Women's Sewing Circle Quilt

2011-08-26T17:34:00.000-07:00

This is a little quilt I made for my Prairie Women's Sewing Circle......love this Sawtooth Star! Went together very well and I just love the Indigo and Cheddar print! Now, tho, I want to make Another One using the same Indigo again but with a Cheddar background! Unfortunately, my mind works much faster than my hands!!! I machine-quilted this one in my usual manner of Stitching in the Ditch around the blocks which is enough to hold it so I can bind it for display. Decided it needed more quilting just because I like the feel of more quilting! With the light shirting background, I did not want to draw pencil lines, so I used my Hera marker, which is a plastic tool for marking a crease. Following the crease lines was easy but it still took me about 3 hours to quilt the whole quilt..........I am not a very fast machine-quilter!!

Fall Fabrics Arriving...............

2011-08-26T17:22:00.000-07:00

While it is the Brackman's "Lately Arrived from London" and Andover's "Hewson" that I am really waiting for, other beautiful fabrics arrived this week! "Northern Cardinal" by Holly Taylor for Moda is not what I usually order, but you will see why I did in the photos. Some of these fabrics look like "antique woodblock" prints! A perfect example of fabrics that look old and will work in reproduction quilts but are not marketed as "reproduction". The second photo shows colorful "Swiss Holiday" by Moda.....kinda bright colors BUT the prints are the Jacobean-type florals that I love!

Maine Quilt show is over for another year!

2011-08-03T15:20:00.000-07:00

What a show we had this year! Jo Morton came to teach and visited my booth a few times to chat and shop!!! She gave me permission to tell you that she buys fabric! And she bought my kit for the 8-point star "Hope" Collection for a Cause because she liked the little metal lunchbox that came with it! My quilt top is visible in photo #4 at the far left.........it is only 1/3 done, but I am enjoying hand-piecing the 8-pt Stars.

Many of my friends took Jo's classes and enjoyed them very much! Inspired them, in fact, to purchase yet more fabric!! It was wonderful to meet ladies from the Jo's Stitchers Yahoo group! I was able to attend the noon lecture/lunch, which, by the way was a Sellout!! One of my customers in the Jo's Little Women Club made the Hourglass quilt using 474 different Jo fabrics. Notice the "Banner Day" and "Imagine" quilts in the background? They are Jo's quilts that she offered to loan me to hang in my booth. I chose the "Imagine" quilt as she had hand-quilted it and I like to promote traditional methods as much as possible!!!

In the foreground you can see the Jo's "Spice Chest" cheater fabric which I had longarm-quilted for a table cover. Isn't it gorgeous? Have many cheater fabrics on hand right now........they seem to be popular and you have to take it when available!!

I love using my antique quilts to cover the tables in the booth. One quilt covering the table at the far left in photo 4 is actually the reverse of a badly-damaged quilt that has exquisite hand-quilting! That quilting needs to be preserved! It has taken me two days to recouperate, catch up and rest up and I will soon forget how much work is involved and sign the forms for next year's show later in the fall!

And it is not over yet! A surprise visitor! Ladies had requested me to open my shop Fri/Sat evenings and guess who showed up with some of her students? Jeana Kimball! Enjoyed chatting with her and selling her some fabrics she said she had "missed" ! Someday it would be nice to actually take a class with these Teachers!

Chickadee Quilt Show Bridgton, Maine

2011-07-14T17:24:00.000-07:00

Photos of my booth at the quilt show this past weekend. Lots of Jo Morton quilts as well as a trunk show from Annemarie Yohnk of "Quilts Remembered"....aren't they just darling? See the little wood crates on the tables in the first photo........I bring hundreds of 1/2 yard cuts, baskets of fat quarters, and crates of books to tempt quilters....not much for gadgets tho!

New Fabrics Arriving!

