Artful Homemade Quilts Have A Way

[BDBoop]

Currently on the machine (continued) 3 vintage embroidered florals...

Your quilt is playing my song.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-pFAFsTFTI]The Beatles - All You Need Is Love-HQ - YouTube[/ame]

 

[freedombecki]

Currently on the machine (continued) 3 vintage embroidered florals...

Your quilt is playing my song.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-pFAFsTFTI"]The Beatles - All You Need Is Love-HQ - YouTube[/ame]

I'm so glad it strikes a good cord with you, BDB.

Scan 1 - last night's slight progress showing the words "LOVE" on fabric

Scan 2 - Another view of love

Scan 3 - View at bottom of progress.

It seems I worked an hour, but I can't remember where I stopped and started now. The quilt is getting big enough just to put an outer border. I'm looking at greens that may compliment the green on the floral embroideries. There may be two greens, but they're close in value, just a slight difference on rose-leaf green and food color green frosting, sort of. I also noticed that after washing in the sink, one block is several shades lighter than the other two. The off-white windowpane plaid next to the rec floral border framing the 3 embroidered floral blocks was placed there to show the difference between a 10-year-old muslin color from blocks that were once pure white, but aged over a long period of time. I can't tell the difference between a well-preserved muslin that is 70 to 150 years old. It was rumored that in the 70s or 80s, people were making old-patterned quilts, burying them in the yard for a few months, carefully laundering the result, then selling them as "antiques" for a pretty penny. The duplicity was known by comparing the size of the prints and carbon-testing the thread. If they'd spent the same amount of time on improving their technique, people have been known to earn as much as a good antique with just good technique even on up-to-the-minute design and contemporary fabrics. Some people just insist on cutting off their nose to spite their face.

 

[Sunshine]

Working on another quilt... the 3 vintage green and floral colors that were so finely embroidered probably 70 years ago due to the aging color of the white percale. It's not the first time I've dealt with fabrics that may have been done before my mother was born. Here are some borders I am now sewing around the strip made of the blocks to eventually be a good-sized child or senior quilt.

Beckums, do you remember those cloth calendars they sold back in the 60s and 70s. The year I married, 1967, my mother gave me one with my wedding day colored red with food dye. (Red letter day) Every year after for several years, she bought me one. I am not sure I still have them all, but I think I may. At one time I thought I would put them all together and make a quilt. I know I did a lot of cleaning out when I moved back here and I may have ditched them. Not sure when I will get to it, but I really must look for them.

What do you think of the quilt idea? Is it stupid? It would be a hanging one, rather than for the bed. I guess you could call it a Father Time quilt for lack of a better title! LOL

Here is an old one for sale on eBay:

I have been cleaning closets and taking a lot of stuff to the consignment store. When I do the floor of my closet, hopefully today, I may go through my cedar chest and see if I still have them. If they are not there, they would be in a trunk in the basement. If not there, I chucked them.

 

[Sunshine]

Working on another quilt... the 3 vintage green and floral colors that were so finely embroidered probably 70 years ago due to the aging color of the white percale. It's not the first time I've dealt with fabrics that may have been done before my mother was born. Here are some borders I am now sewing around the strip made of the blocks to eventually be a good-sized child or senior quilt.

Are those bleeding hearts?

 

[freedombecki]

As in "My love lies bleeding..." Yes, it's Bleeding hearts, the tropical plant. And my respect for this wonderful embroiderer grows every time I turn it over and see the teeny, tiny stitches she patiently made until it was done. When I first saw it, the style reminded me of carelessly-left threads in geometric angels, especially on the Chinese Lanterns. Also, I just now noticed how exact these squares were when I sewed them to the 1" pink rose and tulip print. Even though I was sewing 90 miles an hour (learned in the factory), the blocks are perfectly even from side to side as evidenced by the zero trouble I had making them look orderly. I now think this bright embroiderer probably counted threads across 8 or 9 inches, clipped and tore the fabrics precisely, and somehow when they got passed down to me in a lot of 3 on ebay, they were still perfectly uniform top to bottom and side to side. I missed that before this post, as it's sitting next to me laying over the printer.

