tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1713169994974118882024-03-17T11:22:56.941-07:00Quilts and MusingsA blog dedicated to the discussion of quilts and textiles of all kinds as well as "musings" - and thoughts about life in general.quiltersmusehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081018972865758036noreply@blogger.comBlogger259125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171316999497411888.post-1143157866202874812024-03-17T11:22:00.000-07:002024-03-17T11:22:03.162-07:00Happy St. Patrick's Day! This St. Patrick's Day, more than ever, I've heard people mentioning that they were going to have corned beef and cabbage to celebrate the day. I wondered where this tradition came from inasmuch as Ireland, traditionally, did not raise many beef cattle and tended to have sheep or pigs instead on their small tenant farms. At dinnertime, while we were eating a boiled dinner consisting ofquiltersmusehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081018972865758036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171316999497411888.post-36121605730775163462024-02-19T11:57:00.000-08:002024-02-19T11:57:37.845-08:00Presidents' Day At some point, we stopped celebrating only George Washington's birthday and extended the holiday to include all former presidents of the U.S. Therefore, the day should rightly be called Presidents' Day, not Presidents Day or President's Day. It seems that many just don't know where to put the apostrophe. Jim calls me the "Grammar Police," a title I own up to. It really bugs me when people quiltersmusehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081018972865758036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171316999497411888.post-60779950553104805672023-12-02T16:55:00.000-08:002024-03-03T13:23:31.186-08:00Jim Shore Impersonator I fell victim to a cyber scam by responding to an ad on Facebook. The person posting claimed that Jim Shore was going out of business (he isn't), and he was offering Jim Shore Christmas ornaments and other products @75% off. It seemed too good to be true and that was the case. I ordered on November 16 and today, December 2, I thought it was a long time that the package was delayed. I quiltersmusehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081018972865758036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171316999497411888.post-5465289203455421672023-11-25T11:41:00.000-08:002023-11-25T11:41:07.137-08:00Presentation on November 29, 2023 I will be presenting a retrospective of my 40 years of quilt making via a slide presentation as well as a show of some quilts that the audience will be able to see "in person". This talk, "Every Quilt Has a Story," will be given at the Concord Parks and Recreation building on Canterbury Rd., Concord, New Hampshire on November 29 at 10:30 a.m. - to approximately noon (which provides for a quiltersmusehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081018972865758036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171316999497411888.post-45327589026393865142023-11-12T13:52:00.000-08:002023-11-12T13:52:06.592-08:00Keepsake Quilting 2023 Gift Box Back a few months ago, I decided to give myself a treat by ordering a gift box of fabrics, notions and other goodies from Keepsake Quilting. I was able to pay in two installments which made the price more affordable. Yesterday the 2023 gift box arrived and it did not disappoint!Included are fabrics in a strawberry theme, a small container of strawberry preserves, a Keepsake mug, some quiltersmusehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081018972865758036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171316999497411888.post-91735418638305258312023-09-24T10:02:00.003-07:002023-09-24T10:02:58.155-07:00Quilt Steals the Show On Saturday, September 23, 2023, we attended at quilt show in Keene, NH set up by the Cheshire Quilters' Guild. "Fall for Quilts" was spectacular! One outstanding quilt stood out from the rest, Norma Ippolito's quilt that she calls "Confetti Carnival."There are 288 appliqued circles on a "confetti" fabric background and they are set around 9 starry wheels that remind the quiltmaker of "quiltersmusehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081018972865758036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171316999497411888.post-26428585288710820282023-09-01T14:33:00.000-07:002023-09-18T13:15:55.086-07:00Betty Boop Having had a vintage Betty Boop doll in my collection for some time and not knowing her back story, I decided to look up information about her so I turned to a Google search.Betty Boop, a blue-eyed, curly-haired woman with long earrings first appeared in 1930. She was an animated cartoon, the work of Max Fleischer and Grim Natick. She is probably best known for her "Boop-Oop-a-Doop" phrase.quiltersmusehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081018972865758036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171316999497411888.post-60433913579303842022023-08-25T15:35:00.000-07:002023-08-25T15:35:15.998-07:00The Featherweight Shop: a Review Sometimes, folks do such a good job with serving the public in their business dealings that it is worth a few comments. The Featherweight Shop in Idaho is an outstanding business. I am the proud owner of a 1948 Singer Featherweight, Model 221. It is in great shape and sews beautifully. I have enjoyed adding accessories to it from the Featherweight Shop. I purchased an extension table, an quiltersmusehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081018972865758036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171316999497411888.post-58039462532005768012023-08-10T10:30:00.000-07:002023-08-10T10:30:26.940-07:00Machine Appliqued Project Let me start by saying that I had never appliqued by machine until my latest project. My wish to do so started when I saw a very cute design by the whole country caboodle offered as a kit online. I don't often work from kits, usually preferring to design my own projects but this was too adorable to pass up and I was up for a learning challenge.I did not realize what I was in for. After quiltersmusehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081018972865758036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171316999497411888.post-3467190502402854312023-04-16T08:28:00.000-07:002023-04-16T08:28:10.292-07:00Bees Bees are important to human existence. They pollinate the flowers of vegetables and cross-pollinate fruit trees. I especially like Bumblebees. They seem to be the first to appear in the Spring and they really are fond of the early Rhododendron bush that will be blooming soon enough. Honeybees are great, too. They are certainly workers. It takes a lot of work to produce just one teaspoon of quiltersmusehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081018972865758036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171316999497411888.post-48751280479833524902022-12-04T13:14:00.004-08:002022-12-04T13:41:42.325-08:00Our Christmas Tree - 2022 The house is decorated and "it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas." The focal point of our decorating is the tree. This year we opted to purchase a brand new, artificial tree from the National Tree Company. It is well-made, symmetrical and pleasing to the eye. Unlike my home, growing up, we do not use tinsel or garland or even bows. We string lights and add ornaments, each one uniquequiltersmusehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081018972865758036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171316999497411888.post-30636555746800522322022-06-30T10:19:00.000-07:002022-06-30T10:21:08.661-07:00Liberty is Our Motto I had a lot of fun designing and making a quilt that I call "Liberty is Our Motto," inspired by a song title sung by the Hutchinson Family Singers, a 19th century group that hailed from Milford, New Hampshire. The popular family singers traveled the world, even appearing before the Queen of England!Liberty is something we all hold dear. It is the principle upon which this country was quiltersmusehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081018972865758036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171316999497411888.post-78365997959383513952022-06-19T14:17:00.003-07:002022-06-19T14:17:35.377-07:00A Tribute Quilt to President Abraham Lincoln I made this original tribute quilt to Abraham Lincoln about 20 years ago. It is hand-embroidered, hand-quilted, and hand-appliqued and is one of the few quilts I have ever done in red, white and blue. I still have it hanging in my home and I enjoy seeing it.quiltersmusehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081018972865758036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171316999497411888.post-35292144545851454372022-06-05T10:57:00.001-07:002022-06-05T10:59:12.897-07:00Quilt Exhibition at Billings Farm & Museum - 2022 On June 3, 2022, we were invited to a sneak preview of the 36th Annual Quilt Exhibition at Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, Vermont. There are contemporary quilts by Windsor County Quilters and challenge quilts by the Delectable Mountain Quilters. The exhibit will be open daily from June 4 - July 10 at their 69 Old River Road location. Here we highlight just a few of the quiltersmusehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081018972865758036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171316999497411888.post-30602340191662859722022-03-03T12:36:00.002-08:002022-03-03T12:37:37.198-08:00Ukrainian Embroidery In 1997/1998, I had the privilege of taking a group correspondence course through the Embroiderers' Guild of America. The course centered on Ukrainian embroidery. Course requirements were to complete two Samplers and one free-standing rose pattern worked with waste canvas over white cloth in typical colors of red and black stitches (on a white background).I loved this course and earned a quiltersmusehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081018972865758036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171316999497411888.post-34076804080516592892021-12-16T14:32:00.001-08:002021-12-16T14:32:21.981-08:00Holy Family in Bluework Greetings, my friends! I just finished embroidering and quilting a miniature quilt that was inspired by an antique wall splasher in my collection. This intricate quilt took a long time to embroider due to its tiny details and overall size. It measures only 12 1/4" tall x 16 3/8" wide. I really had fun making it though at times I thought I'd never finish! I am calling it "Holy Family in quiltersmusehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081018972865758036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171316999497411888.post-1149784700949915182021-12-07T12:57:00.002-08:002021-12-07T12:57:23.350-08:00Bill Staines, NH Singer/Songwriter, Passes I was very much saddened by the news that Bill Staines, NH folksinger/songwriter, passed away on 12/5/2021. Without knowing