Two really old UFO's Finished!

This Top has been hanging around ready to be quilted for so long I can't even remember which decade it's from!  Well I know the kids fabric in the center was leftovers from a quilt I made for my daughter's Third grade Teacher so that's almost 20 years ago....
I don't know why it took me so long to quilt it?!   I guess there were always other things in front of it?

The border print is a real hoot!  Kind of sophisticated print for a kid quilt but it was a really good match for the center yellows!  And look they are all having a such a good time!

41" x 41"

It's small but I backed it with a wonderful soft flannel.  It will make a good "cuddley"  for some young child!

The other long time UFO is this pillow here with my doll Mary and some of her friends.  I found it all tattered  around the edges at the flea market.  It was Square.   I took off the binding and cut out the bad bits to make a circle and reconstructed the binding.

But then I stalled out becauseI did not have anything to use for stuffing....

So I started scavenging the edge trimmings from plush blankets that I use for backings.

Then I cut them into short strips.

It took a while to accumulate enough of the stuffing to fill the pillow. (like a couple of years)

Mary, and I agreed it was really to fancy for my sewing room so I found a place for it in the living room.

This picture may give the impression that my living room is very formal.  Don't worry, the rest of the room is a mess! lol

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Happy Holiday!

cheers, CW

Another Community quilt

I finish quilting another quilt for the exhibit "We're Still Here" at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History.  It is a great exhibit that highlights the struggles of Senior Citizens in our Community (( read more about it in the first post here.) 

There  more personal art work and faces in this one,   That proved to be more challenging I did not want to mess it up.  I tried to take the approach that less is more.  Here are some examples:
I thought this first one was amazing!

Well I'm not sure I did all the patches justice but I needed to get it Done.   I couldn't ponder each individual square for toooo long.  There are 180 - 6" patches.

It was fun but I'm glad it's Done!!!

Have a great week!

cheers, CW

Another Vintage Quilt

I have a few Date inscribed quilts in my Vintage collection,  this is one of the best!  It's a signature quilt from 186_ (last digit is unclear).    

It contains a wonderful array of 1800's fabrics that are generally in really good condition.

Every square has two fabrics;  no repeats.  And every square (except one or two blank) has a different name inscribed in it.   I'm no Hand Writing expert but the signatures seemed to be different enough, one from the other,  that I think they were all written by separate individuals .

This is A.D. Blodgett

Nellie Moulton

Some also have locations written with their names like this one!  There are 5 signatures from Randolph, VT.

Mrs. L. F. Walbridge,   Randolph, VT.

This is H. Tarbell.  

There are 4 signatures contributed by the "Tarbell" family that are printed in the same way.  That's probably because they each had their own "name" stamp.  These would have been personal, custom made metal stamps that could be inked and then pressed into cloth or paper.  They could be used as a substitute for a signature for use on personal items, like letters, hankies, clothes, etc.

There are 5 Blogetts signatures.

Carrie L. Blodgett

J.R. Tarbell

Ellen A. Blodgett, Rochester, VT.

Eltie M. Smith,  Concord, Mass.

The only block which is not a name which is located in the lower left corner  of the quilt is this one.  Perhaps Grandmother was signing in this way as the maker of the quilt?  You can also see the quilting in this picture quite well.  It's not super fancy but it is well quilted.

This is the dated Block.  Sadly it is very faded.  No doubt it has had more handling than the other blocks and thus the poor condition!?

But I think if you tilt the picture this way and that you can make out the year 186_ in the lower right corner.

I've always thought this would make an excellent research quilt for an AQSG's project.

But I've never gotten it together.  I guess I'm just not Scholar material, I'd rather be sewing than researching!

cheers, CW

Sampler top finished

These blocks were mostly generated in a Beginners Piecing class I taught last year.  I made to sets of blocks.  One was with French General fabrics for a more traditional look and the other was this set of blocks for a more Modern look.  I lost interest in the French General fabs fairly early on but I was intrigued by the possibilities of the Modern fabs so I kept making more blocks and this is the result.

I think it mostly works but I was going for asymmetry.  I might have gone a bit to far.  It's funny how you don't see certain things until you see a photo of it.  I think I might carry that bottom dark border all the way to the corner.  That might help contain the design a little better.

Oh well,  live and learn!

I'm still scratching away at my UFO's and getting things done.  That feels really good!!!

Have a great week!

Cheers, CW

Halloween Quilt Finished!

             Along with the I goal mentioned in my last post I also finished the Halloween Quilt                                                                      that I posted about (Before Halloween).

As I mentioned I dithered around with the backing, here's why. 

I found this super fun plush throw at Ross on Sale for $9.00.  I thought it was big enough but it was NOT!  Grrrrrr!

So I sat with it for about a week and finally decided I would just put some Minky on the sides to make it big enough.  The loft is different but they are both nice and soft and purple.  I'm OK with the look but when I touch it, it is so soft and yummy I know it was the right choice! 

I quilted the blocks in the same style as the I Spy quilt I finished in Sept.

There are so many fun fabrics in this quilt! 

I even got the binding put on before 'All Hallowed Eve'  thanks to my sewing machine!  Lately I've been cutting the bindings 2.5", folding, sewing to the front and then stitching in the ditch on the front.  It looks nice and tidy on the front....

 and not bad on the back either and it saves a Boat load of time!!!

Still haven't started anything new and I have another UFO in my sights for November!!

Have a great rest of your week!

Cheers, CW