Some vintage quilt finds

I'm still here! It's been a long, busy summer, but now that it's winding down, I have a little more time to think about fabric and quilting and art.

Yesterday I was in the mood for some treasure hunting. So when I saw there was a yard sale not too far away, advertising beads, quilting fabrics and three sewing machines,  I grabbed my purse and was on my way.

The sewing machines were modern, so no interest, but the beads were abundant - more on that later - and the bins of fabric had real treasures - vintage quilt tops and sets of quilt blocks.

I happily dug through the bins, while literally dripping with sweat in the 100-degree heat, and it was worth it. I came home with a small assortment of fabric, seven quilt tops, 17 bags of  quilt blocks, some complete and some in progress, and a treasure trove of beads, buttons and findings.

I don't know the history of the quilt tops, the woman who owned them moved away and left family to sell her unwanted stuff (I can only imagine the great stuff she kept!), but the fabrics range from 1930s to 1980s, and some of them have some great color and fabric choices.

Here are the quilt tops, sorry some are a little blurry. I'll share the blocks and other goodies later.

Enjoy!

This Trip Around the World says 1960s, maybe 1970s to me.

It's not your eyes, this Trip Around the World style with hexagons is diamond-shaped.

Nine-patches with some great fabrics

I love the bold colors and graphic look of this nine-patch

And another nine-patch, this one with pastels, looks like some 1930s-40s fabrics

Tumbling Blocks  with bold 1950s to 60s colors

These blocks are 25-patches and look very 1980s to me with the dusty blue.

Looking through the treasure chest

Quilt treasure chest

For the last few days I've been assembling a quilt top from a set of blocks from a block exchange I did in 2007. As I got closer to finishing, I started thinking about what I might do next, and decided to dig out my treasure chest.

My treasure chest was once a display piece in a drapery and decorating shop. When I brought it home, in about 2002, I was able to put all my UFOs in it, as I had just started doing block exchanges and had yet to make an actual quilt. Over the years, it's been a great place to stash sets of blocks until I am ready to get to them.

I have a slightly different take on UFOs than most people seem to. To me, quilts have two "resting stages", sets of blocks ready to assemble, and assembled tops. While they are unfinished, I don't consider them UFOs.

Blue & White 2001

UFOs are the projects I started in a class and haven't finished all the blocks, or the one I cut out, planning to take a class but didn't. The difference, I guess, is whether they are at a natural stopping point. Since sometimes I am in the mood to piece, and sometimes to quilt, it's nice to always have some things ready to move on to the next stage.

Of course, this is just talking about my traditional quilts. My art quilts are a whole different story, as I have components waiting to tell me how they want to be put together, and pieces that are almost finished just waiting for that something that tells me they are done. I'll talk about them another time.

Winter theme exchange

When I pulled out my treasure chest I realized that almost all the blocks are from Treadle On block exchanges. They are always fun to do, as I try to use my more interesting machines for them and it's always interesting to see the fabrics other people choose, and the machines they use.

I think I've decided next up on my assembly list will be a Winter Exchange set from a few years ago. Seems appropriate for the weather we've been having this winter!

The oldest set of blocks is a Blue & White, from 2001, my first exchange, ever. The exchange offered the option of Blue & White or Red & White, or both. I did both - I didn't know as a beginner to quilting I was "supposed" to do simpler stuff! I finished the Red & White quilt several years ago, but the Blue & White is still waiting.

30s repro Bowties

Two sets of 30s blocks, a batch of Bowties from last year and a set of makers' choice blocks from several years ago. I'm going to combine them for one quilt.

Century exchange. All machines had to be at least 100 years old, and repro fabrics appropriate to that time.

Basic exchange. The three basic exchange blocks are rail fence, half-square-triangle and 4-patch.

Jewel tone HSTs and 4-patches. These were from a couple of different exchanges, but the colors planned so they could go together.