Oh, it's so close to completion, I must take it back to the sewing room and sew 4 more rounds, the last being a composite green. In the morning sun, what I thought might have been my eyes playing tricks on me, the colors in one of the squares is made up of several different greens, another has 2 or 3 greens, but the Heart-lies-bleeding or "bleeding hearts" one is a consistent blue green not seen in the other squares. Oh, my goodness. I'm just now noticing the squares are muslin, and not percale as I notice in this good light the tiniest flecks characteristic of all natural muslins, but the weave is charmingly old, but I do not know how old. Things got more consistent with the industrial revolution bringing in improved weaving machines by the decade, and I wish I had taken a textile course sometime during the past or at least purchased one of Barbara Brackman's or historic fabric identification guides.

 

[freedombecki]

Pardon my mistakie, "My love lies bleeding" is another plant that has blossoms like:

​

Another shows both Bleeding Hearts and Love lies bleeding in the same photograph:
​

​

Bleeding hearts have a different leaf, however:
​

​

Sunshine, my hat's off to you. Bleeding hearts is the correct name for the embroidery I showed the other day.​

 

[Sunshine]

As in "My love lies bleeding..." Yes, it's Bleeding hearts, the tropical plant. And my respect for this wonderful embroiderer grows every time I turn it over and see the teeny, tiny stitches she patiently made until it was done. When I first saw it, the style reminded me of carelessly-left threads in geometric angels, especially on the Chinese Lanterns. Also, I just now noticed how exact these squares were when I sewed them to the 1" pink rose and tulip print. Even though I was sewing 90 miles an hour (learned in the factory), the blocks are perfectly even from side to side as evidenced by the zero trouble I had making them look orderly. I now think this bright embroiderer probably counted threads across 8 or 9 inches, clipped and tore the fabrics precisely, and somehow when they got passed down to me in a lot of 3 on ebay, they were still perfectly uniform top to bottom and side to side. I missed that before this post, as it's sitting next to me laying over the printer.

Oh, it's so close to completion, I must take it back to the sewing room and sew 4 more rounds, the last being a composite green. In the morning sun, what I thought might have been my eyes playing tricks on me, the colors in one of the squares is made up of several different greens, another has 2 or 3 greens, but the Heart-lies-bleeding or "bleeding hearts" one is a consistent blue green not seen in the other squares. Oh, my goodness. I'm just now noticing the squares are muslin, and not percale as I notice in this good light the tiniest flecks characteristic of all natural muslins, but the weave is charmingly old, but I do not know how old. Things got more consistent with the industrial revolution bringing in improved weaving machines by the decade, and I wish I had taken a textile course sometime during the past or at least purchased one of Barbara Brackman's or historic fabric identification guides.

I like the textiles old dead bodies have on when they get dug up by archeologists. I really think ancient textiles could be an area of study in and of itself. When my son went away to Georgia Tech, I saw their Textile Engineering degree and was just green with envy. But I was in the middle of my master's program and in no position to switch.

 

[freedombecki]

I just have to do another couple of rounds on the outside of this quilt and finish her up!

The way I go it will take a minimum of an hour. Thanks, everyone for the inspirations you have gifted me with.

 

[Sunshine]

Pardon my mistakie, "My love lies bleeding" is another plant that has blossoms like:

​

Another shows both Bleeding Hearts and Love lies bleeding in the same photograph:
​

​

Bleeding hearts have a different leaf, however:
​

​

Sunshine, my hat's off to you. Bleeding hearts is the correct name for the embroidery I showed the other day.​

I really like bleeding hearts. I should plant more, I only have one plant. I don't really care for the white ones, though.

 

[freedombecki]

Pardon my mistakie, "My love lies bleeding" is another plant that has blossoms like:

Another shows both Bleeding Hearts and Love lies bleeding in the same photograph:​

Bleeding hearts have a different leaf, however:​

Sunshine, my hat's off to you. Bleeding hearts is the correct name for the embroidery I showed the other day.​

I really like bleeding hearts. I should plant more, I only have one plant. I don't really care for the white ones, though.

The quilt square one (still on the machine) has pink and red. I only found one like it in images, and wouldn't you know it, it didn't show the drooping quality of the florets in a line draping gracefully like one sees from the side. Bad reason not to use it, prolly. Oh, well, That was yesterday. Every day flower pictures change because millions of people tag to Bing! and other browsers.

