Fun with Hexagons!

Hexagons are six-sided geometric shapes that can be sewn together to make patterns such as Grandmother's Flower Garden (popular quilts of the 1930s/1940s). Recently, I bought some fabrics with forest animals. Using a special template tool sold by Nancy's Notions, I was able to easily isolate designs, mark them, and cut them out to apply over (smaller) pre-cut hexagon papers sold by Paper Pieces.

Hexagons in progress in my studio

So far, I have constructed a number of units and am currently "playing," in making more. I have no idea how they will be used, ultimately. Right now, I am just enjoying piecing hexagons together that I have constructed. I am thinking that finished rosette units could be appliquéd to a table runner that is then lined. Or, I could add "paths" between them and create a mini quilt. Those paths would be a cream color or off-white, I believe, not Nile green such as were used mid-20th century.

I have made other projects before using hexagons. "Hexies" are fun! My most ambitious project to date has been the miniature quilt with 1,039 different hexagon pieces, all different except two of them, as was true of the original 1880s quilt I was attempting to reproduce in spirit! It was a "charm" quilt of sorts, or maybe just intended to be a charm quilt but the quilter goofed and added two fabrics that were exactly alike. The challenge lay in collecting that many different pieces of cloth!

We shall see what the current hexies will look like when used to create a finished piece of some kind. Meanwhile, I am just having fun working with 1930s reproduction fabrics and some 1930s authentic fabrics, used as alternate pieces of cloth to the "Forest Frolics" fabrics designed by Heidi Boyd for Red Rooster Fabrics.

All Soul's Day - November 1

The day seemed a little bit chillier around the edges today even though the thermometer outside reads more than 60 degrees. The weather in New England is changing for sure and on this particular day I am thinking about all who have gone before. Of course, in that category is family, closely followed by friends. The older one becomes, the more often friends pass away, and on this day, "All Soul's Day," I recall them all.

Being a writer, I have been fortunate in the past to have been in contact with folks who have now passed on. Chance brought us together and they were valuable meetings at that. Often, men and women are walking encyclopedias especially those who have lived through hard times and wars and remember the details. I was lucky enough to meet a World War II veteran who was curating an exhibit of Sweetheart and Mother Pillows from the years of the C.C.C. that became not only part of an article I wrote, but part of a chapter in my book, Sweetheart & Mother Pillows: 1917-1945. He is now deceased. I am happy that he wrote his own booklet for his grandchildren about what he did during the war.

Each of us has only an allotted amount of time to live on this earth. It is wonderful when we can share our life experiences with others. It is said that whenever a man dies, he takes a book with him. Some of us who are lucky enough to be writers are able to share at least a small portion of our life story, even if it is just a blurb in the biography section of a book.

I am happy to have written many books from Redwork Embroidery to Quilt Care, from the life of my own father, to the life of an extraordinary quilt historian, Ellen E. Webster. It is a comfort to know that at least some of my books and magazine writings will survive in various library collections and in the homes of individuals, most of whom I shall never meet in person. From time to time, I am still contacted by readers of The Quilter, even though the magazine has been bankrupt and out of print since August 2014.

We never know how (or even if) we will be remembered. That is not for us to understand in our own lifetimes. We can only do our best to contribute to society while we can.

For today, we honor those who have passed before us, recalling good times and trying times, all a part of life. For those gone before, the struggles are over. We are left to make the most of each day that is given us, not taking even one minute for granted. I hope you will take a moment today to think of all the special people in your life and to honor the memory of those no longer here.

November 1 has become the beginning of holiday madness with sales galore, stores competing for your dollars. Take a moment to consider that people themselves are always more important than material goods. Let the holiday season begin, a time of good will toward men and thankfulness for our many blessings.

Happy All Soul's Day!

Scarecrow Quilt

Happy Halloween! The image shown here is that of a wall quilt that I made a few years ago. I did not get around to making any more special Halloween decorations for this year but I have been busy with both long term and short term projects of other kinds!

Wall quilt made by Patricia L. Cummings from a Piecemaker's pattern

The quilt is based on a Piecemaker's pattern. I have not seen any patterns by that company for awhile but I have made a number of their designs and really enjoyed them. The happy scarecrow with a crooked smile and patched clothes, standing in a pumpkin patch, always brings a smile to my lips. Enjoy the holiday!

