Answers...

I spent a full day at work today so am a bit wiped out so I thought I'd just answer some questions that have come back on some recent posts...

What is a crustie? I don't think it is a widely used term so don't lose sleep over it! Basicly it is a small work with three layers that is heavily embellished. I'd use the name of the artist that inspired the works except I've heard she strongly objects to the term crustie (which is really only encrusted shortened...neither of which sound very artistic but we like it...read that as the "royal" we!) I'll try and post some more this week if I get permission from Rachel...

Tic tack toe is basicly taking a nine patch, slicing it and adding strips then squaring (almost) the block up. Dianne Hire has some great directions in her book Playtime for that technique and several others that involve sewing and slicing. If you get a chance to take her class or look through her book it is worth the time.

Where do I find my antique quilts? Everywhere! I've bought them at antique shows, flea markets, and yard sales. I knocked on the front door of a house when I saw one sitting on top of a car in their garage (quilt neglect.) At a gun show I berated a dealer until he sold me the quilt top he was using as a table cover (quilt abuse.) I've been given them by people I worked with who no longer had family members who they thought would appreciate them (quilt adoption.) Once family, friends, and coworkers know you are looking for them it is surprising what you find. Just today I got a call from a guy I work with to tell me there is a person listing quilts "at least 100 years old" for sale in the "I Wanna" Ad book...I haven't looked in that book for years but there ya go! Even the local charities like Goodwill and Catholic Charities that sell clothes and donated items have my telephone number...I've alway given them a fair offer and if it is a quilt I don't want I give them enough information so they can market it effectively (I also let other quilt collectors know about it...after I look...which they have reciprocated.)

What do I do with my antique quilts? The strippy quilt in the photo is one I have had for over ten years. I call it a Cape Cod quilt because it reminds me of the beach. I bought this at a small antique shop in Maryland. It hangs in my living room during the summer. I have also used it to inspire new quilts. I posted one in an earier post in bright colors. I've taught classes on the strippy technique. So I guess you could say I've gotten about all you can out of this quilt...I also have volunteered at our quilt show and at a local antique store to do bed turnings showing the quilts and talking about quilt history. Most of my quilts are coming with me when I move overseas. Some are going to be temporarily loaned to my sisters.

E-bay blocks

My sister (one of them) has a blossoming addiction to ebay that has spilled occasionally into the quilting arena. I say unfortunately because she does not quilt so the half finished projects she "wins" online ends up in my UFO pile! As if I don't have enough UFO's of my own to feel guilty about!

The photo is of one of these projects. The interior blocks with the star were sent to me a couple of years ago (my plan is if I take extremely long times to get them done she will stop sending them!) I let them age for a few months..maybe 12-16...in my stash. Periodically I would take them out and play with them but it took a long time before I decided to set them on point and mix it up a bit. I'm just not a 4- fabric-quilt sort of person! Anyway, this came out of the almost finished pile and is going to travel with me so I can hand quilt it...at this point a few more weeks or months isn't going to make much of a difference!

I have recovered from the weekend's excitement. The fabric has been packed into boxes so they can't "attack" again. My neighbor has volunteered to take everything down off the shelves on the other side of the room to make it easier for me rummage through. I'm not sure if the instinct to tuck and roll was from jumping out of planes in the army or bomb drills that had us hiding under the desk in elementary school..what ever it worked!

Well DH is calling...the Red Sox/Yankee game is on TV and he doesn't like to cheer alone!

LIved to tell the tale...

Who knew that packing could be dangerous! (I mean packing up my quilt room not packing heat for you mystery fans....)

I was making an attempt to cull some of the fabrics I will never use, projects I will never finish, patterns and books never open...you got the idea...from my sewing room. The photo is the non-dangerous side of the room...this gives you and idea of what I was working with!

Anyway, while pulling a basket from a top shelf the entire bookcase just fell forward. It was all very strang and in slow motion. I also fell backwards and fortunately rolled underneath the sewing table. It was like being in a very odd tent with mountains of fabric falling all around me. I must of screamed because the men working on my neighbors lawn came running to the window and were shouting to me in Spanish while my Scotty dog barked and my gold cat gave me the evil eye for invading her hiding space! Needless to say I am shaken but fine. My neighbor and the yard-guys came in an moved the bookcase back on end freeing me from beneath the table. I was worried my sewing machine was hurt but it seems a Viking can take a fall and keep on sewing!

