Double nine-patch quilt top

Sheryl of Temecula Quilt Co. showed some double nine patch blocks on her blog recently and asked for ideas for setting the blocks.  They reminded me of this small ca. 1890 quilt top that I have.  The blocks are set straight with an indigo fabric that has tiny white open circles.

 The blocks are just under 12" and the top is 55"x67".  It has a narrow border.

There are lots of wonderful fabrics in the 9 patches, spanning  approx. 1870-1890.

What happened here?  Just a wee bit short on the indigo fabric...

Antique quilt to show you

I just changed my living room quilt to this this beauty.  This is one of my favorites.  It is only two fabrics, a rusty red and a green calico.  I think it dates to 1850-1870.  I love the colors and the border.  And the quilting is to die for.  Unfortunately, it is hard to photograph the quilting so you can appreciate it.  In each of the plain white areas, there are different floral quilting motifs.  Some are sunflower types, others look like mums, maybe daffodils, and lovely curving stems.  The quilt is 72" square.

A little cross-stitch and I've got mail (reposting from yesterday)

I received notes from readers saying that my blog could not be opened.  I copied it and will try posting again.

I picked up needle and floss for the first time in many years.  I had made many reproduction samplers in the past, and have shown them on my blog previously.  This time, my project was significantly less complex, just a few words on linen.  I found some great vintage linen toweling and experimented with making simple hearts with simple sentiments.  One is completed as you can see, the others are in progress, "Love" and another "Be Mine" with a fancier script.

Hanging on my jelly cupboard. 

I also made a heart from antique red fabric.  This one is already gone to one of my friends at work.

And now for the mail.  I just received this great book about the Amish quilt collection of Darwin Bearly.  He posts on facebook in the antique quilt group and I bought the book directly from him.  I have just paged through it briefly, but the photos are gorgeous.  I will enoy snuggling with this book this weekend during the snowstorm we are suppose to get.

My other package contained an angel--a hooked angel rug from one of my favorite artists,

Annie Hayes. 

www.anniehayesrugs.com

Here's my angel hanging in the quilt lab watching over me (with two other Annie Hayes rugs).

Annie has some nice valentine themed rugs on her site right now, and I must admit they were the inspiration for my linen hearts.

I hope you all have an angel to watch over you.

A little cross-stitch and I've got mail

I picked up needle and floss for the first time in many years.  I had made many reproduction samplers in the past, and have shown them on my blog previously.  This time, my project was significantly less complex, just a few words on linen.  I found some great vintage linen toweling and experimented with making simple hearts with simple sentiments.  One is completed as you can see, the others are in progress, "Love" and another "Be Mine" with a fancier script.

Hanging on my jelly cupboard. 

I also made a heart from antique red fabric.  This one is already gone to one of my friends at work.

And now for the mail.  I just received this great book about the Amish quilt collection of Darwin Bearly.  He posts on facebook in the antique quilt group and I bought the book directly from him.  I have just paged through it briefly, but the photos are gorgeous.  I will enoy snuggling with this book this weekend during the snowstorm we are suppose to get.

My other package contained an angel--a hooked angel rug from one of my favorite artists,

Annie Hayes. 

www.anniehayesrugs.com

Here's my angel hanging in the quilt lab watching over me (with two other Annie Hayes rugs).

Annie has some nice valentine themed rugs on her site right now, and I must admit they were the inspiration for my linen hearts.

I hope you all have an angel to watch over you.

I'm feeling a little blue...and white...today

I pulled out some blue and white items today.  Maybe the sudden change to winter weather has me thinking cool colors this weekend.  Here is my front hall, with my small collection of antique blue and white fabrics. 

Some are linen, some cotton.  Some true homespun, some millwork(factory made).  I also pulled some blue and white crib quilts to show you.  The first is a small album patch quilt.  It has one indigo fabric and solid white.  The neat thing about this quilt is that it is dated, May 1885, embroidered in the center of one block.

 Very narrow blue binding, same indigo as the blocks.

The size is 20"x30".  It gets a little lost on this wall, so I don't usually hang it here.

I may have shown this blue and white Burgoyne Surrounded before, or you may have seen it published in American Patchwork and Quilting along with my little quilt.  This one is also dated, 1850, this time in the quilting.  There is a name quilted in, but I have not been able to decipher it.

 It measures 33" x 42".

The last quilt for today adds a little color to the blue and white scheme.  Sorry to tell my fellow cheddar lovers that this is not cheddar, but is really, truly orange.  No date on this one, so I can only guess it is last quarter of the 19th century.  This one measures 38" x 38".

Antique Crib Quilt

I switched the quilt-lab quilt to this cheerful antique basket block crib quilt. 

The colors are typical of PA German quilts of the late 19th century.  I have seen these fabrics over and over in other antique quilts. 

The size is 39" x 45".  It is hand quilted.  The yellow sashing is lightly quilted with a chain type pattern.  Other areas are filled with chevrons and hearts (in smaller pink triangles).  The back is turned to the front to form the binding which is machine stitched down.

Pretty neutral backing fabric with roses and clovers.  We've had a very mild winter so far, so I guess I am thinking spring with this quilt.