Halloween Sampler

The "All Hallow's Eve" Sampler is one that I embroidered several years ago. Like any Sampler worth its weight, it features the capital letters of the alphabet and much more including a witch on a broom flying across the moon, black cats, pumpkins, ghost, skeletons, a graveyard, and decorative buttons. I finished it into a bell pull that is hem-stitched at the bottom and fringed. This was from commercial directions but I modified the design to suit myself. The words say "brewed by pat cummings."

I did not make anything new for Halloween this year as I have been busy with a hexagon project, cutting out and preparing hundreds of little 1" hexagons. More about those...later.

Happy Halloween!

Patricia Cummings

New Book Explores Indigo History

Indigo Quilts: 30 Quilts from the Poos Collection by Kay and Lori Lee Triplett, two sisters who are quilt scholars, is like a breath of fresh air. The book, published by C&T Publishing in 2015, features 120 pages, 25 antique quilts from the private (Poos) collection, (along with provenance about each of them), and five projects that include pattern pull-out sheets. In addition, and perhaps more importantly, the origins of the use of indigo as a dye agent are explored and connections are made with Africa. In the introduction, the authors state the following:

"Many researchers have focused on India's role in indigo cultivation, use, and trade. However, this book proposes that the people of Africa provided important, centuries-old knowledge of the dye when they were brought to the American colonies as slaves and came as free Africans in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries."

The authors received the Lucy Hilty Research Grant and the Meredith Scholar Award from the American Quilt Study Group to fund their research. They concede that much more work needs to be done to piece together the "African influence" puzzle but their book is certainly a good place to start!
A treasure-trove of information, well-illustrated with quality photos, the book provides end notes that could lead to further research. There could be a lot more to discover about the African influence on textiles in America as more connections are made. This is a book that is truly enjoyable and informative!

Art Imitating Art

In Wilmington, Vermont last Saturday we saw a wonderful piece of folk art that imitates an appliquéd quilt. It looked so much like a quilt, it was only until we approached it more closely did we know for sure that it was a painting.

Folk art "quilt" seen in Wilmington, Vermont

This is a fine example of art from one genre (painting) imitating another genre (quilting). If you think about it, you will probably recall other examples.

The item is for sale by Wilmington Antiques. Not having the house room needed, this antique did not come home with us. I like the fact that people are included on its surface. We certainly enjoyed seeing this work on display at the Deerfield Valley Quilt and Craft Show at Memorial Hall last weekend.

Ellen Emeline Hardy Webster (1867-1950)

Difficult as it is to believe, it has been 7 years since I finished researching and writing a book about Ellen Emeline Hardy Webster. What brings her to mind today? Well, I just ran across a paragraph that another researcher wrote that is totally incorrect. It is difficult to imagine that a young girl between 3 years old and 13 would be making a charm quilt, and yet that is what is inferred by the statement that Ellen E. Hardy and her sisters Nettie, Mary and Lucy were "making quilts during the time the charm pattern became popular in the 1870s," a quote from a WPA book titled Hands That Built New Hampshire written by various authors in 1940. Ellen was born in 1867.

An article by Pat L. Nichols found in Uncoverings 1996, a publication of the American Quilt Study Group, misattributes the institution to which the quilt charts made by Ellen E. Webster were given upon her death. They are held in the collection of the New Hampshire Historical Society in Concord, New Hampshire (no connection to Manchester, NH as stated in the journal article). Ellen is buried in Franklin, New Hampshire, not Concord, as Nichols stated. I know. I visited her grave site when I was researching the book Ellen Emeline Hardy Webster 1867-1950: Her Amazing Quilt "Charts," Her Writings, and Her Life (2008, Quilter's Muse Publications). There are several other minor errors such as the spelling of Ellen's nephew's last name.

This is not the first time that faulty information about Ellen E. Webster has crept into print and into the media. After the publication of a journal article in Historical New Hampshire, written by a former NHHS curator, a local TV station showed footage of Ellen (called "Emily") as a wispy, ghost-like figure in the background because no information was known about her and certainly no one realized that there are photo images of Ellen E. Webster (misnamed as Emily Webster). She continued to be misnamed in several academic journals.