I am angry at myself though...I was told at least three years ago to put brackets on the wall and to scew the top of the bookcase to them to prevent just what happened. Did I do it? Noooo. Put aside the fact I have MS and really crappy balance, I'm only 5 foot 4 inches so most of the bookcase's shelves are a reach for me! Dumb, dumb, dumb... So my advice - bolt those puppy's to the wall or really hold your ground for built-ins!

favorite crusties

On Lazy Gal Quilting Tonya mentioned Rachel, one of our friends who refused to get involved in blogs, so i decided to post the coffe cup "crusties" they made for me. Neither of them saw the others in advance so either they are a lot a like or they both see me the same! I am amazed how well the two crusties look hanging together in my hallway!

Hanging with them is a postcard made by Margaret Hunt of South Carolina. She does really fun work. I am so not a high heel person but I got this a week after I had to clean my closet out of all non-doctor approved shoes. (read this as anything remotely fun, cute, stylish and leaving only shoes worn by blue haired ladies pushing walkers.)

I don't do much embellishment or "art quilts" myself though I like them. I am more traditional with an occasional trip into brights and batiks. This weekend I am going through my quilt tops and almost finished so will post some of those before they go into the packing boxes!

Bad photos

I'm reposting a photo of the tic tack toe blocks with cat...even with Brownie taking up her pose it is easier to see the colors of the fabrics! Some strange thing happened as the photo uploaded from my computer...it looked fine on my screen - promise.


I was supposed to participate in a neighborhood yard sale tomorrow morning but due to being behind in all things having to do with life I am not ready. So tonight I made several dozen muffins (banana, apple spice and chocolate chip) to give to my neighbors at 0700 when the whole thing begins. In my family food alway equaled forgiveness!

The piles of books and other stuff I had put aside is going into the Tuscon and going to Goodwill. It is getting bad that they know me by name!

I am going to use the rest of the day to kick back, try a new restaurant, and maybe even quilt a bit! (oh, ya, real life intrudes and I also have to get a passport photo taken...)

Back in Blog-dom

For the past month I've been off the computer...too many issue tonumber and if I do it sounds way too whiney. My apologies.



I did get to go to a great workshop with our guild. Dianne Hire who wrote Quilters Playtime was the instructor. She was fun but also kept us in line wo we were able to learn a lot. The photos are of my two "play blocks." The technique in the first photo (the blue quilt) is called musical chairs. The technique for the border is called piano keys. They are both very easy. The black and white with citris colors is called tick-tack-toe...games=names of techniques...it is fun.

I am slowly getting ready to move. The neighborhood yard sale is Saturday and I may be organized enough to put a few things out! My stepson is coming up in a few weeks to take some "stuff" like the couches, hutch, and extra bed. The whole thing is exhausting! My husband is keeping his hands off the quilting room...who says you can't teach an old dog! After seeing the prices of fabric in England I'm taking the lot with me...even if there is no way that I could ever use all of it in only three years!

Thre's a world out there...

Another favorite from the Charleston Show. She used lots of Kaffe Fasset fabrics that I love...both the semi-solids and stripes. The purple border is great!Soem of the inner corners are pieced and some jsut use dthe stripes to create the effect. Simple but beautiful
Yikes, I didn't realize how bad my eyes had gotten until the steroid teatment kicked in late yesterday! Life is good! Better living through chemistry from a woman who only a few years abo wouldn't take more than an aspirin and a vitamin! I was convince cranberry juice could cure anything...
Spring has hit Augusta early this year. We are still a few weeks away from the big event - Masters Week - and some folks are getting nervous. If it stays warm the bushes may peak too soon but on the other hand we could get a cold snap and the buds will freeze...all in the name of looking good on television! I hate to sound cynical...the course is drop dead gorgeous and it is run so civilized even non-golfers can have a good time. (What other sporting event can you get pimento cheese sandwich, a beer, and a bag of chips for under $5.)Of course it is almost impossible to get a ticket without planning at least a year in advance....personnaly I'd prefer to go to the Quilt show in Houston.
I got lots of fun fabrics in Charleston that I am slipping into the house each day. Makes no sense since I have piles of fabric to give away that I bought years ago but who needs to make sense when it comes to fabric anyways! I'm not being quite as strict on my fabric culling as I first wanted. I was tougher with the books since I can get so many ideas from the internet. Most of the books will go into storage...it is funny how I seem to pull the same ones out all the time anyways! The ones that are beside the bed come to England with me - obviously they are my comfort/inspiration reads!

