antique quilts
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February 13, 2013
Hi, Mary Ellen here. I enjoy redwork even if it’s done in a different color-like blue or black. I used to do quite a bit of embroidery, crewel was my favorite in my college days. Gave kind of a refined hippy (is there such a thing?) look to ones bell bottom jeans. I also remember embellishing my nieces’ dresses and jumpers when they were tiny. I have an appreciation for the skill of embroiderers, even if I no longer do much of it. Have you ever gone to one of the shows the Buffalo chapter of the Embroiderer’s Guild of America has had at the Kenan Center in Lockport? Knock your socks off pieces of all kinds. I believe it’s held every other year, opposite our quilt show years. Definitely worth the trip-what a perfect venue for showing their handiwork. Now crazy quilting–there is a combination of my love for […]
February 11, 2013
Hi again, Mary Ellen here. Early in my blogging adventure with you (I think at our first provider) I posted a recipe for a chocolate cake for one which was a big hit. It was one of those “recipe in a mug” concoctions that you cook in the microwave for really quick results. I’ve found another one for you! This one is a chocolate chip cookie for one-done in about 10 minutes, they say. Can anyone tell I have a tremendous sweet tooth? I never get this excited over broccoli! Here’s the recipe! Fons and Porter are offering a free e-book of Civil War style quilt patterns if you sign up for their newsletter. One of the patterns is for a small Hummingbird/Periwinkle quilt. Here’s the spot. While looking around for more “modern” quilting to write about, I came upon this great tote bag made for a swap the LA […]
February 8, 2013
Hello all, Mary Ellen again. Yesterday I watched another video from Jenny Doan at Missouri Star Quilt Company where she made her version of the antique quilt that has hung behind her in many of her earlier videos. I absolutely love that quilt. I always knew of the pattern as the hummingbird, but Jenny was calling it the periwinkle. I wanted to find out if they are just two names for the same block, or if perhaps there are small construction variations or proportion variations. Off I went to the site Quilt Index to have a look. I found quilts by both names and was able to take a good look. What I like about this site over some of the other wonderful similar sites is that one can pull up several photos of quilts side by side to compare them very easily. There also is a magnifying feature if […]
January 17, 2013
Hello all, Mary Ellen back. I love scrap quilts. I’ve made several-4 or 5 large ones, and many minis. I love the interplay of the seemingly unrelated patterns, the focus they put on values rather than individual fabrics. I can’t say where this interest comes from. Although I do come from a long line of needleworkers–my first quilt was made for me by my great-grandmother–all of those quilts in my background were planned fabric assortments. The really early ones are made of solids. The current episode on Quilters Newsletter TV (a free video compilation) is an interview with Pepper Cory about her feelings on the importance of scrap quilts in helping to maintain our history and quilting tradition. It’s about 10 minutes long. Pepper has been a “name” in quilting for quite some time. Back when I began quilting in earnest, in the 80’s, there were only a few “names” […]
December 11, 2012
Hello all, Mary Ellen here. I’ve spent some time over the past few days cleaning the bookshelves that hold all of my quilting and crafting books and “stuff”. I will be bringing the back issues of many magazines for auctioning in our January quilt buck auction. There are issues of American Patchwork and Quilting back to the first issue, if you want a piece of quilting history. Those are the only magazines I kept whole. For all of my other subscriptions, I tear out articles that seem interesting and file them in notebooks. I must admit I seldom go back to find patterns to be made, but I do peruse them for inspiration now and then. So many of the quilting magazines (and others) now have digital subscriptions available. I’m thinking about switching some of my subscriptions (I subscribe to LOTS of quilt magazines!) over. I wonder if I would […]
July 26, 2012
Hello all, Mary Ellen here. Imagine this scene. Fifty years from now as someone is admiring a gorgeous quilt made in many hours of loving stitching, she says to her companion “I wonder who made this quilt. It’s fabulous. Do you think it was for someone’s wedding? Or maybe it’s a graduation gift. OOh! And look at this baby quilt. Do you suppose a grandmother made this-or an auntie-or maybe the mom while she was pregnant? ” Wouldn’t it be terrible to be looking down from wherever we go after life, to be looking down trying to say “I made those quilts. That blue one with the flowers was for…” You know where I’m going with this. Do you put labels on your quilts? You really should. If you’re an Antiques Roadshow fan, you know how having the provenance of an antique really helps its value. And even if not […]
June 20, 2012
Hello all, Mary Ellen here. I have admired antique quilts for years. Our family has a few, and I own two. One was made for me before I was born, and sadly I must admit that is enough to make it antique. It’s a very simple polka dot quilt. My great-grandmother had set herself a goal to make a quilt for each of her great-grandchildren. Mine is the last one she finished. The second is an Iris applique quilt that the same great-grandmother made for my mom to celebrate her 16th birthday. In our family quilts were used, not saved. Sadly this iris quilt is in bad shape. The edges are so tattered that there is no saving them-and there are irises appliqued all along the edges. The center of the quilt is a large iris medallion. I have been searching for the pattern and designer of this quilt for […]