Fini!

"Spring Equinox"  87 x 87"

Quilted by Cindy Gilbrough

Just in time for fall!

Exciting Email!

I received a most exciting email from one of my heroes--Nancy Ray!  She's been collecting string quilts for 30 years, and has an amazing collection.  I've been inspired by a number of her quilts in Gwen Marston's book, Liberated String Quilts.  She spotted my "Spring Equinox" quilt, and wrote this lovely email with a photo of the original inspiration quilt!  

Hello,

  Your string top, Spring Equinox is lovely, and I'm happy to see that string quilts are getting so much attention. I own the spider web quilt that is the inspiration for this top (and many others), and I've always considered this quilt to be a masterpiece. In fact, Gwen and I were disappointed that the publisher gave it such a small picture in Liberated String Quilts, but nonetheless it seems to reach out to quilters. When I think it was pieced on newspaper, long before design walls existed, I'm awed by the quilter's ability to combine so many different fabrics with such a sure hand. She really was a master.

  I'm sorry I can't put my hand on a better picture of it at the moment, but I'm attaching a picture of this quilt hanging at the Vermont Quilt Festival in a special exhibit of my string quilts in 2005. I've loved string quilts since I bought the first one 30 years ago, and this one is an enduring favorite.

   Best,

   Nancy Ray

Spring Equinox, 2012, 85" x 85"

A Little Progress and a Lot of Fabric

The webs are mostly done.  

And I made 40 more kite shapes, with 40 more to go.
It's a good thing they only take 15 minutes!


Meanwhile, I've been opening the mailbox to find the most wonderful vintage fabrics!

From Brenda in Canada and Marian in Utah

Marian is Em's mom, and also sent this box of squares.

From Bonnie in Michigan and Janet in Yukon Territory

From Theodora in Greece

From Cheryl in Illinois

From Rachel in Australia

From Wanda in Illinois


I am constantly amazed by quilt-makers generosity and support.  Is it all the sewing that makes you so nice?  Or is it that only the nicest people make quilts?

Caught in the Spider Web

Just 8 more webs to go, plus about 100 scrappy kites!  

Meanwhile, I've been receiving the most wonderful vintage fabrics from fellow collectors and blog friends.

These are from Julie.  They were quilt backs and a pin cushion that belonged to her grandmother!

These are from Hilda. 

These came from Cheryl.

These are from Victoria

These are from the Rebels.

These came from Sharon, Patty and Beth--who included some lovely Dresden plates!

                                  Thank you so much!!!
Once the Spider Web lets me go, I look forward to making these into two quilts!

Spider Web Progress!

Spider Web Redo

This week I took apart the spider webs from last post and refigured them.  Thanks to Wanda's idea, there's an easier way!  Two sets of strips make two webs, and I get the propellor centers like on the original inspiration quilt.  I'm excited to keep going on this!

Here are the old web triangles--almost enough for a baby quilt!

Scrappy Spider Web

After quilting three quilts in the last three weeks, I can honestly say I enjoy free-motion quilting! I thought I'd NEVER say that, not in a million years. I gave myself the goal of quilting three quilts this summer--the two in the last post and this one. They're not perfect, but that's fine with me. My only goal was to get them DONE. I figure a quilt, no matter how it's quilted, is better than a pieced top sitting in the cupboard.




This is the third in my series of "summer quilts," that is, quilts that I made over the last two summers. I knew I wouldn't want to work with these when the cooler weather came. I only like to work with colors of the season. Are you that way too?




Many thanks to Marit for her spiderweb tutorial.