Estate Sale finds...

A couple of interesting quilts from estate sales last weekend!

First a hexie quilt!  I know I said I had enough EPP in the closet and said no-more but this one is different.

I haven't seen a lot of black pathways in a garden block!  Paving perhaps?

This quilt is hand-quilted using blue thread which matches the backing fabric. I see this fairly often here in the south and am wondering if it is a regional characteristic.  

It has a great collection of fabrics that range from circa 1910 through the 1930's.  Lots to look at!

Next to come home was a top.

There are some fun western fabrics in this.

It is a simple 4-patch with alternating block pattern.  A good piece for fabric study.  It is pieced both by machine and by hand.  Would love to know which came first!

I learned a hard lesson at this sale.  There was a quilt that got away.  It was circa 1850 and in really tough shape but I went back to it several times.  I didn't know the pattern.  When I got home I checked all my referenced...no luck.  So during breakfast I talked my DH to driving me back to the sale only to find the quilt had been sold!

So I've drafted up the pattern and while the "quilt that got away" is fresh in my mind I'll piece a few blocks to hang in my sewing room.

Donation Quilt at Home Show

My quilt guild makes a quilt each year to benefit Camp Rainbow, a medically supervised camp for children with cancer.

One of our big events for this quilt is the Augusta Home Show.

I worked at our booth for the first shift and was really happy with how generous the folks were.  One man said he didn't have time to fill out the tickets but wanted to donate and put a $20 bill in the bucket!

Flowers are starting to come up even with the cooler weather...makes me want to work out in the yard but it is still about a month too early!

Speaking of flowers my friend Paula gave me my swap quilt this week!  The quilt on the left is Carnival corn that I made and gave to her and on the left is Fanciful Blooms (a Sue Spargo pattern that Paula made her own!)  which she made and gave to me!

Sue Haidle Applique Workshop

This weekend my guild had an applique workshop with Sue Haidle of Apple Blossom Quilts.

I think we all had fun and certainly learned a lot!

Sue has her own approach to back basted applique and some other unique techniques.  I think no matter how long you have appliqued there is always something to learn or a slightly different way of doing things.

Even learning about a new needle is worth admission!

Our group was mostly intermediate and we were certainly challenged!  (She does do basic or beginner classes too!)

Baby Quilt finished!

I did it...finished a baby quilt before the baby was born!  Trust me this has only happened once before...usually I think I do well if it is finished before their first birthday (oh ya, I wanted to know the gender first...that excuse just doesn't work anymore!)

The last stitch went into the binding about noon and it was at the post office by 2:00!  I stopped for an ice-cream on the way home to celebrate!

I have another baby quilt waiting for binding so I can't stop and party too long...

I'm continuing to work on Photoshop...a little bit each day...and it gets a bit easier each day.  Not a lot but a little bit!  Yesterday I too photos on different manual setting of my camellia bush.  First year it has bloomed!

Also worked on our guild's next donation quilt.  We got permission to base it on this quilt in Kay Triplett's book on Indigo.  We are adding some applique in the open areas. The applique will be in the fabrics below...a bit challenging but fun on the less!

Photo Shop Class

I started this year out with finally getting to one of those long term items on my bucket list...I'm taking a class on Photo Shop.

Beach in Honduras...homework last weekend

I love it...I hate it...and I love it.  Some times my head feels like it will explode!

In the class I am the only "real" beginner.  Heck one woman used to teach the class!  The instructor is excellent...it is just a tad fast!

Also, I find myself wishing I could go back and take photos again knowing what I do now about my digital camera!

Reminds me of when I took a year long applique class where we made one block a month.  At the end of the year I looked at my first month's block and decided to remake it...in the end I had 16 blocks but only used 12!  We are hard on ourselves aren't we?!

I also see the photos creeping into the quilting room...this is yesterday's block for the Splendid Sampler over on Facebook!

Happy Valentine's Day

My guild had a Valentine theme to our monthly meeting.

