Fiddle Sticks

I've been busy the last few days quilting up a few quilt tops for a friend, they were donated to her Quilt Ministry. They are both wonderful, scrappy quilts; my favorite kind! The first one is bright and spring-like in its coloration. Working on it was like a ray of warm sunshine. (Something that has been desperately needed in our neck of the gloomy, rainy woods lately). My friend told me that this one would go to a lady from her church who's a shut-in, she's very spunky and positive.

This is the quilt, my friend included a hot pink flannel backing and I thought that hot pink quilting thread might add a bit more "punch" to the overall look; I believe it will fit a spunky and positive lady!

The next quilt, below, is to go to a home bound gentleman. 

Here it is, before, during and after quilting. I used a pantograph called "Calm Water" by Anne Bright in a sand-colored thread. I'm inspired by this quilt design; all of the "bricks" are 2" X 6", the inner border is 4", the brick off-sets are all 2" squares and the corner squares are 6". I drafted up the design in EQ (above, left), so that I wouldn't forget, and named it "Fiddle Sticks". Guess which bin of precut scraps I'll be raiding next? My friend's Quilt Ministry is blessed, indeed, to have some fine piecers in their group. 

I began quilting on my own Star Flowers low volume quilt yesterday. The sun has returned and the days have warmed up nicely, such a change from the cold rain that we've been plagued with for weeks on end. That didn't stop me from quilting "Puddles" though. This is a new (to me) pantograph, I love the effect.

Life is Good! 

The J-less Alphabet and Other Things

I'm still cross-stitching my winter evenings away. This little sampler was a big surprise; there's no letter "J" on the pattern. That sent me scrambling for answers. My friend, LP, informed me that there was no "J" street in Washington DC. "Back in the day", she said, "the letters "I" and "J" were so similar in form that Charles L'Enfant, the designer, refused to use the "J" for a street name to avoid confusion." This was news to me, further digging yielded the information that many samplers, dated well into the nineteenth century, were missing the "J", as this letter is a fairly young one, coming into usage only sometime after 1820. Live and learn! My plan for this little mini is to combine it with a school house quilt block or two (or three) and create a small pillow with it. 

We cleaned out the attic yesterday and found this gem of a board game! It appears to be brand new; the instruction sheet is dated 1987. I'm guessing that our children received this game as a gift from their grandmother; my MIL was wild about ALF! This is a true blast from the past. I couldn't discard it!

Our dinner selections have been upped a notch a few evenings a month. Our son and daughter in law gave us a free meal box coupon to "Every Plate" a while back. I've continued to subscribe, we average three meals a week every other week and it's really not a bad deal at all. Everything comes in the box, meat, fresh veggies, seasonings and a step-by-step recipe card. The meals are portioned perfectly so there's no leftovers or waste of any unique ingredients. This meal, above, is Herby Parmesan Crusted Chicken with garlic mashed potatoes and roasted zucchini. Every single selection that we've tried has been wonderful and we've sampled quite a few of their offerings. For us, it has gotten us out of the rut of the "same old thing" for dinners and challenged me with a few new and exciting ideas for food prep. I'm receiving no compensation from Every Plate, this is just a tried-and-true testimonial. If you're looking for something new and different you might want to give it a try. 

Remember that applique inspiration that hit me when I visited the National Quilt Museum recently? Well this old UFO is out of the box, blocks are completed and it's ready for quilting. I'm loving its folk-arty-ness and its simplicity. 

We were in the grips of an ice storm earlier today. Hopefully the worst has passed; as I type, the ice has dropped out of the trees now and the temperature has risen slightly above freezing. All the while I had my fingers crossed for the power to remain on~ it did!

Life is Good!

Valentine's Day

Wishing you all a very Happy Valentine's Day. 💗I finished this cute little cross-stitch just in time for the occasion. It's been a very long time since I've done any of this, Quiltkeemosabe made me up a little kit with this pattern, the linen and the thread. She introduced me to stitching over two and I just love it. 

This sweet little applique piece was a birthday gift from a dear friend twenty two years ago. She sent it to me when we were living overseas, at a time when I missed all of my friends and family so very much. It meant the world to me then, as it still does today. I get it out in time for Valentine's Day every year. 

Another treasured Valentine memento, an antique Valentine from Quiltkeemosabe many years ago. Today, during the children's sermon at church, our pastor explained about St. Valentine and how, as a Roman priest under the rule of Emperor Claudius, he defied a decree that all soldiers remain unmarried; Valentine continued to marry Christian couples in the church, albeit secretly. He believed that the government had no say in love and matters of the heart, and if couples came to him to be joined in marriage he did just that. Ultimately he was killed for his beliefs and acts contrary to those laws set down by Claudius. I never fully understood the story behind St. Valentine's martyrdom until today. Now I better comprehend the covertness associated with slipping a Valentine to a secret love. Who says that children's sermons are only for children? After all, aren't we all children of God?

My Valentine surprised me at the breakfast table this morning with this beautiful orchid.

