Fine Craft Fair--Acceptance!!!

I have just been accepted to participate in the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen fall show on October 16 and 17, 2010.  It is an honor to be chosen for this prestigious show.  The show will be held at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell, PA.  This is conveniently located about 5 minutes from my house (that makes it so much easier!)  More information can be found here.

From the Guild's website:

October 16 & 17, 2010
Blue Bell, PA


Celebrate the rich colors of autumn and find beautiful and functional gifts for the home and family with the Pennsylvania Guild Fine Craft Festival as it returns to Montgomery County Community College October 16 and 17.


Support those who support the Earth and make durable, locally-made fine crafts part of your lifestyle. Buying handmade, long-lasting crafts is better for the earth too because many craftspeople observe sustainable practices. They are conscious about the impact their creative process has on their environment and future generations. Many also reduce their waste by using reclaimed and repurposed materials. This year, craftsmen who use sustainable practices are identified with a “Guild Green” sign.

Supporting craftspeople in your region is as important as supporting your local restaurant. Craftspeople are small business owners, who pay local taxes and support local institutions just like you. Local, regional, and national craftspeople exhibit annually at the Pennsylvania Guild fine craft fairs. This year, there are more than 30 craftsmen participating who live within a 30 mile radius of Blue Bell. More than half of the festival’s 100 craftspeople live within a 100 mile radius.


Explore the hundreds of one-of-a-kind, individually handmade works by 100 craftspeople in glass, jewelry, pottery, wood, metal, fiber, clothing, furniture and more. The Pennsylvania Guild Fine Craft Fair is an opportunity to support the region’s best craftspeople while finding functional and decorative craft.

And the winners are...

Thanks to everyone for their posts.  The two winners of the McCall's Quilting magazines are Connie and Darlene B.  Please email me at  abmommy@comcast.net with your shipping information and I will send the magazines out right away.

Little quilt back home and magazine give away!

My little quilt came back from McCall's and with it two copies of the magazine. 

Since I already have two other copies, I would like to share the ones I received in the mail with two of  my fellow bloggers.  I will do a drawing of two names from those who reply to this post by Thursday April 29 at noon, eastern time.

Extravaganza

I took a vacation day yesterday and went to the "antique extravaganza" in Kuztown, PA.  It is a huge outdoor show with hundreds of dealers.  This is a great show because you never know what treasures you are going to find.  I went without kids (when are we leaving?  can we go now?  how much longer?) or husband (how much is that?  do you really need that?  where are you going to put that?) and had so much fun!  Sorry guys!

My husband collects vintage cameras, so I took this picture to show him.  I almost always find some quilt blocks.  Why do you think I picked these?  Check out the leaf print, such beautiful detail .

I also found this sweet little girl's dress.  I love the red and white fabric and the crocheted trim.  It will look cute hanging on a peg rack.

WHAT WAS SHE THINKING?

When I come across an unsual antique quilt or textile fragment, I often wonder what the maker was thinking when she did what she did.  We often see a "pieced piece" where a frugul seamstress sewed together smaller pieces of the same fabric to make a piece large enough for the deisgn.  In that case we know why she did it.  In some cases we can only speculate what the maker was thinking.  But it is fun to speculate, isn't it?   So here is my new (occasional) feature on my blog.  The first edition of....

WHAT WAS SHE THINKING?

I want to hear your speculation about the maker's motivation to do what she did.  Your speculation does not need to be historically accurate but should be G-rated.

Case 1:  Beautiful crisp crib quilt from ca. 1880.  It measures 31" x 35.5".  The blocks are rusty-red and green.  The setting squares are a lovely double pink.  This is first time I have seen this particular print.  It's so pretty it should be reproduced!  The back is done in a bars pattern with two beautiful calicos.  The border on three sides is about 3"; on the fourth side it is 7" wide. There are a couple places where the red fabric has a white line across it.  These are printing errors in the fabric.  Here are my questions?  Why did she use the fabric with the printing error (when otherwise she used perfect, matching fabrics)?  Why did she make the border wider on one side?

