Of all my old quilt booklets, this one may be my favorite. It includes some classic applique patterns like Pennsylvania Rose, English Rose, and Aunt Alice’s Blue Wreath, as well as a very nice pattern for the quilt that won the Sears “Century of Progress” Quilt Contest at the 1933 World’s Fair, referred to in…
This is a project I have had in my head for the longest time. There were lots of things to work out, including some challenging geometry involving a hexagonal pyramid, and the audition of potential materials (wool felt, canvas, and craft foam). Craft foam was the winner. I have completed hand cutting most of the…
In Nancy’s comment on my Seven Sisters blocks, she noticed that the Seven Sisters pattern is very similar to the Tumbling Blocks pattern — basically just 60° diamonds with a different coloration. TB is a pattern I have always loved, and planned to make one day using 19th century scraps so I could take advantage…
As I mentioned when I talked about this quilt project in an earlier post, it all began with a box of vintage salesman sample swatches from the 1940s or maybe the 1950s. There were hundreds of prints, some with just one piece, and others with duplicates or different colorways. All of the samples were the…
This is a continuation of a previous tutorial. Please refer to part 1 of this tutorial for general directions which are not included here. SIMPLE PUFFY FLOWER – FANCY EDGE An easy variation of the Simple Puffy Flower in part 1 that can be done with any craft scissor. With your 12′ length of streamer,…
When I make crepe paper bouquets, I like to include a mix of Dennison type flowers (made with single petals) and ruffled flowers. I’m not going to bother writing a tutorial for the Dennison style flowers, because you can find good directions for these on the Martha Stewart site. There is also a free download…
Tonight we are raising our glasses to toast my mother, Marjorie, on the 100th anniversary of her birth. She was the youngest of four, and the only girl. As a child, she always wore these gigantic bows in her hair, and I think her closest aged brother, Bill, must has added the ribbons to her…
Because this is a pretty fall day in Seattle with cool temperatures and sunny skies, I thought I would share an autumn themed quilt pattern. Falling Leaves appeared in the syndicated “Nancy Page Quilt Club” column written by Florence LaGanke in the 1930s. Every Tuesday the column would feature a new block presented by…
Last month I made a crepe paper bouquet for my sister, Sally. She wanted some bright colors that would look good in her living room. I didn’t really like the only orange I had (a too bright Halloween orange), so after I finished the rest of the colors, Sally and I picked out a few…
Until last year, my sewing machine buying history had been pretty conservative, at least when I compared it to most other quilters I knew. The first machine I owned was a used Singer I purchased in 1966 at a thrift store. In the mid-70s I gave it to my friend, Elaine, who is still using…
Last year when I was preparing for a trip with my sisters, I asked my sister, Sally, if she would like me to bring along an embroidery project for her. She thought that was a good idea, so I headed to the quilt shop to look for a nice print that would go with her…
My friends, Patty (Patalier) and Barbara (Oodles and Oodles), always find the best vintage stuff, and my favorite things among all this stuff are fabric, notions, and anything quilt related. So, when Barbara had a sale at her home for friends and family, and I was unable to attend (she’s in NY, I’m in Seattle),…
Vintage Double Wedding Ring tops, blocks and pieces are some of the easier vintage quilt projects to find. It was a hugely popular pattern during the Depression, but it’s also a fairly difficult one to piece. It seems that many woman began working on them, but then at some point became frustrated. Because I have…
First of all, I want to thank everyone who made a comment on my last post. I was overwhelmed by your kind words and compliments, and I miss all of you already. The Christmas quilt is finally done, so I am looking forward to hanging up a completed quilt this year, instead of just a…
I just realized, after being away these past 6 weeks, that I have lost my enthusiasm for blogging. There are things I want to spend more time on that are not especially blog-worthy, and that have nothing to do with quilting. I may be back at some point, or I might just pop in now…