2011-07-14T17:10:00.000-07:00

Just when I thought I might run out of fabric (LOL), more has been delivered!! This is the new "Sweet Emilie" line by Jo Morton and it has a marvelously vintage appeal.....thought I would have time to make a Club 10 little quilt with it this week since the Bridgton, Maine Chickadee Quilt Show is behind me, but it hasn't happened!! Paperwork and getting quilts sleeved for the Maine Quilt Show Antique Exhibit the last weekend of the month has taken much of my time! Have a look at Jo's new fabric ......did a quick count and I have 526 bolts of Jo fabrics!! New books from Quiltmania are in too! Along with "History Repeated" by Betsy Chutchian and her friend.......And Betsy's fabric line "Crossroads to Texas" arrived too........love the cheater fabric! One of these days I take photos of all my cheater fabrics to post here....must have 8 or 10.

Elegant Geometry Hexagon Quilts

2011-06-15T06:45:00.000-07:00

Recently received "Elegant Geometry", an exhibition catalog from IQSC in Nebraska. Check out the exhibit and order the book for yourself at http://www.quiltstudy.org/

I have a very small collection of antique quilts and this is one of my best.....c.1840 Hexagon quilt that is very large! 114" x 128". Wide chintz border. Thought at one time I would count and photo each and every hexagon but haven't done that yet! The workmanship on this quilt is so fine that at first glance, the English Piecing is not apparent! Only close inspection reveals the TINY overcast stitches that attach each hexagon to its neighbor!

Snowflake Quilt from Dargate Fabrics c.1830

2011-06-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite (I have a LOT of those!) little quilts. I just kept quilting on it because I enjoyed handling it! All that quilting gives such a nice feel to the quilt.......only have one fullsize quilt that I quilted so closely! The fabrics in the 3" Snowflake blocks are predominantly from Margo Krager's Dargate Botanicals line. The sashing/border/binding fabric is "Sisters" by Mary Koval for Windham. I wanted to make a "busy" quilt with lots of fabrics and I think I achieved it! I've been trying to add to the Comments today, with no success, to thank everyone for their nice words! And to tell you that I listed a kit on ebay if anyone is interested.

New Jo Morton fabrics!

2011-05-20T15:08:00.000-07:00

In addition to Jo's new "Sweet Emilie" and "Elizabethtown", more new fabrics are in the works! A line of just Reds for this summer I think! Love that Toile!! And then in late fall, there's more! "Crimson Bouquet", a red/green line with lots of cheddar and yellow!!

New Fabric Alert!!!!

2011-05-20T14:59:00.000-07:00

OMG!!! Can't believe the fabric I was shown today that will arrive in November...the whole line! Andover is printing JOHN HEWSON, one of the first American fabric printers in 1770's!!! The Urn even has the snake handles!

Half-Square Challenge

2011-05-18T17:13:00.000-07:00

From Jo Morton's Little Women Club, this is my version......wanted to do a little study of madders and shirtings instead of the pink/brown that Jo did....not that I don't like pink/brown! Also made my blocks 2" instead of the 1-1/4" so I would have a larger quilt. May do another with the smaller blocks but very scrappy with leftovers! Probably wishful thinking! So busy this time of year preparing for the two summer quilt shows that I do, plus this year, my friend and I are co-curating Maine Quilt Heritage shows for both MaineQuilts2011 and New England Quilt Museum! Anyway, back to the HST Challenge........The quilt, batting and backing are ready for layering so I just turned the backing over to lay the quilt on so the batting would not show in the photo.....that created a dilemma! I had not intended to attach a border and now I think it looks good with a border! Oh what to do! I'd have to cut another larger backing........don't really want to do that....well, I'll just add a piece if I decide to do the border. I first pin-baste my quilts and then either machine-quilt (in the ditch) or machine-baste for handquilting. This one is likely to be machine-quilted in diagonal rows as that is the only "ditch" I have.....I pressed open all the other seams.