Case 2:  From symmetry to none, check out this is a wild fragment.  It was advertised as a crib quilt top, but it could be a fragment from a larger top; two of the sides appear to have been stitched to something else at some point in its life.  There are several places where fabric was added to "make it fit".  Who might have made this?  What was she thinking when she stitched this piece?

Decision...drum roll please...

Thank you all for your wise comments regarding whether I should take on a rug hooking project.  I have weighed all the advice and decided to...first tell you about finishing my little project from class.  Here it is in all it's 6 inch square glory.

It is supposed to be primitive and indeed it is. I actually did enjoy  hooking while watching TV the last couple nights.  It was a little hard to focus during "24" as the US was about to be destroyed by terrorists, but I managed.  So I think I do like rug hooking.  However, I have decided not to order the kit I blogged about last time.  I went ahead and ordered the finished rug instead. 

Here are my favorite two comments (straight and to the point, that's how I am!) from bloggers that swayed my decision:

1.  "My advice...buy the rug. Forget the kit."

2.  "Hey, forgo the guilt of yet another unfinished project and order the one that's already done. You can start enjoying it immediately!"

Once I finish quilting three tops I have to do and check off some of my spring chores, I may order a small, simple, beginner's kit from Annie Hayes rugs.  I like the star mat for the patriotic holidays coming up or the heart mat, which I could probably finish in time for next valentines day..

Should I order a rug kit?

I want to make a rug!  I must resist...I already have too many quilting projects underway, including one for a magazine that I must finish.  I visited one of the websites (the bluetulipwoolery.com) mentioned in my rug hooking class and found a kit for a rug that would be perfect for my front hall (once I re-do it which is one of my summer house projects along with painting the kitchen along with the gardening along with attic cleaning...).  The welcome rug with two flowers and blue leaves is the one I want to do.  Seems the website offers completed rugs too.   Maybe I should do that?  Hmmm, my birthday is coming up soon....

Rug Hooking...I said I'd never do it...

but I took a class today from my friends Mary Jo and Karl Gimber.  The beginning rug hooking class was offered at the Mennonite Heritage Center in Harleysville, PA. 

I love the stone walls in this building.

Mary Jo and Karl are very active members of the Hunterdon Rug Guild in New Jersey.  They are really great teachers, very patient and encouraging.

Here they are showing some of their beauiful rugs.

Most of their work is primitive and often inspired by old tavern signs. 

Here are some of the other items, mats, pillows and 3 dimensional objects that they brought to show us.

And here is the project they taught us.  My version of it, anyway.  It is supposed to be a small log cabin mat.

I had to put some cheddar in it of course.  Here is mine at the end of the 6 hour class!

OK, so I am a little slow!  We each were given a flower pin that Mary Jo made to take home.

And I got a special surprise when Mary Jo asked my to adopt her hooked cat and take it home.  Of course I did!

I enjoyed my time in the class, but I need a lot of practice.  I don't think rug hooking will replace quilting for me any time soon.

Spring Quilts

Antique PA quilts for your viewing pleasure...

Website Update Complete!

I got a second wind after dinner tonght and was able to finish the updates to my website.  Here are some of the new items I added.  Please visit if you get a chance.  http://www.annhermesquilts.com/

Website Update Coming Soon!

I started working on my website update last night,  photographing the new quilts that will be added.  I will also add some small items (pincushion/ornaments and stuffed bunnies and cats) all made from antique fabric.  I haven't offered these before on the website, but they are popular items at shows.  Look for the updated site to publish within the next couple days.  http://www.annhermesquilts.com/

I just returned from a family vacation to California.  We had a great time visiting San Francisco and LA.  While getting caught up on the blogs, Humble Quilts' blog caught my eye.  I have plans to go to the privy bag exhibit she talked about and can't wait to go.  I have four privy bags in my collection and thought I would share them with you.  I don't see them very often, and they are usually too expensive for my budget.  Here are the ones I have managed to collect.

no hanging tabs on this one so I am not 100% sure it is a privy bag

this one has tabs and a tie in the center of the open side