As well as Kaffe Fassett's "A World of Colour" exhibition at this museum they also have a wonderful range of antique quilts on display. They are hanging in display frames and covered by glass so it's not possible to get straight on views of them all as you have to swing open the quilt hangers to see each one. I was able to wait until most of the visitors have gone to get some better photos but the fan in front of the huge Baltimore Album quilt was impossible to mask. lol The quilts ranged from the mid to late 1800s and up to the 1950s and 1960s. Some of them were displayed on beds top their advantage. One of several of Kaffe Fassett's quilts which were hanging in the stairwell. A 1930s charmer with appliqued flowers. Another of Kaffe's quilts hanging in the stairwell. This hexagon top was interesting as the quilter had pieced some of the hexagons in just 3 pieces by cutting the hexagons joined together and then quilting seam lines. I'm not sure you will understand what I mean and will try to find better photos when I have time. My photos have uploaded on my computer out of chronological order and I haven't had time to fix it yet. Apart from the fan this was a stunning quilt in pristine condition. I was in quilter's heaven to be surrounded by so much quilty inspiration from the Kaffe Fassett as well as the antique quilts on display. I was disappointed to find that the Victoria and Albert Museum in London no longer have quilts on display as they are now stored at Blythe House and have to be requested for viewing, so I was very happy to have so much quilty loveliness at Bath. More to come soon. Love, Jan Mac

We are lucky to have Di Ford Hall's beautiful "Sutton Grange" in the shop at the moment so if you would like to come and feast your eyes on this gorgeous quilt then pop in for a visit. If you love this quilt and you are free on Saturday 28th February we still have a few spots left for Di Ford's class...the class will run from 10.00 to 4.00...cost for the day is $95.00 and this includes morning tea, afternoon tea and lunch. You will be guaranteed a wonderful day of learning with Di and you will leave full of inspiration and new tricks, ready to finish your very own "Sutton Grange". Surely it must be time for us all to start a new project....and if you started this quilt at our Applique School last year and need a bit of a refresher, well come along and let Di inspire you all over again. Megan has been busy this week cutting new shirting rolls for the shop. If you love shirtings and love to have a good supply in your stash well this is the perfect way of collecting them...there are 12 different shirtings in each roll, 6" x 21" and the are $24.00 per roll. Don't they look pretty....how to decide on a colour, we have red, green, blue, brown and black. Well...finally we are set to see some warm weather this weekend and Sammy has had a haircut. Now he is ready for the heat with his new summer style and he insisted on a close up to show his new trim fringe...so handsome. Have a great weekend everyone...and stay cool, or warm, depending on where you are...either way we hope your weekend is great and we hope you get lots of sewing done.

I haven't started a new quilt this year and I think I lasted quite well but seeing the Morrell quilt around blogland was just too much and I...

From Garrison Keillor’s The Writer’s Alamac for October 29 I learned about folk artist and quilt maker, Harriet Powers. I had never heard of this woman or her quilts until today. I sa…

I have always loved antique Dutch quilts. Over the years I have shared my completed reproduction quilts with you here. Today I am sharing them in one post. This was the first, "Hindeloopen". I purchased the kit in Houston from the Petra Prins booth many years ago. It was packaged so lovely! A big bow around the tissue. Later, the pattern was published in the book, "Treasures From Holland". Made entirely of beautiful Dutch chintz. It is machine pieced and hand quilted. The original is backed in red cotton. I didn't know that at the time and mine is backed in a Dutch print. The antique quilt is included in the book, "A History of Dutch Quilts" by An Moonen. This quilt was made from fabric charm squares gifted to me. The pattern was included in the package. It is made from a variety of Dutch chintz prints. The solid navy is also glazed. I machine pieced and machine quilted this one. For the longest time I wasn't going to cut the charm squares. As the fabrics became more readily available in the US I ordered yardage and used the charms. The Elephant quilt is my small "loose" interpretation (from stash) of an 1800-1825 coverlet from the Netherlands Open Air Museum. There is a similar pattern in Petra & An's book, "Promenade in a Dutch Garden". I made my interpretation before the pattern book was out. The antique is also included in An's book, "History of Dutch Quilts". The antique is backed in red, an unquilted coverlet. Mine is hand quilted and includes batting. My next attempt at duplicating a Dutch antique is the back of the Gooische stars quilt. I decided to make two separate quilts, rather than one two sided quilt. I changed my border, using a reproduction print from a line licensed from The Metropolitan Museum of Art collection. I am re-thinking the quilting plan, as I learn how many of these examples are unquilted. Maybe it is time I back one in red? The pattern can be found in Petra & An's book, "Promenade in a Dutch Garden". Detail of the center. I never tire looking at the fabrics. The piecing was a joy, revisiting all of the beautiful fabrics. More Detail Fairhaven RJR Fabric by Pat L. Nickols Lapis Green Reproduction Print Matches a print in the antique cover quilt What's Next! More Dutch inspired quilts. A bit of the fabric stash 1.5" diamonds, machine pieced, hand quilted I think the next project may include hexagons and diamonds in Dutch fabrics.... Should I start another project?

Maine Quilts is over for another year! Wendy and I enjoyed talking with lots of folks who enjoyed our exhibit! This is quilt is loaned by Jeannanne Wright.......the brightest quilt in the show for sure! Corner pinned back to reveal the linen backing. Isn't this indigo with chrome orange gorgeous!! And this is Dawn's Cook-Ronningen's copy....she found the Most Beautiful indigo print for it! The quilt on the right is by Jeannanne showing the linen backing which was hand-dyed with walnut dye to imitate the original backing. This is Sue Rivers' tiny copy of a c.1845 scrappy Irish Chain with swag border. Sue's Irish Chain Inspiration ................ Top: Red and white applique quilt by Ann Reed, based on a quilt at the Henry Ford Museum in MI. in the photo to the right of the quilt. Bottom; Red and white pieced Bear Paw by Bonnie Dwyer based on a quilt in her collection as seen in the photo to the right of the quilt. The oldest quilt in the show, a circa 1800 wool Medallion with cut corners for a 4 poster bed. Owned by the Maine State Museum in Augusta, ME. Quilting in the center panel (color better in photo above). Upper left, copy of the wool quilt by Laurie Labar.....her first quilt ever! She did a great job! Upper right, Amish quilt owned by Judy Roche with copy below made by Pat Burns. On quilt rack is a Very Heavy wool utilitarian quilt with its copy nearby made by Emma Morin. Crazy Quilt owned by Suzanne Bruno. Crazy Quilt Tea cozy made by Suzanne Bruno......unique inspiration! Striped Medallion circa 1850 owned by Wendy Reed. Wendy's small copy of her quilt with superb handapplique and quilting! The quilt on the rack is an antique owned by Sherry Shockley. The small copy to the left of it was made by Karen Keeler. "Carolina Lily" c.1880 owned by Florence McConnell along with her small inspiration quilt. Red/Green applique quilt owned by Judy Roche with small version by Mary Reynolds. h Medallion from the late 19th century owned by Wendy Reed with small version made by Nena Cunningham. Original 1840 potholder quilt from Bristol, Maine. Owned by the Maine State Museum in Augusta, ME. Blocks are approximately 12" but hardly any measure that.....how the quilt lies so flat is a mystery!! My copy of the 1840 Potholder quilt. Finished 60 hours before hanging it in the show! Hope you enjoyed our show!!