Part of the confusion was that of the curator who "looked" at Ellen E. Webster's quilt charts and saw the name "Emily Webster." There was, indeed, a woman, in fact a friend of Ellen, whose name was Emily Webster. She and her sister, Ellen A. Webster, a maiden school teacher, were both friends of Ellen E. Webster.

Ellen E. Webster, the subject of my book, was an extraordinary woman! She was a writer, a lecturer, a professor of Biblical studies, a scientist, a musician, a quilt lover and quilt historian, etc. I do not have enough kind words to describe the life of this woman, who was both charming and beautiful from a very early age!

It somehow does a disservice to Ellen E. Webster when facts about her appear in print that are simply not true. Her quilt charts and her dedication to quilt study were in league with other quilt historian contemporaries of the time, also mentioned in my book and profiled. The trouble lies in the fact that whenever wrong information makes its way into print, it tends to be taken as "Gospel" and is then repeated by subsequent writers who have done no primary research of their own and certainly no fact-checking.

The story of Ellen's life is just so lovely! My book has 355 pages and 340 photos, including images of all of her quilt charts and many photos provided by her family. The e-book is still available. Please send me an e-mail at quiltersmuse@gmail.com for ordering details, if you are interested in obtaining a copy for yourself. I can guarantee that it is a captivating book! (It can be played on any computer without any special device). The total price is $24.95 plus $3.00 shipping. You'll be so glad you did!

Patricia Cummings
Quilter's Muse Publications

Baltimore Album Quilts: Always Striking

Baltimore Album style quilts, originally made from the 1840s to the early 1860s, are always special to see. Today, they continue to inspire quilters to reproduce them or else to create new block designs that are similar in nature. Quilters, like their sisters of yesteryear, are tempted to write their names and messages on the quilts. In the past, Baltimore Album quilts were made mainly as gifts for departing Methodist ministers. This effort would keep the ladies very busy as the "tour of duty" was a relatively short one, usually two years.

Baltimore Album quilt by Carolyn Babcock which has both traditional and newly-designed blocks and is inked

The ink used for writing on old quilt often contained iron gall. The iron would literally eat through the fabric, leaving holes. In today's world, we do not have to worry about that problem as there are pens that have been found to be useful for the task. These are called Micron Pigma Pens and they are sold in various size nibs. Art supply stores are more likely than quilt shops to have the full selection of pens available from the smallest nib .005 to the usual .01, and the larger ones in sizes .03, .05, and .08. They come in a selection of colors ranging from red to green, blue, black, and brown.

With proper use, the ink will not readily fade but fading IS a big issue when fabric is not pre-washed to remove the sizing. I found that out the hard way. When I searched for information on a quilt label recently, I found that the words had all but disappeared even though I had heat set the ink by pressing for 20-30 seconds on each side of the fabric before appliquéing the label to the quilt.

A light box comes in very handy for tracing letters onto the fabric. One can create the label in a document, changing the font to one that is attractive and easy to trace. I like Lucida Calligraphy the best as it is close to the Italian Calligraphy I usually do free-hand.

My heart always beats a little faster whenever I see a Baltimore Album quilt, old or new. They are certainly works of art that require fine appliqué skills and special techniques such as layering. Many thanks to Carolyn Babcock for demonstrating the art of inking at the Common Threads Quilt Show in Morristown, Vermont (October 2015). We enjoyed seeing all of her quilts in the show and marveled at the fact that she works completely by hand.

Happy Quilting!

Great Men

"Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime.
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time."

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Of all the men I have known in my life, my father stands out among them as a true leader and as a fine example of what a man can be. Loving, nurturing, smart as all get out, a contributor to society and to his church, his legacy lives on in the credit unions he founded and in the work he did for the greater good. More importantly, for me, he was a "family man," someone I could count on for sound advice and who was always supportive of every dream I had whether that was having horses or going to college, something he never had the chance to complete.