30s Makers Choice blocks

Pre-1900 Bowties. These have a folded fabric center and had to be made on machines from before 1900. I had so much fun with these blocks I made bunches more, and finished a quilt several year ago using just the ones I made.

Split 9-patch. Another exchange from several years ago. Along the way I got some cut pieces from someone who planned to do the exchange, but didn't, so have bonus blocks.

Century exchange - all machines 100 years old

White exchange. We occasionally do exchanges with specific brands, and this was for the White brand machine.

Extra 9-patches. Several years ago I started a mystery quilt. I got the 9-patches and a few other pieces assembled, but was not happy, the fabrics didn't have enough contrast. Rather than waste time on a quilt I didn't like, I threw the 9-patches into my box, the partial blocks into a crumb block bin and the cut pieces into my strips bin.  Sometimes you gotta "know when to fold 'em."

basic exchange 2001

TOGA exchange blocks. Treadle On Gathering and Academy is the name for our regional gatherings. I've been going to the North Carolina TOGA since 2001, missing last year for the first time, and made it to Florida and Tennessee TOGAs several years. I have exchange blocks from almost every TOGA I've been to.

And that's it, other than a few stray bits and pieces at the bottom of the chest. Now I think I'll go sew, instead of just talking about it!

More later.

HSTs and 4 patches

pre-1900 Bowties

Split 9-patch bonus blocks

Split 9-patch exchange

White (brand) exchange

extra 9-patches

TOGA exchange blocks

A word for the year

On one of my email lists,, many members select a word for the year, to guide them in their art and life. The words are varied, and the discussions thought-provoking, and the idea is a lot more inspiring than a resolution.

So after a lot of thought, I decided on the word "Purposefully," as a guide to life.

Purposefully - "with a specific purpose or objective in mind."


The last couple of years, life has been a scramble, with our businesses, finding time for my art (and the business of art) and life in general. I feel like I've spent too much time reacting to things, rushing to do things at the last minute and generally not putting my time to good use.

That's especially tough for my art. It's terribly frustrating to have some time free, want to sew, and not know what to work on, or have to spend half my time digging out supplies or looking for something.

So, I want to do things purposefully. That means getting my studio organized - I've been working on that the last couple of weeks - so I can find things and have space to work. It means getting projects planned out so there's always something ready to work on. It means making time for the business stuff - getting business cards printed, ordering ink for the printer - before I need something for the next art show. It means getting a few handwork projects set up so I can work while watching TV or traveling. 

I don't want to take the fun out of my art - or my life. But with purposefully as my guide, I hope I can enjoy getting things done more, and have less stress in the process. We shall see!

More later.

Trash to Treasure

I'm a treasure hunter. Thrift stores, yard sales, friends clearing out their studios, are all great sources of treasures for my fiber art work and for decorating. And that's been especially true over the past few months, as I've been decorating a vacation rental unit.

Leftover blocks and fabric combine with found tablecloths(right).

 

 

Last weekend our Fiber Guild celebrated Roc Day, or St. Distaff's Day, the day women traditionally returned to their spinning and weaving, after Christmas activities were over. Part of the meeting was a Trash to Treasure exchange. While I forgot to bring the bag of yard I'd hoped to rehome, I did bring home a treasure, a stack of six-inch quilt blocks in blues and yellows, along with some coordinating fabric. They coordinated perfectly with a pair of yellow tablecloths I found a couple of weeks ago.

I wanted to make valances and half-curtains for the kitchen windows in the rental, but there wasn't enough fabric in the tablecloths. But with the addition of the quilt blocks, I had a plan.

I divided the quilt blocks, 11 for the smaller window, 16 for the larger, arranged them to create a pattern, and sewed into a strip. Here's how to make a row of quilt blocks into a simple, lined valance (or curtain).