Honey Ridge Quilt pattern is a controlled scrap quilt with a beautiful alternating block. The pieced blocks are striking in the placement of fabrics within the block to create versatile looks, even though the blocks are all the same.

Reproduction star of toile by Becky Brown Here's the repro furnishing fabric she started with. Vintage block about 1830 "Printed linens done by copper-plates; they are excessive pretty." Mary Delany. Vintage block about 1830 The corners are toile-style monochrome prints. Artists have used metal plates to produce etchings, engravings and other paper prints since the 15th century. Fabric printers used a similar plate process with inks to make handkerchiefs, religious hangings and other textiles in the 17th and early 18th centuries but coloring agents were fugitive, fading with light, time and washing. Vintage quilt, early 19th-century Toiles among the Indiennes and dark ground chintzes. The toiles pieced into patchwork may be linen or fustian (a linen/cotton combination). It wasn't until 1752 that Dublin textile manufacturer Frances Nixon adapted traditional mordanting techniques to plate technology by printing colorfast madder colors on linen. Nixon's breakthrough chemistry combined Eastern dyeing processes with a mordant thickened to the right consistency for the intaglio process. Mary Delaney recorded a shopping trip soon after his discovery. A friend, she wrote, "made me go with her to…see a new manufactory that is set up there of printed linens done by copper-plates; they are excessive pretty…." Vintage quilt about 1830 set with toile squares. A description: Monochrome scenic prints of fine lines. Nixon moved to England to open a printworks and within a few years copperplate fabric was London's newest fad. Visitor Benjamin Franklin shipped his wife a box of goods in 1758 that included "fifty-six yards of cotton, printed curiously from copper plates, a new invention, to make bed and window curtains…." Reproduction block by Becky Brown Plate prints with fine incised lines produced greater detail than wood blocks, even wood blocks with added pins and metal lines. Designers could render flowers and birds with biological exactness and experiment with new subject matter like portraits, landscapes, literature and current events. The complexity of the designs dictated that the prints be monochromes, single color plus white. Aurora's Chariot, a vintage toile Copper plates measured about a meter (a yard) square, allowing a larger design canvas than possible with hand-applied wood blocks. The large repeat created fabric suitable for drapes and upholstery, as Franklin intended to use it, but copperplate was also made into clothing. Abigail Adams visited a London woman in 1784, admiring her dress of a "delicate blue and white copper plate calico." In 1759 the French government lifted its decades-old cotton printing restrictions and invited Swiss brothers, textile printers Frédéric and Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf to establish a plant near the royal court at Versailles in a town called Jouy-en-Josas. The factory at Jouy-en-Josas by J.B. Huet The workers are not tending gardens. That is colored yardage laid out in the sun to bleach. Most Oberkampf fabrics were printed with wood blocks but their factory at Jouy is remembered primarily for high-style copperplate printing. An Oberkampf chintz. The selvage says: "Manufactured by Oberkampf at Jouy near Versailles. Colorfast." Although many other European factories printed with plates, the term Toiles de Jouy (fabric from Jouy) came to describe it all. Toiles de Jouy, pronounced Twahl duh ZHOO-ee, is usually shortened and anglicized to toile. Two toile-style prints in an early quilt Americans included toiles or copperplate prints in their quilts from the late eighteenth century through 1860 or so. The women who made these stylish quilts probably called the fabric "copperplate" rather than toile. Figures are added with fine lines rather than large areas of color. I own this early-19th-century star quilt bordered with a faded chintz. Toiles are pieced into several of the blocks. You find small pieces in patchwork up into the Civil War era. The fabric was durable; the fashion for toile interiors faded. By the middle of the 19th century toiles were so out of fashion that a dry goods merchant described the remnants in his shop, "bits of calico and copper-plate, or furniture-patch," as rubbish. By the end of the century the look was quaint and old-fashioned, something satirist Marietta Holley could use to add a rustic note to a story about country folk who recovered a baby's "little high chair…with bright copperplate calico." Reproductions Repro star #29 by Barbara at Cookie's Creek. She used a toile to set off her blue and red lapis print center. Williamsburg Medallion from Patchalot http://www.patchalotpatterns.com/williamsburg_medallion_large.html The chain of squares border here is similar to the one in my old quilt above. Chintz star; toile background by Bettina Havig We are trying to get a specific look with reproduction toiles: Look for scenic or botanical monochrome prints. Bon Voyage by Kaari Meng for French General Look for brown on white Bon Voyage depicts a balloon ascension. Red on white Mary Koval's Palampore line Blues both dark and light on white Blue Toile Quilt, by Judy Martin (I think.) (Wendy says Kim McLean.) Avoid this popular decorating look if you want to reproduce the look of patchwork toiles. The repro toile above (a wallpaper) has an added red ground. Printers could add blotch grounds to toiles. Many blotch ground chintzes feature wood block backgrounds added to monochrome roller prints. But then they aren't monochromes any more. I'd call it a chintz and not a toile. A purple ground with Edwardian ladies. Monochromatic but pure nostalgia not history. Waverly upholstery fabric with chickens. One could cut those chickens out for the toile and use the yellow and red background for a chintz. Avoid black on white. It's a fashionable look in contemporary decorating but there were no black toiles (perhaps a dark brown or dark blue but no true black.) Reliable black dyes for cotton just weren't available until the end of the 19th century. Lily Pulitzer toile And no green toiles if you are looking for historical accuracy. Printers could not print yellow over blue to get green---it wouldn't register. They might do single step greens but those are rare. What to Do With Your Stack of Stars? Float Them in a Sea of Toile. Vintage star quilt about 1820 sold at Skinner. I love to see this contest between the patchwork and the print. Each tries to dominate. Quilt about 1820, collection of the Grand Rapids Museum When toiles created a classic decorating fashion quilters responded with their own design style---A very busy design style (see last week's post). Edyta Sitar took this photo of the details in the Museum's quilt set with red toile in a brown border. Another take on the nine-patch: Brown set, red border From Rocky Mountain Quilts: Red set,brown border I could go on but you get the picture. Simple Gifts, reproduction quilt by Marsha McCloskey Marsha McCloskey and Sharon Yenter updated the look in what they called Blended Quilts. Toile Exchange by Vivian Helena Vivian's group traded toiles and stars pieced of toiles. Vivian set her exchange blocks with more toiles in a star sashing. One More Thing About Toiles Toile is a fashion term rather than a technical term. The early toiles were produced by copper plates 36" long but printers learned to get the same look with roller prints. How do you know if the toile is plate printed or roller printed? It's impossible to tell in a small swatch. Collection of Historic New England But if you have a bigger piece as in the early quilt above (I assume it is a bed-size quilt) you can measure the repeat. Plate prints have a large repeat of about a yard or meter. I'm guessing the quirky quilt above features true plate prints. However, most of the toiles I've seen in American quilts are roller printed. It's easy to gauge the repeat in border strips. The roller print repeat is about 15"-18". Even in a photo you can guess that the repeat in the border toile above is not 36". It's not a copper plate print. It's a roller print done in plate-style. This strip quilt of two toiles from Skinner auctions also has short repeats typical of roller printing. Find the top of the image and the bottom and measure it top to bottom. I can tell from the photo that it's the small repeat typical of copper roller prints. A roller-printed toile What you are buying today are silk-screened toiles... ....which can feature a large repeat. They lack the detail found in the vintage fabrics printed by copper plates or cylinders.