An afternoon's Work

2011-05-18T16:53:00.000-07:00

Doesn't look like much was accomplished, but it was fun while listening to a audiobook from a favorite author! Chose the fabrics for the next little quilt in my shop's Jo Morton Club. My twelve little 3" stars will be brown and tans. Made two of those just to see how they look! Usually make more than I need in case I don't like one or one doesn't come right. Then, made another 3" star of a slightly different style from "Country Threads Goes to Charm School"...there will be sixteen of these using an older Civil War line of Barbara Brackman's....."Climbing Jacob's Ladder". Made another log cabin block.......MANY MANY MORE to go before I have enough for my quilt! Sometimes I just feel like making one tho I usually chain-piece about 36 at a time! Also in the photo is my "Leaders and Enders" project of a 25-Patch of 1" squares.....started putting pairs together to make Fours and then I will just add either a colored square or a muslin (Jo's "linen-look" from Crimson & Clover) to one end and the rows will be ready to construct the blocks! This project is inspired by a quilt in Judie Rothermel's "Reproduction Quilts from the Civil War Era".....probably won't make it exactly like hers! Don't we often change patterns to suit ourselves!

Another great New Book!

2011-05-18T16:38:00.000-07:00

I love Hand Applique and hope to get back to some soon and this book certainly provides inspiration! "Beautiful Botanicals" makes me itch to get going on a "Tree of Life" quilt that I have had in the back of my mind for years..........found just the right "bark" fabric for the tree! The florals can be a combination of applique and also broderie perse. Look for fabrics like those in the photo with the book that will lend themselves to gorgeous flowers whether using the whole flower or just elements of it to make your own creations!

Quilting Hoops

2011-05-18T16:32:00.000-07:00

A while back there was discussion on one of the Yahoo groups about quilting hoops. Seems like it takes forever to find time to update this blog! I like a 16" round hoop if working in my lap and also have a Homestead Hoop on a stand (29") that I haven't used for a long time as I haven't quilted any large quilts........too busy making the small quilts! The "Lizzie's Tents" from Carol Hopkins Designs is in a Half Hoop that I have had for about 22 years! It is excellent quality cherry wood and I haven't seen them advertised in recent years. Love the little wavy lines stencil for borders.......use it a lot! The white lines are from the SewLine pencil that will easily come off when I get to it. I quilted the main body of the quilt with an oval frame about 12" x 18" that I also got about 22 years ago.....seems like I don't have to move it so often as I do a round hoops!

I also like this little Q-Snap hoop (11" x 17") for little quilts.....easy to get just the right tension for handquilting! Using a split wool batting in the little 4-patch .........so easy to quilt!

British Textiles

2011-04-21T17:22:00.000-07:00

Another new book! "British Textiles", a compendium of six previous publications. I have only one of them "Design for Printed Textiles in England from 1750 to 1850".....which as it turns out now that I have glanced through the big hardcover book, is my favorite time period for fabrics. The most exciting find was on page 124 of a furnishing chintz; dark ground stripe with coloured leaves, floral meander with pineapple in the alternating stripe, about 1790. I have the same fabric in the narrow stripe reproduced in the "Pemberley" line from around 2000! Now I know why it was always one of my many favorites!

Norfolk Pine

2011-04-21T17:12:00.000-07:00

I don't have a very green thumb these days but I have this Norfolk Pine that is doing great! I got it Christmas 2008, bringing it home on a very cold day! For its first year, it lived in the dining room, but to make space for Christmas 2009 family get-together, I moved it into the bathroom...best move I ever made!

It seems to love the humidity from hot showers and its dose of early morning sun, so I'll have to leave it there!

New Magazine arrived today!

2011-04-11T14:09:00.000-07:00

Just in case anyone has not yet heard of this greatly-needed, new magazine.....it arrived here today! Seventeen primitive projects in one place by 17 different designers in its premiere issue! And I am sure future issues will provide us with even more!! Website is here.

Ironing Fabric!

2011-03-22T18:29:00.000-07:00

I am a Fabric Pre-washer..........some people aren't.........that's fine....do whatever suits you!!! I had to move this recently-washed and folded stack of fabric to take some photos and it occurred to me that it would be a good photo! Always have to move things around in this sewing room.....all flat surfaces are occupied! What I would like to say is that my fabric is self-ironed by the shear weight of it! After washing, I hang it outside (as soon as the snow is gone and I can get to the clothesline!) or hang it on drying racks in a spare bedroom .....I have two large racks ..... one belonged to my Great-Grandmother (who passed away in 1958 at the age of 88) and is as sturdy as when she was using it. I fold my fabrics a certain way so that the width is the same whether it is 1 yard or 3 yards and it fits neatly on the shelves. While I do press my fabric before I cut it, it is easy since it has been "pre-pressed"!!!

