Thinking of Dresden Plates

I have that Sunday Morning quilt that I'm not quite satisfied with.  I'd been thinking of making some pastelish Dresden Plates to go on it.  No decision about it yet.  I'll have to play a little.

This weekend I pulled out two of my mother's quilts to take some photographs of them.  As far as I know my mom made only Dresden Plate quilts and only 3 quilts in her lifetime.  You can see that my mother created the plates with reckless abandon:  no need to balance color or placement or fabric pattern.  I love them all the more for it. Two of the quilts were matching in so much as they both alternated 14 plate blocks, each about 10" in diameter, with plain pink fabric blocks.  The other quilt was made of 24 larger plates, about 12" in diameter, laid out with yellow sashing around every block.  The two plates above are different sizes, not obvious by the photographs. 

The one on the left is a block from one of the pink quilts she made (in the late 1950s or early 1960s).  The plate has 15 sections and is a chunky little block.  She pieced and appliqued the plates by hand and probably machine-stitched the blocks.  She and my grandmother quilted it.  For having so little experience with quilting I was surprised to see their tiny stitches.

The block on the right is from the yellow-bordered quilt.  The plate has 16 sections and was also hand pieced and appliqued.  The blocks and sashing are machine stitched.  The top was never quilted but has all the markings on it just awaiting needle and thread.

I'm trying to learn to like yellow.  Well, I do like some yellows:  the ones that lean toward orange.  I don't like the ones that tend toward green.  The sashing on this quilt is definitely lemony leaning toward green!  I thought about removing the yellow sashing and replacing it with blue -- my mother's favorite color.  She probably got the yellow fabric on sale and decided it would do -- but I can't quite bring myself to do that because all the quilting lines are marked.

It wouldn't be a big deal to remark the sashing pattern but this is the reason I can't remove it:  my father made the wooden templates used to mark the quilting lines on the sashing.  My parents were both in their late 60s or early 70s when Mom probably told Dad her dilemma of not having a way to mark the quilting (and not wanting to spend money on a one-time use item) and Dad solved the problem by finding out what she needed, then making it for her.  I think it's rare to have the touch of both father and mother on a quilt.  My brother, sister, and I chuckled when we saw the wooden templates when we were cleaning out my parents' home.  None of us claimed them -- and now I fervently wish I had!

I don't know which came first:  Did I think about Dresden Plates for the Sunday Morning quilt and then remember my mother's, or did I think about Mom's Dresden Plates and then the idea of using Dresden's on the Sunday Morning quilt follow?  It doesn't really matter.  Either way, it will be fun to make a few plates and try them on the Sunday Morning quilt.


--Nancy.
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Perspective, Reality, Attitude, Choice

This is part of an address by David Foster Wallace given at Kenyon College.  The images enhance the 10-minute video.  I appreciated the food for thought.  Maybe you will, too.



--Nancy.
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Two Favorite Quilting Books

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About 6 years ago I decided I wanted to learn how real quilters made real quilts (instead of the tied versions I'd been making till that time).  I borrowed dozens of books from the library.  The one I found the most helpful was The Art of Classic Quiltmaking by Harriet Hargrave and Sharyn Craig. They begin with the basics of collecting and caring for fabric, storage, drafting, cutting, planning a quilt, and calculating yardage. There are individual sections for various kinds of blocks, plus sections on borders, machine quilting, and binding. (I found other books to explain hand quilting.)  There's almost no question about quilting that I can't find an answer for in this book. The style of quilts pictured in the book tends toward traditional but the techniques will be beneficial for any quilter to know.

In a brief section called "Why Quilters Have to Collect Fabric," they mention how quilters so often try to justify their fabric purchases despite the responses of their spouses.  I love their views on the need for a supply of fabric.

We believe that we need to ... give ourselves permission to be involved in an art that requires working materials.  A fabric collection is no different than a stamp collection or a collection of fishing tackle.

In order to keep our inspiration and have ease in working through our design ideas, it is imperative that we have our fabrics around us.  In the case of quiltmaking, a complete palette of fabric is a necessary tool.  You cannot rely on the store to have the colors you need when you want them.  What is available at any one time may give you a very unbalanced use of  color and value.  In the case of scrap quilts, a collection gathered over the years produces the richest quilts.