Lots of really creative folks.  The challenge was to make a bag/box for folks to put your valentines into...the winner was this very fun cardboard "sewing machine."

There were lot of fun entries!

And as always show and tell was interesting...from tiny sunbonnet sue's  (yes those are all appliqued and then hand-quilted!)

to Modern quilted projects...

an original quilt made from infant "one-sies"...another item to recycle!  This is called "You are my Sunshine."

to a quilt-top started at a Victoria Finley workshop several years ago...

to a very quiet and well behaved guild quilt dog! (dressed for the occasion!)

There was food too...lots of food.  This is the south after all!

I'm back again...

2016 has started out as a crazy year...but I'm back and will try to do better!

My Carnival Corn quilt on display this month in GA!

To start with I am working hard to finish up two baby quilts.  Two of my nephews who married just a couple weeks apart 4 years ago now are having babies only a couple months apart!

Mommy and me...now quilted and just waiting on binding!

All good...I just need to start working on baby quilts again.  Think I may need several in the years ahead!

Beach in Honduras....

In January my guild had its retreat, my small wool stitching group put up a show in Millidgeville, GA called "stitching with friends."  (photo of Carnival Corn is from that show,) and my husband and I went on a cruise.

I've spent February recovering!

Christmas fun in the Kitchen...

I know I should be stitching but instead I am baking!

or at least doing all the prep work for my upcoming cookie marathon!

Each year I bake a dozen different cookies and make up cookie boxes and trays for friends and neighbors.

First I decide on what cookies to make and gather the recipes.

Some cookies I make every years - Mint Snowtop, Christmas Biscotti, Coconut Biscotti and Molasses cookies.  Some every few years - Peanut blossoms, Almond Jam Slices, Toffee cookies, and Ellie's Butterscotch Cookies.  Then I always try a few new ones - Gingerbread biscotti, Pecan Cresents, Peppermint Candy sugar cookies.

Then I inventory the baking supply cabinet...I buy new baking powder and baking soda each year and also check the dates on all the spices.

Then I gather together the containers.  I usually buy the containers at the after Christmas sales but I also use some non-traditional containers like fun tea-cups or bowls that I find during the year.

Now how does this go with quilting you may wonder?  Well, I have stitching on Wednesday - will bring a tray of cookies.  I have bee on Thursday - will bring a cranberry pecan cake.  And on Friday I have a holiday get together with my Woolie-Woolie group and will bring home-made Stollen and some cookies.

Reuse decorations...

I just read an article about this year's decorations at the White House.  They really are beautiful and as a bonus 90% of them were re-used from prior years.

Santa on books - 1991, Maryland

Which got me to thinking about how many of my decorations were "re-used."

Russian carved santa - Moscow, 1993

This year, except for the Poinsettias almost all of my decorations have made prior appearances!

Santa Smoker, Germany 1984

When I traveled often I bought a Santa almost every year so I have santas from Germany, Russia, England, Poland, New Mexico, Virginia...well, lots and lots of places!

A lighthouse star from my Mom, 2005

My tree ornaments range from German, New England seaside, to scottie dogs (yes lots of scotties!)

Plus a few sewing related....tiny thimble ornaments!

Christmas Music Magazine, 1927 (framed in 2010)

I even change out some of the pictures on the walls.

Today I'm making some fun table runners using Cowboy and truck fabrics...

need to add a few new things to the mix!

The 1937 Sewing Club

Today I needed to stay home and get some Christmas decorating done so my DH went off to an estate sale by himself...

He came home with this quilt from Spartanberg, S.C.  Each block is signed and then embroidered with a woman's name..one has the date and the club name.

 Only one block has a last name.  That may help when it comes time to do some research!

My cat Dobby is fascinated by this quilt.  I think they must have had a cat!

Need to find a place to hang this quilt...wish I could put my newest Christmas decoration with it.  A little depression era cut with a red truck bringing home a Christmas tree!  Seems like I'm seeing little red Christmas trucks everywhere this year!