Jo Morton Club #10

2011-03-22T18:09:00.000-07:00

Spent yesterday (snow day!) and today quietly working in my sewing room, listening to an audio book while I sewed. One of the quilts I've been working on is this little pink and brown called "Amy's Choice". Finished for this evening, I set it aside and then thought "well, that looks like a darling little runner with pointy ends just as it is"..........unfinished.......needs two more corners attached! I will finish this one as it is supposed to be, but it's an idea for another one in the future.........in "someday" land!

Eight-Point Stars

2011-03-22T18:03:00.000-07:00

I've been hand-piecing 8-pt Stars for a reproduction quilt by Moda in conjunction with their Collection for a Cause "Hope". It is a strippy quilt c. 1840-60 found in MA that is now owned by Moda's owner. I know that in order to finish this quilt to be ready for display in my booth at MaineQuilts2011 in July, I will need to make some blocks by machine, but it is so relaxing in the evening to quietly piece these. A free pattern can be downloaded at the United Notions website.

Courthouse Steps Quilt

2011-02-02T13:33:00.000-08:00

This little quilt was made to show the Bonnie Blues Basics line a couple years ago when we used that her fabric for our Maine shop hop. I was inspired by a quilt pattern by Lori Smith "From My Heart to Your Hands". The logs are 1/2" and I handquilted down the center of all of them......I know, I know, way more work than it is worth, but I love to spend evenings handquilting!! Most relaxing for me!!

Snowy Day in Maine and Much of the USA!!

2011-02-02T13:23:00.000-08:00

Going through some old photos today while enjoying the peace and quiet of a day off due to Snow!! This is a doll quilt that I reproduced from a baby quilt photo in "Small Endearments". The center Toile is from the first Smithsonian line by RJR called "Rising Sun"...remember those great old fabrics! I still have lots of the 4 Smithsonian lines as well as the 4 Shelburne lines and I still love them even after all these years of more and more wonderful reproduction fabrics being produced!!

Distress It!!!

2011-02-02T12:49:00.000-08:00

Made this little 4-Patch quilt (2" blocks) from charm squares of the New England Quilts from Olde Sturbridge Village collection by Curator Aimee Newell. The Whites were way too White for me, so I used "Distress It" for the first time and am very happy with the results. I sprayed lightly a couple times until I was happy with the color. Check the Before and After photos! "Distress It" is a spray that was recommended by Jo Morton, having been developed by a Rughooker to age her hooked rugs. Am using a wonderful Pemberley floral (early 1800's reproduction fabric) for borders. Plan to handquilt it and use wool batting.

Wonderful new History of Dutch Quilts book!

2010-12-29T06:53:00.000-08:00

Mailman brought my new book yesterday (ordered Dec 7).....perfect day for receiving it! It was a day off so I sat in my rocking chair beside the woodstove to read it in utter comfort! Anyone interested in this book may email me for information to order it.......can use a Paypal account or your own checking account to pay for it! I found it to be easier than I had thought to deal with a foreign company!

Maybe I should show a Finished Quilt!

2010-12-21T12:19:00.000-08:00

It occurred to me that I mostly show WIP's and that it might be thought that I never finish anything! It is very true, that I have MANY WIP's, as I do tend to start anything new that appeals to me....often thinking, oh I can do that in an afternoon, or a day.......hah! Doesn't happen that way! From now on, I shall try to show one of each! This is a darling little triangle quilt from a book "Bits and Pieces"......used the Dargate Botanical collection for my shop sample...have a few kits left I think.

And what else have I been doing?

