Study Time

I am using this time to study quilt patterns and review my quilt books.  One of my favorite books right now is 5,500 Quilt Block Designs by Maggie Malone.  I have been using this to identify patterns for quilts I have that will be posted as soon as possible.  I have a beautiful scrappy LaMoyne Star quilt, a Postage Stamp Basket quilt top, and Altered Nine Patch and a few more.

Mr. Puff-n-Stuff and I went to an old antique store a few weeks ago and found some great quilts which we didn't buy.  Instead of bindings, the quilts were edged with crocheting around each one.  One was done in hot pink crochet thread for a green and pink Flower Garden Quilt.  The second quilt was an album quilt and I am pretty sure they were made by the same quilter as the fabric pieces were the same for both quilt.  That quilt was edged in off white crocheting instead of binding.  This is the only time I have seen quilts finished in this manner.  Each had a pretty hefty price attached to it and while I thought they were beautiful, I had to pass them by.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

These fine little fellows were whittled by my husband's Uncle John for me and they are some of my favorite Christmas Treasures.  The Santa with the belt and hood is 7" tall and was made in 1991.  The other Santa is 8" tall and was made in 1994.  He made others too that he gave away.  We are lucky whom he chose to give them to.   I wish everyone a Merry Christmas!

Butterfly Baby Quilt

This baby quilt is made using the 12 butterfly blocks I found in the box of other blocks and quilting fabrics a couple weeks ago.

Butterfly Quilt Block

More quilt blocks in the box.  There are 12 of these small  butterfly blocks.  They measure 9" wide and 8 1/2" long.

WIP

I placed these blocks on a navy blue sheet because I think I want to use this color and wanted to see what it would look like with the strips between them.  I am no sure of the placing just yet, keep playing with it.  Should I place them all in the same direction?  Should I do random placing?  I am looking at both ways.  The blocks 12" x 12" and I have 30 blocks.  I think I want to do this same pattern in small blocks and have them all the same fabric too.  For this quilt in the making, I like the scrappy look.  Anyone out there have an opinion?

9 Patch Baby Quilt

My cousin, Sarah Wilson Waterman received this quilt for her first son.  She said her parents found it in an antique shop in Missouri so it is from the 1970's or before.  It is a nice combination of blocks, 9 patch and I am not sure of the other block.  It is like the Attic Window block but completely framed.  This is a crib quilt.

Kim's Patchwork Quilt

This quilt was made about 1978-9 for my daughter, Kim.  It is double knit with a light weight double knit on the back.  She was 6 years old and we were very short of bedding at the time.  My mother-in-law, Ruth, gave me a bag of scraps and thus Kim had a quilt.  Now she has it on the  bed of one of her children.  It is twin bed size, big enough to cover her bunk bed when she was little.  Patchwork is a common method of making a fast quilt.

Grandmother's Choice

It took me quite awhile to find the name of this quilt.  Grandmother's choice.  At first I thought it was a variation of the Tennessee Waltz but it wasn't.  This quilt was another from the Iron Range.  It is in perfect condition other than slightly faded.  It is all cotton and not quilted but tied.  The maker did a beautiful job matching corners and the blocks are nice and even.  It is heavy so possibly has a blanket inside.  It is a full bed size.  The backing is a solid olive green cotton.  The only thing I didn't like about this quilt is that it was finnished with a dark brown zig zag stitch but it isn't straight and in places the backing comes over the front. Other than that, I really like this quilt.  Would it be wrong to take the zig zag stitching out and add a binding?

Needle Keeper Book

My Great Aunt Cecle was an avid quilter.  My family spent a lot of time out on her little farm in Northern Idaho when I was a little girl.  She always had a quilt in the frame and several more tops ready to go into the frame.  She made little Needle Keepers out of flannel and had several needles threaded in the keepers so that it would speed up her quilting time with less breaks for re-threading.  This keeper is almost 60 years old that she made.  I have added needles to it.  The size is 4 inches wide and 8 inches long.  It has 4 long pieces of flannel inside with the paper strips for needles.  Around her quilting frame, there would be a keeper for each side with threaded needles.

Crazy Quilt # 2

This is a family piece.  It is 76"x 105" and I am unsure how old it is.  My cousin inherited it and she said it was old when she got it about 25 years ago.  It is made of 30 blocks.  I like this style of quilt.  My grandmother use to make them but she didn't embroider on them.  She would just call them "Family Quilts" because they were made from clothing of the family when they wore out and the material was salvaged.  I can tell you this quilt is very heavy.  It has wool and other heavy fabric pieces.

Mae's Crazy Quilt

    This quilt is very special.  It was made by Mary Elizabeth "Mae" Mather Wilson and is owned by her great granddaughter, Erin, my cousin.  The quilt was made before 1910 and is shown in Mae's cabin at that time.  It is made out of heavy silks and velvet and has all the wonderful embroidery stitching.  The quilt is made of 4 main blocks set together and is twin size.  Mae made it to be used and she took very good care of it.  Erin said it is in perfect condition and still vivid colors.  As I study this quilt out and study out the one on the bed, I think these are 2 different quilts made by the same person.  Does anyone else see what I see?  The color photo has a green border around it and the quilt on the bed has no border.  Also the fabric in the pieces is different as the colored photo has solid colores but the one in the cabin has patches with a sort of print. 

