Sunday, August 21, 2011

A Little Sharing

Once in a while I get emails from people who have completed one of my patterns. I don't always get the time to show them all, but I got two recently that I want to share.

 This little cutie was made by Christelle Taquet. I happened to hear from Christelle because I saw another quilt that she made posted on Lynda Hall's blog, Primitive Pieces. I commented on how much I liked it and then heard from Christelle that she made one of my little quilts (Medallion Doll Quilt, above) and is working on another one. Apparently Christelle lived in Virginia Beach for a while and before moving back to France she stocked up on supplies at What's Your Stitch n Stuff, a LQS. Among her purchases were a few of my kits! It makes me happy to think of her in France stitching along on Patchalot Patterns! Thanks for sharing Christelle!
 I also heard from Michelle Condon, a fellow blogger from Quilts and Stuff. Michelle was in Millstone Quilts, in Mechanicsville, Virginia recently and bought a few of my patterns. She wrote to tell me about it, then later sent this picture of Stitchin' Time that she had completed! Nice job Michelle! By the way, Millstone Quilts will be featured in the next edition of the Quilt Shop Sampler magazine by Better Homes and Gardens (the American Patchwork and Quilting people). I always love to see the great shops they feature in that magazine!


On another front, I had the pleasure of speaking to the Colonial Quilt Lovers Guild yesterday in Camden, North Carolina. I had such a great time and really felt welcomed in their midst! My husband asked if I was going to another support group, and yes, it is something like that, except we kind of encourage each other in our addictive habits. I spoke a little bit while I showed my quilts. Heaven knows that is an easy format for me! I also have to say how impressed I am with the good work they are doing in supplying quilts to Project Linus, and baby quilts to a local hospital as well. Quilters just overwhelm me with their goodness and generosity! Thanks ladies for a great day!





Thursday, August 18, 2011

The Joy of Reading

I have spent far too much time playing with my Ipad of late and consequently have not read as much as usual. I enjoy my books too much to let them be overshadowed by ever changing electronic gadgets. Not to say I don't enjoy my Ipad. I do! I also enjoy reading books on it, but it is not the same as gripping an actual book and turning the pages. Plus I haven't outgrown the need to peruse the shelves of bookstores, or scan through the best sellers at Sam's Club or Costco. Many times my husband and I read the same books, and then I often send them to my dad or my children. Good books are meant to be shared! 


Recently I finished reading Dreams of Joy, by Lisa See. This is a great book! Fascinating and frightening in its historical setting in Red China. It follows the journey of Joy, the daughter of Pearl and May in the book Shanghai Girls. You really must read Shanghai Girls first! Lisa See is an American of Chinese descent. Her family's history is amazing (On Gold Mountain) and she draws on this history and their experiences in her writings. I often see books reviewed on blogs that I read, and I find that helpful and enjoyable, so I thought I would add my 2 cents worth.

And then there are QUILT STORIES! I love them! I read two good ones on blogs recently. There are probably lots more out there, but I am not straying very far afield these days. Check these out for good reading, I know you will love them:
Please let me know if you see other stories I can add to this collection. 
And here are those darling twins again. Can you believe how they are growing! Coming up on 5 months old!





Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Summer Progresses

I was perusing Ebay the other day and look what I found! Not only that, I won the bid for it, so I am now the proud owner of a really straggly, well used, deteriorating old quilt! And so why did I buy it? It was advertised as a cutter quilt, for one thing, and I had to save it from that fate! Also I love the old indigos on the pink. A wonderful combination!

 At first glance I thought the block in the lower left was a square of dark fabric! But no, it is a shoofly block with literally no contrast! Do you think quilters of old did this just to be playful as we do today? These blocks are 9" squares. I adore the zig-zag setting! Now here is the funny part, to me at least. It is virtually the same pattern as my Pioneer Trail!
 Pioneer Trail done in prairie colors, but the exact same block and setting! And here I thought I designed this pattern! Seriously, "nothing new under the sun", as they say!
 Meanwhile, back in the sewing room there is little to report. Little blocks that is. These are three inch blocks. Simple enough for even me to accomplish without much sweat! A new design in the works!


 

Friday, August 05, 2011

CONTENTED QUILTS


Long time no blog. We all know how time flies so there is no point in bemoaning that fact. I was in Arizona for a couple weeks in July and then had company when I came home. Fill in a little of the normal ebb and flow and there you are--a full time life! So that's a good thing, right? 

I have to confess, I finally got a few more of Barbara Brackman's Civil War blocks done. I know I am way behind many of you, but I am OK with that. I do what I can do. I am not competitive in that way. I am remembering the Carnation Milk commercial from when I was a kid that talked about their milk coming from "contented cows". Does anyone remember that? So I make "contented quilts"! It's good!

 This is a photo of my darling cousin Brenda. I was visiting at her house in Arizona and she pulled out this quilted coat that belonged to her husband's grandmother (I think it was). This coat is so beautifully made! It is a treasure! I just had to share it with you who read my blog. It is museum quality!
Since I am feeling so contented I thought I would show a quilt that I made a number of years ago while living in Issaquah, Washington. The Good Will in Seattle had an auction where they auctioned off any quilts or parts thereof that had been donated. Of course they advertised the event to the local quilt guilds and it was always mobbed. My husband took me downtown and we ended up bidding on a few things. I won the bidding on this stack of vintage Dresden Plate blocks. They were all appliqued onto muslin squares that were really in bad shape. I picked them off this nasty muslin (that I wish I had kept because old soiled looking muslin is all the rage now) and I restitched them onto clean muslin squares. I found the yellow gingham that so closely matches the yellow in the blocks, and happily stitched the whole thing into a quilt! I even hand quilted it, something I never do anymore for lack of time! This summer I placed this quilt on my bed for the first time and am using it! I guess I was too worried in the past to take any chances with it. But this summer I am feeling contented, so I brought it out to enjoy.

Just check out these great fabrics! What do you think, 1930's or 40's?

I know those of you in the US are feeling the heat! This summer has given us record temperatures across the country. Keep cool and contented wherever you are!