Oh, I was thrilled that the children squares don't seem to eat time like the butterflies do, so I spent the day embroidering the second elephant block that had not even one stitch on it. I made it in a darker gray color to distinguish it from its yellowed percale background. (not muslin).

FWIW, here's the new elephant. I loved doing the flowers. Thanks to koshergrl who talked me through doing the French knots. Pardon the wrinkles, but I didn't want to further set the ink in the squares, and am not sure if the red/orange and blue/green colors will ever wash out. This was one in which I enjoyed doing every stitch. Total and complete fun!

 

[freedombecki]

Working on another quilt... the 3 vintage green and floral colors that were so finely embroidered probably 70 years ago due to the aging color of the white percale. It's not the first time I've dealt with fabrics that may have been done before my mother was born. Here are some borders I am now sewing around the strip made of the blocks to eventually be a good-sized child or senior quilt.

Beckums, do you remember those cloth calendars they sold back in the 60s and 70s. The year I married, 1967, my mother gave me one with my wedding day colored red with food dye. (Red letter day) Every year after for several years, she bought me one. I am not sure I still have them all, but I think I may. At one time I thought I would put them all together and make a quilt. I know I did a lot of cleaning out when I moved back here and I may have ditched them. Not sure when I will get to it, but I really must look for them.

What do you think of the quilt idea? Is it stupid? It would be a hanging one, rather than for the bed. I guess you could call it a Father Time quilt for lack of a better title! LOL

Here is an old one for sale on eBay:

I have been cleaning closets and taking a lot of stuff to the consignment store. When I do the floor of my closet, hopefully today, I may go through my cedar chest and see if I still have them. If they are not there, they would be in a trunk in the basement. If not there, I chucked them.

If you had consecutive years, you could be looking at a very, very valuable quilt someday. Sorry for not getting back to you yesterday. Not enough coffee yesterday, and forgot my meds until 10 hours later. I seem reasonably ok this morning, though. I guess the body gets used to its owner's proclivities of occasional forgetfulness. Have a dynamite day!

 

[freedombecki]

Happy
Sunday​

Everybody!​

 

[freedombecki]

Flitting around the internet like a butterfly today...

 