I can attest to the frustration of not finding the color of fabric when I need it.  Colors go in and out of fashion.  Buy it when you see it!  (Not to suggest that I encourage hoarding -- just having available what you will use.)

Perhaps you would find The Art of Classic Quiltmaking interesting and useful.


The second book I love is Scrap Quilts:  The Art of Making Do by Roberta Horton.  I love scrap quilts and for me this book is invigorating.  She begins by showing the reader some traditional quilts made a century or more ago and then shows modern, scrappy options to make the quilts the reader's own.

She discusses design sources, fabrics (color, value, mood, proportion, etc.); pieced and appliqued quilts; folk art quilts; and includes a section on skills.

Early in the book she poses and answers several questions about scrap quilts.  Here's one.

Why does the use of a lot of fabrics make a quilt more interesting?

I love fabric, so quilts made with a lot of different fabrics give me more to look at, more to love.  I am forced to read the entire surface of the quilt to find all the variety in the fabric patterns and colors.  It's sort of like a treasure hunt.  In contrast, I only have to read one of the blocks in a repeat-block quilt if the fabric usage is duplicated.  It doesn't seem to matter how complicated and complex the construction of an individual block may be.  Once is enough!  That quiltmaker wasted a lot of effort to entertain me; there's nothing new for me to see.  A pillow or cushion would have consumed as much of my interest and curiosity.

If you love scrap quilts you may enjoy Scrap Quilts: The Art of Making Do.

This post is a contribution to Quilter's Favorites at Geta's Quilting Studio where you can find links to other quilter's favorites of all varieties - books, bats, fabrics, tools, etc.  Participate if you'd like, but hurry.  The last day to add your post is Thursday, May 16.


--Nancy.
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I Thought I Would Love It - W.i.P. Wednesday

The Children's Garden quilt is nearly finished but sometimes my fingers need a break from hand quilting so I decided to work on another project.  The blocks for this Sunday Morning quilt were in progress with almost enough blocks sewn so it was the first obvious choice. 

I finished stitching the last few blocks, cut them to size, then laid them out in random order on the floor.  The blocks will finish at 7 1/2".  There are 120 blocks, so 10 blocks by 12 blocks.  If I stop here with this many the quilt will be about 72" x 90".

I've seen other "Sunday Morning" quilts and loved them.  I thought I would love this quilt.  But it's lacking something.  My husband thinks it's peaceful.  I think he's tired of the bright colors I usually choose.  I'll let it rest for a day or so before deciding whether to do something about, with, or to it or whether to just stitch it up as is.  What do you think?

Outside, my flax has bloomed.  The plants are light, feathery, wispy, but when the lavender blue flowers bloom they practically glow, especially against the plant's green/blue foliage.  This is the plant from which linen is made.  It's a beautiful beginning for a beautiful fabric.

This is a post for W.i.P. Wednesday, hosted by Lee at Freshly Pieced.  Thanks for hosting, Lee.

Blessings to you. my readers.
--Nancy.
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Happy Mother's Day

The day is almost over -- but not quite.  If you're a mother, I hope you've been remembered and honored in some way large or small.  If you have a mother who's still alive, I hope you sent a card, phoned, or visited her.  And if your mother's gone, I hope you remembered her and whispered a few words of love and thanks to her. 

It's a dear honor and a great responsibility to be a mother.  There have been plenty of difficulties raising two daughters, especially when they were teens and our thoughts and opinions went in different directions.  But we persevered and they came through to responsible adulthood.

Not too long ago one of my daughters and I overheard a mother at a store complaining to someone on the phone about having given her daughter everything she asked for.  She went on, "I've done everything for her and I know she'll just turn her back on me."  I commented aloud to my daughter that if that mom loved her daughter and built a relationship with her, she would turn out to be her best friend.  I think of both of my daughters as my best friends and I'm grateful for the women they have become. 

Blessings to you this Mother's Day.
--Nancy.

