So Old It's New Again

Gwen gave this lecture at our guild meeting on friday.

Gwen shared some of the many observations she has made by  studying old quilts and how she employs them in her own quilts.  Many of the innovative ways that quilters in the mid-1800s solved design problems or fabric shortages are great ideas for us to use in our quilting to add interest, movement and a little whimsy.

Gwen created this quilt using ideas from an old quilt.  I love the "make do" blocks and all the little bits of filler in this wonderful quilt.

Old quilts are an endless supply of creative ideas for us quilters today.

She shared with us these quilts using solids and various piecing techniques and styles.

Half Square Triangles

String piecing

Liberated Log Cabin construction

I really love the soft yet bold pallet of this quilt.  The black binding is the perfect frame.

Love the sticks on the outside borders here.

Black add spark and life to this soft quilt.

Rail fence piecing

Coins or strippy piecing

While these quilts look fresh and modern, they are created using age old piecing styles.  We can do this!

At lunch before the meeting, my wonderful Cupcake friends, Jill and Susan, gave me a special gift to celebrate my win at the recent Lancaster quilt show.  It's a lovely, one of a kind, potholder from a Lancaster quilt shop.

They looked through a hundred to find just the right one -

Gwen is coveting it!

Joke's on me!  Thanks girls you are the best!

Back soon with a report on the Liberated Basket workshop I took on Saturday.   We learned how to make baskets like this:

Happy Monday!

Fun For Friday - Button Cards

A quick post today before the guild meeting.

At a show I picked up this new button card, it's my favorite.

Here is a sweet one

I think this one is from my buddy Jill.  Aren't they handsome devils.  Buttons on your underwear, lol.

I love this one too, being an avid game enthusiast and bingo player.   Educational Lotto - funny, huh?

As you can tell, I'm not a serious collector.....yet.

After taking down the Easter Decorations, I decided to group my few London themed objects.  Almost anything can make a vignette if they are related in some way, an old toy bank, toy bus, pepper shaker and tea accessories.

Happy Friday Everyone!

Gwenny!

Reunited after 7 years!

What fun~  Gwen is here on the east coast for the first time since I move here 9 years ago.  She is visiting both of my guilds in addition to 3 others.  We are all thrilled to see her.

We started the day by looking at some of the quilts that Gwen brought with her.  The workshop we were taking was the Nineteenth Century Folk Art Appliqué class.

I never tire of looking at  and studying these quilts based on motifs and styles from the 19 century.  The quilting is lovely and lively.

This one was machine quilted by Sue Nickels - beautiful.

I was happy to see this one again.  I'd like to try the liberated sawtooth border one day.

Peek-a-boo

This quilt is one of the collaborative quilts made with Freddie Moran.

A good backing if ever there was one.

Gwen demonstrated simple sketching techniques to use as a road map for small projects.

Paper cutting flower and star shapes -

Let me pause here just to say that after being a student of Gwen's for almost 20 years I am even more impressed by how fresh and fun her approach is.  I am so grateful that she gives quilters "permission" to make their own designs.  To use what works for them as quilters and not demand it be "her way".

I can not fully express how invaluable these lessons have been to me over the years and often I employ them in my work.  I would not be on the quilt journey I am without the 5 years of Gwen's Fall Retreat and her influence.  

Here are some of my friends pieces at the workshop.

Susan H's pineapple

Ann's vase of flowers

Susan Mc'Ds Flowers

Jill's spring basket - how cute are those pussy willows?

I decided to make a quilt about my puppy; coco.  She doesn't fetch, but loves to "pick" flowers in the yard and chase the bunny.

After admiring all the fun flower pieces,  I composed this.

When Gwen wanted to demonstrate an appliqué sawtooth border, naturally I volunteered my piece.  hey, I'm no dummy.

Friday she'll be lecturing at my guild The Brownstone Quilters.  Saturday I'll be taking her liberated basket workshop.  

After joking with Gwen about sitting at the heels of "the master" and also that the "sheep had returned to the shepherd",  Betsy took this photo of us cracking up.  

News Bulletin - News Bulletin - News Bulletin - New Bulletin

Gwen gave me permission to share her big news.  Gwen told me they have a saying in the Auto Industry in Michigan; 30 and out.

Next year (2013) will be Gwen's 30th Annual Quilt Retreat and she will passing on the torch.  Retreaters will be relieved to learn that Sue Nickels and Pat Holly will be taking over the reigns.  These sisters have been attendees and friends with Gwen for years.  She reassured me that the  retreat will be in good hands and will continue in the tradition of inspiration, information, friendships and fun!

See you soon for another report on Gwen's East Coast Tour.

Fun Friday - Penny for your Thoughts

Hooray - it's Friday - again!

Yesterday was my best friend, Mary B's, 82 Birthday.  In honor of her historic trip to NYC in 2011 for the Red & White exhibit, I made this little quilt for her.

Here you can see it is constructed of flying geese instead of 1/2 square triangles.

I wrote directly on the back of the quilt instead of making a separate label.

Speaking of Red & White and Birthdays.  Tomorrow is my son  Andrews 23rd Birthday.

I'm making him a red & white cake (red velvet, his favorite).

Pennies - my 2 collections:

I have been collecting wheat back pennies for years.  My mother also collected them so I have always thought of them as special.

I have 35 of them and the 2 oldest are from 1920.  I keep them in this little suitcase that my husband gave me years ago.  He just gave me one last week.  It had been a long time since I've added to this collection.

The other collection is pressed pennies.  Below is the one that started it all.  In 1992 I got this penny in Seattle at Ye Old Curiosity Shop.  They had an actual mummy and Andrew being just a little kid was mesmerized by it and called it "The Icky Man".  We bought a pressed penny and a post card of him.

I have 122 pressed pennies which I've collected from many different places.  Here are my pennies from Disney World and Disney Land, 60 in all.

Here are the other ones.  I display them in this little Victorian calling card dish.  I love mixing things irreverantly like this.

There is an official website to organize and purchase pennies here.  I just get them when I can.  It is very fun to go through them once in a while.

Have a FUN Friday everyone and a great weekend.

Housework!

Happy Wednesday!

I've been busy this week doing housework.  The deep exhaustive spring kind.  Not only am I cleaning; I'm cleaning out.  Do you ever get in that mood where literally nothing in your house is safe from the garbage man or the good will?

I was looking at this little log cabin quit top and thought I'd share it today.  It is very small, the blocks are only 2 1/4 inches, making the little quilt top only 6 1/2 inches square.

Here is how I did it.  I used 1/4" graph paper to paper piece it.  As you can see, the paper is still on, and the binding is glued.  Wow, was I lazy at the time or what?  I hang it in the sewing room.

With coco at school today, I decided to work on Hanna's first year college quilt, the red and white house quilt.

Working from my sketch, today I'm inking the names of the homes and schools in Hanna life from birth through today.  Houses have one chimney and schools have two.

I made a little paper template to practice the spacing on.

I prepped the backing by ironing freezer paper to stabilize it.

A word about perfection:  Piffle!!
This is my handwriting.  It is not perfect, I am not perfect, life is not perfect, but it is mine, so on the quilt it goes.

Nearing the end of the 12 blocks, I realized something was wrong.  I had a house left instead of a school......way back on the first block I inked the wrong thing - snap!

Time for a tear down (actually just a new chimney section).

Quick tip of the day:  Use a sticky roller to remove the threads after you un-sew, otherwise known as ripping out.

Sure is quiet in bloglandia.  What's everyone up to?  Catching up on Mad Men and the Killing maybe?