Goodwill Rescue

The other day I was driving, and had the strong feeling that there was something special at Goodwill.  This feeling is not uncommon for me, but often it's just a bluff.   I'd imagined some lovely old bark cloth curtain panels, just waiting for my rescue.  I started looking in the curtain aisle.  Nothing there.  

I was about to leave when, just behind me, an employee rolled in a rack of bedspreads.  I turned around and there was this quilt!

It's about 80 x 80 inches.  

Made mostly of lightweight wools and a few silky fabrics.

Hand sewn, hand embroidered, hand tied.

I just love that patchy spot near the circle.  

And the pieced and crinkled back.  

Want to know what I paid for it?  $24.95!

Does anybody know when this might have been made?

And look what showed up in my mailbox today!  I joined the Quilt Alliance, thanks to Victoria's urging last week.  I must say, these are VERY NICE people.  They sent this pack of Tula Pink Prince Charming fat quarters and a hand-written note!  Amy Milne, the Executive Director, says I can call her anytime.  Geez!  I've never been treated so well by an organization.  If you haven't become a member yet, click here for Victoria's post and click from there.  Super easy.  I only wish I'd joined years ago!

Mama's Got a Brand New Bag

I found this bag at Goodwill for $6.

It had an old plastic liner.

I used the plastic as a pattern for the new liner.  Wa-la!

Perfect for my hand sewing on a little trip this weekend.

My Attempt at "Low Volume"

I tried to make a "low volume" quilt, but the red just kept jumping in there.  

I hope it still qualifies for the QAL here.  It seems like a pretty forgiving group.

I had fun making these blocks, "liberated log cabins," Gwen Marston style.

I used any old low volume scrap, and chose them mostly randomly, as I learned in a Denyse Schmidt class.

I didn't have many whites, so I used a lot of "wrong" sides.  

There was a time when I would NEVER have used cut off creatures.  Never say never!

 

It may get a border of this plaid table cloth I found in a thrift store in Norway.  Oops!  More red.

 Well, as Popeye said, "I am what I am."   

I also made a couple of blocks for Tonya's next project.   

"Stitch and Pitch"

A friend helped make this "yarn bomb" at the Seattle Mariner's baseball park.    It's up for today only, in honor of "Stitch and Pitch" night.  They're encouraging participants to bring their knitting, quilting and hand-sewing to the game tonight!  Now, THAT's a baseball game I'd like to attend!

Quilted!

I spent the week quilting this and learning new skills. 

"Winter Solstice"  68" x 88"

Pattern by Gwen Marston in her book, Liberated String Quilts.

                                                       

I thought I was learning feathers, but they turned out to be hearts.  Oh well.  I like hearts too.

I never thought I'd say this.  FREE MOTION QUILTING IS FUN!  (With plenty of dark chocolate.)

Now, off to shop for binding fabric and baste the next one. 

This just may be the summer of fmq for me!

Back to Sewing!

I've been away from sewing for awhile, working on a home improvement project.  Thankfully, it's mostly done and I can start sewing again.  Feeling a little out of the swing, I needed some inspiration to get going again.  

I  became intrigued by Beth's post on "low volume" quilts.  Many quilt bloggers are making these.  There's a flickr group here.   What is it about white?  For me, it reminds me of the old quilts my great-grandmother made, those cool to the touch, lightweight quilts I slept with during the summer as a kid.  

So I started playing around with my "low volume" scraps.  But, being who I am, I just had to add some red.  Then I realized it's looking a lot like a quilt that Bonnie made.  She worked on hers at my house a few years ago.  After that, I noticed that even Victoria is getting excited about white!  It's amazing how ideas get planted, and you don't even know they're there!  

Bonnie's quilt

Yesterday I went to Buffy's house for more inspiration.

Tennessee Lightnin' got a border!

  Buffy said, "We really go out of our way to use outrageous fabrics."  Yup.  She's right!

Here's one of the corner stones.  Mary very generously sent me an old bark cloth curtain panel she had. I was going to border this quilt with it, but I'm hoarding it for another project.  By the way, you'll enjoy visiting her today and seeing the amazing quilt she's making from a Nancy Crow workshop!

And I basted "Winter Solstice."  Can't wait to start quilting this! 

It feels great to be back in the saddle again!

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"

My quilts are on display!

At Bernina Northwest in Seattle.  If you're in the area, drop by and see them.

They'll be there until July 31.

 

Don't miss their yummy selection of threads while you're there!

I got to have lunch with Kathy of Quilted Under the Influence this week.  She was in town for her son's graduation.  She gave me this lovely little quilt.  Hmmm, mug rug or tiny wall hanging?  Isn't it sweet!

Vintage Water Wheel

While on retreat over the weekend, I made this "Water Wheel" quilt using vintage fabrics. 

Many of you will recognize the gems you sent me!

Each block is 8.5" finished.  I used the Accuquilt Go! Baby with the "chisel" and 3" hst dies.

Then I started this.  I've had several large pieces of Hawaiian bark cloth sitting around for years.  

I decided to try them with some blacks.  We'll see.

While I was away, my husband got a new girlfriend!  Oh no!

For those who wanted to see the beloved pink commode, here you go!  

We have pink sinks and bathtub to match.  Vintage 1963.