Sister's Choice Quilts

The Back of the Quilt

Seriously?  Yes, this is the back of a quilt.  The quilter used different colors of bobbin thread to be sure that a fabulous design was created on the back of the quilt as well as on the front.  Incredible, isn't it?

Last week I went on a little quilting retreat with friends, and stayed in a condominium in Palm Desert, where it was 78 degrees the first few days we were there.  That good luck changed on us though, and we had lots of rain the end of the week.  It never rains in the desert, except when we were there.  We didn't care though, and even though none of had umbrellas or appropriate outerwear, we had a blast.

We got plenty of sewing done, and I will show you what I accomplished in later posts this week.  Our trip culminated with a drive up "The 10" to the Road to California Quilt Show in Ontario, where we saw some pretty amazing quilts.  I have to say that my taste runs more towards the traditional style, so those tended to be my favorites.  The work that goes into these pieces is truly mind boggling.

I am not sure why I was so taken with the backs of quilts, but here is a photo of another one that was pretty amazing:

I came home to a freezing cold house, as our thermostat went belly up last week.  Supposedly it is an easy fix, and will be taken care of right away.  Last night I burrowed under a heavy down comforter, which normally would be way too hot for me.  I was snug as a bug.  Unfortunately I have other things to do which are going to get in the way of me staying under the covers all day.  What a pity.

Just a Quick Little Note

Just a quick little note to let you know I am alive and well.  Just back from a quilting retreat with some dear friends. The photo above is one I took on one of our outings.  Maybe you can guess where I was?

I will have to tell you about it in another post though.  I came home to a broken thermostat and my house is freezing!  My nose is running, my fingers are so cold they won't work, and I need to crawl under the down comforter and try to warm up right now.

Normal posting will resume tomorrow.

 

 

Irish Woolen Mill

While visiting Ireland last week, we made a point to travel to County Wicklow to see the woolen mill at Avoca.

This mill is the oldest mill in Ireland and is located in a village so picturesque it has been used for a location in many films--you may have heard of the tv series Ballykissangel, which was filmed there.

Aren't these colors amazing?

And you think we have troubles trying to keep our sewing machines lint free?  Check this out--and no, my focus isn't blurry, that's all lint!

The looms weave all those spools of thread into colorful bolts of fabric.  Later these bolts can be cut down into individual throws and shawls. 

This mill's products are hugely popular amongst the Irish as well as the tourists.  In fact, there is a very posh retail shop with several branches throughout the country, called "Avoca".  The shops sell the woolen products of course, but also have very trendy clothing and accessories.  The vibe of the shop put me in mind of the US chain "Anthropology".

I have to say, in my trips around the Irish countryside and my excursions to Dublin's main shopping district, I saw no sign of any quilt shops or even dressmaking fabric shops.  I think if I lived in Ireland, I might be the only quilter in the country?  Are there any Irish quilters out there?  (Sound of crickets chirping....) You must be very lonely!

Jet lag may be a bit better.  Still waking up at ridiculous times of the night, but am managing to fall back to sleep.  Would you believe I haven't been down to the studio at all since I got back?  Today is the day.  My plan is to tackle my Spools projects and wrap them up.  Hope to have some progress to share with you on Monday. 

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

My Next Home

No, not really, but isn't it cool?  It is a tower on the Powerscourt estate in Ireland.  One day, the Richer Than God, Lord Powerscourt sat at his breakfast table trying to figure out how to spend more of his money and how to exploit the locals.  "Hmmm", thought he.  He idly picked up his pepper mill and asked his wife if she thought it would be amusing to construct a tower in the gardens based on its design.  Before you can say "Saint Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland", Lord P got going on this project.  This is the result--The Pepper Pot Tower.

It actually is very beautiful, as are the gardens at Powerscourt in County Wicklow.  Here is a photo Ahren took of an angel making a floral arrangement.

Powerscourt is a must if you plan to visit Ireland.  The grounds are just exquisite.  You can wander all around the Japanese garden, the Rose garden, the reflecting pool and fountains, and be sure not to miss the pet cemetary.

I had a fabulous time visiting Ireland, and seeing Ahren and Mary Ann in their home turf.  Beautiful country.  The two of them showed Sara and I a first class time, and I left feeling grateful that I have gained another daughter and that Sara has the sister she always wished for.  Isn't it awesome when your kids pick partners that you adore?

Right now I am a bit jet lagged, but hope to get back to normal by the beginning of next week.  They say it takes a day to recover for every hour you were off your normal time zone.  That would be eight for California to Dublin.  Ugh.  Last night I woke up feeling as if I had had a full night's sleep and was wide eyed and bushy tailed---at 1:30 AM.

Thanks for reading my posts while I was away.  I always appreciate your comments.  Truly, it is what makes blogging worth while.

(Click and zoom to see my fabulous kids).

The Quilt Show

The Buggy Barn hosts an annual two day quilt show that draws folks from all over the place.  The building in the photo above is their little shop.  Not only is it chock full of quilts and fabrics on the inside, on the days of the quilt show, they have quilts displayed on every available outside surface as well!

lol  Couldn't resist this quilt, for obvious reasons!  I never can pass by a Sister's Choice quilt.

