Tobacco Felt Quilt

One of the things I love about doing quilt appraisals or consultations is you almost always see something come across the table that you've never seen before!

This time it was some very faded tobacco felts on the "Flag Quilt" in the photo above.  I have seen lots of felts representing all sorts of flags, American Indian rugs, and sports figures but I had never seen on with Kewpie Dolls!

I'm so glad I had my magnifying glass with me or I may have missed it.  (Ah yes folks...a genuine Sherlockian  quilt moment!)

Thanks to Tim Latimar for confirming they were tobacco felts.  (now if I could just get the photos to post right side up....) He linked me to a past auction that had a dozen or so in a lot.  A couple were they same type as in the quilt!  This also helps date the quilt as the Kewpies were only issued from 1914-1916.

Here are a few photos of what they would have looked like in a bit better shape...

The history of the Kewpie Doll creator, Rose O'Neil,  is interesting.  She was one of the earliest successful women illustrators.  Check out her story on Wikipedia....

You can check out more Tobacco Felt or Tobacco label quilts on the Quilt Index...

Spring Festival

Yesterday I participated in McCormick, S.C. spring festival.  They had a really nice quilt display in the old Dorm Mill Cotton Gin at the edge of downtown.

I started out with only 5-6 appointments but had quiet a few walk-ins.  Interesting day!

Had quite a few signature quilts.  It is funny how is seems that one type of quilt overtakes a day!  One program I did there was mostly wedding ring quilts...another day lots of wool quilts...and another was almost entirely African American quilts.

First the quilt that made the hairs on my neck stand up.  Remember last June I bought a large box of unfinished quilts tops and blocks at an auction in South Carolina?  There were a couple signature blocks in the box made around 1930.

The owner of this quilt said she believed it to be from a group of quilters in McCormick county and it included relatives of both her and her husband.

What do you think?  Could these blocks I found at auction have been made to go into the McCormick Quilting Bee quilt?

Were they put aside because the embroidery in the quilt was all done with black thread and these have red and pink?  The block is an unusual one - a variation of Brackman's #1802.   I'm going to contact the owner and find out if these names are on her quilt.

Another interesting 1930's signature quilt came from Connecticut.  Names of the owner parents are embroidered on this quilt.

Isn't obvious the reason for the quilt being made but many like it were done as fundraisers...you pay a nickle or a dime and your name is embroidered onto a block then the quilt is either sold or raffled.  This quilt is really well done and I am happy to hear that it is with a family that cherishes it.

This last signature quilt is from Ohio.  The owner purchased it many years ago at auction.

It has a wonderful collection of fabrics and names.  (BTW...all photos were taken with permission of the owners.)

I also handed out many postcards to publicize the guild's quiltshow in October and gave several antique quilt enthusiasts the booklet on the American Quilt Study Group.  I hope to see one or two of them at seminar in Charleston this September!

Ned some quiet time...

Once again I'm a bit overwhelmed by events...between being very busy with quilts and the crazy news here in the U.S.  I think today may be a good day to hide in the sewing room...

Last month I had very little on them my calendar for quilting...this month it is a bit crazy!  Ten appraisals...a guild program...two donation quilts...a lecture and quilt history day and a deadline for entering a quilt in a show (which means finally getting that binding sewn down!)  Spending so much time working on my sewing room earlier this month has be running behind!

Though the sewing room is looking so much better...and I am getting very good at folding fabric!  There are four cabinets for fabric in the room and they are all now full (this was an in-process photo...)

This is one of the donation tops I may try and quilt up today.  It has been in the UFO stack for at least a year.

Sometimes it is good to have a stack ready just in case...

I finished my applique block for my guild's annual donation quilt that supports Camp Rainbow.  We are using a Piece of Cake pattern with grey backgrounds.  We used gray for two reasons - first, it is the guild's 25th anniversary and second, there are so many gray fabrics on the market!

I've been working on this committee and this has been a stretch for me...wild colors!  If you are a fabric history person it is a fun quilt...we have fabrics from Piece of Cake's first fabric line in there!

  There is also some Kaffe, some batik, and a bit of a lot of other fabric lines.  In the block I made there are over 25 different fabrics!

Now, off to get some real work done and hide from the news on the television....bombings in Boston, explosions in Texas, poisoned mail from Memphis...I need some fabric therapy time...

Invaded by Golfers....

Once a year Augusta, where I live now, is on the map.  The Masters Golf Tournament brings folks from all over the globe to this little town and boy does it change things.

On the good side: there are lots of concerts and events going on all week; the city cleans up well; the restaurants step up their game so even though they are more crowded the food is better and more varied; and well, even if you don't like golf it just makes everything a bit more interesting!

The down side: you have to be careful to avoid certain parts of town during certain times of the day due to gridlock traffic; some of my favorite stores and restaurants are just off limits due to crowds; and it is pretty much impossible to get anything done because local folks are either busy supporting the event or have left town to avoid the event.

