Whig's Defeat

Can we ever get enough Red and Green?? I know a lot, if not most of you, are like me, and the answer is NO. I'm constantly trolling eBay and other sites looking for pictures of quilts for my files, and one I found today is too good not to share.

I admit that Whig's Defeat is one of my favorites, but even so, this quilt, listed by seller denverantiques, is just stunning. Check out the auction here for more pictures. I love the touch of double pink, and the clamshell quilting. This is going on my "to-do" list, and not at the bottom either.

Did you know Barbara Brackman has a new blog on Civil War Quilts? Every week she will post a free pattern for an 8" block, as well as stories of people that lived during the war, and links for further reading. What a great project! My record with BOW's is not good, but I'll have to try harder. This is the first week's block, Catch Me if You Can. There's still time to start and not be behind yet! She is also posting pictures of people's progress as we go.

If you remember, I posted a picture of a quilt called Travels in Time in an earlier post. The quilt used the Sophia Pearce "tablecloth" fabric. Linda from Quilt Crossings contacted me to tell me that she has some of the fabric in both colorways, as well as some of the Bouquet fabric which is so great for Broderie Perse. You can order it here. This is a must if you are making the Morrell quilt, as it's what Di Ford used for the Broderie in it.



While you're there, be sure and check out her great kits and patterns. I don't know if you know this, but I'm partial to cats. :) I picked up this great pincushion pattern there.

She also has some wonderful kits from a designer I'd never heard of, Woolylady. I love them all. Thank to Donna from The Cat's Meow Two for putting me in contact with Linda.

In the previous post I had an incorrect link to Jeanneke's Little Grace Quilt tutorial. I've fixed it, or you can click here. You'll have to scroll down a bit. Have a great week, and maybe next post I'll actually have something I've sewn to show you.

Stars and Grace

I haven't had time to do much sewing this month, so I will have to rely on other people's efforts for my post this week. The American Quilt Study Group has a biennial Quilt Study project in which participants must make a quilt copied from or inspired by an antique quilt. The theme for 2010 was 19th Century Stars. The thirty-nine entries were exhibited at the AQSG Seminar in Minnesota this year. Here is Sharon Pinka's entry, Stars Over Maine.





Twenty-five quilts were chosen for a traveling exhibit. You can see the schedule here. Pictures of all thirty-nine entries are now online at the AQSG site. They will also be included in a book, with patterns for 10 of the quilts. They are all so wonderful, it's hard to pick a favorite.

Jeanneke has a pattern and tutorial for a wonderful doll quilt she calls Little Grace, because it is made with Aunt Grace fabrics from different lines.

I just love this little quilt. After a trip to London and France a few years ago, I bought some of the Aunt Grace Friends Around the World to commemorate the trip, but haven't gotten around to making a quilt yet, so this might be perfect for it.

Well, my busy season is almost over, and I look forward to getting back to sewing soon. And getting caught up with my email. And maybe getting in a little house cleaning if time permits. :)


I bought a Christmas collar for the boys, who had to take turns wearing it for their photos. After chasing the little darlings around the house, I managed to get pics of each of them in their finery. So from me,

Rufus,

Brody,

and Little Teague,




Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

Connections

I know I'm not the only one out there obsessed with old fabrics. I can never see enough of them. There is a certain feeling you get when you see one you've not seen before.

Or one you have.

If you remember from earlier posts, this summer I attended a Study Day on 1840-1860 quilts and textiles. It was an amazing day, a chance to see things most people never see outside of a museum. One of the pictures I posted was of this bodice from the teaching collection of textiles at the University of Akron.

A couple of months later I was contacted by Judy Grow of the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Study Group after she saw pictures of the bodice on my Flickr site, and recognized the fabric. It was the same as one of the fabrics in a pair of quilts that originated in Lambertville, NJ.

One of the quilts is in the possession of the Hunterdon County Historical Society, and was possibly made to commemorate the first wedding anniversary of Myra and Martin Coryell of Lambertville, as it is dated June 5, 1843, one year after their wedding, in a block signed by Eugenia E. Coryell.

The quilt is almost 100 inches square, and consists of 61 Square in a Square blocks. The 35 different fabrics are printed dress cottons and chintzes that still retain their glaze. It's signatures include those from the Coryell, Lambert, and Melick families.



