Wonderful new History of Dutch Quilts book!

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!

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?

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...........

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

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

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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!

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!!

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!