Friday, August 31, 2012

Old Fashioned Love

I was at my in-laws' house the other day and my MIL mentioned her "antique quilt" that she was handed down to her and had just packed away so it wouldn't get ruined. I was intrigued at her comment, not recalling seeing any such thing in her house over all the years I've been there. She mentioned it having small spots that needed repairing and she didn't want it to get any worse.

She continued to chatter away about how it was a white top with little pieces set around in a circular shape with the back being a light purple color. I thought it may be the Dresden Plate pattern, from the way she described it. I've never made a Dresden Plate but I do have a pattern for it and would like to try it one day.

Then she continued to say that she thought it was all hand pieced and a hand stitched quilt and was probably from the 30's or maybe as late as the 40's. I had to ask about more of it's history and she said that her step mother's mother made it. She was from Nebraska and there were two quilts that survived the years, this being one of them.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Being Modern

A couple of months ago I started working on a modern quilt, as presented by Leah Day and the Free Motion Quilting Project. This is where I got some online teaching, watched FMQ videos, got step by step help, and have had successes. That is a good feeling!

Making these two pieces (one front and one back) was great fun since there wasn't exact measuring and cutting to be fussed over, the colors didn't have to be analyzed to death, the sizes of the blocks could be different and "wonky", and the sewing was reasonably simple.

The green side is considered the top. Once again, my hubby has claimed this one to be a good one for him. It's long enough to tuck under foot and wide enough to not be too bulky. I did the binding in dark green around three sides but the side with the light green edge (left side in the picture below) is the "top" edge. Don't you hate it when you pick up a blanket or sheet and have to twirl it around a few times before you figure out where the "top" is? That was my simple solution to that dilemma!