Tuesday, June 17, 2014

A Thankful Heart

Have you met Martha of Q is for Quilter?

I discovered her blog about a year ago and enjoy reading it regularly.  I learn so much when I do. Martha has a variety of creative interests.  She is interested in vintage quilts and fabrics.  She sometimes finds vintage quilts that need remade and shares the process.  She often scans and posts old quilt patterns, free for the printing and/or as pdf files.  She has a collection of old and vintage children's books and coloring books, some of which are perfect patterns for children's embroidery.  She scans those, too, and makes them available for our use.  And so much more!  All in all, Q is for Quilter is a delightful blog to visit.

Every month Martha makes an apron from vintage fabrics and offers it to one person who reads and comments on her blog regularly.  The aprons for June -- yes, there are two! -- look like this and are made from a vintage table cloth.  Oh, the creativity!


Aren't they beautiful?  They're even more fabulous in person.  I know because I was the lucky winner this month!

Her photo really doesn't do justice to the details in the full-length apron.  There is the perfectly-stitched green trim and those little triangles on the sides - that the photograph misses.  I tried to take some photos to share but the weather's been cloudy and they didn't come out clear enough to post.  You'll have to take my word for it that these are gorgeous aprons.

I hope you'll visit Q is for Quilter and take a look around.  And if you'd like to read a little more about Martha, go to Lori's post about her visit with Martha at Humble Quilts.

Thank you, Martha.  I am beyond pleased and grateful for your generous gift of these two beautiful aprons.

--Nancy.
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Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Baptist Fans on Churn Dashes?

I thought Baptist Fan quilting would be perfect for this plaid churn dash quilt.  I always think of it as old-fashioned and comforting.  But now, with a few fans quilted, I'm not so sure.  Maybe outline quilting would be better....  I do this too often:  begin, hesitate, reconsider.  I'd be set if I could see the finished product before I had to make any decisions.  (Chuckling to myself at the idea....) 

It took me a while but I finally chose fabric for the back.  The little 1" squares are printed on the diagonal:  I like how the diagonals echo each other on the front and the back.  The colors in real life work well together, maybe not so much in the photos.

Scrappy backs appeal to my use-it-up sensibilities but when I think of hand quilting through more seams I reconsider and then try to find a larger piece to use for the back.  I impressed myself by successfully matching the print at the seam on the back.  It's easier with a small print than with a large print. 

I love the adorable little scallop border printed along the edge of the fabric.  (Click on the photo to enlarge if you want to see it in detail.)  Of course, it's an extra inch or so of unusable fabric -- at least if you want to use it for quilt backing and have it match the rest of the quilt.  On the other hand, it might be a great ruffle for a little granddaughter's dress....

Speaking of my granddaughter, she and her family were here for a week's visit in May.  I'm teaching both of those children early about sewing and quilting.

Here's Olivia sitting with me as we scrolled through my feedly reader.  She was a little unsettled several evenings so while her mom was helping her brother, I invited her to learn about quilting with me.  My daughter said she could see little Olivia's head moving up and down as she watched the images move down the page.  I'm sure it wasn't just the photos or sitting with me that helped calm her:  I asked Pandora to play some lullabies.  Come to think of it, she didn't really learn much about quilting that night because she fell asleep within a few minutes.  No matter, she'll have other quilting lessons the next time she visits.

Little Malachi, at nearly 2, was beyond interested in what I was doing at the sewing machine.  He couldn't get close enough to see what was going on from the ground so I lifted him into my lap to watch the process and help.  He wanted to know what everything was and how it worked.  I showed him the thread and how it was threaded through the tension mechanism down to the needle.  I showed him the presser foot and the lever and he helped me lift and lower it.  He helped me guide the fabric through the machine.  Then we wound some bobbins.  He was very taken with the light.  One thing I did not show him was the knee lever!  I have no trouble imagining his little hand pushing it to full speed sewing up a storm of knotted threads!  During the week they were here, if ever I sat at the sewing machine, he was right there to sit on my lap and watch or help.  Boys love machines, don't they?

It rained this afternoon -- one of those wonderful, steady, drenching rains.  It was so dark at 3 p.m. that we had to put the lights on to see. 


I'm linking this post to
--WOW at Esther's Blog
--W.i.P. Wednesday at Freshly Pieced
--Let's Bee Social #23 at Sew Fresh Quilts
Thank you, Esther, Lee, Lucy, and Lorna.

Wishing you joy!
--Nancy.
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