Beach time

Since getting back from the show in Charleston I've had another MS episode. My face feels like a crazy dentist attacked it with novicane...sometimes I can't feel it, sometimes I can't hear, most of the time my nose feeles like it is running, and I make twitching movesments like the guy on the Pink Panter. Needless to say I've stayed home the past few days. Wierd as it may sound it is better than the times I'm lost my sight. This disease has a way of helping you appreciate little things! Like playing with the photos I took down at the beach while we were hunted for shells, neat rocks, and fossilized shark teeth! We also called it excersise...

I also posted a quilt from the show that I loved how they set the blocks on point with a variated pieced alternate blocks. It makes the quilt glow! I apologize for not including the maker's name...I can't find my show booklet right now.

Well today I am going to go into work for a little while to pick up some performance review materials so I can work on them at home. I am also giving my notice that my absolute last day will be mid-April. We will leave for overseas in early June and I need some time to get this house together!

Quilt Show Mavericks

The show last weekend was a lot of fun. Some great vendors (I was very bad!) and I got to see Bonnie and other quilter friends. Though, like most of the quilt excursions I wore myself out!

The photos is of Bonnie with a quilt made by members of our night bee - Wonderful Woman Who Quilt (WWWQ...The initials sort of makes it sound like a wrestling channel! Anyway, it was designed by Maggie Hunt and quilted by Bonnie in time for Rachel's 50th birthday. It is a great quilt! The colors are ones Rachel loves but doesn't use...sounds odd but it worked!

I drove down on Friday with a friend from out group. A good thing since we used two lane roads the entire way and unless there were two of you there is no way you would find all the turns! We stayed at Maggie's family's beach house in Edisto, SC. There were 8 of us staying there so of course that means we stayed up late in the evening reading quilt magazines, quilting and knitting. (Oh ya, and a few glasses of wine....) The next day we had lunch at a Middle Eastern Restaurant called Saffron...the service was poor, food was good the desserts were excellant! I'd go back...no skinny little high-school girl is mean enough to stand between me and great chocolate!

The high point of the trip for me was a visit to the People, Places and Quilts's booth and little shop in Charleston. They are one of my favorite shops on earth...and since I've gone through a fair many that is saying something! They have beautiful and unususal sample on the walls, great selection of fabric, and they are friendly. I love the way they package things...I got a basket of fabric that could be used as a centerpiece it is so pretty! Anyway, since I was in Charleston I got some of the Charleston reproductions that just came out and picked up the PPQ pattern they made to go with them. I don't usually use patterns with my reproductions but this will have good memories!

Antique Charity Quilt

Since I helped with the quilt exhibit at our local museum I have gotten a call a week from someone with a qult that they would like me to look at and tell them either how to take care of it, how was it made, and what it it worth. Most of the quilts so far haven't been too exciting. Friday was different.

The quilt in the photo was dropped off at a charity thrift store a few months ago. It was at the bottom of a box with several other quilts. The others were from the early 1900's and not in the same league at all as this one! I found several names for the block pattern - Whirling Wheel and Full Blown Tulip to name a few. The color placement is a bit different but these are the closest. The fabrics are pre-civil war. The quilting and piecing is excellent. Unfortunately the black dye in the red print is popping, it is very dirty, and there are a few paint, nailpolish, or some other red hard substance on the quilt. Combine the dirty and the popping and it makes for a difficult quilt. The setting of the blocks however is striking and the yellow fabric in the centers is beautiful. No provence on the quilt hurts its value as well.

It is a very fun qult though...but I am supposed to be downsizing not acquiring! So unless someone jumps in an buys it at the store this week you will see it on ebay in the near future. Sigh.

Finding Time

First I had to post a picture of Goldie...she was feeling left out since both Brownie (her sister) and Macbeth had made it into cyberspace...

As I've made my way through blogs I've noticed lots of UFO lists. I've even considered posting my own but am too nervous my husband would see it! I'm really good at starting projects but not at finishing. Sound familiar? So, I have a choice to make - this weekend I can stay home and finish at least one project (most likely my king-size log cabin) or I can go spend the a few nights at Edisto Beach, S.C. and visit the quilt show in Charleston.

Having read the first sentance you can guess I'm heading to the beach....I'm declaring this "freedom from UFO guilt" weekend. I will not make lists. I can buy fabric. I can start as many new quilts, necklaces, sweaters, journals, jackets, or anything else during the next three days. (It helps tomorrow is payday!)

Promise to bring back lots of photos from the show.

