We are going to throw out a bag of quilts...

"We are going to throw out a bag of quilts"...that is how the phone call started today.  I have helped this particular store a few times in the past when they were unsure of what they had.  Today the manager had told the guy that they had too much on the floor and to throw these old things out.  So before the tossed them he called...I'm so glad he did!

Q-1 simple one patch, scrappy, circa 1940, restoration done on the border and binding.

Q-1 close-up

Q-1 backing

There are five quilts.  All made around 1930-1940.  All are in good condition.  One has a repair that was done well.  So they aren't museum quality but they don't deserve to be tossed!

Q-2 twin size hexagon

Q-2 close-up

Q-2 backing

I am debating on calling the two twin size hexagon quilts a pair...they are very close in size, the hexies are the same size, and some of the fabrics are the same.   So what is holding me back?  The backings are different and Q-2 has some fabrics from the 1910 while Q-3 is only 1930's fabric.

Q-3 twin size hexagon, scrappy

Q-2 close-up

Q-2 backing

I'll show the other two quilts in my next post!  These don't really fit with my plans for my collection but I couldn't leave them to an ugly fate....

More hand stitching...

Earlier this month I took a "conquer the curve" workshop with Pepper Cory.

my sleepy "fabric guard"...

So far I've finished one block.  I do however have the rest of the blocks all cut out.

finished block..string of pearls

These blocks are not for the faint of heart!  The five blocks are listing in order of difficulty so I hope by the time I stitch this strawberry block together I will not be quite so intimidated!

I did "cheat" a bit and put together the 4-inch star blocks by machine.  The blank spots have drunkards path blocks....those I'll sew by hand!

I chose fabrics to go with the southern folk paintings in my kitchen.  My eyes are doing well right now so I can "see" the red...

when I started piecing this zig-zag top my eyes couldn't see red so not a lot of red in it...either I'm going to pull the red and orange pieces or add more so they don't look so orphaned!

It is way too hot here to do much in the garden.  The daylillies are in full bloom.  The red one above was given to me by my friend Paula last year and is doing well in my front garden!

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.

New to me basket quilt

I left one quilt out of my estate sale finds posts last month!

Maybe because it really needed a bath...fast!  (and not because Watson sat on it!)

It was made circa 1930.

I like that the baskets are scrappy.

wet quilt drying out on the deck...

Love that the setting triangles and the 2-3 inch border is also pieced!

There are a few loose seams but it is clean so I can go about fixing those...

The quilting is done in a squared off fan.  The backing is pieced and likely home-dyed.  Binding is back to front.  All the typical characteristics of a "southern" quilt.

Sibley Textile Mill revisited

Ever since I visited Sibley Mill, a textile mill here in Augusta Georgia that closed about 30 years ago, I searched for a quilt made locally that could have scraps from the mill.

Denim backed quilt on the front steps of Sibley Mill

I just may have found it...but may may be as close as I'll come!  I bought this at an estate sale.  Yes, she was a quilter.  Yes, she lived near the mill.  Yes, family remembers it being in her house.  Here is the kicker...no one remembers her working on this quilt and women in her church were known to trade or gift quilts often.

So for the meanwhile this will remain just a "southern quilt circa 1970, likely made in the Augusta area."

adjacent to the dye room

I did get a chance to go inside the Mill and do a bit of photography.  The building is pretty much empty except for a hydroelectric power plant.

abandoned spools of thread in the dye room

Interesting place though the 100 degree heat at 9 in the morning was a bit tough to take!

and I ended it by lugging a really heavy quilt around to get photos...just a bit crazed!

So I have now have loads of post processing to do...translated to messing about in editing programs with raw photo files.  The down side is that heat kicked my optic neuritis into play and so I don't have the best color vision...the files will have to stay on the back burner for now.  Good thing I have a large library of BBC mysteries to keep me occupied!

Get out of the heat...

It is hot here in Georgia...

Augusta, GA

Wednesday 2:00 PM

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like, fry egg on the sidewalk hot. And no, this is not a "dry" heat...humidity 35%...that means the lens of my camera fogs up almost immediately!  And it doesn't look like we'll be getting a break anytime soon!

So I will be in my room quilting.

I would like to be washing these two new-to-me denim and chambry quilts that I got at the estate sale.  I washed one basket quilt last weekend and it after 12 hours outside...it was still wet!  It's that darn humidity!  grrr.  The denim quilts would never dry out there!

I did put them outside face down to get some sun and a breeze.  Really helps get some of the old-quilt-smell out.  Not sure how these were stored and they were a bit musty.

These quilts came from the same estate sale, have some of the same fabrics (sort of has a look of the Cherrywood fabrics), similar quilting style and stitches, and have pieced backs of similar fabric. Both have good workmanship.  Very good chance they were made by the same person.

I bought the churndash on Saturday.  Then on Monday I got a call from the folks running the estate sale.  There were a few more quilts and they were going to send them off to a charity.  I could make an offer on any of them if I was interested.  Yes, it was 101 degrees out...but I went anyways.  I had not seen the one-patch at the sale earlier (they had used it as a backdrop for some furniture.)

Since I had the churndash I had to bring home the one patch!   Each is a nice quilt but together they really are striking.  They are in need of a bath though...hoping for a break in the heat soon!