Catherine’s Pin Cushion

 This is Catherine’s pin cushion from c.1855.  

Her quilt, Catherine’s Garden is one of many quilts we’ve patterned and reproduced. Whenever I buy a quilt I try to gather as much as I can about the original maker - it’s special to have Catherine’s pin cushion.  My Catherine’s Garden reproduction quilt was chosen as the International Quilt Festival 2022 Signature quilt.  Quite wonderful! The pattern includes all of the hand quilting lines from the original.  I used them in my reproduction.  

To celebrate, we have reduced the price of our digital pattern for our Noah and Matilda quilt.

Link To Listing

We also made a single file digital pattern for a smaller version of Catherine’s Garden - called Catherine’s Flowers.

Link To Listing

Finished quilt hand stitched by Shona in Colorado

If you are going to Houston, please stop by the exhibit and say hello!  At 1:00 Saturday and Sunday we will do an exhibit talk with some of the the other makers! Hope to see you there.

Happy Stitching! 

Dawn

Mary Witherwax Swap

 

My friend Deb told me about a swap she and her stitching friends are doing. 

Of course, we love that they chose Mary Witherwax blocks!

Her group has existed for years, bonded in friendship and love.   

They’ve moved all over the country and still retreat together when they can.

They all do hand appliqué and don’t have too many ‘rules’ for the swap.

Having a history of many group projects they know what they like.

Their ground fabrics will all be scrappy shirtings - each member making duplicates of the same blocks.

In the end - they will each have a quilt - and more memories stitched in every block.

Deb has promised some progress photos - watch this space! 

Link to digital pattern or book: HERE

Karen (Log Cabin Quilter) made her Mary Witherwax in French General fabrics.

It is in our exhibit this fall in Houston, “Antique Appliqué Revisited”

Happy Stitching,

Dawn

What An Honor

 What an HONOR!

Friday was a wild day - the kind that takes your breath away!

I had an email from International Quilt Festival.

I quickly opened it hoping all was well with the quilts for my exhibit.

The quilts were all been shipped to Houston from all over the US & Canada in June.

It was an email advising me my Catherine's Garden quilt was chosen 

as the 2022 Signature Quilt!

Wow!

We exchanged contracts and it was announced in a matter of a few hours!

Did I say Wow?

I wasn't even aware that was a possibility - I've learned much about the process.

This is the antique quilt from our collection:

Chrome Yellow Ground Fabric

If you are going to Houston please stop and say hello!

I will be at the exhibit at 1pm Saturday - for sure for an exhibit talk.

I will be there others times as well - we can also setup a time to meet.

All of the quilts are precious - so much history and so many stories to tell!

Stay tuned to learn why my husband calls the antique Catherine - His

One of several stories.

Pattern Page: HERE 

We also did a BOM program with the flower blocks HERE.

Past blog posts about Catherine: HERE

Happy Stitching,

Dawn

Antique Applique Revisited Houston Here We Come

 If you are going to Houston Quilt Festival this year I hope you will stop by and say hello!

I will be in the special exhibits area.  We can even setup a specific time to meet.

We will have some 'exhibit talks' to tell about the quilts as well!

Happy Stitching!

Dawn

Piecework Bodkin Holder Pattern

The summer 2022 edition of Piecework magazine is hitting the stands April 26, 2022.

I am so excited to have an article AND pattern in this issue.  

While bodkins are covered in my book, "Antique American Needlework Tools" I didn't have room to dive as deep as I would have liked.  Also included is the pattern to make the sweet floral trim bodkin holder.

In addition to bodkin history and the bodkin bolster instructions, there are several photos of bodkins and bodkin holders for inspiration.  Including a special Mother of Pearl Royal Palais Etui set.

I know many of you are makers - so we also put together a few kits from vintage supplies to reproduce the bodkin holders.  You supply the bodkins.

One kit makes 2 bodkins, one of each style HERE

    (Note: Because the skirt braid is antique, colors in the kits will vary)

You can embellish them with many stitches, or none!  Lot's of ideas!

Kit Contents: Pattern, supplies to make 2 bodkin holders

*You supply basic sewing supplies; sewing needle, thread etc.

Look for this cover:

(Paper or Digital)

Subscribe and Buy the issue HERE

  

Happy Stitching!

Dawn

New Book Mary Witherwax

Mary Witherwax Front Cover

We are so pleased to announce the release of our new book, "Mary Witherwax".  

She's a generous and full book at 138 pages!

There are full color photos as well as a gallery of finished quilts.  The finished examples include bed and wall sized quilts.  We include the history of the original quilt, as we know it today.

Full size patterns include the full alphabet to use your name like Mary and I did.  

Also included are some alternate applique blocks to add to the fun.

Over 165 blocks + Full Alphabet + Full Border

Pattern pages are single side printed. 
Ideal for red work as well
White comb bound for full 360 degree opening on a light box. 

Pattern pages are printed single sided

The back cover includes a portion of my reproduction.  My son wants this one so I will ba adding some extra hand quilting to the alternate blocks. 

We are so proud to be partnering with a local publisher; a union certified B Corp.

This means they pay a livable wage to people in my community. No off-shore work waiting on a ship in the ocean. They understand the art and craft community and were very supportive through the entire process.  We had some delays due to Covid and paper supplies which is why we didn't do any early announcements.

Mary Withwax by Karen Beigh - Log Cabin Quilter

Mary Witherwax blocks look great in many fabrics.This beautiful example is made in French General prints.  Instead of an appliqué border, Karen used a gorgeous French General print.  

A few of Mary's blocks in red work

Mary's blocks also lend themselves to red work (or blue work, or...).  It was so much fun to stitch Mary's designs and think about her work.

We hope you give the book a try - we think you will love it and find many uses for the 165+ blocks.  The digital pattern is available - but is not the same as the book.  If you ordered the paper pattern (from 2018) please contact me.

You can order the book HERE.

Thank you for reading along today.

Happy Stitching!

Dawn