2010-12-21T12:07:00.000-08:00

This time of year I love to have the smell of balsam around the house and the shop so I ordered 25 pounds (did I really need that much?) to make little balsam pillows.....this one is made from an older Judie Rothermel "Spirit of the Season 2" scenic fabric. Next to it is a little 4" log cabin block that did not come out exactly the right size to use in my quilt so it is becoming either a Christmas ornament or a Coaster. I handquilted it close to the seams. If I do use it as a coaster, I will only place my coffee mug on the back side!

Current Project on the back of the sofa...........

2010-12-21T11:55:00.000-08:00

I try to keep works in progress requiring handwork handy on the back of the sofa so I can work on them while watching TV. In this photo are my Carol Hopkins' "Lizzie's Tents" quilt from her Civil War Legacies collection. This quilt is larger than some of her patterns, measuring 32" x 37". I am quilting 1/4" along seam lines as I like to quilt with a minimum of marking. Next to it is the "Keystone Medallion" from Jo Morton's Club 9.....just needs binding handsewn. At far right is my little ebay-inspired quilt that I have been handquilting for way too long! Stitched down the center of each round.......and there are 17 of them!!! Love the feel of a closely-quilting quilt! I am quilting "Lizzie's Tents" with my oval hoop......I like the looks of my handquilting better when I use a hoop. However, when I quilt small quilts, it is too bothersome to be constantly changing the hoop position, so I have been quilting without a hoop...seem to be improving with each little quilt.

The Rest of the Tablerunner Story

2010-12-21T11:41:00.000-08:00

When you make the Striped Tablerunner, there are four triangles cut that are not used. I cut two more triangles and put them together to make this Table Mat. While this type of project is not typical for me, I was fascinated how the angles matched perfectly with hardly any effort at all!

Antique Quilts

2010-12-12T19:06:00.000-08:00

When you are a Quilter interested in Quilt History, you also become a Quilt Collector! Something else to fill every corner of the house! Can't help myself! This poor Red & Green Quilt was brought to me by someone who got it at a lawn sale in the Rumford area. I bought this quilt for the excellent workmanship and exquisite handquilting on this quilt! The design is like no other I've seen; unfortunately, the reds have deteriorated; however, the greens are in wonderful condition, and such gorgeous prints! No idea who made this quilt, or where. But sure would have liked to have known her!! I have been asked to show more photos of this quilt....too windy to photo outside on the clothesline today so I folded it into fourths and took a couple closeups. Quilt is 96" square. The pattern is Carpenter's Wheel and surrounded by an applique border (separated by a narrow 1/4" border). The reds are disintegrating but the greens have held up very well.

New Books!

2010-12-12T18:55:00.000-08:00

Always new books and magazines to read! When you are a Quilter who is also interested in the History of Quiltmaking and the Women who made them, you buy every book available on the subject just to see if there is a quilt that you have not yet seen somewhere else! These two books, huge books, are wonderful! Photos are often full-page. In "Quilts Around the World" I found that quilts are made in some form in unexpected places. This book also delves into history as well as contemporary work "from Alabama to Zimbabwe"! In "Quilts:Masterworks from the American Folk Art Museum" are 200 of the most important quilts in their collection.....full-page....can see the handquilting! With books aplenty in my home, I'll Never be bored!! And another new one is ordered.....the new An Moonen book on Netherlands' Quilts which I am sure will have closeup photos of old European fabrics I've not yet seen!

Small Applique Blocks!!

2010-12-12T18:43:00.000-08:00

It occurred to me today that I might get a handle on my WIPs if I had some place to look at them all in one place! Soooo, I will begin, in no particular order, with these three little 3" Posey Packet applique blocks from Froncie Quinn at Hoopla Patterns in VT. My Dream in the world of Quilting would be to stay in my sewing room and sew all day.....can't happen right now! Well, if I can't do that, I would like to be able to make one of these little applique blocks per evening! I'm too slow.....more like two evenings! Too, I would like to be able to make just one little log cabin block, one little Shoofly block, one Path to the Civil War block each day......eventually the quilts will get done! Good thing I am a "process person" who enjoys working on quilts every bit as much as finishing quilts!

