Old fabric "friends"

I've been digging through the vintage fabric and quilt top piles looking for candidates to bring to the American Quilt study Group Seminar this weekend in Lincoln.  I want to avoid checking a bag so bringing a quilt may not be an option.  A top however I can fit even into my carry-on bag!

The roundtable discussion I signed up for is on plaids.  I have several quilts that would be great for this but tops..not so much.  The top in the photo above was at the bottom of a large pile.  I hadn't seen it in ages!  The blocks are around 6 inches (give or take a 1/2 inch!)

Lots of interesting fabrics including some plaids,  lots of madder and a variety of double pinks...think I'll keep looking though...I've got to have one that has more plaids than this!

Of course I could just add a couple of these Dove in the Window blocks with the printed plaids to add some variety....

I also went through  some of the vintage fabrics I've gathered through the years just in case I needed to do some restoration on one of my quilts.  Some of these have sat in the box for over 20 years!

With Dobby on guard duty I know I'll have that fabric when I need it!

So now you see why this packing has taken me so long!

Debate Night!

Please tell me mine isn't the only household in the U.S. that is excited for the debates tonight.  For us it is almost like the Superbowl...yes, we make snacks and yell at the TV.  All fun but serious as well....

Leaving politics aside I did use the elections (or at least American Political history) as part of a recent guild program.  I had several antique quilts named after political figures and a set of 9 blocks that I made so that we could have a quilt block quiz...all fun!  Unfortunately due to time constraints we only did the quiz...still fun

These are some of the blocks I made...

I had to keep it non-partisan so if Ararat (blocks above) was there...

I also had to have Giddup....

One of my favorite blocks (both to make and to research) was Dolly Madison (upper left in photo)...who knew she was such a pistol!  Not only did she save many pieces of artwork from the White House from the British soldiers but she left dinner set out on the table for them!  Who knows of it is really true...but it makes for a great story!

Not to be out-done...I have long enjoyed making the Martha Washington star...(upper right in photo.)  The lower left is Lincoln's Platform and on the lower right is Road to the White-house.

This last one is called the President's Chair...my DH called it "Dirty Harry's Hammock."  He thinks he is clever...Now off to back some snacks for tonight...let's hope for a great debate!

Packing time!

When I used to pack a suitcase weekly (sometimes multiple times a week!) for work it was easy.  From start to finish it was a done deal in under 15 minutes!  Now that I only pack 6-7 times a year it takes me forever...

                                                                           Brownie "helping" to pack.....
I am heading out to Lincoln for the American Quilt Study Group Seminar (AQGS.)  I haven't attended one in several years so I am really excited.  So much to learn and see.  Plus I get to meet folks that I have "known" via my blog and facebook!

                                                                  Maryland Applique Crib Quilt circa 1840
So first there is the problem of what clothes to pack...then what projects to bring to work on in the room and during at least one long wait in the airport and then finally what to bring for show and tell....Needless to say my closet it now turned up-side down only to be rivaled by the antique quilt collection which is now draped across every surface of the house...well, except for the kitchen...

                                                                                 Strippy star, circa 1920
In addition to getting myself ready I have to get things organized for my DH back here at home.  He is doing much better and is even back to work 3-4 days a week.  However, he still gets tried quickly and is limited on what he can eat.  So I am making him a menu to use while I am gone (the ingredients are all in the cupboards.)  Last night he finally gave himself his own shot and this morning made his own oatmeal...there was much grumbling involved but it came out fine.

Vintage Quilts

Whenever my guild has large meetings a few members will bring their family heirlooms or recent antique textile finds to share with the group.  This month was no different.  Here are a couple that I saw...

First was this interesting churn dash circa 1900...it is very dirty but the fabrics are wonderful to look at..of course the brown is shattering so cleaning this will be challenging.  I really like the large pink and white printed check in the alternate blocks.  At first glance it looks like a large gingham but it is a printed fabric.  It has a plain muslin back and I believe the binding is front to back.

Next was a fun log-cabin circa 1940.

These strips are tiny!  The center blocks are red or pink and are 1/2 inch square!  I believe it was foundation pieced on muslin.

It has a wonderful yellow flowered back...the binding is back to front.

Guild Meeting

                                                        Show and Tell...blocks from the Carolina Shop Hop...
Twice year the local guild I belong to has Saturday meetings so the day group and the night group can mingle.

It has been a quiet summer so there was lots of business to handle.  I was giving the program that originally was going to be 30 minutes...then 15...then a glance a the clock told me that business had taken over two hours and I stood between the mob...I mean quilters...and lunch so the program was 10 minutes!  Oh well...I had fun making and researching the blocks...

