Vintage Scrap Lone Star

It all started in 2013, when Quiltdiva Julie sent me a box of crazy pieced vintage blocks.

There were 24 in all, and they came from a quilt top she'd bought on Ebay.

The seller said it came from Ohio.

I had saved this photo on my computer screen for some years before that.  

I don't remember the source, but it became my inspiration.

I sewed the blocks together and cut out the diamond shapes for the star.  

There were just enough leftover for the border.  

Then I bought some embroidery floss.

I learned a few stitches, and embroidered all the seams.

Eventually, it was ready for a background.

I picked this spring green solid, because it was the only thing that seemed to work.

I wasn't excited about the color, but thought I'd get over it.

Well, I didn't.  I just didn't like all that green!

I decided to remove it and find another background.

Several hours of stitch-picking later, I was ready for auditions.

I tried practically everything I had on the shelf.  

Here are just a few.

Too light

Too dark

Too brown

Too bright

Too busy

Too gray

A few dear friends suffered with me and my auditions for WEEKS!

Then I went to the Houston Quilt Festival and found what I was looking for!

It's one of the new woven plaids from Kaffe Fassett.

The top is about 87" square, plenty big for a queen size bed.

I finished it last week.

THEN, just yesterday, I went to the Farmer's Market, like I do every Sunday.

The woman farmer I always buy from gave me this!

She said her great-grandmother had made it from old family clothes.

What a treasure!  I tried to talk her out of giving it away.

But she said she had no room for it.  

So I gladly brought it home.  

While Julie's was sewn in blocks and not yet embroidered,

this one was sewn all on one sheet with embroidery.

Now I have TWO vintage scrap tops to quilt and to love!

News just in:  

Bill Volckening found where the original inspiration quilt came from.

The quilt was shown in the European Patchwork show in France in 2012.  

You can see it here.

Katell Renon's quilt group in France was also inspired by the original.

They made a beauty!

Do go and see it here!

Carnival at Night Fini!

Carnival at Night, 75" x 75"

This quilt began in a class with Freddy Moran over a year ago.

It all started with my large print fabrics that had black backgrounds.  

I wanted them to mush together with sparks of color.

Eventually, it needed a little lightening up, 

so I added a few prints that didn't have black in them.  

It was fun to finally use those little comical faces.

Besides picking the fabrics for this quilt, 

the most fun I had was doodling around the dots!

The Lone Star pattern comes from Freddy and Gwen Collaborate Again, 

by Gwen Marston and Freddy Moran.

Cowgirl Dreams

"Cowgirl Dreams" 80" x 80"

This is one of those quilts where I can honestly say,
"The fabric made me do it."

Since before I started making quilts, I've been collecting fabric with a cowgirl theme. 

Some of it goes back to 1997!

I think it's because of watching all those TV Westerns as a kid.

  

One of my favorite things about this fabric is the names of the characters.

The cowgirls are Emmy Lou, Grace, Red, Ma, Kitty, Ginny, Nell, Jesse, Jolene and Rosa.

The cowboys are Hal, Hap, Slim, Squirt, Tex, Luke, Jeb, Rey, Gus and Pole Cat.

The horses are Sadie, Smoke, Maverick, Rio, Blanco, Big Star, Cookie, Juniper,

Mojave and Freckles.

A cowgirl needs her boots, too.  So they fit in the corner stars.

I decided it needed fringe, and found this fake buckskin.  Perfect!

I'm looking forward to quilting on those rope lines.

I think the cowgirl spirit might fit for all of us quilt-makers.

The pattern for this quilt comes from the book, Freddy and Gwen Collaborate Again, 

by Gwen Marston and Freddy Moran.

It tells how to make the large center star.  I added the corner stars and border.

Wordless Wednesday

One Word Wednesday

Embroidery

All the seams will get their stitching.  They seem "undressed" without it!   

For the back story on this quilt, click here.