Today, I am wistfully reviewing his letters to me when I lived in Pamplona, Spain. I appreciate his humor, most of all! He writes on 10-13-72:  "Once in a while something comes along that is not really disturbing except only in a mild sort of way. For example, like drinking a cup of brewed coffee down to the last drop but then finding some coffee grounds upsetting the taste buds in the mouth or example #2 like putting on the last pair of clean socks - only one has a hole where it fits down over your big toe. You see, nothing very vexing but in the category of wondering what the letters E.E.U.U. that you add to your mail stand for. [E.E.U.U. is the Spanish abbreviation for Los Estados Unidos (the United States of America).]

He then congratulates me on my "A" achievement and adds, "The other kids are just dum-dums. Feel lofty!"

All of his letters were funny and in one subsequent letter, he speculates on E.E.U.U. again, thinking that it may stand for "Empire of Elated and Unrestrained Umpires" or maybe "Elegant Example of Underarm Undercoating?" I looked forward to his letters as they brought a bit of "home" to me in that faraway place where I found myself at a relatively young age as a university student.

I was gone for less than a year but when I came home, I quickly learned that Dad was actively dying of cancer. I only knew him for 23 years and when he died, in his early sixties, he was younger than the age I find myself at right now. In his relatively short life, he left a trail of love poetry dedicated to my mother, he was a constant learner who believed he could travel the world right from his armchair via the medium of books, and he led by example, always treating others as he would like to be treated himself and always going out of his way to help in any way he could.

From Dad I learned to appreciate music and he encouraged me in my attempts to play guitar. He was proficient on saxophone, clarinet, and piccolo and in his later years he learned to play flute. He was always learning and always trying to become something more, intellectually. He led a well-rounded life, planting a nursery of Christmas trees and ornamental shrubs for landscaping while holding down a 9-5 office job in the city. My memories of Dad are immense but most of all, I see him as an enabler in my life, always ready to support me.

Dad did not live long enough to know my son or to see the day when that grandson would become a professor of English and have two children of his own. Dad missed out on a whole lot due to his early departure. I treasure all that he left behind. Some of his artifacts and photos are now located at America's Credit Union Museum in Manchester, NH. The main credit union he founded and worked with from 1945-1973 now serves all of New Hampshire and is a major player in the industry, processing millions of dollars each year. Yes, he accomplished much. To me, he was "Dad," a title he seemed to wear best of all.

Patricia L. Grace Cummings

Quilting: Learn by Doing!

Australian fabrics of wildflowers, some printed fabric with Aussie themes, and special wooden and ceramic buttons all came together to create a quilted wall hanging just finished called "100% Aussie." The name reflects the same printed words on a piece of fabric that was added to a block that features a koala bear in Redwork. The outline stitch koala design was a gift from an Australian friend who participated in a Redwork list I once administered on yahoo. I enjoyed embroidering the koala, a favorite animal since childhood. The (fat quarter) fabrics and embellishments were gifts from two Australian sisters who visited me in May 2002.

"100% Aussie" measures 25 1/4" x 27 1/4" and is an original design 

This quilt offers many images. The first block shows the Sydney Opera House. The second features a singular Redwork koala bear. The third block has a scene demonstrating sheep shearing. The fourth block displays dolphins jumping and two whimsical koala bear ceramic buttons. The center area has two separate blocks. The upper part has an appliquéd map of Australia and a wooden shape of the continent in the form of a button above which is an appliqué with the words "G' Day!" and directly below that area is an oval appliqué of "flannel flowers."

In the sixth block another koala bear is placed, along with a kookaburra bird, a native of Australia. Also featured are two buttons that have aboriginal art showing a hunter on one of them and a kangaroo on the other. Block 7 shows a "swagman" resting. The name "swagman" is derived from the "swag" consisting of bedding that men would carry through the countryside when they were looking for work during the depression of the 1920s and 1930s. Block 8 has a kangaroo appliqué, a kangaroo wooden button, and features a second applique of a rosella, another native bird. All three elements are appliquéd to a fabric with "Kangaroo Paws," a native plant. Block 8 features an appliqué of sheep being herded.