                                                Our most recent donation quilt goes home with it's winner!
We also did an activity for Quilts of Valor.  If a member brought a block then their name went into the hat for a drawing for a "fabulous prize."  (Actually it was a signed copy of Bonnie's latest book and the great news is it went to a quilter, Angie,  who loves Bonnie's work...love it when it works out like that!)

I laid out some of the blocks when I got home...hope to have at least one of the tops together by our November meetings.  I think with some sashing and borders we will have enough to make three!

Almost there...

I decided I needed to make two more rows on the "Candy Ribbon"  (AKA Smith mountain) quilt.  I had it laid out on the floor and it just didn't look right as a square quilt.

No problem...it isn't as if I had cleaned off the cutting table or anything...Also, I made an extra red star and an extra setting block.  Just warning if you decide to do this with four colors it multiply the confusion level of this quilt 10x!  After a few sessions of laying out the blocks I realized I needed a plan that I could follow each time...even with it I ended up with two "bonus" blocks!

As far as the border goes I'm thinking of using the HST and making sort of a ribbon around the edge.

 It goes with the quilt "theme" and it uses a block from the quilt.  Which not surprisingly I have a large stack of already made.  What do ya'll think?

Remember when becomes remember where...

Do you ever look back and wonder what were you doing this time say,  5  years ago...

Or maybe 4 years....

Or even three..

When I was working on these blocks...which I really like so now I need to go dig in the UFO zone and figure out what I did with them!

A bit of progress...

I was able to get some sewing done this weekend.  I'm amazed at how much fabric this quilt is using!  Feels like I am spending lots of time at the cutting table...

Anyway, it is coming along.  I'm not going to make it as large as Bonnie's Smith Mtn and I've worked out a different border.

Haven't posted  a Dobby photo for awhile...he is getting very heavy!  At least 16 pounds...that is two of my little Brownie!

Back to sewing...

Now that my DH is back to working at least half days I have time to get back in the sewing room!  A couple of weeks ago I took a workshop with Bonnie Hunter at the Aiken, S.C. guild.  It was a fun class!  Of course then I went on vacation and my block and fabrics sat in the hallway for a couple of weeks...but I'm back!

Now Bonnie's quilt was done is two colors - Blue and Brown.  I originally started making blue and green blocks.  The problem is I have another blue and green quilt in the works.  So made a few yellow and red blocks...then I remembered I have a yellow and red quilt in the works (for in the works read UFO!)  So I thought why don't I use both of the blocks...

Problem is when I laid them out I wasn't so excited...too linear.  one row would have green and blue and the next yellow and red.  So back to the secondary block...a change up in the center square put the blue and green next to each other so the blocks would end up on the diagonal.  Much better!

So I succeeded in making this a much more complicated quilt then Bonnie intended...that's me!  I am using lots of scraps though and for that she would be happy!

Also, my leader and ender project for this are these half-square blocks based on the top gifted to me by a guild member a few weeks ago.  The hst are 1-1/2 inch finished. so the blocks are 6 inch finished.  No hurry - just fun and a good way to use up the 2-inch strips left over from other projects!

Cumberland Island

Well my DH and I weren't at top form for our holiday/vacation but we enjoyed ourselves anyways!  He got to play lots of trivia, nap and try different food to advance his diet while I got to take photos, nap and not have to cook ten different things to see if he could eat one or two of them...win-win!

On our way to Florida we stopped at St. Mary's Georgia so we could visit Cumberland Island.  The island is part of the National Park Service and can only be reached by boat.  It really is a beautiful place.  I plan to go back when I can spend more time...and perhaps when it isn't quite so hot!

The island has Saltwater march, maritime forest and beaches.  There are few structures there. The photo above is the remains of the Carnegie house, Dungeness.

 Of course my favorite is the horses...feral horses.

There were lots of wild turkeys too...since they aren't hunted I guess being that close to a picnic table doesn't make them nervous...

New to me quilt top...

Things are still a bit off schedule but getting better...

I made it to my guild's daytime bee today.  One of the new members gave me a 1930's quilt top she found years ago at a church yard sale.  She doesn't collect vintage or antique but it was the end of the sale and she didn't want it getting tossed.  I think it is a great little top.  A  bit fragile in places but a wonderful collection of fabrics...particularly like the wide assortment of solids!

Love the little block with the nautical theme...didn't I just see something like this in the current Hancock's catalog?!

A few weeks ago Bonnie Hunter posted directions for a block she drafted based on an antique quilt she saw at a mall.  Amazing how my brain has been numbed from not piecing or sewing for a month...this block just was not going together for me!  It worked in the end but I've never worked so hard!  Decided I needed to sew for 30 minutes a day if only to get the sewing-brain-cells a bit of exercise!