He's been my one-and-only bestest Valentine for a very long time now, and that's no secret at all!

💗 

Love never fails!

This, That, and Three Other Things...

While we were gone away this Moth Orchid which has lived as a foliage-only plant in our bathroom for the past few years sent up a flower stalk! I was shocked and amazed. Maybe we need to leave home more often! I don't do anything special except water it every week; once a month I sprinkle a few crystals of orchid food into the watering solution but that's it. I had NO  very little hope of it ever blooming again. This was a wonderful surprise. Do any of you have tips for growing orchids? I really don't know what I'm doing. This was a Christmas gift four years ago, it came in bloom and those original blossoms lasted for a long, long time. 

           

We recently upgraded our cell phones. Thankfully, everything transferred without a hiccup and the best part of the new device (other than the fact that the battery lasts tons longer than my old one) is the "portrait mode" on the camera. Isn't Hannes' little friend cute? I really don't get my 35mm out of its case much anymore, there's little need, these phone cameras only get better and better. 

We've repurposed this ketchup bottle. Can you guess for what purpose?

For honey! I use honey both in my tea and over my yogurt and have found this to be the best-ever dispenser for this purpose- NO DRIPS, NONE! Next time you toss an empty ketchup bottle remember this recycling tip. 

We woke up Sunday morning to a taste of winter. My kind of snow, too; it was long gone by noon.

Star Flowers is now a top, it measures 56" X 81". I haven't decided if I'll leave the points or not. I will quilt it this way and then decide if I want to tackle binding the peaks and valleys or not. I love the look. Quilting will take a back seat for a bit, though, I have a few other quilting commitments right now.

I was lucky enough to get my first COVID dose yesterday. The process was completely painless. 

The hospital group has allocated the old Sears store at the mall where they can process thousands of people through a day, as long as the vaccine supply is available. It is done by appointment and the process was fast, organized and incredibly efficient. I have my second dose scheduled in three weeks. 

Life is Good!

Applique Inspiration

Infused with inspiration by applique quilts on display at the National Quilt Museum I came home and planned a little wallhanging of my own. More on that after the back story. 

This quilt, by Pat Holly and Sue Nickels is entitled "Two of Us". They're quilting sisters,  both from Michigan, and draw their inspiration from folk art applique quilts of the 1800's. They celebrate the spontaneity of our quilting ancestors who weren't as structured as we are today. I love this quilt of theirs and have long been a fan of their work. 

These three applique quilts from the Southern Quilts exhibit went on to further bolster my enthusiasm. A week after we returned from our quickie road trip these quilts were still in the front of my mind. I have taken several workshops from Sue Nickels over the years and remembered a UFO from one of those that was lingering somewhere in a box. I found it in short order. "Why haven't I finished this?", I asked myself.

Two of the blocks are done and I had already selected the patterns for two more for this four-block wallhanging. All of my fabrics were folded away with this, even the books and the threads too! Guess what just moved to the front of the line, project-wise? I know that if I tackle this now, while the inspiration is burning brightly, that I'll be happier in the long run and be proud to look back on the effort.  So, isn't it funny, how a tidy and well managed "to do" list of UFO's can easily be interrupted by a brash late-comer who pushes right to the front of the line without any shame is welcomed warmly? Yeah, it is. 

Life is Good!

More From the Museum

Another current exhibit at the National Quilt Museum is one entitled: "Southern Quilts".  From the exhibit description: "This is a collection on loan from Mary Kerr and examines the rich history of southern quilts, steeped in tradition and passed down through generations. These glorious designs, colors and patterns are unique to this region of the United States and reflect the influence of multiple cultural traditions brought to the region over the last four centuries. The earliest patchwork quilts came from the traditions in the British Isles; unique designs and interpretations emerged as German, Scots-Irish and other European settlements converged on the American South. Each quiltmaker made her choices based on the styles, patterns, traditions and fabrics available at that time. These quilts have a distinctive look and feel that sets them apart; many are made of heavy cotton and finished with the Baptist Fan or "elbow" quilting. These thick pieces are usually thought of as utilitarian, but many have simply been created from available resources and, since cotton was King throughout the south, this abundant crop was the primary batting in quilts of this region. Southern women didn't shy away from difficult patterns and there are many examples of circular designs particularly those with points, spikes and teeth. Women at that time made do with what was available; across all socio-economic situations the quilts reflect the resources available." 

This is just a small sampling of pieced quilts from the exhibit, it was historically rich and a treat to behold.

This quilt was of special interest, read about it below:

A detail of the World War 1 Scripture Quilt; it's hand pieced, too! Started and completed in only 45 days!! This is an incredible exhibit, I'm going to post tomorrow about the applique quilts in this same collection and how they, and some current quilts borrowing off that tradition have inspired me to pull out a UFO that had been long-shelved and what my plan is to finish it up. Seeing that quilt above that was finished in a month and a half demonstrates that there really are no excuses for languishing!