Home again

More photos from the quilt exhibit...the quilt top in this photo is one of my favorites (ok i say that about almost all the photos...) The applique stitches are so tiny and the colors so bright it makes me happy to look at it. I also like the way the border is perfect on one side...almost perfect the next and then by the final one she just chops off a third of the swag. Take that quilt police!

We got home late yesterday from New Mexico and are no closer to deciding on where we want to retire! I found out my husband doesn't like high elevations, small towns, lots of space between towns, or lack of green. He is suddenly thinking Florida! Is there a cool place in Florida? I guess we'll think about it tomorrow.

I really enjoyed New Mexico. I visited a very sad little quilt shop in Riudoso...it was closing. I got some batiks for my someday stash. I loved visiting the little shops around Las Cruses...got some great ideas for quilts and got some nice photos. Now I just need to find the cable for the digital camera...this is supposed to be easier than my old 35mm right?

Nosegay

I'm not a huge fan of 30's era quilts. I like them but they are not my "passion." Like all rules however there are exceptions and this nosegay quilt is one of them! The quilter made a quilt for each of her children...I belive 6-7. Anyway I got to meet two of them. They were surprised but happy that the quilt was in the exhibit.


I love how she pieced the corners...used such wild fabric combinations (marron and lime-green!) and let every stripe go any way it fell. Truely mavrick.
The humility block in the corner is a nice touch too!

I am off to New Mexico for a few days looking a property with my DH. He has it in his mind he would like to retire out west. My sister and kids live in New Mexico so we will give it a try. I'll report back next week!

One of my own...

It's funny how different some of the quilts looked while hanging at the museum versus how they looked at my own house. The photo is one of my log cabins quilts that I only put out occasionally. Not sure why. In the museum it is a stunner. There is little light and the pattern just jumps off the wall. It was a late entry...at the last minute the number of quilts that we could put in the show was cut back due to a new director at the museum. I will leave it as she has her own opinion on everything - qualified or not. I was getting very depressed. WE had dropped from exhibiting 60 to 30+ quilts. It was getting complicated. Just when we thought we had the final-final I noticed a little 6 foot wall at the edge of one of the exhibit rooms. I threw in my 60 inch log cabin circa 1880 mainly to increase the number of quilts...and it is a good example of the fabrics of that time. Anyway, I will blow my own horn and say it looks great. Humble beside the crazy quilts and Baltimore Applique this little cotton log cabin still greets every visitor to the exhibit and shouts I am an American Quilt to the visitors. I'm proud of it!

Voted Bonnie's most likely

I can't believe I don't have a full shot of this quilt top! It came from the same family as the cheddar and when I first say it I immediately thought of Bonnie! The blocks are almost 7 inches square and are a variation on the monkey wrench. The blocks are set in a lightning strip with some wild black and white stripes. Mixed in the bunch is a bit of silk and velvet! Talk about maverick!
The owner is a wonderful, refined southern woman. She lives in a beautiful antique filled home "on the hill." When I went to view her collection she said,"oh my family ran moonshine so there was some money there." I didn't know what to say...was she pulling this yankee's leg? What is the appropriate southern lady response? I decided to stick with what I know, "well, they sure could quilt" was all I said.
I had some questions about what demonstrations we did at the museum. We brought a bit of everything (my approach to every quilting event is to fill the Tuscon...then maybe I'll have what I need when I need it!) We had some handpiecing so we could show how templates were used and how to follow a pattern. In this case it was a carpenter's wheel done in repro fabrics. We has several examples of hand quilting - both a whole cloth and a "cobb quilt" pattern from Mimi Dietrich's book from the Smithsonian. Since there was a honeycomb quilt from the 1940's on display I also had my english paperpiecing project with me. (one gentleman from Chile was convinced I was using a machine somehow and got nose-to-stich with the piece!) Rachael had a crazy quilt block to show various stitches. Finally we had a couple of applique blocks with paper-n top and needleturn. I wish we had more folks attend...both from the guild and visitors. The museum isn't very good at getting the word out on anything.

Museum Cheddar

Today I did quilting demonstrations at our local museum with a couple of other members of my quilt guild. Other than the building being really cold it was fun. On exhibit are quilts made in the souther U.S. The photo is one of my favorites. It has eightpointed stars set in cheddar then in a dark blue which is sashed by a grey/teal blue. It was made in North Carolina. I don't think it has ever been used or washed...the browns and madders are in perfect condition. The quilting is tiny and done on the diagonal with three lines about 1/2 inch apart with the sets seperated by almost and inch.
I'll post more of the quilt photos during the week.

