I wasn’t sure I was going to finish this top before it was too dark to take a photo, but I made it just in time (I was in such a hurry that there are still little threads left on the top…oh well). Thank you Lori at Humble Quilts for sponsoring this quiltalong, because I…
Here are a few vintage quilt patterns with an Irish theme to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ….
I just realized last week that the images on my site are distorted using Internet Explorer 8. Apparently the problem has something to do with my WordPress theme, but so far I haven’t been able to figure it out. If you are using IE8 and the images are messed up, you can click on the…
Sometimes I ask myself why I am obsessed with using old fabric in my quilts — like today, for instance. I mean, my local quilt store stocks tons of reproduction fabrics at reasonable prices, while authentic vintage and antique fabrics are often expensive, scarce, dirty and fragile, with the occasional nasty odors and stains. They…
Holly and Mickie asked me how I put these tulips together, so here’s my attempt to explain my process, although I realize everyone has their own way of putting a block together — particularly when it involves applique. My technique is baste and pin (no needle turn, no freezer paper), but you can use any…
I recently noticed this vintage tulip quilt block on Flickr. Although I have way too many UFOs, and the last thing I need is a new project, I could not resist this wonderful pattern. At first I was thinking doll quilt, but all those seams in the strip piecing would make the tiny tulip pieces difficult…
Most quilters are probably aware of the quilt patterns published by the Kansas City Star newspaper from 1928 to 1961. Less well known are the hand quilting patterns that were occasionally part of these weekly publications. Here are a few patterns from my collection — all from the 1930s. Click images for slideshow.
The Krohn Family Quilt for my niece, Jennifer, is finally done — my March project for Allie’s “Christmas Through the Year” club. I will probably take a break after this and focus on wedding stuff. It’s a good feeling, though, to know I have 3 gifts in the Christmas bank. Originally, I had planned to…
I love this book. I love it so much that I’m going to be sharing every single project in the entire book, so I hope you like it at least a little bit. The book was published in 1943 by the Silver Burdett Company; the authors are Louis V. Newkirk, Director of Industrial Arts Education…
Emily really liked the vintage transfer I posted recently, and I think it works well on the pillow. The design is stitched with one strand of floss on a silk decorator sample (one of a lot of hundreds I purchased in a wonderful ebay auction). For the back I used scraps from the pennants, some…
I ended up making lots more of these than I originally anticipated. They looked so cute that I kept thinking of other places to use them besides the aisle — like around the edges of the buffet tables — on the stair railing where the girls will enter — or up high on the patio….
In honor of Valentine’s Day, here are some cute transfers from an old “Fashion Folder” transfer booklet (V574). I think I have 6 of these booklets — this one is designed “for Teenager….for Youngster…for Crib Set.” When opened, the sheets are 11″ x 17″, with 12 pages of transfers in red ink. Since my…
These pretty vintage tulip quilt blocks are from Barbara at Oodles and Oodles, who always finds the best stuff. They were stamped on a heavier type muslin and stitched with green and a variety of pink colored floss. I knew they would look good with a couple of vintage chintz fabrics I already owned —…
Sometimes I think I should change the name of my blog. It’s not that I haven’t been working on projects — it’s just that they aren’t very quilty. Hopefully, once the wedding is over and my retirement commences (which occur on practically the same day), I will be back to making quilts. For the past…
If you compare this top to my original plan, you’ll notice that I didn’t pay any attention to the colors of the background squares. I have my doubts about the introduction of the bright red. It looks okay in the letter blocks, but I’m not sure I like it in the background squares. Since I’m…