Here's a sneak preview of the cover of the book. The designer recently sent a picture---I'm just giving you a preview as it's a secret, you know. It'll be called Barbara Brackman's Civil War Sampler but it should be Barbara and Becky's Civil War Sampler---as it's Becky's quilt up there. Liberty & Union,by Becky Brown 85'' by 101 1/2'' , machine quilted by Deb Jacobs, 2011. You'll recognize the blocks from the many posts in 2011. Thanks to Becky! The book will be shown to shop owners at fall 2012 quilt market. It will be in shops December 2012. Just in time to make it onto your Christmas list.

The view from our hike. This past November, my husband and I (Kara) had the opportunity to visit the spectacular country of Wales. This was to be our relaxing treat after such a crazy past year of visitors and travel. We chose the location based on its proximity to Snowdonia National Park—renowned for its beauty—and it did not disappoint. The scenery was spectacular and the hikes through various areas of the park were diverse in landscape and beauty. While hiking through the hills was one of our main goals, seeing some of the towns and castles was another. We decided to visit Caernarfon Castle on our way back to our rental. Any fans of The Crown out there? We couldn't see the castle because they were filming Season 3! Beefeaters being prepped for the shot Filming in action While the scenery and the filming were wonderful, getting to see all the quilts at the Welsh Quilt Museum, just days before it closed for good, was the absolute highlight for me! I knew that the museum would be closing in November, but I thought I would give them a call to see if I would be able to get in. As fortune would have it, the exhibit would be closed the following Saturday, but if I wanted to visit in the next two days, they would be open. My husband and I drove down to Lampeter and were able to visit with the lovely Jen Jones, owner and curator of the museum. A few show catalogs and Jen's book, Welsh Quilts Jen showed us around the museum and shared some of her vast knowledge of Welsh quilts. Her efforts through the years to save this disappearing art form has resulted in a collection of over 350 pieces. While not all of her collection was on display, this exhibit was a summary of past exhibits and showed a variety of amazing Welsh quilts. I could go into more detail about the history of these quilted beauties, but it would be better to just show them, and let you read more about the history in Jen's book Welsh Quilts. As you look at all the quilts, take notice of the incredible hand-quilting on each and every one of these quilts. The view as we walked in Tree of Life quilt from an Indian, hand-painted, fabric panel. Quilted in 1810 and exhibited at the 1851, London Great Exhibition. The colors are still so vibrant and the stitching is exquisite! Floral Patchwork, 1920 Blue and Yellow Star quilt, 1920 and Blue Spotty Strippy quilt, 1890 Quilts from the very first exhibit in 2009 Military/Tailors Quilt, pre-1938 The maker of this quilt is still a mystery! Interesting blocks! Such bold colors! From the 2014 exhibit titled, Early to Bed. This exhibit celebrated Folk Art and "Make Do and Mend" So many pieces and so much quilting! A creative example of using what you had Victorian Patchwork What a unique center! From the 2018 exhibit, Nos Da-Goodnight Prince of Wales Feathers, 1890 Close-up Red and White Strippy This quilt won an award in 1901, and I can see why. Central Star Quilt, 1895, on top made by Sarah Lewis. The quilt on the bottom was used for 25 years to protect the mattress from the boxsprings, circa 1870. 2010 exhibit highlighting the history of paisley in Welsh quilts Shawls that would have been used in the quilts. The beauty of the quilting is so evident in this one. Quilting close-up. One of my absolute favorites! Golden Yellow Quilt Made by Anna Davies, born in 1895 Hand-quilted, satin cotton with lambswool batting It was a challenge to get good pictures of the amazing whole-cloth quilts. This one is stunning! A typical Welsh quilting motif Another close-up Welsh quilting frame It was a wonderful experience seeing such a collection of what could have been a lost art. Jen has spent the last 45 years not just rescuing these quilts, but learning about their history and genealogy. She has found them through many different channels and saved a few of them from a practical existence of keeping a cow warm. This is a card for purchase in the shop that I couldn't pass up. If it weren't for Jen's tireless efforts to save such a valuable quilt heritage, this incredible art form would have been lost. While the museum is now closed, this quilt collection will be soon be traveling around the world to various locations. I will leave you with a few words from the introduction of Jen's book that give you a glimpse into her passion for this art form: Those quilts that have survived (sadly many have not) come into our own times as living emissaries of another age. They evoke the dexterity, imagination, and creativeness of people who somehow managed to produce such remarkable visual art from such humble and limited resources. What began for me as a salvage operation has evolved into a way of life. Jen Jones Welsh Quilts Thank you, Jen!

I decide to jump in on Barbara Brackman's Stars in a Time Warp Series. She says, "Each post will be a lesson on reproduction fabrics in a particular style or color." The pattern will remain the same each week, it is the fabric that will change. You can make one or as many as you want each week. Sawtooth Star is my favorite star and so are reproductions, so I thought I may as well join! I'm all caught up. I'll be making 2 a week. Turkey reds- week 1 Prussian Blues- week 2 Shirtings week 3 Chrome orange- week 4 That's it for me. Have an excellent weekend!