You have got to click on the image below to zoom in on the amazing stitchery.  I met the woman who made this gorgeous quilt, and she was so humble about her acomplishment.  I think it is astonishingly beautiful!

Not only are quilts hung on the barns for this quilt show, they are also draped over fences and hung on clothes lines.  It is a huge endeavor to get them all up before the show.  Janet and Pam and all their family and friends gather on the farm at dawn the day of the show and get them all hung.  Obviously some advance planning goes into figuring out where to put them all, but somehow it all gets done by 9:00 AM the day of the show.  And get this---they take them all down Saturday evening and put them all back in place by 9:00 AM Sunday!

This is a quilt that is definitely in my future!  I have started to collect browns, blacks, reds and golds and am planning a fabric swap with my friends Thelma and Lisa.

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While I adore getting your comments and answering them, I am away at the present time and won't be able to respond as usual.

Fantasy

Can you guess in what place I am taking this picture?

It is from the inside of this vintage travel trailer that was at the Buggy Barn quilt show!

It was hard to get a good picture, due to all the people crowding around, trying to get inside for a look!

It has been a fantasy of mine to have one of these vintage trailers, and a pink one no less.  I can just imagine decorating it all up and hitching it to the back of my car and taking off for parts unknown.  No phone, no responsibilities, just me and my trailer and the open road.

There is a club called Sisters on the Fly, which is made up of women who all have these cool trailers and take trips together.  Their motto is "We have more fun than anyone", which I also love.  The two sisters who started the club (Becky and Maurrie) travel all over the country in a vintage trailer with their 93 year old mother Maisie, fly fishing and camping.  Their club really has taken off in popularity, and now has 2400 members!

There is a blog called The Beehive Cottage, written by Mary Jane, who belongs to this group.  You have got to go to her site and check out the photos of her 1957 red vintage trailer!  She named her trailer Buttonwillow, and she even decorates it up for Christmas, which is a complete hoot.  She is a crafter and vintage style sewer, and you might really enjoy seeing some of her projects. Mary Jane has tapped into her inner cowgirl and decorated Buttonwillow in a vintagey Cowgirl Chic style, which is adorable.

The trailer I visited was set up as a darling boutique, full of vintage jewelry and other objets.  This is what I purchased:

A little tote bag made from a ruined bow tie quilt.  I think it is wonderful that something could be salvaged from a quilt that was ready to be tossed out.  The little bow tie blocks and lacey embellishments are so sweet.

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While I adore getting your comments and answering them, I am away at the present time and won't be able to respond as usual.

 

 

A New Area of Study

Are any of you out there wool workers?  Before this trip to the Buggy Barn, I had no idea what wool work was all about.  What an eye opening experience.  I am in love.  The photo above is my class project, which was entirely constructed to the point as shown in the few hours of class time we had.  The bunny and the "muff" on the left hand edge will be positioned in the main scene and whip stitched down soon.  The prep takes longer than the actual stitching!  There is a lot of cutting out, positioning and pinning in place before you can sew, but the actual sewing goes at the speed of light.

I mean, seriously.  Have you ever seen anything so cute?  Who knew?  This process is so darn easy, you could teach your kids to do it.  All that is required is careful cutting skills, and the know how to do a whip stitch.  Piece of cake.  Oh, and one more thing.  A Donald Trump sized budget.

Man, these supplies are pricey.  Jeez Louise.  Before Thelma and I even had our first day of instruction we were in at least $50 for wool supplies for future projects we thought we'd like to make.  The teensiest piece of felted wool costs a pretty penny.  Up to $20 for a collection of four or five little eight inch squares.

For those of you who are novices, as Thelma and I were, felted wool is regular wool that has been washed and shrunk, so it thickens up and will not ravel.  This makes it ideal for whip stitching on a background, and using as a table mat or other decorative piece.

Our instructor was Bonnie Sullivan of All Through the Night, master wool worker.  She has years of experience, a couple of books out, and loads of patterns.  She comes from a talented family--her sister is Kathy Schmidt, a fabric designer for Moda.  Here are some photos of Bonnie's work:

Just look how she placed the plaid for her bee hive.  She did the same thing for the individual bees, which you can probably see if you zoom in on the photo.  Amazing

Even though the supplies are pricey, the technique to applique the wool pieces onto a background could not be easier.  A simple whip stitch in thread that matches your wool just disappears into the background.  And man, is it ever fast!  Honestly, you can finish up a project in no time flat, and have a vintage looking decoration on your table for the holidays.

You do not need fancy threads.  I brought embroidery floss, but perle cotton or just regular old sewing thread works just fine.  A lady in the class had brought her entire stash of threads (which was enormous) and was happlily sharing what she had with the rest of us.  You need embroidery needles, pins, and some sort of fabric glue.  Oh, and see that little pile of scraps on the right?  You never ever throw anything away when you work with wool.  It is like gold.  Not to be wasted, ever.