[freedombecki]

~~~~ flitting around ~~~~​

~~~~ 'n' flitting around ~~~~​

~~~~ and flitting some more ~~~~​

 

[koshergrl]

Bootiful!

I'm all motivated now. My thyroid level is back up, and my internet is down so I am much more domestic and nowhere near as tired as I have been since this summer.

Love you all tata for now

 

[Sunshine]

Working on another quilt... the 3 vintage green and floral colors that were so finely embroidered probably 70 years ago due to the aging color of the white percale. It's not the first time I've dealt with fabrics that may have been done before my mother was born. Here are some borders I am now sewing around the strip made of the blocks to eventually be a good-sized child or senior quilt.

Beckums, do you remember those cloth calendars they sold back in the 60s and 70s. The year I married, 1967, my mother gave me one with my wedding day colored red with food dye. (Red letter day) Every year after for several years, she bought me one. I am not sure I still have them all, but I think I may. At one time I thought I would put them all together and make a quilt. I know I did a lot of cleaning out when I moved back here and I may have ditched them. Not sure when I will get to it, but I really must look for them.

What do you think of the quilt idea? Is it stupid? It would be a hanging one, rather than for the bed. I guess you could call it a Father Time quilt for lack of a better title! LOL

Here is an old one for sale on eBay:

I have been cleaning closets and taking a lot of stuff to the consignment store. When I do the floor of my closet, hopefully today, I may go through my cedar chest and see if I still have them. If they are not there, they would be in a trunk in the basement. If not there, I chucked them.

If you had consecutive years, you could be looking at a very, very valuable quilt someday. Sorry for not getting back to you yesterday. Not enough coffee yesterday, and forgot my meds until 10 hours later. I seem reasonably ok this morning, though. I guess the body gets used to its owner's proclivities of occasional forgetfulness. Have a dynamite day!

Yes, they were consecutive for several years in a row, maybe 10 or so.

 

[freedombecki]

Beckums, do you remember those cloth calendars they sold back in the 60s and 70s. The year I married, 1967, my mother gave me one with my wedding day colored red with food dye. (Red letter day) Every year after for several years, she bought me one. I am not sure I still have them all, but I think I may. At one time I thought I would put them all together and make a quilt. I know I did a lot of cleaning out when I moved back here and I may have ditched them. Not sure when I will get to it, but I really must look for them.

What do you think of the quilt idea? Is it stupid? It would be a hanging one, rather than for the bed. I guess you could call it a Father Time quilt for lack of a better title! LOL

Here is an old one for sale on eBay:

I have been cleaning closets and taking a lot of stuff to the consignment store. When I do the floor of my closet, hopefully today, I may go through my cedar chest and see if I still have them. If they are not there, they would be in a trunk in the basement. If not there, I chucked them.

If you had consecutive years, you could be looking at a very, very valuable quilt someday. Sorry for not getting back to you yesterday. Not enough coffee yesterday, and forgot my meds until 10 hours later. I seem reasonably ok this morning, though. I guess the body gets used to its owner's proclivities of occasional forgetfulness. Have a dynamite day!

Yes, they were consecutive for several years in a row, maybe 10 or so.

Join them with your favorite or a favorite color! The quilt is novel and will be a collector's jewel someday, and you will be named Protector of Womens' Homemaking Traditions at some future time. You could make it more valuable by embroidering little microscopic medical things in the sashes or something. Or garden seeds. Or blossoms. Or yellow butterflies...

 

[koshergrl]

I have seen quilts made out of county fair ribbons, and quilts that are made with the..oh, the bias ends of material...and they were EXTREMELY valuable, so I believe that the calendars would be as well.

I forgot to share that my auntie gave me a hand crocheted pineapple motif tablecloth that one of my now-deceased aunties had made for her. She had it cleaned and blocked, and gave it to me on Friday, I think.

I'm so excited! It's going to be on the table for Thanksgiving!

 

[freedombecki]

I have seen quilts made out of county fair ribbons, and quilts that are made with the..oh, the bias ends of material...and they were EXTREMELY valuable, so I believe that the calendars would be as well.

I forgot to share that my auntie gave me a hand crocheted pineapple motif tablecloth that one of my now-deceased aunties had made for her. She had it cleaned and blocked, and gave it to me on Friday, I think.

I'm so excited! It's going to be on the table for Thanksgiving!

...Under a 10-mil clear plastic cover, I hope (found at stores that cell plastics on rolls) It doesn't have to be that thick but you can always wipe it off after special occasions, let it dry, and roll them up together till next time.

I'm so glad your family treasure is going to you. I bet your auntie is impressed with your amazing embroideries and crocheted edgings and knew you would give it better care than anyone else in the family. For whatever reason, I'm so glad you are getting it, koshergrl! Giving up a precious heirloom before you apply for assisted care is a good idea and prevents the heirloom from going to an uncaring family member who will squander it by nonuse, abuse, or selling it for nothing the first time they move. Your aunt gets my thumbs up in agreement, koshergrl!

I'm going to use this post to show you some samplers I bought for a song this past month on ebay. You'd be shocked if you knew how very little I paid for something No one could afford for the level of skill that went into the making of these and several other treasures I made off with. At first, I was going to simply use them as a medallion center for charity quilts, but the colors and variation of techniques and color choices are so wonderful, it'd be a good museum start like the one in Bennington, VT. that houses many of Grandma Moses' items.

 

[Sunshine]

If you had consecutive years, you could be looking at a very, very valuable quilt someday. Sorry for not getting back to you yesterday. Not enough coffee yesterday, and forgot my meds until 10 hours later. I seem reasonably ok this morning, though. I guess the body gets used to its owner's proclivities of occasional forgetfulness. Have a dynamite day!

Yes, they were consecutive for several years in a row, maybe 10 or so.

Join them with your favorite or a favorite color! The quilt is novel and will be a collector's jewel someday, and you will be named Protector of Womens' Homemaking Traditions at some future time. You could make it more valuable by embroidering little microscopic medical things in the sashes or something. Or garden seeds. Or blossoms. Or yellow butterflies...

OH my! Now I have to look for them. I really hope I didn't get rid of them.