Absolutely worth the trip to beautiful Vermont (how have I never been to the Vermont Quilt Festival before now?)... these amazing antique quilts... Here's a small sampling: A45 BASKETS: "When Lillian Williams was born in 1884, the first girl in the family, her aunts Hattie Williams Benson and Loret Williams Martin made her this lovely red and white basket quilt. Both were quiet, religious homebodies, whose only hobbies were sewing and quilting. Lillian treasured her quilt for the whole 99 years of her life and it remains a family treasure. Collection of Peter and Barbara Doane" A22 Feathered Star, circa 1880-1890 by sisters Lovinia and Zenobia Ewens of Vermont: The bow border just makes it! A60: Sunburst by Lura Clapp Allen, circa 1851: My routine is to take a photo of the whole quilt, then any signage, then perhaps a closeup. This helps me keep things straight when it comes to sharing the photos: Sunflower by Carrie M Carpenter, 1861 (collection of the Shelburne Museum): What is not to love about this quilt?? One more. This Medallion Summer Spread knocked my socks off: (collection of the Vermont Historical Society). I'm surprised that it hasn't been dated, even approximately. Fellow gawkers and I estimate 1840's... earlier? Soft, sweet, whimsical... wish I'd taken 100 snapshots. After seeing the antique quilts, I immediately went to find the Sashiko quilt I had entered into the festival. It earned a third place ribbon, like a "grade" from the judges. Each quilt is scored on its own merit so there were many many third place ribbons. My first ribbon since, I don't know, middle school! ha ha. I'm nervous and curious about the judges' feedback, having never entered a quilt into a judged show. Makes me want to step up my game! All in all it was a fun day for me. I went back to the antique quilts several times. Another highlight was the Gwen Marston exhibit which I will post about next. And speaking of Gwen Marston... are you working on your border for the "Gwennie Inspired Medallion" challenge? We will link up on July 1! It is never too late to join in! Click here to see many beautiful basket centers on Lori's blog. Check out Instagram #GMmedallionQAL

Well, last weekend was AMQF and I really can't tell you when I have been so busy. Luckily for me all of that out-of-control ...

Antique quilt--made by my fiance's great-grandmother

Let's begin with the vintage Snowball Crossing quilt design. Alternating light and dark Snowball blocks with tiny corners make this quilt look like it’s

