Antique Quilts

Recently my boyfriend's mother sent me a couple bags of fabrics from her attic. I wasn't sure what to expect, so when I opened the bags and found a bunch of feed sacks and antique quilt tops I was really surprised. I haven't decided what I want to do with the quilt tops and blocks yet, but I figured the first step was to photograph them and then pack them away somewhere safer than the plastic bags I got them in.

I am torn between trying to complete the quilts and just preserving them as they are. I have no way of knowing what the original quilter's intentions were for her quilts, so I am hesitant to "ruin" them. On the other hand, I think that they will both hold up better if sandwiched and quilted and future generations will get more enjoyment from them if they're usable quilts.

Without further ado, here they are. Unfortunately I didn't get a full-length shot of the first quilt before I packed it away, but the detail shots give a decent idea of the whole.

Fan Quilt Detail #1

Fan Quilt Detail #2

Fan Quilt Detail #3

The third shot shows some discoloration in the white portions of the fans. I'm not sure what caused the discoloration or how to clean it up, but it appears in several spots so I would need to handle it if I wanted to complete the quilt.

Hand-pieced Fans

Close-up of Extra Fans

Newspaper Template

I'm not sure you can see the date in that photograph, but the newspaper clipping is from 1935!

Full Shot of Quilt #2

Detail Shot #1

Detail Shot #2

 You can see that one end of the quilt is unfinished.

Detail Shot #3

 And some of the blocks have been pieced.

Extra Blocks - Red/Pink

Extra Blocks - Green

Extra Blocks - Blue

There are about 75 additional blocks included, but many of them are duplicates. Also, there are about 10 blocks in the quilt top which would need to be removed and replaced. Unlike the fan quilt where the damage seems to only be discoloration, some of the blocks on this quilt appear to have either deteriorated or been eaten by bugs.

16 9-patch Hourglass Blocks

Also included in the bags were 16 9-patch hourglass blocks. They measure about 10 inches square, so while they could be sewn together - they would not make a full-sized quilt.

Finally there were a large number of vintage fabrics and a couple patterns. The fabrics seemed to range in era from the 40s up through the 60s and possibly 70s.

This pattern has been completely cut out and well-used.

Some of the pieces for the pattern appear to be missing.

I love this fabric, but there isn't much of it.

There seem to be several yards of this print, which I think would make a  fun skirt.

Mostly Pictures...

Weekend Quilting #1:

Moda Bake Shop

Mini Version!

Sorry so dark - shot before dawn this morning!

Weekend Quilting #2:

Schnibbles Paganini Quilt Pattern

Dark again, but better than nothing.  :)

Blogger's Choice FQ Bundle!

Quokka Quilts is currently running a contest (sponsored by the wonderful Fat Quarter Shop) to win your own Blogger's Choice FQ Bundle (although really the winner will receive a half yard of each fabric, so I suppose it is a Blogger's Choice HY Bundle).

Since I love picking out fabric (almost more than any other part of quilting), I figured I would give it a whirl. I've been playing lately with a lot of what I call "almost solid" prints lately, so I stuck to that in putting together this set of fabrics.

Below I've linked the FQS page for each of the fabrics in my bundle.

1. Folk Heart Red Teardrop Floral
2. Girls World Vibe Tangerine Carrie 
3. Kaffe Fassett Collective Terra Cotta Aboriginal Dot
4. Sophie Tomato Soup Petal
5. Adventures with Alice Screamin' Yellow Blooms
6. Bespoken Marigold Jacquard
7. Impressions Yellow Delhi
8. Aunt Grace's Garden Party Yellow Large Florals
9. Chelsea Green Stripe
10. Hyperreal Garden Fresh Illusion
11. Aunt Grace's Garden Party Green Leaves
12. Bohemian Soul Pearl Lace
13. Nursery Basics Earth Solid
14. Pure Organic Chocolate Solid
15. Pure Organic Solid Navy

Go give it a try yourself!

