Back in business

I was able to get some good (non-stinky) quilters dream batting today at my local quilt shop.  It passed the sniff test with flying colors.  After a night of airing out, all the quilt tops smell just fine, too.  I recut batting, relayered everything and I'm ready for my quilting marathon.  I'll worry about getting my money back next week, but for now I am happy and relieved!

Snow Day Again but bad quilting luck

I had the day off work again due to snow, even though the storm didn't turn out the be as bad as predicted.  But I'm not complaining about a free day off.  What I am complaining about is the quilt batting that I bought.  I always use Quilters Dream Cotton batting.  I decided to purchase a case of it off of ebay--given the size of my quilts, enough to last me a long, long time. 

It was time to start quilting all of the tops I had accumulated so I broke open a package of batting and starting cutting the batting.  It smelled a little funky, but I thought it was just from being in a sealed package and that the odor would dissipate.  I layered all the tops, batting and backing, but the smell just wasn't going away.  I decided I couldn't risk it so I took them all apart.  Unfortunately, the fabrics seemed to have picked up some of the batting odor.  I washed the backing pieces and they are fine.  Since I can't wash the tops, they are being aired out.  I think they will be ok by the morning.  I opened a second package of batting and it smelled the same.  I have contacted the seller and she is going to call the manufacturer on Monday.

Of course I still needed to quilt so I took a drive to the local quilt shop, which was closed due to the weather.  I went to Joanne fabrics and they were closed too.  What a bunch of weather wimps.  We got much less snow than predicted and they roads were practically dry by noon.  I guess everybody wanted a free day off.  I'm hoping to get some batting first thing tomorrow and get started on my quilting!

Think Spring...from my garden last year.

A Quilt

My latest aquisition:  The A Quilt, as I call it.  I just love it!  This is a very special antique doll quilt that I have had my eye on for a long time.  I finally realized it needed to be in my collection and contacted the dealer who owned it.  A is for Ann, but in this case actually Anna.

So many antique quilts have little or no information associated with them.. This one is different.  I have detailed provenance on it.    It was made by Anna Miller of Brownstown, Lancaster County, PA ca. 1935 for her daughter Anna.  It measures 14.5 " x 14.5 ".  The quilt appears in this book, along with the details on its history.

News and broken dishes

I received a call from the Mercer Museum in Doylestown, PA.  The manager of the gift shop saw my work at a show last year and would like to sell my quilts in their museum shop.  I'll be visiting in early March to discuss the details. 
I have a show coming up on March 20 and have to get busy finishing some quilts.  I have thirteen tops done so it's time to get busy quilting.

I made this broken dishes quilt last year.  It was modelled after an antique doll quilt top in my collection.  The old and the new are shown together below.  The fabrics I used date from abou 1870-1910.  The size of the quilt is approx 18 inches square.

What's in the cupboard? What's finished? Kathie's quilt

What's in the cupboard in the corner of the quilt lab?  See the end of the blog for the answer.

The blizzard is over and we are dug out.  It was back to work as usual yesterday.  I did manage to finish a couple little quilt tops, though.  I put together the flying geese quilt.  I photographed it with a magazine so you can get an idea of the size, and also to introduce you to the pattern that inspired Kathie's latest creation.

This is the Spring 2007 edition of Quick Quilts. 

I also finished my second candle mat but changed it up since I first posted it.  I went for a dark center fabric and turned the light part of the half square triangle towards the center.  In the first one I made, the dark side faces the center.  The finished size of these is 8 inches square.

So what's in the cupboard?  Antique quilts, of course!  This cupboard holds doll quilts, pillow cases, and other small items. 

One of the doll quilts is shown below.   Check out that Prussian blue fabric in the upper right hand corner.  This piece probably dates to ca. 1850.

Snowy Scrappy Day

Due to the weather, for only the second time in 22 years, my work site is closed today.  Awwww, too bad, guess I will have to work on some quilts...all day.  I have been in the mood to make scrappy-antique-looking pieces the last couple days.  At some of my craft shows, people comment that putting a candle in the middle of a little quilt covers up too much of the design.  Here is my solution--use a plain center (brilliant idea, huh?), in this case a tiny brown and white "homespun" surrounded by scrappy half square triangles.  These are really big for me this time--1 1/4 inch finished size!!

Here's another one in progress. Right now it is a little smaller than the first with a different homespun center.

My other scrappy project is a little flying geese quilt.  I have enough geese done to make one quilt and enough squares and rectangles cut out to make enough geese for a second.  I haven't settled on the blue backgound yet--once the strips of geese are together I try out different colors.  The selection of fabrics for the geese was intentional to try to make it look unintentional.  Make sense?

My favorite hooked rug artist

I love hooked rugs, but am sure I will never make one.  I tried once, but went straight back to quilting.  One of my favorite hooked rug artists is Annie Hayes.  I have two of her rugs hanging in my quilt lab.  I love her colors so much.  I met her at a local show last year and she is a dear.  Her website is http://www.anniehayesrugs.com/.

The Bear Paw Experiment Continues

I was in the house most of the day because of the snow... See the photos of my husband's car and our backyard... and so I had time to work on the bear paw blocks.  I decided on borders for the two blocks and was going to make them into two small quilts.

When I saw the two blocks together, I thought perhaps I would do something else, with more blocks.  A trick I use when experimenting with blocks is to make a couple blocks I like, then make color photocopies of the blocks.  I can play around with different arrangements this way.  Maybe 4?  Maybe 6? Maybe even 9?

 I forget to mention last time that I got my inspiration for these bear paw blocks from a book on the quilts of York County PA.

Bear Paw Blocks/Quilt on Display

Finding a wall in my house to do a wall of little quilts isn't easy. I live with messy man/boys so need an out of the way spot.   I am working on it.  In the meantime I do have a spot in the hall just outside my kitchen where I hang one of my little quilts.  I use a wooden compression hanger and rotate the quilts throughout the year.  This one is hanging up now.  It is made from ca. 1880 fabrics and measures about 17 inches square.

I am experimenting with the bear paw block right now.  I made cheddar/navy and red/navy.  The half square triangle units are 3/4" finished to give you an idea of the scale.  See the ruler, too, in the next photo.

The next photos show some ideas for background colors.  I'll let you know the experimental results soon.

Quilt Lab Clean-up and Tour

I finally had to do a little tidying up in the quilt lab.  The piles of fabric were starting to cover every surface.  How does it look now?  I'll take you on a little tour around the lab to show you my displays.  I love to surround myself with antique textiles of all kinds.  I get my inspiration from the past.  I have two doll beds and one cradle on display now.  They each show an antique doll quilt (or doll quilt top in the case of the red bed).The white linen piece shown here is a PA German show towel.  It is embroidered with the year 1839.  It is the real thing.  I'll post on blog on these textiles in the future.  Here are a couple more shots around the lab.  Three projects in the bins, ready to go.A reproduction doll (not made by me) with real antique doll bonnets.  In the bottom right corner, is a stack of antique fabric covered books.