When I made this quilt, I had no idea as to the names of the birds, the names of the wildflowers, or the history of the "swagman." That information was shared by an Australian friend on Facebook. It is always delightful to learn new details, especially about something one has made. This quilt was a challenge because I had limited fabric and wanted to create a cohesive quilt. The designing took longer than the actual stitching although that took a lot of time as it was done mostly by hand. My motto is "learn by doing." I always learn something new with every project I do!

Happy Quilting!

Patricia Cummings

"Fireside Visitor" Quilt

Awhile ago I was browsing in an antiques shop in Vermont and I saw a quilt that had been set in a basket under a heavy iron object. It was necessary to remove the object and extract the quilt in order to see it better. I love scrap quilts and this quilt was very appealing! Taking it home, I looked up the pattern name and found that the quilt block is called "Fireside Visitor," a charming title that seems appropriate for this "warm" quilt.

"Fireside Visitor" c. 1920. Photo by James Cummings,
Quilter's Muse Publications

The quilt is based on a rather simple block construction but the way the quilter manipulated her scraps, the result looks very complex. The pattern was published in 1906 and the designer credited is Clara A. Stone, a fictitious name for someone who apparently wanted to remain anonymous for whatever reason. I love the design and I love this quilt!

Patricia L. Cummings

"Almost Winter" Wall Quilt

"Almost Winter" is the name of a small wall quilt I just designed and am working on. I have machine-quilted it but will add more quilting by hand between some of the strips. The theme I chose is Nature and even though it is a strip quilt made in the traditional pattern of "Chinese Coins," I picked fabrics from my fabric stash that would reflect the colors of Autumn:  yellow, orange, rust, and brown.

"Almost Winter," an original wall quilt designed by Patricia Cummings

For interest's sake, I varied the size of the strips. Some are cut as small as 1 1/4" and the largest are cut at 2 1/4". I found it easiest to cut the strips width-wise at 6" since that is the width of my rotary ruler. After sewing the strips together, vertically, I trimmed them to 5 3/4". It is nearly impossible to sew a set of strips together and have them come out exactly the same size! The sashings and borders were cut at 2 1/4" and so were the binding strips (which were folded in half before applying them). The total finished size of the quilt is 20" long x 23 1/4" wide.

I've yet to add the sleeve on the back and the label but those will wait until I add some more quilting by hand between some of the strips for stability. I decided to add some striped fabrics and one with polka dots. One fabric was not printed on the straight of the grain and I added it, just the way it was sold as a fabric strip from a jelly roll packet.

The fun of the quilt was playing with colors and auditioning how they would interact with each other. Luckily, I found the perfect backing fabric in my stash. It has figures that look like snowflakes and is a yellow-orange in color. Now to make the label, always the finishing touch to any quilt I make. Hope you have enjoyed seeing my latest quilt.

A book review I posted this week is "Pagtinabangay: The Quilts and Quiltmakers of Caohagan Island" found on my website under the category of "Quilts."

Happy Quilting!

Patricia Cummings
www.quiltersmuse.com

New Book Review: Pagtinabangay

Sometimes a book comes along that is so special one can hardly put it down. Such is the case with the book Pagtinabangay:  Quilts and Quiltmakers of Caohagan Island by Dana E. Jones. This morning, after finishing the book last night, I rose early and wrote a book review, complete with a link as to where one can order it, and published that information to my website: http://www.quiltersmuse.com/Pagtinabangay-book-review.html

I hope you will enjoy reading more about the quilters. There is much to tell and the 190 page book covers the topic very well!

Patricia L. Cummings
Quilter's Muse Publications

In Quilting There's Always Plan B

Sometimes things turn out the way they are supposed to. Case in point:  I bought some yardage of a fabric by Brenda Manges Papadakis of "Dear Jane" fame. The printed cloth, inspired by quilt blocks of the famous quilt in the collection of the Bennington Museum in Vermont, was to serve as "cheater cloth" or "imitation patchwork." In other words, the quilter did not have to spend her life piecing tiny blocks. From a distance, the quilt would appear pieced although it is one piece of continuous wholecloth. I purchased border fabric at the same time. Both fabrics are updated, color-wise, to reflect pastel and other clear, upbeat colors favored by today's quilters; not the browns and dark colors present in the original quilt made in 1863 by Jane A. Stickle, a Vermont invalid who won a prize for her Civil War quilt "In Time of War" and certainly had time on her hands to make such an intricate masterpiece.