Still like brightest.

I am trying to finish one last volunteer project before going overseas - our annual donation quilt for Camp Rainbow. The box in the photo has the "project packs" ready to hand out at the next guild meeting. Partly I'm showing this so you can see I do work in other colorways than just reproducing fabrics! I have a lot of purple and bright green too!
The quilt will be of my own design and I'm more than a bit nervous about it! So far a half a dozen blocks have been handed in and they all look fun. We have had enough folks volunteer to do the applique so I'm feeling pretty good about the whole thing! More photos to follow!
Working with the brights this weekend helps...it is cold and wet outside. I even found myself watching women's hockey on TV and liking it! I grew up in New England playing hockey on the town pond but had lost my appreciation for it. Olympic rules are a bit different...more finesse than beat-down. (Not to say they don't play hard though!) It may end up being the only event of the Olympics that I go out of my way to follow!
Tomorrow I will be doing quilt demonstrations at the museum with some other members of the quilt guild. It is part of the exhibit that is on display there until the second week of April. I'll try and get some photos of the neat cheddar quilt on display!!!

The things you find..

Today I am not at the Judy Twitty embellishment workshop. My hands started doing the dropsey thing last night and today I'm poking one fingered at the keyboard. I considered going and watching but decided I really needed to jsust rest. Maybe when I'm feeling better I can convince one of the other guild members to give me a crash course.

Clearing space in the quilting room is taking more time and energy then planned. I find myself tryng to finish things (it only needs binding....,) package projects (if I have the right fabric to put sashing between these blocks they would make a quick quilt...) or just reminising (this is the box of miscel. thimbles I bought in South Carolina at the little antique shop....) This means I've been in the quilt room for almost two days and have only one...that's right...one box - a large box - of stuff to get rid of. If I was on that TV show that forces people to get rid of clutter I would flunk! I just am not making progress and now with the MS kicking back in it seems almost insurmountable...alright, no more whining.

The photo is of 12 of the blocks I made during a year long class with Mimi Dietrick in Maryland. It was a great class. There are six half-made blocks...I think I was trying to finish 16 total. Now, I will finish two of the half-baked ones, put in sashing and call it a quilt...ah, well, a quilt top!

Almost forgot

A month ago I signed up to take and embellishment class that is scheduled for this Monday...I am soooo not prepared! Not to say I don't have the things on the supply list - if I could find the supply list - it is just they are not in one place. Not even in one or two places! So today is a scavenger hunt day.

To further complicate the matter I am supposed to have a block to embelllish...so I close my eyes faced one of the bookcases full of fabric and just reached out. The first one I laid hands on would be the feature fabric. This time I was lucky...it was an old Hoffman with shamrocks on it! Not a lot of color but something I could work with.

The photo shows that I can shop my own sewing room and not be deprived! I have enough to get through at lest one day!

First a Path...

So I've started to take the sorting and packing of my quilt room seriously. Nothing is going into long term storage so the options are simle: pack or get rid of. Of the latter I'm not even so concerned about how. There are half finished projects I will never finish so I will just let go of and not feel guilty in the least.

I think it is the yankee in me that feels just because I bought the fabric, the thread and started something that I am honor-bound to finish...not that it makes me finish. It just makes me keep the half done pink kitten babyblanket started for a girl who is not in middle school with a ring in her navel...I've digressed...I keep the half-finished projects in boxes and bags because I think it is wasteful to just stop and give them away. I am anxious to see the bottom of the closet.

The room is a hazard zone. When I first was diagnosed with MS the Insurance company sent over a social worker who specialized in making homes more accessible. I read the pamphlets before the man came and got it into my head that my sewing room would be much more "accessible" with hardwood floors instead of carpet, recessed lighting instead of lamps, and built in cabinets instead of free-standing bookcases. But when I opened the door the sewing room and asked for options he simply said, "first you need a path." I was stunned.

So my goal this weekend is to be brutal. When I look at a piece of fabric if I don't love it (or hate it so much that it is a perfect ugly) then into the box it goes. I've already uncovered four six inch acrylic squares, a broken iron, and a long lost mini-quilt that somehow got folded into extra pieces of batting.

Anyway, the rediscovered square on square with sawtooth border in the photo was a reproduction of a 1870's doll quilt. It is done in madders and measures about 16 inches square. I hand pieced and hand quilted it. It is in the keep pile!