it until three weeks ago, the pancreatic cancer from which he had suffered for 20 years had metastasized in a very aggressive way. He was 74 years old. I was lucky enough to have attended two of his concerts in my hometown, summers ago. Bill was internationally-known quiltersmusehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081018972865758036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171316999497411888.post-60567119152279474422021-10-21T11:31:00.001-07:002021-10-21T11:32:27.881-07:00German Language Learning This autumn I have embarked on a course offered through The Great Courses: "Learning German - A Journey through Language and Culture." The professor, James Pfrehm, is well-versed in the German language. He has studied in Germany and is a professor at Ithaca College who writes German textbooks. There are 30 Lessons in all, offered with a textbook (with explanations and exercises) and quiltersmusehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081018972865758036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171316999497411888.post-85336000201073864612021-09-11T12:35:00.000-07:002021-10-21T11:32:58.064-07:00Autumn is in the Air! The nights are getting chillier and if one looks closely, one can see the change in color of vegetation. The goldenrod are blossoming and the leaves of the blueberry bushes are turning crimson. The grapes are now ripe and while I am writing this my industrious husband is making grape jelly from our grapes. All while I study and practice the German language! It is said that learning a quiltersmusehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081018972865758036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171316999497411888.post-6769509106439397962021-08-21T13:09:00.004-07:002021-08-24T07:10:37.982-07:00Rubia: An International Outreach Project "Helping the Women of Afghanistan - Rubia: An International Outreach Project" is the name of an article I wrote for The Quilter magazine that was published in January 2007. The Afghan woman I interviewed, whose name I will not share here now (for her safety), was in the United States to promote the organization called "Rubia," a group comprised of needleworkers who sold embroidered pillows quiltersmusehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081018972865758036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171316999497411888.post-6610101805371288262021-07-22T08:51:00.000-07:002021-07-22T08:51:04.195-07:00Billings Farm & Museum's Quilt Exhibition 2021Contemporary Quilts made by Windsor County Quilters and Challenge Quilts by the Heart of the Land Quilt Guild are featured in the 35th Annual Quilt Exhibition at Billings Farm & Museum in Woodstock, Vermont. The display is open daily from July 17 - August 22, 2021.Here are just a few of the quilts that currently hang in the exhibit."Farm Friends" made by Lynne Weatherill is machine-pieced, quiltersmusehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081018972865758036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171316999497411888.post-85055505820195964482021-07-15T11:30:00.003-07:002021-07-15T11:30:56.845-07:00Christmas in JulyWith sweltering temperatures outside, my thoughts turn to ice cream and Christmas, maybe not in that order. I am thinking of a quilt I made in 2014. It features a Redwork embroidery motif of birds and holly. The design is a very enlarged version of a line drawing that was published in the Cunnings catalog, a late 19th century catalog from which one could order designs for outline stitch quiltersmusehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081018972865758036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171316999497411888.post-48924399521119327842021-06-07T06:36:00.001-07:002021-06-07T06:36:56.060-07:00Quilt Finished The "Woodland Creatures" quilt that I designed is now finished. I asked Janet-Lee Santeusanio of Woodland Manor Quilting in Hampton Falls, NH to machine-quilt it for me. I think she did an outstanding job! This is a just-for-fun quilt. I chose Hobbs 80/20 batting. Here are some photos. quiltersmusehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081018972865758036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171316999497411888.post-12079703270050148672021-05-18T14:58:00.000-07:002021-05-18T14:58:04.753-07:00New Exhibit to Feature Sweetheart Pillows According to the Wright Museum of World War II's website, that Wolfeboro, New Hampshire museum will feature a special exhibit from August 17 to October 31, 2021 which will include sweetheart pillows from World War II. "Shaped by Conflict: Mementos of the WWII Era" is a much anticipated exhibit that was supposed to have been presented last year but was postponed a year due to the quiltersmusehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081018972865758036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171316999497411888.post-23666122393307382142021-05-08T11:00:00.000-07:002021-05-08T11:00:06.439-07:00Woodland Creatures Quilt I have just completed a quilt top that I am calling "Woodland Creatures." Each hexagon in the hexagon rosettes is fussy-cut and represent various animals. There are bunnies, deer, bears, owls, chickadees, hedgehogs, etc. In person, the quilt is very colorful!The hexagon rosettes are appliqued onto various brown print fabrics. The alternate blocks are pink fabrics that I had in my "quiltersmusehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18081018972865758036noreply@blogger.com0