First Florida Quilt!

My first "florida" quilt!  We live very close (too close even!) to Renninger's Antique and flea market.  It is one of the largest in the state.

I try not to go often as I am still in the process of organizing what I moved down here! But this one caught my husband's eye and while had my back turned he bought it...which is fine by me!

Not sure if it was a kit or a pattern.  The pink fabric is almost a sateen which makes me think this is circa 1920's.

The workmanship is excellent.  This is one of those quilts that looks best on a bed!  Recently I've just kept is folded over a chair in the spare bedroom.

Jones Treadle Machine - go or no-go?

The clear out continues and gets a bit harder with each bag or box packed up for the charity shop...

On the bubble right now is this Jones treadle sewing machine circa 1890 (looked it up once but have forgotten the exact date.)

It moves freely...

had drawers of parts...

including a manuel...

and fun decals...

but do I need it?  It has been in the garage for several years...but I don't have a treadle machine anymore....urghhhhh....

I'll think it about it tomorrow...

in the mean time I will work non the guild donation quilt.  It is the Kaffee Fassett vase and bowl pattern.  It took me way too long to square up the blocks!  That part is done and I hope to have this out of my studio this week...

continue to find some fun things in the piles like this runner (?)  It is all hand stitched and lays almost flat!  I may just quilt it up...

Well back to work now....

Quilts 4 and 5!

Here is the continuation of yesterday's post on the new-to-me quilts.  Did discover something last night as I was going through photos...all five quilts have a pint print backing.  Different fabrics but all pink fabrics!  Another reason I believe they may have been made by the same quilter.

So here is Quilt #4...a hst on diagonal.  Doesn't it have a great contemporary feel to it!  I think it is circa 1950...

Close-up of Q-4, the grey makes it look modern no?

Like the other quilts it has a lot of pink in the backing!

Q-5 is another simple one-patch.  This one is the smallest in the bunch - 39x57 inches.

I think it is circa 1940.  It has some fun fabrics and a few are in one of the hexagon quilts (another hint they were made by the same quilter!)

Yup...pink backing!  Binding back to front...

Watson is guarding the quilts but also thinks I am spending too much time with them!

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....

Friend quilt!

A few months ago my friend Paula and I exchanged quilts.  Paula made a Sue Spargo design but added a lot of her own ideas to it.  I had made candy corn - a take on a vintage Southern Top I bought at a country auction in South Carolina.

I'm embarrassed to say it has taken me this long to get it up on the wall!

On the left is the quilt I made and on the right is the Paula made

In my defense this quilt is made from wool, silk and cottons with lots of embellishment. So I didn't want the quilt to get sunlight...didn't want it to be near any vents where it could get moisture or dust.  And on top of that it is a mid sized quilt so need a decent amount of wall space.

Add to that I wanted folks to see it when they visit the house...phew.

So now this quilt hangs in the hallway off of the dining-room.  You can glimpse it from the front foyer so perhaps it will pull visitors into the house?!

North Carolina Quilt Symposium!

Last weekend I got to spend my birthday at the North Carolina Quilt Symposium!

Me and Pepper Cory in front of her curved piecing sampler

They hold this even every year.  It is a great opportunity to take some workshops, attend some lectures and just hang out with quilters for a few days.  And bonus...there is a quilt show and vendors!

Best in show quilt...the Harry Potter Bookcase!  

Yes I did some damage at the vendor mall...but I'll hold that off for a future post.  Still haven't totally unpacked yet!

I took Pepper's conquering the curve workshop.  Strongly recommend it.  She is a very good teacher.

A 1930's 

and one of Pepper's recent patterns using the curve!

Also attended her lecture on Drunkards Path.  Love how she moved from antique through vintage and then showed her own interpretation of that pattern!  Also love her peppered cottons which I believe are the fabrics in her pattern!  They "play" well with so many other lines like Kaffe and reproduction fabrics.

Also attended a lecture on using the computer for quilting with Mary Ellen Kranz who authored "Blending Photos with Fabric 2."  Another great instructor!

I can see myself using that book soon!

Peace College in Raliegh, NC has a beautiful campus

Finally I took a lecture with Harriet Hargrave on Battings.  No photos...I was too busy taking notes!  What that woman doesn't know about batting is't worth knowing.  I think that deserves its own blog post!

A "new to me" sailboat quilt

I went to a local estate sale this week because the photos online showed a stuffed sewing and craft room.  It was "stuffed" but not just with stuff but with people...boy was it a crowded sale!

I did however get a twin size quilt pieced in a pattern I had never seen before.  Now if I was going to make a sailboat quilt (again) this would be the last pattern I would choose!

Talk about making something difficult!  Anyway, I posted the quilt on a vintage and antique facebook site and within a few hours one of the members had the info I needed on this quilt...

I did give the quilt a good bath when it got home...it had a few stains and really didn't smell so good.  Glad to report stains are gone and it smells fine!  Fabric are all solids: medium green, watermelon pink, and an off white.  The back is off-white and the binding is front to back.  There is some bunching in the batting.  I'm estimating mid-1940's.

I also got some vintage packages of needles.  These are tricky to buy since so many reproductions were done and sold in stores like Joannes but since one of the packets is printed with "made in occupied Japan" I'm pretty sure I'm good on these.

A little finish!

Number three, a little doll quilt, is now finished!

This was a blog quilt-a-long led by Lori over at Humble Quilts several years ago.  I think it was called Strawberry Lemonade...sorry Lori if I'm wrong!  It has been awhile in the "to be hand-quilted" pile.

That pile doesn't go down nearly as fast as it builds!

On the vintage quilt front I bought this fun large 9-patch Carpenter's Wheel on ebay last week.

It arrived yesterday.  Needs a good airing out and some bath time but it is a fun quilt!

It was made in Texas.  From the fabrics I'd estimate circa 1940.  (this little blue fabric is a fun 30's one though!)

The quilting is amazing!

It has a pieced muslin back...a few spots need some attention before it hits the bath...need to get to it while the weather is good for quilt drying!

btw...this is Dobby's birthday week!  Since he was a rescue we don't have an exact day...he had rotisserie chicken and some special salmon treats...