Sewing Industry Reflections + Predictions

Sew, Mama, Sew! has invited readers to answer the questions posed in their Sewing Industry Reflections and Predictions series. I enjoy these posts immensely, so I thought I'd participate!

Looking back at the 2011 sewing scene, what trends stand out in your mind?

I think the trend that struck me the most was the shift to using more solid fabrics in place of prints. At first I was against it, but then - like all trends - it grew on me and I experimented with it. Here are some of my Flickr favorites that really spoke to me.

Le Printemps

"Hot Mess"

Mug Rug

The only project I completed using solids was a mug rug of my own (another trend of 2011 I think).

Moonlight

I enjoyed the experience and have more solids-inspired patterns scribbled up (in more of a wall hanging size), but I don't know if they'll ever make that transition from idea to execution. I always have more ideas than time and solids - while interesting - aren't something that excites me.

The second trend I really remember from 2011, which I think was more limited in scope, was the sudden - to me! - prevalence of mug rugs. I thought they were brilliant and made tons of them. I kept some, sold some, and gave them to family. I made them long and skinny, short and wide, and square like mini quilts.

What I like about mug rugs is the freedom to try ideas and techniques that I don't necessarily have the patience to repeat for more than one small block. Also, they help reduce my never-ending scrap pile. Every time I think I have it under control, I make something new and it swells - overflowing the edges of the plastic bag it is confined to.

What were some of your favorite things related to sewing this past year?

I have really enjoyed the variety of colors I see popping up in the Flickr groups and blogs I follow. Color is not something I would say I have mastered (or even gotten a good handle on), but it is something I enjoy. I dislike when everyone is using the same fabrics and colors (as sometimes seems to happen as color trends peak - like turquoise/red and yellow/grey) and I love when The Modern Quilting Guild flickr group is awash in various color schemes.

What did you make that you’re most proud of?

I am most proud of one of the least modern quilts I've made. I started with a small sample of fabrics that struck me and I built that into a larger set by very deliberately adding certain motifs, shades, and print sizes. Then I made a quilt which used techniques I'd never seen before, in a larger size than I'd done before, and which I hand-tied instead of machine quilting.

I'm proud not only because I think the quilt came out well, but because I think it was a set of challenges that made me a better quilter.

Blue & Red Pinwheel Quilt

I didn't want to sell it, so I priced it very high - but someone else loved it as much as I did and it has a new home. 

At my booth!

I plan to make another one in the same pattern, but in pinks and greens as soon as I get my courage back. Creating so much under a short deadline this fall really burned me out on large projects.

What sewn projects have you seen this year that you absolutely love?

I love a lot of the stuff I see people doing, but my current obsession is vintage quilts and patterns. I spotted the quilt/tablecloth in the picture below while just surfing the web and following links. It is one of many pictures of a London apartment which is located in a converted school gym. It is a very cool space and worth checking out.

I am normally not a fan of large white spaces in quilts. It is one of the few modern sewing trends that hasn't grown on me. I love this all the same. I'm not sure why, except that the design reminds me somehow of water lilies. (And now you're squinting at it and wondering where I got that - and I can't explain it.) I've sketched out the design - blissfully avoiding the knowledge that it probably requires experience with y-seams and rhombuses (rhombi?) - and started playing with colors.

I can't even explain how I noticed it among all the pictures of the apartment. I wasn't looking for quilts or sewing inspiration. Something about it just struck me.

Do you have a favorite sewing book or pattern from the past year to recommend?

I thought I had a lot, but I must be behind the curve because almost all of the books I've thought of were actually printed at the end of 2010! The newest books I have are very new to me because I received them as Christmas gifts, but of them I do really love Kim Kight's Field Guide to Fabric Design.

Are there any trends you’re over and done with?

I'm personally not as excited by raw edge applique as I used to be. I'm sure now that I have written that I will immediately see a project using it that I absolutely love, but in general my interest in that technique has waned.

What are your thoughts about social media? How is it going for you? What do you love or hate?

I'm loving blogging, now that I'm actually sticking to it. Also I decided not to try and keep my crafting secret and I enjoy showing pictures of the stuff I'm working on to my facebook friends and google+ circles.

