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-

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-

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-