Life is Good! 

My Visit(s) To The National Quilt Museum

I borrowed the photo (left) from the Internet. When I visited the museum on January 30 it was raining so hard in Paducah that I was NOT posing for a snapshot out front! These photos, below, are from the first time I visited here in 1993. Can you spot the  biggest difference between the two? 

The museum has undergone a name change! Somehow I missed this occurrence when it happened and it became my mission to find out when and why the former Museum of the American Quilter's Society (MAQS) became The National Quilt Museum. More about that later. Let me assure you, nothing else, nothing, has changed once you enter the doors; the impressive exhibits were both amazing and completely awe-inspiring!

This is where I started: the School Block challenge is an annual competition and exhibit sponsored by Moda for children nationwide from grades Kindergarten through high school. Three fabrics are provided that must be visible on each block. Students are challenged to design their own original quilt block and the entries are judged in categories K-4th grade, 5th-8th grade and 9th-12th grades.  

These quilt blocks are on exhibit through March of this year.

The quilt block above is this years' grand prize winner, the student is in the 5th-8th grade category. Her skill level and attention to detail is excellent, this little "snapshot" of Khloe's life indoors spoke to me. I stood and examined it for the longest time, thinking about how much has changed in a year and none of us even beginning to imagine what this is doing to our children in the long run. What are they internalizing as a result of isolation, quarantine and a worldwide pandemic? I don't know, but I do know that this absolutely broke my heart.

From that exhibit hall I traveled to the main gallery where some of national quilt show winners through the years, just a part of the Museum's permanent collection, were on display. I'm incuding just a few of my all time favorites in this post.  The quilt, above, winner from 2016, "Arandano",  is by Marilyn Badger of St. George, Utah. 

"Unexpected Beauty", 2004, by Sandra Leichner of Albany, Oregon. 

"Score!", 2013, by Shirley P. Kelly of Colden, New York. 

"Morisco", 1984, by Jane Blair of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. This quilt was of particular interest to me as it is from the same time era that I began quilting. There was such a different look (and feel) to the fabrics available then. I've included a detail here:

This quilt is hand pieced and hand quilted with cotton and cotton/polyester blends, this takes me back. 😲 The workmanship is exquisite!

And last, but certainly not in any way the least, is "The Beatles Quilt".

This has been one of my very favorite quilts for a long time. Made in 1998 by sisters Pat Holly (Muskegon, Michigan) and Sue Nickels (Ann Arbor, Michigan) it incorporates the most expert and flawless domestic machine techniques of applique, piecing and quilting that have stood the test of time.

And, the back: frosting on top of an already masterpiece creation: the hand-written lyrics to each and every Beatles song! I'll report more in my next post on additional quilts that delighted and inspired me from the exhibits but let's go back to that museum name change and what it was all about. 

This year, 2021, marks the thirtieth anniversary of the museum's opening. This new, commemorative, volume of the museum's quilt collection amassed since 1991 is all contained, with photographs and quilter's artist statements, in this publication honoring the occasion. It's a beautiful book. I bought a copy at the bookstore just off the lobby after my time inside at the exhibits. My interest in the history and name change was only piqued when I found old books (the two on top in the photo above) on a $2 mark-down rack in the bookstore's back room. I picked up the Founder's Collection book (2001, a special edition publication marking the ten year anniversary including profiles of  "Who's Who of Quilting" at that time) and The Judge's Task (1993) from the sale area. Interestingly, no one from the volunteers on the floor in the quilt galleries to those manning the register at the bookstore could answer my question. After I left the museum I sent off an email inquiry via their website and received and almost instantaneous phone call from the CEO, Frank Bennett. He was most cordial and interested in addressing the subject. He explained that the name changed in 2008; while the museum was founded as the Museum of the American Quilter's Society by the AQS in 1991 under the leadership of Meredith and Bill Schroeder, the time had come to separate the museum from the "branding" of the American Quilter's Society and have each entity stand on its own. It was not a hasty or unpleasant decision for either party and it was one that was, and has continued to be, beneficial to both. I was not only happy to have my burning question laid to rest but also encouraged by the quick, personal attention provided by that phone call; so often anymore customer service is only a distant memory!

So, this past visit was actually my third. That initial visit in 1993 had me posing behind the massive MAQS sign on the front lawn. My second time here (fall, 2006, above) shows partial signage placed on the upper right corner of the building: "Quilt Museum"; today, the word "National" precedes that. There's all the history that I can provide. As much as things change in the quilt world, much remains the same. Quilters the world over express themselves creatively through fabric and thread and we're all that much richer for it. But, in closing, I want to include a quote from The Judge's Task: "Judges carry no inbred biases against machine quilting". This made me laugh out loud! If you've been at this as long as I have you know how very much has changed since 1993 in that regard! I'm still poring through those books that I came home with; there's so much to learn along the way from those who've blazed the trail.

Life is Good!

Stay tuned for another post loaded with more quilts from my visit to the museum...