First, I trimmed up the main part of the quilt, making sure the edges were straight and true. Then, when I went to cut the borders, I had made the first cut when I realized that I was cutting in the wrong place. A Plan B was in order. I re-thought how I could cut the borders so that I could avoid having to make bias binding to go around each of the very small scallops that were to form the outside perimeter of the quilt. I continued working and sewed the borders on, my way.

"Imitation Patchwork" quilt assembled by Patricia Cummings;
machine-quilted by Tracy Szanto of Dreamland Machine Quilting, Penacook, NH

The quilt does not look like that of Jane Stickle. It is rectangular and does not have corners that jut out. Ultimately, I decided that I preferred my way of putting the quilt together. I decided to have the quilt machine-quilted with an Easy Loop stitch and I bound the quilt with the same fabric used for the backing, kind of a mottled cream-color fabric. In the end, I really like the quilt about which I'd had reservations. Perhaps it is "one-of-a-kind." I had to think outside the box to solve a problem and I like the result. Isn't quilting about having fun?

Happy Quilting!

Patricia Cummings

NH Farm Museum Worth the Trip

Recently we visited the New Hampshire Farm Museum located in Milton, New Hampshire. More than 20 years had passed since I had been there, demonstrating quilting and embroidery at one of their Saturday events, as a member of the Embroiderer's Guild of America. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit.

One first passes through the Gift Shop which is set up in an old barn. There, one pays admission and then is directed to view a film about farm life in past centuries that was made by the University of New Hampshire. The filmmakers interviewed elderly people who had memories of growing up on a farm. From there, one steps into another part of the former horse barn and sees three quilts on display. A Rose of Sharon appliqued wedding quilt shares one wall with a pieced four-patch quilt made from fabrics from a Manchester, NH handkerchief mill. The opposite wall features a quilt made by the Ladies of the Lake Quilt Guild in Wolfeboro, NH. That quilt, made in 1989, has a central oval that depicts the yellow buildings of the farm, sheep out front, foliage, etc. and is surrounded by traditional quilt blocks made by members of the guild.

Guided tours of the old farmhouse, once a "tavern," are available periodically throughout the day. One room is now dedicated as a study room for weaving and spinning and implements for processing flax into linen can be seen, as well as dye stuffs, and two working barn looms. Throughout the house, quilts that were donated to the museum are displayed on walls and on one small quilt rack. A magnificent Crazy Quilt adorns the wall of a Victorian parlor. An adjacent room features a large doll house and a wooden doll bed made by one of the former residents of the house. Old implements, tools, and textiles are on view in other rooms and provide a sort of timeline of progress.

German peg doll dressed in English 19th century costume

The doll shown here was purchased at the museum's gift shop.
She came with fabric and a pattern to make her dress and
pantalettes.

Machine-Piecing

When I was a candidate for the title of master craftsman in quilting through EGA, the requirement was that every stitch be done by hand except for one side of a quilt binding. That was true of all six projects that were submitted for the scrutiny of the judges. In the past, I have done machine-piecing but even though I have been quilting for 30 years, I decided to sign up for a "Craftsy.com" class with Kaye England called "Re-piecing the Past: Civil War Blocks then and now." I am so happy I did!

A lot of invaluable tips are shared in the class, and block after block is taught via videotaped segments that are clear and understandable. However, I am glad that I have had some prior experience with machine-piecing. A beginner would have a difficult time keeping up. I had difficulty with one block but I will try it again now that I have reviewed the lesson a second time.

Here is a photo of one of the quilt blocks I enjoyed making. I did not have an appropriate toile fabric to add for the center so I chose to include the image of a lady wearing a Civil War dress.

I am not sure if I will make a Sampler Quilt with all of the blocks. I feel that the class is a point of departure and the knowledge I learned is transferable to other projects. There are still several blocks remaining to try my hand at. I feel more confident now that I understand the processes of joining triangles by machine. I highly recommend the class. I appreciate the fact that I was able to purchase it on sale and that there is unlimited lifetime access to the class content.