You can read previous Mother's Day posts on my family history blog here, here, and here.
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Tattle Tape for Women

Stanley Home Products, Inc., wished to be so helpful to the ladies in 1938 that they offered them a measuring tape which they called "A Tattle-Tape for Women," called such because "It-Tells-On-You."  It was copyrighted by Roger Martenson, Minneapolis, Minn., 1938.

This cloth tape measures 60" and is about 5/8" wide.  Along the front of the tape are the advertisements, "Stanley Home Products, Inc." and "Household and Personal Brushes - Floor Wax and Household Polishes."

All 60 inches of the back of the tape is covered with printed information about body weights and measurements and boxes and grids to write one's measurements.

The lady of 1938 learned that "If your weight is within 10% of our charts and your proportions check with our tables ... you have a lovely figure."  Information about the height/weight chart explains, "Approximate and normal weights for small, medium and large framed individuals."  Here is the chart they provided.










These are the instructions on the tape (above) printed with boxes for writing the measurements following each:
"Write chest measurement in the following square....."
"Write bust measurement in the following square......"  "Your bust should measure 1 to 2 1/2 inches larger than chest"
"Write waist measurement in following square......"
"Your waist should be from 6 to 9 inches less than bust. 6 inches is fair, 7 inches good, and 8 inches is excellent."
"Write hip measurement in following square......"  "Your hips should be 1 to 3 inches more than bust"
"Write your weight in following square......"  "Your weight should be within 10% of normal."
"For beauty, health and appearance check your weight and measurements each month...."

About 24 inches of the tape gives space for the lady to track her weight, chest, bust, waist, and hip measurements for 12 months.

I'm trying to imagine what a lady of the house in 1938 thought about this gift.  Was she pleased to receive a free measuring tape?  Afterall, the Great Depression was still in progress and money was tight.  Did any of the women who received one feel unhappy that Stanley Home Products, Inc. was offering them a product to help them monitor their weight and measurements?  Did any of the ladies who received the tapes use them?  Did it encourage them to buy (or buy more) Stanley products?  Were women in 1938 generally more concerned about their weight than women of today?

In 1938 my mother turned 23 and she married my father in September.  From some of the memories she shared about that time in her life, there wasn't an abundance of food.  I know that throughout her life she was aware of her weight and was careful not to overeat.  I suppose she would have appreciated such a gift.

I found this measuring tape at a local recycle center.  It was neatly coiled into a flattened circle.  It is frayed and obviously has been used for measuring, but no measurements were recorded in the boxes on the back. As a sewer and homemaker, I'm pleased to have another tape measure:  it means I won't have to go retrieve the one by the sewing machine when I want to measure something in the bedroom.  But I certainly will not use it to record my weight and measurements.

--Nancy.
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Children's Garden, Applique

The quilting on the center of Children's Garden is almost finished (unless I decide to add some more quilting in the flower blocks).  I set a goal to have the blocks stitched into a top and have it layered by the end of this month, so I met that goal but I really hoped to have a little more quilted.  If only I hadn't been down with the flu for two weeks. 

I think I mentioned before that the flower blocks were samples to see if I could successfully applique.  I wanted to learn to applique so I could participate in the Airedale Rescue Quilting Bee, an online group of women who put together a quilt every year then raffle it and use the funds to support Airedale Rescue.

I can do the technical sewing like making my stitches nearly invisible but I sometimes struggle with fabric and color choices. 

Airedale terriers can be challenging dogs.  They're often spirited, full of themselves, and want to run the show.  They need strong-willed owners with a firm hand and a sense of humor.  If you laugh at an Airedale's antics he'll enjoy the humor and do his best to keep the laugh going by repeating the behavior or coming up with something even more extravagant. 

I've loved and been loved by several Airedales over the years.  Our current 'dale, Hannah, is a rescue girl who came from a situation of abuse.  We often think the spirit was beaten out of her in her previous life.  Oh, so, slowly, she's coming around but she'll probably never be as enthusiastic and gregarious as an Airedale who's lived in a healthy environment since puppyhood.

Even so, I feel honored to be loved by such a sweet Airedale.