Sew the blocks into a row. Measure the quilt blocks (mine were 6 inches) and add 3.5 inches for the rod pocket (for standard curtain rods, more if yours is larger). If you want a border at the bottom, decide on the border size and add it twice. For my 6 inch blocks, I cut coordinating fabric at 12 inches.

With right sides together, stitch the row of blocks to the coordinating fabric along both sides, creating a tube. Turn right side out, then turn under one-fourth inch on the raw edges and stitch it down, keeping the tube open.

Finished valances

Lay out the tube with the blocks facing up, and arrange so 1.5 inches of the coordinating fabric shows at the top, for the rod pocket. Press. Stitch along the top edge of the blocks to create the rod pocket. Stitch closed the sides below the rod pocket. If desired, top stitch along the bottom edge, this is a great place to use decorative stitches.

Hang your valance.

Here are my valances installed. Once I get another pair of curtain rods, I'll use the tablecloths to make half curtains for the bottom, finishing this project.

I expect to have several more projects to share over the next few weeks, then I hope to get back to my own quilts, both art and traditional. More later.

Treadle On Cat Block Exchange

Happy New Year! Wow, it is embarrassing to see how long it has been since I've posted. But my New Year's resolution is to do more stuff worth posting and get it posted!

We're starting off the new year on the Treadle On email list with several block exchanges, and the one I'm hosting is cats. Here are the instructions for the two cat blocks that can be used for the exchange.

Reclining Cat

background

cut 4 inch strip

cut 3.5 inch strip

from 4 inch, cut 5.5 inch piece

from 3.5 inch, cut 1.5 inch piece

from 3.5 inch, cut 1.75 inch piece, cut in half for two 1.75 inch squares (save one for next block)

cat

cut 5 inch strip

cut 3.5 inch strip

cut 1.5 inch strip

from 5 inch cut 8.5 inch piece (body)

from 3.5 inch, cut 3 inch piece (head)

from 1.5 inch, cut two 1.5 inch squares (ears)

Assembly

Place the two 1.5 inch squares of cat fabric (ears) on ends of 3.5 x 1.5 background. Draw diagonal lines ending in two upper corners. Stitch along diagonal lines. Press open, then trim excess from back.

Place the 1.75 inch square of background fabric on the top left corner of the 5 x 8.5 inch piece (body). Draw diagonal line and stitch on diagonal line. Press open, then trim extra from back.

Stitch the ears piece to the top of the 3.5 x 3 inch piece (head).

Stitch the head to the 4 x 5.5 inch piece of background.

Stitch the top section to the body section.

Press

Sitting cat

Background

Cut 3.5 inch strip

Cut 1.5 inch strip

From 3.5 inch, cut one 1.5 inch piece

cut two 3.5 inch squares

From 1.5 inch strip, cut two 8.5 inch pieces

Cat fabric

Cut 3.5 inch strip

Cut 1.5 inch strip

From 3.5 inch, cut one 5.5 inch piece (side)

Cut one 7.5 inch piece (body and head)

from 1.5 inch strip, cut two 1.5 inch squares (ears)

Assembly

Place the two 1.5 inch squares of cat fabric (ears) on ends of 3.5 x 1.5 background. Draw diagonal lines ending in two upper corners. Stitch along diagonal lines. Press open, then trim excess from back.

Stitch the ear piece across the 3.5 end of head/body piece.

Draw diagonal line on one 3.5 inch square of background. Place over 3.5 x 5.5 (side) and stitch diagonal line (from lower left to upper right) Press open and trim excess from back.

Stitch 3.5 background to top of side/background piece.

Stitch side/background to body/ears.

Stitch 1.5 inch strips on either side.

Press

For the Treadle On exchange, the cats are to be made with small print fabrics (calico cats!) and jewel-tone Kona Cotton backgrounds. Blocks may be reversed/mirror-image if desired. Sets are 10 blocks, with maximum of three sets. Each set should be different fabrics. Use either, or both designs, blocks returned will be a mix of whatever is received.