Oh, and I did finish the master craftsman program in the year 2000. So you see, one can teach an old dog new tricks! This was certainly a good refresher course and a chance to become re-acquainted with my sewing machine after spending years in quilt research and publishing so many books and articles!

Billings Farm & Museum Quilt Exhibition

Until September 20, 2015, visitors to the Billings Farm & Museum in Woodstock, Vermont will be able to view 40 quilts made by Windsor County quilters. Twenty-eight quilts are hanging in the barn gallery and 12 of the quilts are relegated to being displayed in a special room just off the gallery.

A Judy Niemeyer design took center stage at the exhibit
Read more about this quilt and others on my website:
Quilter's Muse Publications - http://www.quiltersmuse.com

Note:  My website is best viewed with Google Chrome or Internet Explorer for a browser.

This is the 29th Annual Quilt Exhibition. For the price of admission to the museum, one can tour the dairy barn, see farm life exhibits and the 1890 farm house. Quilting demonstrations and activities are scheduled for each day. Among many other tantalizing items, the gift shop now offers Billings' own special cheese made from milk from their award-winning Jersey cows.

Woodstock is a fine place to visit. The town features lots of little shops: for books, antiques, and specialized shopping; a village green for strolling or picnicking; and other nearby attractions such as the Teddy Bear Factory. The Woodstock Inn attracts visitors in all seasons, including winter when cross-country skiing is available. Of course, on the way to Woodstock, you might want to stop at the Country Store in Queeche, VT that is right next door to an Antiques Mall. All in all, we always enjoy the trip to the Billings Farm and at this time of year, with quilts in place, there is even more of an incentive to go there.

Patricia Cummings

The Generosity of Quilters

Charlotte Croft has sent us a photo of a quilt she just finished. It was made with fabric donated to her quilting group and she states that she made the quilt "just for fun." After completing it, she decided to give it to a local friend who is undergoing treatment for cancer. I just love the "heart" shape that the fabrics form, but then, when I think of it, everything Charlotte does is done with love.

Bargello quilt made by Charlotte Croft in VT

Three-Flowered Sunflower Quilt

This six patch quilt with over-sized blocks was collected in New England.

This antique quilt once had green stems and leaves but was made with a cloth that did not stand the test of time. The greens have faded to tan colors. The green dye was "fugitive," as we say in the quilt history world. In its day, the quilt would have looked outstanding. Now, the unknowing would simply wonder why the quilter chose "tan" for this pattern.

This week I learned more about the origins of the pattern. In Blockbase and in her Encyclopedia of Pieced Patterns, Barbara Brackman lists the design as #773.5 or "Three-Flowered Sunflower," originally published by Ladies Art Company as pattern #74.

As was a common practice, the design was modified slightly (see Brackman #773.6), and was re-published as "Triple Sunflower" by three sources:  Clara Stone, Household Journal, and Carrie Hall. More recently, Kaye England published a similar pattern known as "Callie Lu's Sunflower". See www.kayeengland.com

The size of the quilt probably indicates that it was for a cot or lap throw. It's always fun to learn more about antique quilts. I suspect that this quilt was made mid-19th century before published patterns for the design were available to the public. That is just a hunch. Thanks to Tim Latimer for looking up the Brackman numbers, and to Barbara Burnham who told me about the availability of Kaye England's pattern. I have ordered it and shall be eager to see it. Since I love this design, I may just make a quilt reproduction.

The Operative Word = Done!

The other project I finished this week is a woven pocketbook. I used a pattern by Aunties Two. The process was a challenge! The end product is not perfect. Ya, ya..."the best laid plans of mice and men." I like the colors. I chose Civil War reproduction fabrics for the entire project. I would make some minor changes were I to make a second one, especially cutting the binding a bit larger to account for the thickness of the fused interfacing of the pockets on the inside. I would also place vertical strips more closely together when weaving, not leaving a space as suggested in the pattern. The result was a bit of scrunching of the strips on one end. Still and all, I am pleased to have finished this fashion accessory that is practical. I love the manner in which the strap is added. The pattern is sold at Keepsake Quilting (no affiliation).

Here is a photo.

Civil War reproduction fabrics in brown, green, blue, and gray were used to create this pocketbook.