I'm linking this post to A Lovely Year of Finishes at Fiber of All Sorts as both a finish (for layering and pin-basting the top and as a goal of finishing the quilt, including hand quilting and binding it in May. Thanks, Shanna.

--Nancy.
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Traveling Stash Box 4 Wants to Visit You

Box 4 is at my house and ready to travel.  Perhaps you'd like to add your name for a chance for the box to come to your house?  Since it doesn't have a passport, it can travel only in the U.S.

There are fabrics with stripes,

 fabrics with prints,

and fabrics with gold or silver.

And there are also some magazines, patterns, and notions.

I kept these from the box

 and added 1 1/2 yard Kona white and 3 fat quarters.

Since the box will be here a few more days I may add to it.

Rules and Guidelines

• Be an active blogger -- post about receiving the box and the giveaway in a timely manner.
• Update the travel log in the box to let others know where the box has been.
• There is a list of rules and guidelines in the box -- be sure to follow these to keep the box full of quality items and the experience positive for everyone.
• You may take any items from the box just be sure that you are replacing them with quality and comparable items. (Guidelines for fabric below).
• Ship box to the next person timely -- and communicate tracking information with recipient.
• Shipping is within the US only.

Important Things to Remember

• Please ensure that items in the box are quality. If items in the box are poor quality they should be removed. Items that are being removed can be offered for optional inclusion to the next recipient. Poor quality items can be discarded but this should be done with discretion. 
• Only include items that you would be proud to own -- this is not a dumping ground for outdated or worn items.
• Items should be free of smoke, odors  and pet hair.
• You must replace all items that you take with items of equal value and replacing with more than you take is welcome.

You can read further details here and see what other boxes are traveling here.

So, if you'd like Traveling Stash Box 4 to visit you, please leave a comment on this post before midnight (in any U.S. time zone) on Tuesday, May 7, 2013.  I'll choose a winner on May 8.

--Nancy.
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A Lovely Little Notion

I found this adorable little spool holder in Jinny Beyer's book, Quiltmaking by Hand, and fell in love with it.  I believe it is a very old one in her collection which means, of course, that one cannot buy a new one even if one wanted to own one.  I would love to hold it but I was almost as happy just to make a drawing of it to enjoy.

I love old sewing notions.  New ones, too, for that matter, but especially the old ones.  It doesn't necessarily mean that I want to own them all but I do enjoy looking at them, holding them, imagining using them.  When I go to a flea market or thrift store and find something I love, I carry it around as I shop all the while telling myself that I'm possessing it while I'm in the store:  it was "mine" for a few minutes, and then I let it go to someone else.  I can usually (though not always) talk myself out of purchases this way.

Let's face it, one of these days or years I'll die and my children will just have to pass on whatever's left.  No need to buy more for them to pass on.

Okay, I'm feeling a little better after this awful flu and could have photographed the Traveling Stash box today IF it had not been the greyest, rainiest day so far this spring.  I hope tomorrow will bring a little brightness and sunshine so I can take photos and post the box.  I need to move it from my house to one of your houses!

--Nancy.
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Not Much Fun - W.i.P. Wednesday

I'm making slow progress hand quilting Children's Garden.  I used Warm & Natural batting because I had a piece available but it doesn't quilt as easily as the Cream Rose did.  Of course it could be my lack of experience in hand quilting... but I'm not enjoying it much.  The next time I use a cotton bat I think I'll go back to Cream Rose; or perhaps I'll try a bamboo, wool, or other kind of bat.  I think wool batting would be easy to hand quilt through but what about laundering?  Anyone have experience with other brands and varieties of bats?

Our cherry trees bloomed on sunny Tuesday but I was "out" with the flu (no fun) so I missed photos that day.  Now it's cool and grey.  I'm sure (well, almost sure) I'll feel better by the time warm and sunny spring days return (unless that's tomorrow).

I'm linking this post to W.i.P. Wednesday at freshlypieced.  Thanks, Lee.

--Nancy.

P.S.  I won a Traveling Stash Box.  I want to enjoy it when I open it so I'll wait another day or two.  I'll post about it soon.