Antique Charm

While I was in Indiana last week for a workshop, I stopped in Zionsville, IN, on the way home. It's a charming town with cobblestone streets and lots of little shops.

One store had a nice variety of beautiful hooked rugs, made by a local craftsperson (I didn't really want to call her a  "hooker").

As we walked along the streets, I lamented to my husband that it would be nice to be able to drop $500- $1000 for some of the  things I see at antique shops (one rug I adored cost $1200), but we both know that right now that's a little frivolous with 2 kids in college.

I am often asked if I collect antique quilts and most are shocked when I say that I do not. What! A quilt designer who loves antique quilts and you don't have a stack of them?! Again, it would be nice to buy old quilts on a whim anytime I wanted to, but I justify it by saying I don't really ever see that many antique quilts that speak to me strongly or that don't cost an arm and a leg, quilts that I love and have to have and cannot live without. Usually, when I see one I like I just end up reproducing a small quilt based on it and that suits me just fine.

As soon as I said that, we walked into another shop and didn't get far past the door when I pulled this blue and white one out from under a stack of nothing-special quilts. Lesson: ALWAYS look under piles of textiles . . .

For some reason, it spoke to me -  "Oh, look at my indigoes and shirtings!"  But I was pretty sure I couldn't afford it. So I asked the price and then walked away and forgot about it.

We went to a few other shops, saw a few more quilts,

Nothing struck me.

 We ate lunch, stopped at a gallery -

And, wouldn't you know it, all the while I couldn't stop thinking about my blue and white quilt. MY blue and white quilt, she said . . . LOL.

So I went back because by now I know how it goes - I will probably never see a blue and white quilt quite like this one again and if I didn't grab it now while I was here, I would regret it. I'm getting much better at jumping on impulses. The clerk smiled. I offered her a little less than she was asking and SHE SAID YES! Granted, I still think I probably paid way too much and don't even know how old it is - probably more vintage than antique -  or if it was worth what I paid, but I felt okay with that because I really didn't care. I didn't buy it for the investment - I fell in love with it and that's all that matters. Now if only I had a nice place to display it . . . away from prying puppy paws.

Reminds me of Spring!

*  * Another REMINDER *  *

If you are making the small baskets quilt for this month's challenge, your pieces are cut, right? You should put them together this week/weekend. Take it piece by piece and you'll get there. If you don't have time for 12 baskets, make 4, make one, whatever. Still counts as a quilt for this month.

 

Indiana Workshop

I just came back from Indianapolis, IN, where I taught a workshop to make one of my favorite quilts - the Orange Peel Quilt that's on the cover of my book Remembering Adelia. (This is also the book we're using to make this month's quilt. See end of this post and previous posts below).

It was the first time I had taught the class using the starch and no-melt Mylar template method of applique and it was definitely a success. Even those who typically used the needleturn method for their applique tried this one and were pleasantly surprised at how much easier it was to get nice sharp points on their peels.

 

It was a very relaxing workshop -  no machines needed -  all work by hand for a change. I really enjoyed seeing how everyone's peels turned out and the colors they used. 

Christine is using up some blue and light scraps left over from another quilt to make hers.

Workshops are always fun because they give me a chance to connect with some of my fans on an individual basis and make new quilting friends. Plus, they almost always bring cool things to show me -

A sweet bonnet sewing case made by someone's mother (Or grandmother? Sorry, I can't remember.).

Ann joined my Small Quilt a Month challenge and has already finished the quilts for January and February.

Another sewing case that tickled me . . .

Have to make one of these pocket organizers.

It's fun to play with the peels . . .

Gail is making a baby quilt from the pattern and her peels are all pastel prints.

Trish has one block done!

After the workshop, my husband and I stopped for lunch in a small town north of Indianapolis and had a chance to visit a few antique shops. I'm excited to show you what I bought - next time.

*   *   *

Working on your small Civil War Baskets quilt for this month's challenge? If you are doing that quilt with me this month, this is your  reminder that you should have already picked out fabrics for your baskets and cut the pieces, whether you are making the 12 baskets quilt (same as in the book) or the 4-basket quilt (sketch is in the Files section of my Yahoo group). Try to piece a few blocks together this week if you can find a little time.

Before I left for Indiana, I had time to finish one basket block and then surrounded it with sashing and borders. It turned out very sweet - who doesn't love baskets? - and is the perfect small quilt if you don't have time to make the larger one but still want to continue with a quilt every month. Did not take me long at all and now just have to applique the handles and finish.

Such a sweet little basket . . .

 

Wares for Sale

My friend Ingrid and I visited some antique shops over the weekend. Of course I always look for quilts and almost never find any that are in good shape for the price or to my liking. Have you noticed that almost everything these shops carry these days is glassware or dinnerware? Or hankies. At least that's what I seem to find in the shops around here. I would love to see more quilts. Doll quilts, especially, but I'm never that lucky.

Here's some different stuff. I loved these knitted animal hats, LOL. Reminded me of Lamb Chop - remember Lamb Chop??

