Thursday, August 29, 2013

Sometime It Happens

 We've all heard of quilt rescue stories.
When someone saw a quilt being used
as moving padding,
as a seat cover in an old pick up,
or as sleeping bags in a camp ground.

We shake our heads and wonder
how that quilt got there and
why wasn't it a family treasure.

I've had some of my older quilts
stuck in a couple of old trunk.

They were put there because
 they really aren't treasures anymore.

They were made with love as I 
 began my quilting journey,
but the fabrics have not stood the test of time.

Many of the fabrics have faded to 
 a non-recognizable color.

Of course, it's not the same
 over the entire surface of the quilt.

These were made when 
 Calico was queen.
And those busy little prints were
 the fabrics of choice.
(Mostly because that was the choice.)

Fortunately, styles come and go.
But these quilts
 will be always be labeled as those 
"early 80's quilts".

They're all hand quilted,

which makes me feel sad,
  but that's how quilts got done.
I liked putting muslin on the back
so that the quilting would show up even more.

 I hadn't learned how to make
 
bias binding so the edges are a bit wobbly with
the muslin pulling around to the top.
***
So I hang my head in shame.
These quilts will probably get passed on to
another calling.
Sometimes it just happens.

Until Next Time-

Monday, August 26, 2013

Anniversary Giveaway

It was so wonderful to have so 
many of my blogger friends
help me celebrate my blogging
anniversary.

I've learned that so many of us
write blogs and read blogs for the same reasons.

Many of us want to be connected to 
a quilting community

even if there are oceans that separate us.

We enjoy sharing ideas.

It's a great way to
 document your quilting history.

We are motivated to 
try new things.

And we enjoy the beautiful quilts that
bloggers share. 
 There are just so many ideas, 
no one will ever be able to make them all.

Running Man 
is my random name selector today.
Although we are all winners,
here are the names selected for the 3 gifts.

 Cathy of Big Lake Quilter


Hilda of Every Stitch 

Sue SA of Quilts from the Heart

Thanks again, to all my friends for 
taking the time to share your thoughts.
It's been a wonderful year.

Until Next Time-

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Clues/Picnic

 Last week
I shared my newest, old project.

This is the two sided
antique quilt that was gifted to me.
 Side One

Side Two

I suppose the quilter really looked at this quilt in
the reverse order from how I have,
with the crazy quilt as side one, the glamorous top,
and the pieced rectangles as the lowly backing, side two.

But it's side two that has 
stood the test of time.

The fabrics from side two
 are late 19th century prints
simply cut into 3 1/2 by 5 1/2 inch
rectangles and
sewn by hand into long strips and
then sewn together.

The crazy quilt has a date of 1893
embroidered on a brown velvet square.

I  have no expertise in
vintage fabrics and many of the fabrics
that were in the top
were silks, linens, wools and it also seemed like other
types of fabric that I didn't know how to identify.
Like the brown fabric under the horseshoe embroidery
is all loopy with twisted threads.  
That fabric just seemed weird.

So that made me wonder if the date was correct.

The batting was interesting too.
It was cotton, old and a bit musty.

And across the whole piece,
which was pretty much all intake,
were these large machine chained stitched,
stay stitching threads.
The rows were approximately 4 inches apart.

I didn't know if that was how batting generally was produced
at that time, or
was it someone's homemade batting?
Kind of weird.

But I did find one small
dating clue stitched in the crazy quilt side.

There was a small piece of ribbon partially stitched
into a couple of seams.

 It says:
Fifth 
Annual Picnic
of the 
OS Ass'n
held at
?

August 20, 21 '90

I've stared at that diagonal line 
of printing wishing it would
come into focus.

I wonder
 what picnic this quiltmaker went to
123 years ago yesterday?

 I'll probably never know.
***
So it makes me wonder
if in my next quilt,
should I add 
a few interesting clues to the top
to make a quilter in the future
wonder who I was?

***
Also don't forget to comment
on my last post for my
anniversary giveaways.
 Until Next Time-

Monday, August 19, 2013

Blogging Anniversary and a Few Surprises

It's my anniversary!
 Timeless Reflections, was 
created 3 years ago.

Wow,
where has the time gone.
It simply began as a writing challenge to me.
Just as a way of expressing my random thoughts and 
my quilting adventures.

I've made some wonderful blogging friends,
and it's been fun connecting with like minded
gals from all over the world.

So let's  CELEBRATE.
 

I've put together 3 different gifts that I'd like 
to share with 3 different blogger friends.

I've written about how much I love using the
Clover Domed Needle Case.
It's one of my favorite notions.

These are from
my recent trip to the Shelburne Museum 
Fun fabrics and charms.

And #3 is
 2 Singer trading cards
and 2 trading cards from Coats and Clark.

Just leave a comment
about why you blog or
why you like to read blogs
or simply say "HI",
 between now and
next Monday, August 26th, and 
the random number selector
(Running Man)
will draw 3 names
 for the 3
anniversary celebration giveaways
in that order.

Thanks as always for taking
the time to visit with me.

Until Next Time-

Thursday, August 15, 2013

New Project

 I know what I really should be doing.
But there's more to life than packing boxes.
Right?

A dear friend of mine recently gave me this
vintage quilt.
She told me that I might actually do something with it
whereas she probably wouldn't
so I gratefully accepted her gift.

It's not a prize winner.
But someone had stitched it together
and created a interesting quilt.

 This is one side.

It has some wonder examples of
turn of the century prints,
 

shirting, double pinks, black mourning prints,
Cadette blues, and claret reds.

 Each rectangle is 3 inches by 5 inches finished and
they're hand sewn together.

The quilt is tied and it has
a knife edge finish.

The fabrics are in perfect condition.
I could have some fun with these fabric pieces.

Wondering what's on the other side?
A crazy quilt

dated 1893.

This side is in very sad shape.
Many of the pieces are shredding and 
have disintegrated,
 but someones initials are still there.

I'm really not a fan of crazy quilts,
 but they are an incredible amount of work,
 with delightful embroidery.
They were a wonderful way to show off a person's
hand work with
all those different stitches.
 The quilt was incredible heavy.
 I envisioned that there must be another
quilt stitched inside that had been used as the batting.

So with Jack the Ripper,
I started taking the stitching out along the edges.

No, I didn't find another quilt, 
but I did find something to help confirm
 the embroidered date.
  Until Next Time-

Monday, August 12, 2013

What Happened to Summer Vacation

 Back in the days when I was a kid,


school always started after Labor Day.
Now most of the districts at least in this area
begin in August.

I'm sure it's the same amount of days,
or maybe even less,
but it still seems weird to begin classes while
August is still considered summer.

We all know things change,
but learning the ABC's
 is still standard.

Back to School
always reminds me of one of my
favorite quilts.

ABC's
2001
41" x 41"

 This delightful pattern is designed by
Connie Huddleson
Her pattern company is called

 The pattern was done in wools,
but someone had gifted me a great assortment
of hand dyed flannels so
 that's what I used.
It made the quilt lighter and more useable for me.
The designs were fused on black flannel and then
buttonholed around each shape by hand using
perel cotton thread.

I love the chunky letters and
the pictures that represent each.
 Connie has a great imagination.

The border with the scallops and heart appliqued shapes
looks great around center design.

It's that time of the year to
enjoy any alphabet quilts you might have in your collection,
despite the fact,
that it's still August.

Until Next Time-