Quilt Blocks From Class

These are the blocks we worked on in the quilting class I took.

Stars

Stars cover this queen size quilt.  I realize this isn't the best picture but I want to share it.  My neighbor gave it to me when she didn't want it anymore and I think it is beautiful.  I don't know the pattern name.

Wool Fan Block

Old wool quilts were made of old clothes.  Before all the easy care fabrics of today were made, wool was right up there with cotton and other natural fibers that wore like iron and often found themselves used in quilts, rugs and other useful items.  This fan is made of wool and embroidered.  It is bright and cheerful.  The block is about 8" kind of square.

Log Cabin Blocks

Also in the box of fabric and quilt things were these 2  Log Cabin blocks.  They are not the same size but do have some of the same fabrics.  They are sewn onto pieces of sheet material.

Quilt Block #2

The next block out of the box was this 9 patch or Cat in the Corner block.

Butterfly Quilt Block #1

Don't you just love it when you find some orphan quilt blocks.  This butterfly block came as a nice surprise.  I have seen a lot of butterfly block patterns and never this particular one before.  I might have to make a few.  I think my sister would love a butterfly quilt.  OK, project for the future.

Dresden Plate #3

This Dresden Plate quilt is different than the other 2 posted here.  It has been well used and has a few places just worn out.  There is a cotton bat inside that is quite worn out in some blocks.  The block backs are of flannel which hasn't had the fuzzy softness for many years.  Many of the background blocks as well as the plate petals are made of poverty blocks.  Some are large pieces and others are small.  The cotton petals are still quite bright and in very good shape.  I think it is a charming quilt that in it's day was well loved.  It is a twin size.

Thanksgiving Prep. & Happy Thanksgiving All

I don't know how much I will be on the computer over the next several days as I get ready for Thanksgiving with my family.  I have much to be thankful for and I find new reasons every day!  As much as I like the food and the gathering, I also am thankful for my God, for the country I live in, for family and friends and for my great husband, Randy, who I appreciate more than I can ever say!  Life is good! 

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you whom ever you are and wherever you may be.

Dresden Plate # 2

This quilt is a Dresden Plate from 1940.  It is made with muslin front and back and then the plates are appliqued to the solid piece of muslin and the green stripes have been added  to the finished single piece of fabric.  It was sewn together like a big pillowcase and is all hand sewn then tied with green wool yarn.   The plates are made with flour sack material and is very light weight.  The batting is cotton and still very poofy.  I don't think it has ever been used but kept as a family treasure.  Very Pretty!

No, not a quilt picture this time.  I wanted to share this picture of another fun project.  My grandchildren and I walk around our gravel driveway looking for agates and these are a few we found and ran thru the tumbler.  I really love how they look.  The kids always act like it is great treasures and it is fun for all of us.  After the agates are tumbled and  polished, the kids can take them home.

Embroidered Double Wedding Ring Top

Embroidered block kits were and are popular again.  They have a quilting pattern to use after the top if put together and come in packages of anywhere from 6 to 12 blocks.  This top was made by my sister Linda.  I am looking for the right fabric to bring out the colors in the top.  She did a beautiful job of embroidery.

Double Knit Patchwork

Another double knit quilt made by 80 year old Afton Sautter Stewart and her daughter, Ruth Stewart Denton in 1977 for granddaughter, Sarah.  It is twin bed size and has a blanket inside so is very heavy and warm on a cold night!  Ruth had collected scraps from anyone and everyone that loved double knit fabric as much as she did.  I think Ruth made 6 or 7 quilts out of these fabric scraps.

Stars of Color

I call this  scrappy quilt Stars of Color.  It is also known as Texas Star.  I am putting this together by hand and will hand quilt it too.  All the stars and half stars are made and it is just a matter of working on it.  When finished, it will be queen size. 

Double Knit Grandmother's Flower Garden

My sister sent this quilt top a couple years ago.  She found it in a Thrift store in Idaho and sent it to me because she knows how much I like the Grandmother's Flower Garden pattern.  It is made of double knit, mostly in pastels and needs one and a half more flowers and the white to go around it.  I am searching for the white double knit.  This fabric was so popular in the 1970's and then began to vanish.  Each Hexagon is about 4" across so will take a good bit of a simple basic non patterned white double knit to finish it. 

These are pincushions that my grandmother, Ida Sandoz Ohlsen,  made in the 1950's & 1960's.  She was a very talented lady and crocheted  doilies and made lace.  It is heart warming to have treasures from her.

My two daughters made this for me for Christmas a few year ago.  I think it was the first sewing project they worked on together.  The blocks are panels.  It fits nicely on a full size  bed.  It is one of my favorite quilts for very personal reasons!   