At this year's annual International Quilting Association's show, there was a most extraordinary exhibit. The French Guild France Patchwork exhibited thirty quilts from their last bi-annual contest, "Quilts de Legende" or Legendary Quilts. The quilts are all reproductions of antique quilts from Europe, Australia, and the United States. The rules for entry state that every quilt must be an exact reproduction of an antique quilt, using fabric as true to the original as possible, and they must be made entirely by hand: no machine piecing, no machine quilting, no machine assembly, no machine binding. Every stitch in the quilt must be done by hand. Knowing this makes the quilts, indeed, legendary -- and makes me respect, even more than I do now, all of the quilters of yesteryear that have preceded us. At this exhibit, I had the pleasure of meeting the President of the French Guild of France Patchwork, Catherine Bonte, pictured below. She was absolutely delightful and so proud and happy to share the work of her compatriots. Catherine is standing in front of one of the most remarkable quilts in the exhibit. Bath, pictured below, was made by Louise-Marie Stipon of Le Conquet, France. It is a most amazing piece of work - particularly since it was entirely hand made. Of note is the fact that the number of half-square triangles in the blocks vary. The block below has a five-by-five matrix of half-square triangles. Sometimes the colors stay the same across the diagonal rows... And sometimes they "mostly" stay in the same color family. The block below is a seven-by-seven matrix of half-square triangles. The block below is an eleven-by-eleven matrix of half-square triangles. Remember... these blocks are all the same size! Putting these blocks together is not a simple combination of 1 inch, 1-1/4 inch, 1-1/2 inch, etc. half-square triangles. The ability of these quilters to make this quilt boggles my mind since the blocks have no common denominator to size the half-square triangles in them! Here's a block that is a six-by-six matrix of half-square triangles. Most of you have seen an antique quilt where the maker "pieced" a half-square triangle or a square because they were putting scraps to good use. The maker of this quilt faithfully reproduced the scrappy piecing that existed in the original quilt; check out the block below and you will see several half-square triangles that were pieced as they were in the original quilt. Yes, I have to say... these are legendary reproductions of quilts! And this will give you an idea of the size of the center block in the quilt -- the one that is a fifteen-by-fifteen matrix of half-square triangles, surrounded by a border of six more rows of these miniature half-square triangles. I cannot imagine me ever doing such work -- especially by hand -- and having it be nearly as exquisite -- or accurate; and yet every one of the quilts in this exhibit hung perfectly straight and flat with no ruffles or distortion. Here is a close-up of the quilting in the sashing strips: triple cross-hatching! Here is another quilt from the exhibit, Alabama, by Marie-Francoise Gregoire from Vaux-sur-Mer in France. It was inspired by a medallion quilt from Alabama, circa 1800-1825. Here is a close-up of the outer border. As you look at it, remember: these quilts are pieced and quilted entirely by hand -- without paper foundations or machines! Below is Alice Springs, made by Annick Tauzin of Floirac, France. Annick based her quilt on a "Persian applique," circa 1840, from Australia. Bear in mind that "persian applique" is a term that we generally hear in French, not English: broderie perse. This quilt was one of the first that I saw this year that had hexagons in it -- after seeing this quilt, I began seeing hexagons EVERYWHERE! In a future blog, I'll show all the surprising places that hexagons showed up. Here is a close-up of the center of Alice Springs. Note the fine quilting - and the small broderie perse flowers. The quilting in this quilt was amazing -- I like studying the hand quilting in old quilts because I learn a lot from it. The quilters of yesteryear didn't always care how long it took to finish something, so they had no problem going the extra mile. They did lots of triple cross-hatch stitching. And in this quilt, you can see (below) where the quilter did a triple echo around the broderie perse flowers -- and then added a quilted flower in the open area. I like both of those ideas and may do some of that in my own quilting in the future. Here is a close-up of the border; I like the idea of adding unique shapes to each border. And, again, look at the quilting in this border. It makes me want to work harder on my own hand quilting efforts. This quilt, called Cubes (Baby Blocks in English), was made by Catherine Guy who lives in Saint-Heand, France. It was based on a quilt made between 1855 and 1875 and has more than 3,000 pieces in it. The pattern for this quilt was published in American and British women's magazines circa 1850-1860. Check out this close-up of some of those blocks. Over and over again, as my friends and I examined all the old quilts at the Houston show, we kept hearing ourselves say, "we are far too timid in our fabric selections!" Would you ever have put a gingham check into this quilt if you were making it? I know I wouldn't have... but perhaps I am just too, too timid, and need to step up my game a bit. Botanical Page (Page Botanique in French) was made by Louise-Marie Stipon, who hails from Le Conquet, France. Her quilt was based on a quilt dated 1885 that was made in Illinois. Look at the number and type of leaves in the design. You'll have to ignore that bothersome pole in front of the quilt; I simple couldn't photograph around it. Here is a close-up of the berries and leaves (below). But what I really want you to look at is the extraordinary quilting in this quilt. The background is filled with quilting that covers every 1/8th inch of open area. The next quilt, Clarissa, is one that many of us have seen in books. Made by Aline Jouline of Chaillevette, France, Clarissa is based on the Windmill Blades block in the spirit of Clarissa White Alford's quilt (circa 1885-1890). The original quilt resides at the Shelburne Museum in the U.S. I had not taken the opportunity to look at photos of the quilt, and notice the detail in the blocks. I had thought they were all like -- and they are, to a certain extent, but the value of the quarter-square triangles and the air-castle blocks within each block varies a bit. The block below has four air-castle blocks in the center. This block has matching quarter-square triangles in the two outer rows and four half-square triangles of two different fabrics in the center. This block has matching quarter-square triangles in the outer row, but the inner ones vary quite a bit. The visual variety makes your eye dance across the surface of this block. This block is quite different from the others -- the outer two rows are quarter-square triangles, but their values give the block an interesting look. The center four squares are each half-square triangles, making a pinwheel. It's neat to see such differences amongst all of the blocks. Diamonds with Flowers (Losanges de fleurs) was made by Dominique Husson from Arvert, France. It was inspired by an American quilt (circa 1840). The flowers each are centered in one-inch hexagons. Yes -- there are many more hexagons in this exhibit! In this close-up, you can see the care taken to fussy-cut fabrics for these blocks -- I love the rosebuds in this block, surrounded by leaves. Here's a close-up of another block. This whole notion of fussy-cutting fabric in hexagons is starting to grow on me, though, as I walked the aisles of the show, I swore I'd never take on making a hexagon. Ever, ever, ever (thank you, Taylor Swift!). The border fabric used in this quilt is wonderful; its coloration was perfect for the quilt. Double Feathered Star (Double etoile plumetree) was made by Gabrielle Paquin of Orleans, France. This quilt is the artist's own interpretation of the classic Feathered Star block. And wow - pieced by hand! Framed Medallion was made by Anne-Marie Huguen of Le Conquet, France. It is a mariner's compass block surrounded by many triangles, and was inspired by Mary Tayloe Lloyd's quilt (circa 1835-1850) in the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Museum in Washington, D.C. Imagine making this by hand... and then imagine making it 160 years ago without all of our modern tools, gizmos, and gadgets at hand! The quilt below was called Replica to Replica. Ursula, Doris, and I! (or De replique en replique. Ursula, Doris et Moi!). It was made by Simone Patouillard of Sorbiers, France. The quilt was inspired by an antique quilt given to a woman named Ursula by her family when she moved to Texas in 1873. A woman named Doris came upon the old quilt but because of its poor condition, it was impossible to attempt any restoration; Doris loved it enough to make a copy of the quilt in 1986 - and then Simone made a copy of the copy in 2011. Isn't it interesting to see how quilts give birth to children? (and yes, Becky, I've had "the talk" with my fabric... so that it will quit reproducing when I'm not looking!). This quilt has a very dynamic look to it; I wish everyone could see it in person. More hexagons! This quilt is named "Hexagonal Star" and was made by Renee Elie of Royan, France. It was inspired by an antique quilt dated 1830. It has 9,988 three-quarter inch hexagons, each made using the English paper method. Each hexagon has a flower centered in