Monday, February 17, 2020

Happy Presidents Day

Well I have not been posting much but I have been sewing!  Here are a couple of finishes!
I think it was last Summer when I posted about this project.  I titled it "Liberated UFO" because The blocks had been languishing in a basket for several years because I was stuck on an old idea of how to put them together.  Then one day I just said forget,  put them together some other way.  And in  matter of days the top was finished!
And now it's really finished, binding and all. 
I quilted it very simply, mostly in the ditch. 
I backed it with something soft and fuzzy and even tho' the quilting was nothing special it still makes a nice pattern on the back.  Ya' gotta Love Matching thread!
This next finish was a rescue project from last years Guild Flea market. 
It was a small sample book of striped denim like material.  Destined for the land fill.
But I thought "I can do something with that"  so I adopted it. 
More simple quilting and a back to front binding treatment and Done!
Turning the back to front with a denim type of material makes a very clean edge.  I like the look of that!
Except for the batting, the whole quilt is made with different types of denim.  It's not to stiff  'cause they are all pretty light weight. 
Sometime last Fall I said I was going to Only work on UFOs 'til further notice.
Well I kinda bent the rules.  Every once in awhile it's nice to start something new to break up the monotony.  So in Jan. I dug out a bag of leftovers I'd scrounged from the Flea Market. By chance it coordinated very nicely with a charm packet and some other yardage that I already had and so I made this top.
Well it's not quite finished but it's very close... 
A parting view.
We've been having some spectacular Sunsets lately.
Unfortunately no rain... 
I hope you have a nice Holiday!
Peace, CW

Monday, February 10, 2020

More Dolls and Historical Ruminations

My mother had a good friend, Ann Beallah,  who was a professional costume maker.  I guess as a result of her costume sewing she got into doll making.   When she heard that my family had an ancestor that had signed the Declaration Of Independence she was so intrigued she made these (more less) historical representations.  Meet Mr. and Mrs. John Witherspoon.  John Witherspoon was a Presbyterian Minister and scholar who immigrated from Scotland to the colonies to head the newly formed Princeton University.
If you are familiar with the Hamilton biography that might ring a bell because John Witherspoon (rightly or wrongly) turned Hamilton down in his application to be a student at Princeton.
Hamilton went off to New York to go to University and some Historians think that situation suited Hamilton better.  
The Tartan of his vest is the Witherspoon Tartan.  The Witherspoons were actually lowlanders so I don't really know how that worked?!
Whatever the case they are a sweet and thoughtful couple of dolls!
Have a great week! CW

Happy Mother's Day!

Be ye Mother, Daughter, Auntie or whatever, enjoy a day for yourself ! To often we rush around taking care of everybody else Today is for Se...