Aha! They're upstairs!

I didn't love any of them well enough to buy. I  thought this one was sure cute though, even if it was pretty tattered.

I really love to see hexagon quilts. I am wondering if anyone is interested in doing a hexagon challenge or some other type of paper piecing in the Yahoo group this year? We were just talking about it because someone brought it up in the group. Don't worry, it would be a small quilt.

This is going to be a busy week for me, starting with a local presentation tonight a little northwest of Chicago and then a trip to Indianapolis later in the week. Maybe I'll try stopping at a couple of antique shops while I'm there if I have time, if the dogsitter doesn't mind my taking a little side trip, LOL. Don't need any dinnerware, hoping to find some quilts!

Civil War Baskets for March

I think it's such fun to make one little quilt a month from the books many of you say you love so much. What good are the books doing sitting on the shelf?? Bring them out and make some of the projects with me this year. This month, the quilt we will be making is The Civil War Baskets quilt from my book Remembering Adelia.

Seeing the quilts you make from the patterns gives meaning to Adelia's story and makes me so happy I took the time to write about her and create projects I think she may have loved. I wish we had some of the quilts she made, don't you?

 

This quilt may take a little longer than some of the others we've made but you will be so happy with this one when you're finished. So maybe it would be a good idea to get started soon - picking out fabrics and cutting your pieces this weekend if you have time, instead of waiting until later in the month. (Cut the pieces for one block at least, just to try it and see how long it actually takes you if you are planning on making the original 12-block version).

 If the thought of making the appliqued handles for the baskets is stressing you out - don't let it keep you from trying this quilt. Here's a tutorial I did last year on the Sew We Quilt blog for making the curved handles.  They're actually pretty easy.

Adelia's story still touches my heart every time I pick up the book and I am so grateful I stumbled upon her diary a few years ago and had the chance to bring her story to life. In the diary, she presents a picture of life in a small town in Illinois, not far from where I live now, that was torn apart by the war. Women did the best they could to live their lives as normally as possible while chaos swirled around them. One of the things I tried to convey in the book was that they lived in a  close-knit community where people cared about their neighbors and, knowing that all were affected in some way, helped each other through this difficult time in 1861.

Adelia with one of her daughters and her little dog, "Bob" the pug, LOL.  This was taken much later in the 19th century, years after the war was over.

I felt a certain kinship with Adelia as I read through and wrote about her diary. I talked about her a few times on the blog -  here's one post if you're interested in reading more about her.

Have fun making these little baskets. I know some of you have told me that this is a quilt you really wanted to make. If you are in my yahoo group SmallQuiltTalk you can go to Files and see the suggestions for making an alternate version of this quilt. Two versions, actually. I've already started the one-block basket quilt and will frame it with a couple of borders and show you later. It's so sweet!

My February Finish

I was not going to make any little quilts myself for this month's challenge but those prints were calling out to be used and well, the blocks were already finished so I really didn't have that much to do to pull it all together. My friend Julia offered to do the bindings so I said YES! Now they are done and I can move on to the new quilt for March and try to motivate all of you to get another one completed.

Love the way this one turned out!

This one, not so much . . . Maybe I should have used an inner border or a darker binding. It's just not right somehow. Kind of blah. Maybe the ugly prints aren't ugly enough!

I like the one with the blue border much better than I like the one with the purple border.

But the blocks sure do shine nicely! Didn't expect that.

I gave the blue one to Julia since she's having a stressful time right now getting ready to sell her house. And then move far away from me this summer! Most of her sewing/quilting stuff is packed away and I think she's going through withdrawal. So I let her do the bindings for me because I knew she was itching to get her hands on a needle and her reward was the blue one.

*   *   *

March 1 will be here in a flash and I will help you get started on the quilt for THAT month. I'm getting excited just thinking about it and if you do not wish to make the quilt the way it is in the  book (Remembering Adelia this time), well, I already have a cool little version in mind for you that will be easy as pie . . . I can't wait to show it to you on Thurs. I'll bet I can get Julia to do that binding too.

Inspired by a Little Snow

I had plans to finish making a reproduction of an antique doll quilt last week but after I wrote about those ugly prints and then played around with them in the Broken Dishes quilt, I got a little off track and just kept going. Isn't is funny how sometimes a quilt just wants to be made no matter what else needs to get done?

I used the excuse of a little bit of snow to stay inside and sew. And not only did I make one, but TWO little Broken Dishes quilts. One has a blue border and I used that muted purple print for the other border. I had a few extra blocks from those prints that were just begging to be useful and shown off in a completed quilt.

They finally found a home.

I quilted them FAST with a simple machine stitch because I knew if I waited to find time to hand quilt them it would probably never happen. It was nice to spend the whole day focused on sewing. And at least now they're just about finished, only have to complete the bindings.

*  *  *

New quilt of the month (from Remembering Adelia this time) will be announced March 1. Tired of  small quilts yet?  Or are you ready to make another one with me??