it. Think of the focus required to make sure that every single one of those 9,988 hexagons has a flower in it. Could you do it? Would you? It sure is beautiful -- once my friends and I started looking at these quilts, we could not stop. I've never seen an exhibit that I went back to look at... four or five times. And there were MORE hexagons! This quilt was named Honeycomb (Rayon de miel) by its maker, Liliane Verger of Royan, France. It was inspired by an English quilt; quilts such as these were much appreciated in England in the Victorian age (circa 1840). The hexagons were all made using the English paper method. Here's a close-up of Honeycomb. Francoise Bertrand of Meschers, France, submitted The Ladies of the Ocean (Les dames de l'ocean) to the Legendary Quilts exhibition. This is a group quilt, inspired by a quilt made in 1840. Can you imagine making all these Lady of the Lake blocks (as it is more commonly known in the U.S.) by hand? And then... can you imagine daring to take on this quilt as a group? Whoa - I'd have to have some very trusted hand piecers before I'd even think about it! Here's a close-up. Note that the quilting is not in the ditch, as I might have done it. Rather, it is simple cross-hatching that cuts through the center of each half-square triangle. There were far more pieced quilts than appliqued quilts in this exhibition, but here is a nice applique quilt called May Bouquet (Bouquet de mai) by Anne-Marie Schmitt of Denas, France. This quilt was inspired by an 18th century English quilt made of silk. Here's a close-up -- the tiny berries in some of the cornucopias are wonderful! Note the nice quilting in this quilt. The next quilt was a dramatic contrast of browns, tans, golds, and reds. Louise-Marie Stipon of Le Conquet, France, named it "Medallion with Double Triangle Squares (Medaillon de triangles et carres). The quilt was inspired by an 1870s quilt from Massachusetts that now resides in the American Folk Art Museum in New York. Again, please ignore the tape shown across the front of the quilts - it prevents viewers from walking too close to the quilts - and I can't get it out of my photographs, doggone it! Part of what made this quilt so dramatic is that its striking geometry was also carried into the quilting designs used. Those cross-hatching lines in the border triangles are quilted; this was not a plaid fabric. And the center block of the quilt was softened with lovely quilted shapes. Note the double quilt lines in each little square, as well as along the border strips. Oh my, what precision there is in this quilt! The Mohican Track (La piste du Mohican) was made by Marie-Hosephe Veteau from Steinsoultz, France. She says her work was based on the Drunkard Path pattern from the beginning of the 19th century. Take a close look at the quilting in her quilt... and don't forget that she pieced this entirely by hand. Bravo to expert workmanship! Mosaic Quilt was made by Isabelle Etienne-Bugnot of Soisy-sur-Seine, France. Isabelle was inspired by a quilt made circa 1840 that she saw in the DAR Museum. The piecing was done using the English piecing method. Navy Geometry (Geometrie marine) by Cecile Lacoste of Gorges, France, uses the mariners' compass design (circal1855-1875). The workmanship in this quilt was phenomenal. Here's a close-up of the block (note the lovely quilting)... And here's a clsoe-up of the close-up. Again... this was all made by hand. Observatory Street (1692 rue de l'Observatoire) was made by France Aubert from La Queue-lez-Yvelines, France. This quilt was inspired by a Lone Star quilt from Mississippi, circa 1875-1885. It has 1,692 pieces. It's simply stunning - and not to belabor the point, it was entirely hand-pieced. No matter how many times I say that, it's hard to recognize it could be done, and done so perfectly, since I couldn't even begin to do something like this by hand. This next quilt was delightful. Called The Life of Phoebe Cook (La vie de Phoebe Cook), Jocelyne Picot of La Roche-sur-Yon, France, replicated some cute scenes. The quilt shows the life in a small town in Ohio in 1872. These three close-ups give you a much better idea of how cute this quilt was the ladies' skirts are often ruffled in three dimensional applique - and everyone's hair was hand-embroidered in place: The picture below shows you Poison by Agnes Carretier of Gujan-Mestras, France. Her quilt was inspired by a circa 1880 quilt bought in an antique shop. Forty diamonds were pieced together and framed with double pink and poison green borders. In the photo you can see that the quilt was laid on a floor mount, and the old original antique quilt lies across the top portion of the reproduction quilt. It was a nice touch to see "mother and daughter" together. Potomac was made by Aline Joulin of Chaillevette, France. Her quilt was inspired by an old American quilt. What a wonderful variety of fabrics are in this quilt! Starlit Night (Nuit etoilee) by Ghislaine Lucas of Le Conquet, France, was inspired by a child's quilt. The size of the original motif was reduced but the size of the quilt was increased. The Ohio Star block and the Courthouse Steps log cabin block work well together in this quilt. Here's a close-up of the two blocks and the lovely cross-hatch quilting in them... And another close-up. And here was a surprising idea for quilting in a wide border: Marie-Jospehe Veteau of Steinsoultz, France, chose a funny name for her quilt: Upside Down (Sans dessus dessous). The quilt combines lone stars and mariners' compasses - and a nine-patch border. The quilt was inspired by a circa 1840 quilt. And here is a close-up of the center star. I love the idea of having a star that has an "invisible" inner star in itself (the tan in the white). Stars or Baby Blocks (Etoiles ou cubes) was made by Marie-Paule Nedelec and Anne-Helene Nedelec and Anne-Helene Nedelec of Chateaubriant, France. Their quilt was inspired by a circa 1880 Kentucky quilt. Within each block, you may see either a star or three baby blocks. Check out the stars... or baby blocks... in this close-up. You can see the quilting in the above quilt - 1/8th and 1/4 inch echo quilting. The borders, on the other hand, has "zig-zags" quilted across them in triple-row stitching. Amazing, simply amazing, isn't it?! Sunbeam (Un rayon de soleil) was made by Ewa Guerin of Bourges, France. This quilt was inspired by a quilt in the Shelbourne Museum. Note the quilting within the leaves and the flower, below -- and I hope you can see the "extra flower" quilted in the background between the leaf and the top flower. The Nest (Le Nid) was made by Anne-Marie Schmitt from Genas, France. Check out the close-ups below. The background fabric in the center of the quilt was an interesting and unusual choice. The center nest block, part of which is shown below, is based on an original design by Ellen Heck. If you have ever had the pleasure of taking a class from or seeing any of Ellen's quilts, you are fortunate; I consider Ellen to be one of today's finest applique artists! The next quilt as a small one - I would estimate it was about a square yard. It was called Traboutis and was made by Penelope Roger of Orleans, France. This quilt was a personal creation made by using back stitches in a combination of trapunto and "boutis provencal" (and if you google boutis provencal, most of the links are in French, not English!). Trapunto and boutis quilting are both variations of stuffed quiltwork. The center of this quilt was simple... but the quilting was what overwhelmed me. Look - it takes my breath away! To give you an idea of scale... check out my finger, below. This Winding Blade Quilt by Christine Imbaud of La Rochelle, France, is based on a quilt made in Virginia circa 1860. And a close-up... Last, but not least, here is a picture of me and Jeanne Sullivan. We got to spend some time together at the Houston quilt show; I took a class from her a few years ago, and she is a fabulous teacher. Her BRAND NEW book, Simply Successful Applique, is fantastic -- she has plenty of photos, detailed instructions, multiple methods... all giving you one of the best tools on the market for either learning applique, or taking it to the next level. If you can't find it in your local quilt shop, check out Amazon; I highly recommend it! And here is a photo of me and Gaye Ryon; we met at the quilt show when she told me that I saved her life. How, you might ask? Well... when her husband was diagnosed with cancer, she told her doctor that she refused to start taking anti-depressants, and instead chose to make my Monster quilt. It cheered her through the ordeal - so much so that her friends also made Monster quilts and they had a special exhibit of Monster quilts at their quilt show in Salt Lake City. I'm happy to know that quilting makes people happy; it has certainly gotten me through stressful times, and led me to the best circle of friends and support that any human could ever hope to have. Gaye - it was great to meet you - you radiate joy!! This month's blog seems to have come to an end. Next month I will share what I've been working on this past month (as well as the coming month) - and I'll show you two quilts that I bought at the Houston show. They are both antiques -- one of them required some extensive (but easy) repair work and I'll take you step-by-step through it. There were some surprises along the way! I'll also be showing you some more quilts -- there were so many lovely quilts at the Houston show; I'm SO glad I live just down the road. Until next month... happy quilting! Sue (c)2012 Susan H. Garman  