For instance I need to do an appraisal on a quilt that has been donated to a local museum and of course the client needs it done this week.  Remember that traffic I mentioned?  Yup...no way around it.  Remember that impossible to get with folks due to their being busy supporting the event?  Yup...the museum is not crazy about having to pull the quilt out for me to view right now because they are short staffed and hope this week to have lots of traffic through the museum.  Oh well...we will make it work....

Interestingly I have seen the quilt before...it was on display about 7 years ago!  I really liked the slant board display used here.  The fringe is all hand knotted and really a nice addition to this circa 1840 quilt.

It's Here!!!

Just a quick post...lots of work to do!

My new (to-me) sewing table is here!  A friend drove his pickup truck and helped with the loading and unloading.  Phew!  It was wrapped up tightly in blankets so made the hour trip ok...had to lock the pets up for a bit while we wheeled it in...they seem to like it!  (gives Dobby a great view of his backyard...)

Still loads of organizing.  Before we left I was pretty proud of myself.  The shelves were all filled with fabric and the floor was cleared. It all fit!  Then I walked down the hallway and noticed the bed in our guest bedroom is covered in a mound about 2 foot tall of fabric!  Oh no!

Need a new plan....

Antique quilt blocks...

I am sorting the quilt blocks today.  Funny to find one with today's date on it...minus a few years of course!  Nice sentiment though..."May you be happy."

I like to use blocks for inspiration for new quilts...this one won a ribbon in our last show.

They also are great for fabric studies.  Since most of the blocks haven't been washed the colors are closer to what they would have been for the maker.

Isn't this a wonderful brown print!  Browns are notorious for fading and cracking so to have an unused piece really gives a better idea of the original fabric.

Aren't these indigos wonderful...and the indigo with cheddar that adds so much life to the block...

And an earlier star with more indigo and cheddar!

I'll also collect fabrics.  These are some old turkey red salesman's samples with the labels still attached!  Research to do there...

Even those that are quilted are still easier to transport and collect then an entire quilt...though I do not cut up quilts myself.  (these mostly came from antique shops or shows in the 1990's...)

Make way for the new table....

I am still hard at work cleaning, sorting, and rearranging my sewing space.  My friend Paula came over this morning and together we made the final decision on layout (I think I had looked at the options so long my brain had turned to mush!)  Anyway...we have a plan!  And I have to move on it as the table arrives tomorrow night!

So far I have about half the furniture moved...it is tough since first I have to empty it, then move it, then refill it with all the "stuff."  I do have two bags of fabric or tops or projects filled.  One is going to my guild and the other is mainly vintage stuff that will go to the American Quilt Study Group for the silent auction at seminar this fall down in Charleston.

The three photos above are from one of the tops for the AQSG...I've had it for years and it is a good fabric study piece, and unusual pattern, and in good shape but it never seems to make the cut when I pack for programs so it needs to find a new home.

I'm good about being stricter this time...so far I've packed up one from the turn of the century, one from the 30's and another from the 50's....

This one is on the edge...I've put it in the bag twice and twice I've taken back and put it on the shelf...humm. I like the variety of fabrics in it but it is dark and I've started to enjoy brighter quilts more...

I just rotated the quilt in the living room and put up this turn of the century log cabin...even this feels brighter than the top...

Ah well, enough procrastinating!  Back to moving...folding...packing...

More embroidered blocks...

First some exciting news...I'm getting a new-to-me sewing table!  I hope it will help with the sore shoulders I'be been getting when I put the quilt tops together or bind them...little table was no help there!  Anyway, this also means some serious cleaning and organizing so the table will fit in my rather crowded (a nice term for "out of control!") sewing space!  I have until Friday...that is when my DH and I drive down to a farm and pick it up.  Lots of time but lots of work to do!

The farm has three new foals!  Amazing the difference a few hours makes to the Mom...the one with the foal born that morning was not happy about having folks near her baby...the one with the two day old foal was checking out my pocket for treats with a "oh ya, want to see the kid?" sort of attitude!

So while cleaning the sewing room I found a box with some vintage embroidered blocks that I bought years ago.

Very appropriate for the spring season, no?

The print on the bottoms readss "NO203C Quilt Blocks  100% cotton Preshrunk Indianhead  American Thread Co Use Star Thread 30_"  Now I am curious what all that means and if it will tell me when these may have been made.

Lesson learned

So next year when they say "get your flu shot" I will absolutely go the next day and get it.  Lesson learned.  I not only had the flu early on this season but was lucky/talented enough to get it again...so that is why I have been off the grid for the past couple of weeks...

But I am back!  I even started stitching again today.  (not too much)  I also have long, long list of things to do...

Like getting photos of this Ohio Rose quilt off to a woman who attended one of my programs and now wants to paint this block on her barn!  This was my Dad's favorite quilt.  It is from the 1930's  and is very soft.  The quilting is exceptional!  The binding is applied with a zigzag machine stitch!  After all that wonderful hand work...maybe the maker disliked putting on binding as much as I do?!