Catherine's Garden Final Block Set

Catherine's Garden Pastel Fabrics

Thank you for your feedback last month on my pastel Catherine's Garden layout.  Because it is a class and lecture sample, I decided to keep the alternate block quiet.  That seems to keep the applique the accent.

I don't have all the rows together yet, but I pinned this combination up to show you the potential accent strip for the border.  I am also auditioning a favorite bias stripe for the border.

Catherine's Garden Orange Ground Fabric

The last twelve months have flown by!  Thank you to all of you who have followed along - both stitching and in support.
The final set of blocks for the Catherine's Garden block set are available HERE.

My yellow version is in the stack of tops for hand quilting.

The orange set is waiting for decisions on the alternate blocks.  I played some with a 16 patch idea.  I still have not ruled out keeping it simple and using more of the orange for the setting squares.

You can see the original quilt from our collection HERE.

I hope your December is off to a great start!
Happy Stitching,
Dawn

Happy Thanksgiving

For my American friends....

From Our House to Yours....Have a Happy Thanksgiving

Enjoy,

Dawn

Vintage Wooden Needle Cases

Blanket Statements Exhibit

Gallery Views

This weekend I was able to visit the "Blanket Statements" quilt exhibit at the Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.

The exhibit features 15 historic quilts from the UK Quilters Guild Collection (dating 1780-1949) as well as 20 quilts by Kaffe Fassett (and team).  Kaffe is a patron of the Quilters Guild and worked with their curator to select quilts from their collection for interpretation.

The exhibit is a stunning collection of quilts spanning 236 years - all successfully combined in brilliant color.

Can you find the antique in the trio?
Hearts and Crosses Coverlet, Organic Radiation
and Citris Zigzag Ribbon

The antique quilts are displayed by the interpretations so viewers can make comparisons as they enjoy the quilts.

Two Books Are Available:
Kaffe Fassett's Heritage Quilts
Includes beautiful colored photos of all of the quilts in the exhibit as well as patterns for the interpretations.

Blanket Statements
Exhibit Catalog is a 32 page full color catalog
The 6"x 9" booklet is laid out with the quilts paired when the book is open for easy analysis.
Contact the gift shop HERE.

The museum also has a companion exhibit, "Pattern Pieces:  Can You Make A Quilt Out of Wood?

Some of my favorite wood pieces were by artist Laura Petrovich- Cheney.

Laura works with selvaged wood from hurricane Sandy creating these beautiful pieces of art.  Great color, texture and design.

Can you tell she also quilts?

Rustic Checkerboard Medallion by Sidmouth Quilt

The exhibit at The Michener Art Museum runs through February 21.
It then travels to the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles.  Exhibit dates there are March 12 - June 28.

Be sure to check for any Educational Programs during the exhibits.

English and American Quilts - 12/1 - Jean Lury
Piecing Together Cultures - 12/15 - Patricia Herr
(Sign up in advance with the museum)

I hope you get a chance to enjoy the quilts as much as I did.



Get the Free Blanket Statements Mobile App (Crowd Funded) at Google Play or Apple's App Store
       Listen to other quilters as they view the quilts.
My Kaffe Quilts HERE
Nancy's Quilts with Kaffe Fabrics HERE
Our Radical Rose pattern in Kaffe Prints HERE
More on the Exhibit HERE
Next Stop - San Jose HERE

Bonus Photos:

Earthy Herringbone Stripes, Chevron Strippy, Sunshine Herringbone Stripes

Ridehalgh Quilt, 1860-1890
Silk, Brocade and Velvet, each piece outlined in gold silk braid
All hand sewn

Detail from Sunset Stripes

Have a great week!
Dawn

Looking For Clues Part 2 wBlue Flag Update

I had so many questions I thought I would answer them for everyone here.

Yes, I rescued the quilt and it now lives with me.  It will not become a cutter or craft project.

The binding is original and was hand applied on both sides.

This photo shows the binding on top, worn so you can see hints of the original green inside.   The outer border with triple line quilting.  The triple lines continue through the outer border, the green and narrow white center border.  The is no hand quilting in the repaired narrow yellow border.










The maker treated the corner by ignoring the border seam.


The triple lines go right through the seam until they meet the adjoining edge.

You can see the yellow does kind of look a little "off".

I was also asked about the original red.

It was a red print, not a solid red.
It s a little golden eyelet/sunburst print.  Similar prints have been reproduced.

The green was a dot style motif.

The green was an over dyed green - you can see the hints of blue.

I can easily restitch what I took out.  For now I will use it as a quilt study example.

While the hand quilting is exquisite - the piecing was a challenge.  By today's standards this might not even make it in a juried show, let alone win a ribbon.
There are small seams with pieces filling in the block piecing.  The corners didn't meet very well and they were 'quilted' into place when she stitched into that area.
So glad she didn't give up and leave the blocks as an unfinished project.

The back also has places where smaller pieces were hand stitched together so there was a large enough piece.

There is no sign of the yellow thread on the back.
All of the "cover up" applique was done in yellow thread.  The yellow stitches only going through the top and batting.  Quilting in the covered sections also only the top and batting.
The hand quilting seen on the back is the original stitching.

I do plan to leave the quilt as it is.

Now you know!
If you have more questions - feel free to ask!

On the stitching front I am working on the Shenandoah Valley Botanical Album Quilt (SVBAQ).  You can see the progress of many participants on the dedicated sew along blog HERE.  There are many pages on the blog dedicated to the history of the 1859 original.

All proceeds from pattern sales benefit the Virginia Quilt Museum.  You can join in at anytime.

My blocks are smaller than the original, but I'm trying to stay close to the original colors.  Stitchers are making it in wool, batiks, brights...Amazing and beautiful support for the museum.

Happy Stitching,
Dawn

Turkey Tracks or Wandering Foot - Looking at Clues

Out and about this weekend and discovered this mid 19th century quilt.

There's something suspicious here!
Do you see it?

No, it isn't the bicycle trying to sneak into the photo.  Although displaying a quilt on a bicycle with the chain oil etc. should be a crime...

It's the yellow.

This quilt required additional investigation.

Are you with me?

First, the hand quilt is exquisite.

All the signs of an 19th century beauty.

Feathers, double and triple line quilting, double line cross hatch...

I think the texture created by the hand quilting is lovely and really 'makes' the quilt.

The block is sometimes done with appliqué, sometimes inset seams.

Known by many names, I'm calling this one Turkey Tracks.
Brackman Applique:  5.36
Brackman Pieced:  3109 variation

This style and era were usually done in red and green, why is this one yellow and green?

Let's look closer.







The green is worn in places.

The hand quilting keeps it stable.  All seams are hand sewn, including the binding.

See how uniform the stitching is?  The hand quilting goes right through the appliqué.

The tip of the leaf goes to the seam so it is difficult to confirm if it is applique or pieced.

The seams at the tip of each yellow flower petal confirm they were pieced blocks.

From the tip of the petal the seam can be seen.

What's the red?  A hint from a past life?

YES!  This has been repaired - the worn red covered in yellow.









Checking the back there are more signs of red.  Could have been an errant fiber caught in the quilting?

Note the lower thread count backing fabric, helps with getting small stitches.

A few visible knots on the back.

Held up to the light, the red is very obvious.  Perhaps less so in my photograph!

Some of the red is still fully in tact, some is completely gone.

I would GUESS the 'repair' was done in the 1970s or so based on the yellow print.



Still a lovely quilt, I hope you enjoyed exploring it with me.
Have a great week,
Dawn