30th PA Co. E / Living History / Willow Valley Retirement Community / Quilt

Here are just a few of the quilts from the 32nd Annual Quilter's Anonymous Show... It's held at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe, Washington. Thank you Quilter's Anonymous. I should have gotten all the names of the artists/quilters who made these few I photographed. But know that I love the variety of quilts in this show and the artists they represent. Diverse designs, fabrics, talents, tastes, ages, and outlooks. That variety is the spice of life! Make it a Wonderful Day!

It has been a while between posts so there is a lot to share.....here is the first instalment! This past weekend a small group of us were invited by a very special friend to travel to Victoria to see the inaugural quilt exhibition of the Castlemaine Applique Group and what an incredible exhibition it was! I took over 80 photos just on the first day so have had to reduce them for the blog. As a lover of appliqué this was like viewing the "cream of the cream" with a very strong focus on reproduction fabrics. Many of the quilts have been inspired by antique quilts as you will read on the labels and many hand pieced and hand appliquéd. The labels explain more so I will let the photos do the talking........and not sure if the bike hire was to zoom around the exhibition or not! (and yes to those at home....that would be Kay still hobbling on that broken foot) and this is the pieced back of Di's quilt............. We are now being thoroughly spoilt for a few days in the beautiful city of Ballarat with lots of talking, quilting, eating and sight seeing...... so more news of that in a few days. Hope all is well in your part of the world xx

This beautiful quilt by Liz Porter features a center panel that is a late 1700s reproduction of a “calicoe” panel printed by textile printer John Hewson

Back in January Mary from Country Threads announced that her and Connie had a new book coming out. Well I was super excited. SUPER EXCITED. I love Mary and Connie as people and I love them as q…

Pieced quilt with central square medallion with large "star of Bethlehem" or "lone Star" surrounded by appliqued fruit and leaf bunches from imported printed cotton, enclosed by four large squares. Borders from interior out; a repeating ‘windmill' or ‘patchbook' motif; repeating lozenge motifs; ‘star of Bethlehem' repeating within lozenge compartments; and a repeating double lozenge motif. All design elements made of pieces taken from various printed cotton fabrics; quilted with a white cotton ground.

This week I’ve been thinking about friendship. Sometimes togetherness is expressed through a shared meal, while other times it takes the form of a treasured object. (Like snuggling up on a chilly autumn night with a quilt made by people who care.) We’ve already talked about the mental health benefits of handiwork, but there’s another benefit […]

I love cake and last week while my son, Andrew, was visiting he requested The Bubble Room Orange Crunch Cake. Do yourself a favor and click the link to their website. You will see right away why I like the place! (recipe on bottom of post) Despite the snow, ice and wind the New England Regional Chapter met at Sturbridge Village for an American Quilt Study Group day. Wow, that was a lot of links, but I'd like to encourage you to join this National organization. From the Sturbridge collection, made by: Susannah Howard 1879. My heart stopped when I saw this Pride of Iowa 4-block. Sorry for the bad iphone photo - I was having a mild heart attack. Wow - these berries were nearly round but securely attached. I need to step up my game! My favorite room What a sweet little doll bed and paper doll set. It was great to see the group again including Cynthia of Wabi-Sabi and to finally meet Wendy, the Constant Quilter in person. We had a funny adventure through the snowy village :) They both have great posts on the day too. Despite or because of the horrid weather, the feeders have been very busy! Poor little Gold Finchs. Check out this look. She seems to be saying what are you doing here? Just waiting my turn.....I'm freezing out here! Last Chance Charlie to win Diane's book or my stencil. Thank you for all the comments on your quilting stories. I've enjoyed reading each one. Click here to enter the giveaway, I will pick a winner on Saturday. xo **The only change to the recipe is that I make my own buttercream frosting with butter, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla - then I added the zest.** Ingredients Crunch layer 1 cup graham cracker crumbs 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (actual recipe) or 1/2 cup slivered almonds ( actual recipe) 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed 1/2 cup butter, melted Cake 1 Pillsbury Plus yellow cake mix 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup orange juice 2 tablespoons grated orange peel 3 eggs 1/3 cup oil Frosting 1 pillsbury ready to spread vanilla frosting 1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed 3 tablespoons grated orange peel 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel Directions : Combine crunch layer ingredients. Press 1/2 into each bottom of 2 greased and floured 8" or 9" pans. : In a large bowl, blend cake ingredients at low speed until moistened. Beat 2 mins at high speed. Pour into pans. : Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes Cool 10 minutes Remove from pans and cool completely. : In small bowl, mix frosting & topping. Fold in lemon & orange peels. : Place one layer, crunch side up, on plate. Spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Top with remaining layer, crunch side up. Spread top and sides with remaining frosting.

Wendy and I spent 5 hours (of course we talk, laugh and solve all the world's problems in that time!) in the car to spend about 4 Wonderful hours listening to the lecture at lunch and studying quilts at the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell MA! Anita Loscalzo curated and lectured on Prussian Blue. You can read her seminar paper if you have the AQSG 2010 "Uncoverings". First is a quilt by Sarah Stoller............ !) Love this pattern! Imagine the hours spent creating this beauty!! I have some Ardco metal window templates to hand-piece this pattern.....wonder if I will ever get to it!! Should try just one block at least! Love the carefree attitude of the quiltmaker! Some blocks are planned with only one color and then others are scrappy like this!! Nice variety of Indigoes in this one! And a second quilt by Sarah Stoller................... I never knew the "Garden Maze" pattern was so early! Nice combination of Prussian Blue and Buff....... The maze was created with a nice Indigo that we have reproductions of today! Another Prussian Blue/Buff combination, albeit Faded! Don't you think this is a neat print!! I find the number of different prints from back in the day to be mind-boggling! I think this is the earliest "Cheater" (aka Printed Patchwork) that I've seen. The border which is pieced onto the Tumbling Blocks center. Closeup of one side of the center applique done in "broderie perse". Hard to tell, but this is a "broderie perse" applique in the center of the quilt. And here is my Stars in a Time Warp for the Indigo week! I would really love to cut squares in half for those large side triangles so the stripes would be wonky and diagonal, but I don't like wavy, bias edges on my blocks.........maybe I'll get up my courage later! While on the subject of Indigo, I thought I would share some star block photos (same 6" star as what we are doing!) from an old quilt top that I can no longer remember how I acquired! It appears never to have been used as there are no batting remnants or tying holes tho there is wear to some of the fabrics. Have taken a couple blocks out but it is slow going.....you'll see why in the closeup of the stitching on the back! I'd like to make some little quilts from it because in the future, whoever finds this raggedy top will likely throw it out but if I make something useful and pretty, it will be saved. The majority of the blocks are made with this Indigo w/white circles. A few, very few, other fabrics are in some of the other stars. Love this print and it is used only once in a complete block! This is the back side of the above block. See the stitching? Thought it was Backstitch but now think it might be "double stitch". In one of my books I found some diagrams of a couple of different seam-sewing methods, but of course, can't find the reference at the moment! The setting triangles and squares are of this fabric with teeny little stars. I thought this top dated from c.1900.....anyone else with other thoughts? In the photo below, the front of the fabric is the bottom triangle and the back of the fabric is the top triangle.........can hardly tell the difference! We did see two c. 1850 quilts at NEQM that used a similar star fabric.......must have been manufactured for many decades! Will show those quilts in a future post! And speaking of Indigo, while I was naming the files for this post, I came across these two little pieces I made several years ago from an "Indigo" line from Windham paired with some Shirtings that came out about the same time. I may have shown these before, but I just love these colorful Indigoes! When I got back to my hometown, I was welcomed with this beautiful sunset!! Because of the location of my home, I rarely see sunsets! In my previous home, they were spectacular from my dining room window! Now. I know that Sunrises are beautiful too but I am an Night Person and rarely see daybreak!!

