Little House Update - A Horse in the house?

Making Little Houses throughout the year

I've really never had a horse in the house.

I think even Mr. Ed The Talking Horse lived in a barn.

I will limit the animals I have in my future little windows - but they are fun!  I think I will have a chicken in a house, then back to flowers etc.

Modular homes to create a neighborhood

My little houses are currently modular homes.

Most of these are not sewn - just component units ready for assembly.  Many more components are cut and sorted - ready for assembly.

I've decided I also want to 'build a few' to represent the homes I recall thoughout my life...blue, yellow, white...

This project is Jeanneke's Building Houses From Scraps.  HERE   I never intended to try to make a house a day.  I'll be happy with a small quilt. The pattern is for sale HERE.

What fabric represents your house?
Have a great week!

Valentine Sewing Supplies

Love your sewing?  So do I, as well as the goodies we need to stitch.

This heart shaped sewing box is made of cedar.

A mirror is under the hinged lid.
Spool posts line on the outer perimeter.

I put some red sewing supplies in the box to share.

I think this was made in the same era as the Lane mini cedar chests - maybe 1950's?

Lid closed - looking down at the distinctive cedar wood grain.

Red leather mending & manicure set 1.5" x 3" - size 10 English sharps needle pack

Mending tape on a wooden roll

Advertising thimble - Life Insurance

Misc Buttons

Sculptured Plush Amish Pin Cushion 

Can't have a Valentine's Day Post without a red and white quilt - this little one is machine pieced and hand quilted.  I paper piece sheets of HST's using TRIANGULATIONS.  With this method you can do 100's of HST's in an evening.  These are 3/4" finished HST's.  I did a little practice improvising the  quilting on the border stencil so it met in the middle of each side.  This little sweetie is about 10" x 16" finished.

If you enjoy buttons, check out these beautiful one of a kind handmade buttons HERE by Libbyquilter at Paper Napkin Poetry.

Hope your Valentine's Day is filled with sweetness (sewing or chocolate...both?)

Feathered Tulip in Vases The Quilting

A quilt isn't complete without the quilting (although counterpanes are looking like they have a future at this house).

Our patterns include the quilting lines, if your or your quilting service want to duplicate the original you can...even the quirky places where a little improvisation took place.

If you have a beautiful run of feathers going and you bump into the applique - ignore it.  Not sure what a judge would say by today's standards...I like it.

I was asked to show pictures of the quilting in Feathered Tulip in Vases.


This quilt was done entirely by hand - every stitch even the seams.

Because fabric widths were narrower years ago, some large blocks in applique quilts were pieced.

This is a needle to give you an idea of how fine the stitches are.

In this photo the cross hatching meets a feather motif.

I think the white on white is beautiful!

There is so much color in the applique the quilting becomes secondary without close examination.







Would you need the quilting perfectly aligned - or do you enjoy a little improvisation now and again?
I hope you are doing a little quilting this weekend!

Feathered Tulip In Vases Color Selection

The original blue was solid but I like prints

I enjoy making fabric selections when I start a quilt.

In my last post HERE, you gave me your opinions and preferences.  Great ideas!

I started with the blue.  The center of this picture is the blue flower as it looks now.  The center red circle is worn away and you can see how dark (even in its faded state) the blue was.  Yes, that's one blue piece of fabric - the exposed portion wore faster than the protected portion under the red.  Once the red went...the protected portion started to fade too.

Then I looked at greens.
The original quilt was done on one pin dot print.

I like prints and scrappy, but maybe it's time to use a solid?  Why not multiple prints in the block?

Does it have to be a reproduction fabric - maybe an impostor would be better....

Then the yellows...or should we say chrome?

Why only one yellow?  We don't have as many constraints in our fabric selections as quilters decades ago.

The red was worn the worst in the original quilt.

The center circle is one of the few pieces not fully worn through.

I considered a deep pink.

Let's not forget we have a pink flower.  However, I'd be tempted to make all the blue flowers pink and the pink flower blue.  Why not?

The reverse applique red in the center would be great in yellow or - how about cheddar?


SO may choices - so much fun!


What did I do you ask?
Well...more than one and I'm still considering a third...

Do you ever work in a series and because you have fabrics out for one project they end up feeding the next?

This is my little Josephs Coat waiting for me to get it quilted.

Fun combination with my attempt at getting the original colors of the quilt captured.

Here it is on the original block next to the reproduction.

I think this one I will make crib size with setting corners.  I'll use the quilting tulip motif for corner applique instead of quilting, and add the border to that.

So what did I do next?

In this version I used more of a medium color pallet.

Not all pastels, but some medium colors.

More prints, multiple greens and yellows - kept the red, but in a tonal print to soften it a bit.  I have block two of this one prepped.  I'm going to use a variety of greens and keep the blue consistent in the entire top.

Here are the two blocks I reproduced side by side folded in half.

I was asked to show the quilting - and I will next post.

Thank you for hanging in there with me and reading through this long post - I appreciate your time!



I love your comments!  
Do you like the idea of mixing the prints within the quilt for my 5 block version?
Use the quilt motifs as applique motifs for a crib quilt?

Have a great week - I hope you are playing with fabrics.

Feathered Tulip in Vases Applique Quilt

76" x 84" (a little full around the edges)

It was love at first sight...this quilt could never be a cutter!

It was described as a "cutter that would be a good design".  So glad it didn't become a cutter and I'm pleased to give it a home.

Three borders - I can imagine the beautiful pillowcases at the head of the bed.  Why bother with a fourth border?

It is appliqued in mainly solids fabrics.
The green is a pin dot.

It is completely done by hand.
The seller said it came from an estate in Indiana.

It is beautifully hand quilted with feathers and tulips filled with cross hatching.






I was able to show it to many quilters over the past few months and got lots of great feedback.
We worked with a couple of pallets.  The first was a vibrant colorful collection of solids simulating what it might have looked like when it was first created.
The second, a soft faded colors it is now - with subtle prints.

Before I show you mine - would you reproduce it in original colors or the softer faded shades?

Pattern available in our Etsy Shop

We have patterned this quilt to share it with you.

The applique pattern is full sized - no taping or aligning registration pieces.    The setting blocks and border are included.  You could easily add a fourth border.
It is also your choice to center the borders or reproduce it as shown on the original.

The full sized pattern includes the original quilting lines for use in machine or hand quilting.  The quilt is cross hatched between the feather and tulips quilting motifs.

Our patterns are currently in our Etsy Store HERE





So...would you make vibrant original colors?  Softer aged colors?  Centered borders?
Your feedback is welcome and greatly appreciated.

Have a great weekend!

See our Radical Rose and Reel HERE
See the 24" block size in wool HERE