Four Patch

A Four Patch baby quilt made by Afton Sautter Stewart in 1975.  It is all hand pieced.  Some of the squares are falling apart and appear to be made of a curtain material.  The backing is brushed nylon.  The inside is a piece of blanket.  A heavy little quilt.

Embroidered Sunbonnet Sue

Helen Ohlsen Schoonover embroidered this Sunbonnet Sue baby quilt in 1973. 

Amish Style Doll Quilt

This is a doll quilt made by Linda Day.  It is after an Amish style.  The quilt is 26" x 36". 

Knitted Dolls

These are knitted dolls that I like.   I just like hand made anything.

Clown Baby Quilts

I think it is interesting how some patterns are used alot in a given time period and then you don't see them again.  The quilt on the left is made of cotton fabrics and gingham  in 1975 by Helen Ohlsen Schoonover for a new granddaughter and the one on the left is made of double knit fabric in 1977 by Ruth Stewart Denton for a new  grandson.

Dresden Plate #1

This Dresdan Plate was made by Zella Faye Fetters in the 1940's.  Her sister owned a turkey ranch and the feed came in the beautiful fabric feed sacks and Aunt Dee would save them until she had a stack and then bring them to "Fayde" to turn into quilts. This quilt is backed with muslin as well as the squares that the Dresdan Plates are attached to.   The quilt bat is hand carded wool that Zella Faye mad herself.   It is the twin bed size.

Double Wedding Ring

We bought this quilt at Walmart about 4 years ago.  It was supposed to be hand made and hand quilted.  It is beautiful but not a lot of quilting so I plan on requilting it.  It came with 2 pillow shams and is queen size.

I think this is just the neatest rag rug ever!  It is all knitted in garter stitch.  It is from my husband's side of the family and I would say it was made in the 1940's or earlier.  The rug is 24" x 4' and looks like it was made of sheet material.

Afghans

These are a few of the afghans I have made.  The first time I saw a granny square afghan, I thought it was the ugliest thing I ever saw.  Well they are habit forming!  I can't tell you how many I have made now.  Lots!

OZARK STAR

This quilt is called Ozark Star.  Queen Size  It was made in the 1970's.  It might have been a kit quilt.  It has been used some but is in good condition with only one small stain.  I bought it at shop several years ago while looking for a birthday present for my husband.  Oops!  Yes he got a present too but so did I!

Aunt Hazel's Fan Doll Quilt

19"x 24"  This quilt was made by a wonderful neighbor woman when I was just a little girl in the early 1950's.  It is the same on both sides with a cotton batting inside. It is completely done by hand.  Does anyone out there know the pattern name?

Functional Quilts

 

Not all quilts are from beautiful patterns with beautiful stitching. Some are functional to keep warm, and are still loved.

Snow Crystal

My book of pattern names calls this quilt Snow Crystal.  It has been ditch quilted and also tied.  I imagine it was tied to attach the new fabric backing some years ago.  It is a heavy quilt so possibly a blanket is inside.  We found this quilt up on the MN Iron Range some time back in a pile covered with lots of things that should have destroyed the quilt but it is in perfect condition.  I would think it is from at least the 1940's and possibly made of feed sacks or flour sacks.  Each fabric piece is repeated many times.  There are 92 full hexagons.

My First Very Own Doll Quilt

This is my first quilt made just for me by my eldest sister, Linda, back in 1957 when she was 10 years old and I was-----much younger!  The blocks are Nine Patch, completely made of flour sack material.and the back was part of an old blanket.  I have kept it all these years and it is a favorite.  I still have the doll it came with.

Swedish Emmigrant Chest

This trunk is from the 1830-1870 era.  It measures, 29" long, 16 1/2 " wide, 17 1/2 " high and 12 2/4" deep on the inside.  It is made of Norway Pine in the 6 board construction style.  All the hardware is hand forged and the wood is dove tailed and has wooden pegs on the top.  In the one photo where the inside shows, it appears that the back is made of 2 boards but I checked again and there is only 1 board.  The bottom is made of 2 boards with a thin strip of wood sealing the space.  The wider board had cracked and split at an angle at some point in it's history. This trunk is called an emmigrant chest.  It has a tag on the back in Swedish and the name A. Anderssen.   Someone had made some changes to it.  It was varnished and the footboard has modern molding added.  Also the hinges while are still old, they have been changed.  When my husband brought this chest home, I was so excited that I had to go read my books, THE EMIGRANTS, UNTO A GOOD LAND, A TIME ON EARTH AND LAST LETTER HOME by Vilhelm Moberg.  This is a series about a Swedish family following them before they left the home land thru their lives in America.  PBS had turned these books into a movie series.   

1920-1930's Square on Square Quilt

This is Square on Square with a beard guard. It is from around the 1920-1930's.

Hello Blog World Nov. 3, 2010

This is my first blog and I am hoping to start off right.  I have several Blogs that I "Must" read every day.  Wouldn't it be a wonder if someone ever felt that way about mine!  I hope to figure out how to share some of the things I really enjoy and maybe someone out there will like them too.