I found this quilt in the auction house catalog of Pook and Pook. Made by Pennsylvania Mennonites in the 19th century, it recently sold for $4503 USD. The color scheme is unique mixing pinks, blues…

Love early antique fabrics - you are going to drool over this post. As part of continuing education with my quilt appraising group (PAAQT) we visited to the Chester Co. Historical Society in Pennsylvania and examined a number of antique signature quilts. These are especially educational because they are dated or the date can be determined easily. The Pennock Family Album is one of the treasures of the Chester Society's collection. Made in Chester Co. in 1840, it has a sampler of block patterns along with inked drawing and signatures on the blocks. Look at the amazing florals in this delicate 6 pointed star! And the florals and inking and wonderful chain link print in this circular block. don't forget to click on the picture to enlarge to see the details. The center inking is an amazingly detailed drawing of a boat sailing with full crew. More amazing early fabrics Look at the inked flag in the center of this lovely 8 pointed star Another inking and more fab fabrics More delightful florals and the signature on a leaf. Names were often disguised in inkings. Btw, the threads visible are basting threads to secure the english paper piecing templates.

Small flag quilt Date inscribed 1862 38 1/4" by 32 1/4 " This quilt has been in my file of quilts related to the Civil War for several years. It's been handled by a few antique dealers and was auctioned at Sotheby's last year. The date of 1862 in the lower right corner is part of the quilt's value. I haven't felt completely confident about the date that is embroidered (?) on one of the flags. 1862 is inscribed in the stripe of one flag. The overall quilt-style just doesn't look 1862. If it were not dated I would guess it was pieced between 1870 and 1890. My dating guess is based on three style characteristics. 1) The major pattern,what might be called a charm quilt of triangles. 2) The strip border. 3) The corner treatment in the strip border. 1) The Pattern: Charm Quilt 1) The major pattern is in the style called charm quilt---a sampler of prints. This is not a true charm quilt as there are numerous duplicate prints, but very few charm quilts achieved the goal of no two prints alike. The pattern of squares half dark and half light is common. The small quilt above is date-inscribed 1897. 1862 Flag quilt detail The style idea in a charm quilt is to use prints for both light and dark areas and stitch the quilt from only one shape. This flag quilt is the earliest date-inscribed quilt in this style that I've seen. Anytime one finds a very early or a very late example---an outlier---one should be suspicious. Quilt date-inscribed 1876 The charm style was extremely fashionable in the 1870s. Here's the next-earliest version I've seen with a date on it, pieced of Centennial Prints in 1876, the date of the U.S. Centennial celebration. Quilt date-inscribed 1882 Small quilt date-inscribed 1883 from the Nickols collection at San Diego's Mingei Museum. Many quilts were made in charm style after 1870. One gets the feeling quilters were celebrating a new abundance of American prints in new styles, such as the black (brown?) lace print that is the border here. Lace prints in stripes were quite popular in the 1880s. Quilt date-inscribed 1869, documented by the Heritage Quilt Project of New Jersey, photo from the Quilt Index This is the closest thing I have found dated in the 1860's and it's similar only in the use of the half-square triangle and prints for the light colored areas. The large white triangles are a solid white. It's not a charm quilt but it is pieced of half-square triangles. 2) The Border Style The border pieced of multiple strips is also a style seen more after 1870 than before. This is not one of the strongest clues to date; there are earlier quilts with multiple strip borders. 3) The border corner treatment. A stronger clue to a post-Civil War date is in the way the borders turn the corners. The style is not mitered and is not even pieced to look mitered. The strips are just seamed as they were added, in a rather casual fashion typical of the late-19th and early 20th century. Today people call the style a run-on border. See a post I wrote on this late 19th-century border corner here: http://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/2013/06/run-on-borders.html My thinking is that the crib quilt is more typical of Centennial-style quilts Such as this quilt pieced of triangles framing a central panel printed to commemorate the 1876 Centennial and four flags cut from another Centennial commemorative. The two flag quilts above and below were pictured in the series Why Quilts Matter: History, Art & Politics An undated charm quilt of rectangles featuring a flag in the collection of the New England Quilt Museum. Is it a Centennial quilt celebrating 100 years of American independence and a lot of calico? Next week the defense for a Civil War date on the crib quilt gets an airing. (I'm doing both sides of the debate here all by myself but if you have ideas do comment, please!).

Here are several of my traditional favorites from the IQF Show 2018 in Houston. Click on any photo tag to get a close up of the maker and quilt info. The toile was so beautiful. I applaud anybody who executes a Sue Garmen quilt in the entirety! And another Sue Garmen pattern. This blog post HERE of Barbara Brackman's was about the best explanation of Quilts de Legende in English. One of my favorites. It's crazy, busy, intricate, traditional... amazing! All in one quilt! This was probably one of my favorites too. That quilting speaks to me! I actually thought all of these were supposed to be completely by hand. Maybe they've changed the rules. This is not part of the Quilts de legend, but such a pretty sampler!! I hope you all weren't tired of seeing the lovely quilts in Houston! Take care and have a fantastic Monday!

Click on the cover image to view, download or print the pdf version of this booklet.

Hertfordshire is een Graafschap in het oosten van Engeland. De naam is afgeleid van het Angelsaksische Heortfort wat "hertenoversteekplaats"...

After a year of working on these blocks, with the final one received on Saturday, 31 Dec 2011, the quilt top is pieced. It seems like I have been doing nothing but blocks all year (2011), and now the fruits of my labor are several quilt tops all at once, the Churn Dash, the Mill Girls, Christmas Greetings from Elm Creek Manor, and now this one, A Civil War Christmas.

Let's begin with the vintage Snowball Crossing quilt design. Alternating light and dark Snowball blocks with tiny corners make this quilt look like it’s