TABLERUNNER

2010-11-23T17:03:00.000-08:00

As if I didn't have more than enough to do today (supposedly a day off!), I put this runner together that I cut out a few days ago. Just wanted to see it finished, I guess! Karen Montgomery's "Easy Striped Table Runner" is impressive-looking....especially when the stripes from a Jo Morton fabric matched! My runner is a little shorter (36" x 16")than originally planned as I cut the angles wrong on the ends of the center!! Spent the afternoon listening to 50's music and sewing (and a little "organizing" too!)......

FINALLY FINISHED DOLL QUILT TOP!!

2010-11-23T16:56:00.000-08:00

This is a little quilt top that I made because I lost the real antique one on ebay.......think it went for about $178!! I wanted it because it was from Maine, but it was not be. So I made one........love the simple design!! Am now handquilting it...........will never be worth the time I am spending on it! But it is relaxing to quilt in the evening!

Hanging Squash

2010-11-23T16:51:00.000-08:00

I grew a few squash plants this summer from seeds saved from a particularly good-tasting squash from last year. The vines went everywhere and I let them...........one even climbed a tree! The photo is not too clear, but the squash is hanging more than a foot off the ground!!

PATRIOTIC PILLOWCASE FOR JENI

2010-11-23T16:48:00.000-08:00

I made a shop sample pillowcase using an end of Jo Morton's banner fabric. Then I made another to send to soldier granddaughter, Jeni. Now, DGD would like me to make 7 more for Christmas gifts for her unit! Oh what we Grandmothers get ourselves into!! Looks nicer now that Suzanne rotated it vertically for me!

Mailman brought Goodies today!

2010-10-30T17:09:00.000-07:00

The Mailman brought me all these Goodies today! The book about Toiles is new from the V&A in England.........wonderful study book with detailed closeups of the fabrics. The "Uncoverings" book is the collection of the research papers read a couple weeks ago at the American Quilt Study Group's annual seminar.....this year in MN. Next year it will be closer in NJ! A friend did a paper on "Potholder" quilts so I took the day off (between customers!) and read her paper and looked at all the photos in the Toile book! On the right are the diamond template and pattern collection #1 from Ann Holte in PA who is doing a reproduction of a quilt made about 1860. Each block is different and very scrappy! Read about the quilt in QuiltMania #78! Hope I can make a practice block tomorrow along with making Applesauce and cooking squash to freeze, work on a Civil War Legacies quilt kit sample, pin-baste two Jo Morton quilts, try to find shelf space to store the new fabrics that have been arriving and maybe even clean a little bit! Be sure to click on the photo to enlarge it so you can see the PA quilt pattern better! Clicking twice is even better!!

Leaders and Enders

2010-10-30T16:56:00.000-07:00

I've been cutting 1.5" squares from scraps and strips for quite a while and now they are piling up nicely! Using them and "Leaders and Enders" when sewing. Alternate squares are Jo Morton's background fabric from her "Crimson and Clover" line......a nice light that has faint lines to simulate "linen" or "homespun". I have been making them into little 5" Twenty-Five Patch blocks from Judie Rothermel's "Reproduction Quilts from the Civil War Era" seen in the photo. Of course, I have to be "different"!! Her blocks (inspired by a single little block she purchased) each contain only one fabric with the light...........mine contain 13 different prints alternating with the light! I am not the fastest quiltmaker in the world so it is nice to be able to occasionally make a "free" quilt that just happens!!

2010-10-08T16:56:00.000-07:00

This is a not-very-good photo of the whole quilt. Measures 51" x 64" and likely contains 3000 or so different fabrics. You will laugh when I tell you this.......I first made the little quilt that has 63 squares and I quilted it with no batting, as the antique quilts often were. Thinking that would be good for the larger quilt, I pin-basted it together (320 pins) and began quilting (no hoop, tho I usually use one). Did not like the feel of the quilt (felt empty, not cuddly), so I took out the 320 pins, layered with Quilter's Dream Request batting, and re-pinned the 320 pins!! Then I was happier with it!! Photo is from MaineQuilts2010. View all the quilts in the show here.

