beauty

This is what I saw in the antique store those 7 or so years back.

I nearly fainted when I saw that it contained this black beauty.

Vintage.

Treadle.

My grandmother is the only person I know who can operate one of these.

How wonderful would it be for me to learn from her?!?!

the 12' square

Here is a close up from my favorite quilt from the quilt show. There were so many examples of this pattern, that my friend, Michele, decided that there had to have been a class and everyone entered their quilt. It looks easy enough.

Update: I found out when I went to visit a little quilting shop (oh yeah, baby, that was fun!) that this pattern is called "Turning Twenty". It is called such because it takes only 20 fat quarters to make the quilt. The woman said that she made one start to finish in a day.

a day of firsts

Today a friend and I went to a quilt show. I had never been to one before. Simply. Amazing. The photos I took will not do any of the quilts justice.

This is what we saw when we walked through the doors. It sort of made me gasp.

*********

Most of the quilts were "traditional" and had a "pattern" to them. Some were very non-traditional and had no rhyme nor reason to them. There were a couple that looked very much like a Georgia O'Keefe painting.

This one was HILARIOUS! It is titled "Road Kill". I guess it requires no explanation.

**********

I think the cubical look of these two is very cool.

***********

Although you can't see the detail in this picture, this quilt artist used "thread painting" techniques to achieve some pretty awesome details.

**********

This one was so bright and colorful and must have taken a million hours.

**********

Even though there are NO circles at all in this one, you still see them, don't you?

************

This quilt is the reason I came home with a Moda "jelly roll" and a few matching fat quarters.

*************

This one, called Sunny Side Up, must have a billion little squares. I know she must know some major rotary cutting shortcuts.

************

Though the red is a bit severe, I love the way this one looks like so many Victorian nosegays.

***********

All three of these quilts, plus a few more, must have been made in a class, as they are made with the same 12" square pattern. See if you can pick it out. The first one was my favorite.

*************

clever clever idea

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////

//////We have been getting a lot of rain lately. //////

//////This would be so cool to make./////

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

latest project

(I wouldn't want anyone to think I was idle.)

I am making a quilt for a young woman who was given my name by a mutual friend. It will be crafted from various clothes that her daughters wore as toddlers, part of her mother's wedding gown, and part of a quilt that her mother made many years before she passed away.

*******************
This was the quilt that her mother made.... after many years of being loved by her daughter and grandchildren. What a comfort it must have been to wrap up in its soft, Double Wedding Ringed beauty.

*************

I am being very careful to reinforce each 6x6" square I make from it.

*******************

Here are a few of the 9 patch squares I've made. Thought about attempting the Disappearing Nine Patch pattern, but decided since there was such a difference in patterns/textures/types of material, that I'd better not.

*********************

fun little denim pants

Well, the silhouette pants were so easy to put together, I decided to go ahead and make these out of 18 inches of denim I bought from the remnant rack at Joanne's.

***

One of our sewing students in our first Thursday night "Moms' Night Out Sewing Class", Lisa, made a pair of pants VERY similar to these. Though envy is such a dark word, let's just say I really liked how hers turned out. We call the ruffle at the bottom of the pants the "Lisa Ruffle".

silhouette pants

I am having a hard time narrowing the field of options for a top to go with these pants I made today. The fabric is by Michael Miller. So incredibly cute. I have a complimentary fabric (white with black silhouettes) but need to make a decision soon.