A Memory Quilt Finish

I put the last stitches in the binding of this quilt today, so I wanted to share one last set of pictures.  The quilt was in a blog post back in January, so I won't go into all the back story again today.  If you recognize the design as Bonnie Hunter's "Star Struck", you'd be correct!

Cindy Braiwick, a local long-arm quilter, did the quilting for me.  I told her my dad was a fisherman, and she had a lot of fun incorporating fishing and other water-oriented designs into the quilting.

There's more than one alligator in the quilt, but this one was the easiest to photograph - except where I cut off the end of his snout!

Great blue heron

A snippet of the quilt back

I have another memory quilt top close to being finished; hope to share it with you soon!

Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Still in the Pink!

After making 2 sets of Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks this month, I didn't see much of a dent in my pink scraps.  I don't know about you, but I always have a mental list of blocks I want to at least try, so I consulted the list and came up with another scrap-friendly block.

The Granny Square block seems to be all over quilting blogland right now.  I think it's perfect for a color-coordinated quilt or a scrap quilt.  Although it's meant to mimic a crochet granny square, it is based on a traditional quilt block often called Chimney Sweep or Album.  In fact, I essentially used the granny square technique when I made my Album Quilt many years ago!

I used some of the more modern pink scraps in my collection - most of these scraps are from doll quilts I've made for my nieces.  And now the pink scrap bin is noticeably diminished.  I guess I will have to go back and revisit the red and green scrap bins for Granny Square blocks, so I have a complete Rainbow Challenge set!

Don't forget to check out the weekly link-up from Rainbow Scrap challengers!

Little Hearts - Complete!

I'm so tickled to have completed this UFO - it's been unfinished since 1997 or so!

I unearthed this project back in February and decided it needed finishing in honor of Valentine's Day.  I didn't quite make that deadline, but I persevered and put the last stitches in a few weeks ago.  I'm very pleased with the quilting design - simple but effective!

I outline quilted the hearts with red embroidery floss.

Hmmm...my supply of table setting props has dwindled over the years.  What I do have plenty of is dolls!  So, we have a Lady & the Tramp vignette - Bella Notte!

Rainbow Scrap Challenge - March Deux

Saturday is Soscrappy's Rainbow Challenge pink-up day.  Yes, I said "pink-up", as there will be links to lots of pink scrappy inspiration!

I put together these pink Greek Square blocks earlier this week.  I had lots of pink scraps in the 3.5" scrap bin, but none as old as some of the scraps I used for last week's 16-patch blocks!  I was tired of taking pictures of blocks on my design wall, so I snapped these in afternoon sunlight on the kitchen table - a nice change of pace!

Memory Quilt: version 3

I've been working on the third memory quilt made from my dad's shirts.  Versions 1 & 2 can be seen here.

I'm just kind of making this up as I go along.  My initial inspiration was to use half-square triangles to form square-in-a-square type blocks.  I also wanted to experiment with using a zig-zag border.  Since I already had lots of HSTs, I just played with those until I had a zig-zag I liked.  Of course, making it up as you go along sometimes creates design flaws...or are they planned design elements?

Can you see the flaw?

I have to make more HSTs for the bottom row.  Once I've got that laid out I'll decide if I can live with the flaw...er, design element.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge - March

The Rainbow Scrap Challenge color for March is pink.  No problem!  My box for 2 inch strips and squares is full of pink - some of those scraps date back to my earliest quilting days in 1988!  It didn't take long to piece 4 16-patch blocks.

Then I pulled out a larger pink scrap and cut some quarter-square triangles for hourglass blocks.

My design wall is full right now with another project.  I don't want to take it down or I'll mess up the piecing sequence - so I'll have to assemble all Rainbow Scrap Challenge 16-patch blocks another day.

There are lots more pink scrappy blocks to see over at Soscrappy's blog - go grab some inspiration!

Glad to be Home!

Greetings, Gentle Readers!  I had no idea I would be absent from my blog for so long, but I'm back and soooo happy to be home.  I've missed my quilting activities and blogging friends, but fortunately I could read all of your blogs and keep the thread of inspiration going.

I was rather unexpectedly offered a new job several weeks ago, but I had to travel to St. Petersburg, Florida for job training.  I was told the training did not have a rigid schedule, so when I left home I thought I'd be gone for a week.  Unfortunately, one week turned to two.  Fortunately, my mom now lives nearby, so I got to spend a great deal of time with her!