Log Cabin Header

2010-10-07T14:34:00.000-07:00

Finally got around to choosing a photo for my "header"! It is from a log cabin quilt I finished this spring ......blocks are about 3" with 1/4" "logs". I saw one in the Wenham Museum (Wenham, Massachusetts) in 2005 and fell in love with it. Worked on it off and on for 5 years. Here is a close-up one of of the blocks. The quilt contains 320 blocks. Instead of ties in the red centers, I handquilted around them. The quilt was so cuddly as I quilted on it!

Flock of Geese Quilt

2010-08-21T16:22:00.000-07:00

Feels so good when a quilt gets finished whether it is bedsize or dollsize!! This Flock of Geese quilt is one of Lori Smith patterns, a most prolific designer!! My quilt is brighter than hers.....used mostly Windham reproductions. Bet you can't guess that I love to make Triangles!! I have found that my photos actually enlarge twice if you click on them a second time...might be because I have my camera set to a higher resolution than what is used for normal email.

Finished Binding Corner

2010-08-21T16:13:00.000-07:00

This photo shows my finished corner of the binding on the doll quilt. Someone asked what to do with the "tail". Fold it in so it is even with the finished edge of the beginning binding. Finish sewing the binding in place and when you get to the end, blindstitch the folds together. I have seen quilts from the 80's in which each of the four sides were bound separately and the corners were finished in this manner.........probably before someone printed the directions for the mitered corners we commonly use now!

A couple of antique doll quilts

2010-08-20T15:56:00.000-07:00

These are two little antique doll quilts I made using fragments bought on Ebay. Left just as they were, crooked edges and all, I quilted and bound. The detail photo shows how I now do many of my bindings......a method we found during our documentation of antique Maine quilts that was widely used.....it actaully makes a lot of sense! Start and end on one corner and miter the other corners!! The first photo appears to have been made from fabric samples as the same design appears in several different colorways.

The quilting is actually my basting. I handquilted three lines on the last quilt with the small squares and decided it did not look right. Took out the quilting and left my machine-basting in place......looks more like old doll quilts I have observed in the past!! I used Hobbs Heirloom batting and if I wash the little quilts, I think they will wrinkle nicely!

Magazines

2010-08-16T16:21:00.000-07:00

There's been a lot of discussion recently on some of the Yahoo Groups that I am on about re-organizing and even culling (gasp!) old magazines. Can't bring myself to do that yet. This is part of my quilt magazine collection on shelves in my "office".....really "storage"! Nice and orderly in chronological order, I can find issues easily. This is only part of the quilt magazines......more are in the house. Now we won't discuss yet the others I have collections of: Country Living, Colonial Homes, Country Home, Early American Life, etc.!! Books will be another story! Fabrics will be another story!

Finally have a Few Minutes for my Blog!!

2010-08-16T16:10:00.000-07:00

Thought I would add a few more photos of my shop. This is one of the book racks with the Alliance line by Moda below them. Just got an order from Kansas City Star......they are my most important book source right now! Off to the side is an overflow of Judie Rothermel fabrics!! These three boxes are Jo Morton fabrics that I get on an AutoShip so as not to miss anything!! Love these little wooden crates that I had made to display the 1/2 yard cuts........they are scattered everywhere around the shop!

Many little quilts are hung around the shop. Foremost in the photo is what I called "Baby Chain", a copy of a quilt from late 19th century in the book "Small Endearments". The little 8-point star above it is made from a box of little scraps from the 1950's that someone gave me.

These little quilts hang above my head at my checkout. The little Shoofly is from a previous Jo Morton Club called "Chocolate and Cheddar". Two of my favorite colors! The little Flying Geese is from a Lori Smith pattern. Lori's patterns are wonderful.......9 patterns in one package!!!

More Fabrics

2010-06-21T16:53:00.000-07:00

Brackman/Thomspon corner. Can't wait for the new Brackman line "Arnold's Attic"!!

One shelf of Toiles....over 30 different ones at last count!