There is an almost identical quilt, with the same fabrics and signatures, in the possession of the Lambertville Historical Society. This quilt had made it's way to Philadelphia, where an antiques dealer obtained it and offered it to the Historical Society in the town of it's origin. The local newspaper ran an article about the quilt, asking for donations to acquire it, and someone saw the article and let them know about the other quilt owned by Hunterdon. Thanks Judy for contacting me and providing the information about the quilts.

Of course you've seen this quilt before. It's called A Mother's Gift, made by Barbara Butcher Snyder around 1880.

If you're like me, and like to get fabrics in the mail every month, :), Homestead Hearth is starting a BOM for this quilt in February 2011.

Thank you everyone who participated in my poll. I see it's almost a tie for washing or not washing, which was about what I suspected. I know people have various reasons for pre-washing, but when I buy antique fabrics, one of the big selling features is "new, never been washed," and I can't get that out of my mind. :)

As you probably know, December is an insane month for me, so if you've emailed me and I haven't gotten back to you yet, don't give up hope. I'm slowly working my way through my emails on the weekends, but I'll be sure to be caught up by the end of the year. There's a big blizzard heading our way, so I hope everyone stays safe and sound this weekend.

Three Done

I finished my third Roseville Album block. Well, almost. I have circles on the ends of the handles in the second one to do, but I spent a whole day looking for the right fabric, even making a trip to the quilt store down the street, but nothing hit me. I'll have to move on and get back to it later.









I'm not sure about the big blooms on this one, either. I may have to change them later.

Now on to Block 4. Rufus was studying the pattern today, trying to help me with fabric selection.

We have some new ones to pick from after my trip to Shipshewana last weekend. I didn't know there were that many fabrics I didn't have!






I also bought Remembering Adelia, my first Kathleen Tracy book, for a challenge on the smallquilttalk board on Yahoo, and stocked up on .005 Micron pens, a staple for me. I have a friend that said every time she sees one she thinks of me. I picked up the large set of Karen Kay Buckley's Perfect Circles, too. I don't usually work on anything that large, but some of the circles on Roseville were a bit too large for the smaller set.

I put a poll up on my sidebar. Do you wash your fabrics first or not? I'm curious because I have to for a swap and I don't. I realize this is like Bernina v. Viking as far as do or don't, but I'm wondering what the percentages are. So don't forget to vote!

Tablecloths and Quilts

I haven't been around much lately due to complications with my leg, but I'm finally on the mend. I hope. :)

I know a lot of people who have been collecting the Sophia Pearce fabrics for their Morrell and other Broderie Perse quilts. Every time I see some of the line, it sucks the wind out of me and I think "I HAVE to buy it!" Except for this one.

Although when I would see it I would still think "Sophia Pearce!," I couldn't for the life of me think of what I would do with it. I mean, it looks like a tablecloth! Doesn't it? I hated to pass it up, but seriously, I couldn't imagine how I would use it.

Until I saw this..............

Then I almost broke a leg (hopefully not the good one) getting back to the store to buy it. This is one of the most beautiful quilts I've ever seen. A friend tipped me off to a new (to me) blog, Linen Closet Quilts, and when I popped over there, this is what greeted me. I emailed Dawn, who put me in touch with Cynthia Collier, the quilt's maker. She calls it Travels in Time, after the Kaye England fabric in the corner blocks. If you want to read more about the quilt, visit Linen Closet Quilts, where Cynthia shared the story behind it, and be sure to stay and check out the rest of Dawn's great blog. If you went to Houston and saw the quilt there and have additional photos, I would love to see them.


Now for the fabric. Some Art Fabric has some of the Sophia Pearce fabrics still available. If you prefer the green version, you can get that here. I can also give you the phone #'s for the stores in town that still have it if you email me. They each had a full bolt of blue and green when the sale started, and they do ship.


And speaking of hard to find fabrics, I saw this wonderful toile (that I didn't have!) on Jeanneke's Blog, and she was kind enough to tell me the name of the line.



It took me a few weeks, but I finally tracked it down. If anyone else wants some, it's at Prairie Rose Quilt Shop, and I checked and she does ship internationally. Good luck!


I'm off to pack. Tomorrow I head to Shipshewana for a Midwest Fabric Study Group meeting on Signature Quilts. Coincidentally, there is also a Dear Jane retreat in the same hotel! I know lots of people are going to be there, so if you see someone with purple glasses and purple Uggs, stop and say Hi.