Since I thought I'd only be gone a week, I only took one hand-sewing project along with me.  I made and attached the binding for the Little Hearts quilt, and figured I'd use my free time in the evenings to stitch the binding down.  Instead, I wound up setting up my mom's new desk-top computer and getting all the programs tweaked and old files transferred over.  And she also wanted me to go with her to do some new car shopping, so we trekked across the county a few times to visit car dealers.

Life is good!  I returned home on Friday night, filled up on some good New Orleans cookin' and slept in my own bed.  There are still chores to be caught up on, but I did manage to spend a little time in my sewing room yesterday, so I should have some quilty things to share soon.

Pieces of the Past: Presidents, Patriotism and Sewing Machines

In honor of Presidents Day, I offer some sewing machine vignettes from the history of the United States.

Victorian trade card for Household Sewing Machine Co. featuring images of President & Mrs. Grover Cleveland, circa 1886.

President Cleveland married Frances Folsom in 1886 - the first wedding to ever be held in the White House.  She was 21 and the daughter of one of Cleveland's former business partners; he was 48 years old at the time and had never been married (although he admitted to fathering an out-of-wedlock child when the issue was dragged up by his opponents during the 1884 Presidential election).  Mrs. Cleveland proved to be a very popular First Lady and advertisers were quick to use her image to promote products - apparently without her permission.  So although this appears to be an endorsement of Household sewing machines, I doubt Mrs. Cleveland (or her staff) ever actually used one.

Victorian trade card for Weed Sewing Machine Co. featuring Uncle Sam.

Uncle Sam is demonstrating the Weed sewing machine (the company name and info is given on the reverse of the card) for a group of stereotypical foreign onlookers.  Weed sewing machines were manufactured in Hartford, CT from 1865-1900.  No date or specific reference to a particular "world's fair" is given.  We can speculate that perhaps the card refers to the World's Columbian Exposition, held in Chicago in 1893.  The image of Uncle Sam as a personification of the United States was frequently seen on Victorian trade cards.

Paper doll featuring a young girl sewing a US flag with a Wheeler & Wilson sewing machine.

This image is a die-cut design and has a stand-up support printed with an 1899 calendar.  I'm not sure of the significance of the word "Olympia" on the young lady's hat.  I always assumed she was meant to be a younger version of Columbia, a female personification of the United States.  Like Uncle Sam, Columbia was a popular image found in late 19th century advertising.

Patriotic postcard depicting sewing machine

Dating from the WW I era, this postcard promotes home sewing as a patriotic activity.  "What Can We Do For Home and Country?  We can economize by making our own clothes"

There you have it - Presidents Day is a perfect holiday to celebrate your sewing heritage!

Midnight Stars - Finished!

I came a little late to Lori's Midnight Stars quilt-along.  I'm not sure exactly when I started making my version of Midnight Stars, but it was well after Lori completed giving directions on her blog.  Regardless, I enjoyed making the quilt top and her instructions made it a breeze (thanks, Lori!).  The red and cheddar fabric combo really gives the quilt some sparkle!

I was inspired by Bonnie Hunter's free-hand fan quilting, so I decided to try that technique on this quilt.  I chose navy blue thread for the quilting.  Hmmm - not good choices!  I had a hard time seeing the stitches I had already made, so the visual guide for shaping the fans was just impossible to follow.  I gave up on making free-hand fans and used a guide to draw quilting lines with a chalk pencil as I went.  My hand quilting skills were rusty, and quilting through some of the seam lines was a pain, but I knew everything would look fine when the quilt was completed, bound and washed.  Now I just need to find a display spot for this cutie!

Pieces of the Past: Romancing the Sewing Machine

In honor of Valentine's Day - some Victorian trade cards depicting the effects of the sewing machine on romance!

"Romeo & Juliet" are aided by a Singer sewing machine.

Cupid & Mr. Singer's machine share in the nuptials:

"What I have sewed together let no one rip asunder"

A heartfelt proposal is answered "Yes, on condition that you buy me a Domestic with new wood work and attachments".  Cupid expedites things by phoning "Hello - send a Domestic - quick!"

Newlywed bliss = new Domestic sewing machine!

Or, the painful alternative:

"I will have a New Home Machine!"

"A New Home or a divorce, take your choice Sir!"

I couldn't resist throwing in my own take on sewing machine romance:

Sunbonnet Sue & A Sewing Machine Named Desire.

This block was made as part of a group quilt project for Treadle On.

Sue is drooling over an antique sewing machine labeled "Desire".  

Hand & machine applique with gold thread embroidery.

Happy Valentine's Day!