Homespun corner........probably 300 bolts of Moda brushed Homespuns.......LOVE plaids! Have a comfy sofa quilt made from brushed homespun plaids. Now I need to take another photo of Jo Morton's Homespun plaids!

Little Quilts

2010-06-21T15:40:00.000-07:00

Here are two little quilts that I enjoyed making. The Log Cabin logs are 1/4" and 4 on a side. Inspired by a couple quilts seen at the Wenham Museum, Wenham MA. This little quilt is made from the leftover blocks from a larger quilt that will be ready to be seen soon! I have started to make blocks again for another one with 3/8" logs that will allow room to handquilt. Took me nearly 5 years to make 380 blocks and assemble the quilt tops!! I always have lots of things in the works......will never be bored! One of these days I plan to show some of them.......heard recently from two different sources that one should try to make just one block per day! Excellent Theory! The 9-patch quilt was inspired by a Jo Morton club pattern......she made 3 little quilts with the 1.5" Nine Patches but I wanted to do a bit larger one so just kept making blocks until I ran out of the leftovers I was using from a very colorful Broken Dishes quilt top.

More Shop Photos

2010-06-21T15:30:00.000-07:00

This is one of my 3 "Moda" corners......this one is Brannock/Patek and Misc. Brackman/Thompson and Kansas Troubles are the other two. Photo is kinda dark....may take another later.

More New Fabrics!!

2010-05-26T16:38:00.000-07:00

I no more than got the new "Complements" line by Jo Morton cut, folded, rolled and bundled when another new line arrived today! This is the "Attic Shirtings" by Jo Morton. Some friends and I were saying just yesterday that new shirtings were needed and here they are! Another new fabric line that arrived is "Rural Jardin" by French General for Moda.

I live on an old farm in Maine with my quilt shop on the property.......this farm pond is the view from my kitchen window. Before anyone gets too excited about the little shed that looks like it might be an Outhouse, I need to tell you that it is a Wellhouse for the spring water pump! If you enlarge the photo, you will see the cows taking an afternoon siesta!!! Glad I took this shot of the lovely lilacs as today after 3 warm days, they have gone by....don't last long enough!

Some Little Quilts I've Made

2010-05-02T16:33:00.000-07:00

This is a wall of mostly little quilts...the Broken Dishes on the left is from a Jo Morton pattern but I changed it so it is unrecognizable from hers! Two quilts are from Carol Hopkins Designs. She, Lori Smith "From My Heart to Your Hands", Kathy Tracy, and Renee Plains are also favorites. The Triangles quilt visible in the upper left corner was inspired by a quilt on the cover of an LLBean catalog ; I used only Judie Rothermel reproductions.

Quilt Shop Photos

2010-05-02T16:23:00.000-07:00

Here are two photos of my Jo Morton Corner. She's one of my favorite designers and I've carried her fabrics, books and Little Women Club for many years......about 400 bolts in stock! If you look closely, you will see that some of the fabrics are displayed on an old Clarion cookstove.....nice to burn wood when it's really cold, BUT this year it had to hold fabric!! The photo below shows more Jo fabrics.

2010-03-23T15:55:00.000-07:00

Love the little baskets from "When the Cold Wind Blows" by Blackbird Designs. Only two finished and one prepped at the moment...long-term projects con't really bother me.....I enjoy the process!

Five little stars waiting for Jo's new line "Cocoa Express" to come so they can become a little quilt and little 4-Patch made from Leftovers from another of Jo's quilts.

Quilts in Progress...too many to count!

2010-03-23T15:48:00.000-07:00

Bittersweet Stars from Jo Morton's current club, ready to handstitch the binding this evening.

2010-03-16T16:41:00.000-07:00

Let's see if I have figured out how to post a photo!

Small Quilts

2010-03-16T16:37:00.000-07:00

Have been working on small quilts lately, both my own design and for Jo Morton's Club #9. Will post photos as soon as I figure out how!!

The Beginning

2010-01-18T11:35:00.000-08:00

Having had so much enjoyment from reading other Blogs, I decided to take the plunge and try to create one of my own. More later when I learn the Ins and Outs!!