I'm still incredibly intimidated by twitter. I read it and I follow a lot of people in the crafting and quilting communities who inspire me, but I simply haven't gotten the hang of posting to it or responding/re-tweeting other people.

Finally, I really neglect flickr. It isn't that I don't like it or the communities, but it isn't integrated into anything else I use and there isn't a convenient way to use it on my phone or tablet. Honestly I wish something else would start to replace it.

Did you have a favorite fabric collection or print in 2011?

I didn't buy a lot of fabric in 2011. I was mostly trying to use up the massive stash I had built up. I think the collection that stuck with me even though I didn't buy any was Pernilla's Journey from Tina Givens.

Picture from True Up's Coverage of Spring Quilt Market 2011

Also, I'm a huge fan of Tula Pink and Prince Charming was as gorgeous as any of her other collections.

Picture from True Up's Coverage of Spring Quilt Market 2011

What do you predict for 2012 in the sewing industry?

I'd like to see a continuation of more non-white neutrals and semi tone on tone fabrics. I feel like this is an extension - for me - of the popularity of solids. If I can use something that reads close to a solid from a distance but is full of detail and interest up close, that will always be my choice for background.

I also would like to see a continuation of the trend to release fabric collections on different base fabrics. I'm not a huge fan of voile (I bought some lovely Anna Maria Horner voile and then gave it away because I couldn't make myself use it), but I love the small smattering of cotton/linen blends and light-weight linen fabrics I've picked up. And I would adore more printed corduroys - I just love the texture!

Can you tell us what to expect from you in 2012? Any big projects or life-changing goals?

For 2012 I have a couple big goals:

1. Do more hand quilting!
2. Learn to alter clothing patterns.
3. Write up and print (at least one copy!) of one of my quilting patterns.

It would be great to also do more improvisational work, design a fabric and screen print or digitally print it, and perhaps do another craft show - but I think 3 big goals is a good start for the year. If I can check them off early, I'll make a new list!

Christmas Presents

I got several sewing related presents this year for Christmas.

In the Black Friday sale from JoAnn fabrics I bought myself an Accuquilt Go! fabric cutter. (I know that one is supposed to buy presents for others, but I had been eyeing them and couldn't pass up the deal.) The cutter, which I love, came with a starter die that cuts a small square, half square triangles to make a small square, and a large square. I actually used that die to cut the blocks for one of my Christmas table runners.

For Christmas I received two more dies from my Grandmother. One that cuts three different sized hexagons and one which cuts equilateral triangles. I don't have any specific plans for them yet. I love hexagon quilts and honestly have held off working on one because I was intimidated by the cutting. Having the fabric cutter to do the work for me should erase that barrier! Also, the two dies say they work together, which I may need to take advantage of.

Equilateral Triangles

Hexagons

I also asked for and received the Colette Sewing Handbook, which I am very excited about! You can look at the book description here. I am particularly excited to work through the directions on altering patterns - as I really have not been able to get the hang of it. I haven't decided yet whether I will work though the book like a textbook - mastering each technique and pattern before I move on - or skip to the pattern that I most want to work on and then backtrack as I need to work on certain skills.

Finally, I also received Kim of True Up's book, Field Guide to Fabric Design. It is amazing! Not only is it a great resource on designing and creating custom fabric, but it is full of gorgeous pictures of modern and vintage fabric. Even if I wasn't interested in the details of fabric design, I might have bought this book for the pictures alone.

Christmas Sewing - Progress

Finished two of the table runner/wall hangings on time. The third is laying on the ironing board waiting for its turn.

Christmas Sewing

Working on table runners/wall hangings for Christmas.

Pinned for quilting.

Laid out for piecing.

I've actually started the quilting on the tree runner - its all going to be by hand - and the houses are ready to be quilted. I have one last table runner/wall hanging to do and the top is 75% pieced together.

I definitely have the feeling I'm running out of time, but at least all the Christmas shopping is done - so this is really all I have left.