This class was a real eye opener and I am grateful to Thelma for suggesting we try it, and to Bonnie Sullivan for introducing me to a lovely new craft.

The Projects, Part One

Thelma and I signed up for three classes in the four day week of course offerings the Buggy Barn provided.  Initially, we intended only to sign up for the two quilt classes offered by Paula Barnes of Red Crinoline Quilts (formerly Bonnie Blue Quilts).  Both of us are crazy for Civil War reproduction fabrics and patterns, and had been fans of Paula's forever.  We knew we could not possibly go wrong with that choice and we were right.  Ultimately, we chose an additional class in an area in which neither of us had any experience, but that's anotherpost!

Paula Barnes is a soft spoken, and extremely gracious Southern lady, who was also a very effective teacher.  The first day of class the project was one of her Bonnie Blue patterns called Hill Country Baskets.  This pattern would be ideal for a stash reduction project, but because of time contraints and simplicity, a kit was offered as part of the class price.  Just take a look at the photo above, every Civil War scrap in your stash would work together in this quilt.  The thing that holds it all together is the lattice--a border stripe print.  TIP:  when you see a border print fabric in colors that you often use, just buy it.  Don't even think twice.  Of course you can use it as an outer border, but doesn't it add the coolest effect in the lattice?  We commonly pass right by these border prints, but come on, let's use our imaginations.  These fabrics are fabulous when used well.

The fabric you choose for the setting triangles and the border are going to set the over all look of this quilt.  My opinion?  Why not wait until you lay out your blocks and lattice and see what "speaks" to you?  Sometimes after you finish your blocks, all will be revealed and you will know in just what direction to proceed.  If you make this project, you may have a preponderance of greens or blues or browns in your stash (and your finished blocks), and those colors might be more effective in your setting triangles and borders.  Just wait and see is my advice.

Aren't these blocks adorable?  Another TIP:  buy fat quarters or half yards of good background fabrics constantly.  If you are on a shop hop, don't come home without some good backgrounds.  Every stash benefits from a good and plentiful assortment of these.  Scrappy backgrounds are wonderful, and are going to be with us for the foreseeable future.  Our quilting predecessors used multiple scraps of what they had on hand, and it makes for a much more authentic Civil War reproduction project.

So here is another TIP, this time from Paula.  She likes to lay out her block units on a tray and assembly line sew them together in sets of five or six blocks.  She was telling us that she recently purchased a baker's rack (you know--you've seen them a million times--it's a metal rack with very narrow slots for holding baking sheets that contain rolls or other baked goods).  She organizes her block units on rimmed baking sheets and pulls a tray out and sews her units whenever she gets a chance.  Brilliant, huh?

Most of us either don't have access to a baker's rack, or the room to squeeze it into our sewing rooms, but one little tray could achieve the same purpose.  I kind of like how my units to be sewn are all organized and together there.

I will be posting all week and probably into next week on this marvelous trip and all that we learned.  I have another vacation coming up, and will set some posts to publish while I am away.  This time I will be organized, and also have enough blog fodder to keep you all entertained while I am off.

Where am I going next?  Ireland!!   I am going to visit my son and his fiancee Mary Ann, and cannot wait!

 

Fabulous Vacation

Oh, gracious, did I ever have a fantastic week!  I travelled to Spokane, Washington to meet up with my dear friend Thelma of Cupcakes 'n' Daisies, and to take classes at the incomparable Buggy Barn Quilt Shop!  Later in the week, our pal Lisa from Stashmaster joined us, and I cannot even begin to describe the laughter and fun we shared. 

I am pooped today, having just gotten home, but will share a few pictures of the eastern Washington landscape in the Spokane area.  We were pretty much out in the middle of a million miles of wheat fields, amber waves of grain and all that, but man, was it ever beautiful.  Made me proud to be an Amurican.  Lovely people, and some of the most gorgeous quilts I have ever seen.  And we are going to be making some of them, oh yes we are.

The shop itself is no bigger than a minute, but crammed to the gills with quilts of every description.

Seriously, this shop is out in the middle of nothing but wheat as far as the eye could see.

I will devote this week to telling you about our trip, our classes, the shopping we did and more.  For now, here is a little teaser--a picture of one of our class projects:

Victory Star, designed by Paula Barnes of Red Crinoline Quilts (formerly Bonnie Blue Quilts).

 

Travelin'

Can you guess what I am up to?  Cutting, that's what.  Got my instructions, my zip lock baggies for my pieces, my iced tea--I am good for a marathon cutting session.

I am cutting out not one, but two kits for gorgeous Civil War quilts.  I am going to be traveling next week to meet up with a dear blogging friend, and take a few classes. 

Sometimes when one orders kits, the fabrics are a disappointment, have you noticed?  Not this time.  I would say I approved of 80% of the fabrics in the first kit, and nearly 100% of the fabrics in the second.  I am fortunate to have a nice stash of Civil War fabrics (mostly acquired the last time I took a quilting related trip to Illinois and Wisconsin), so I was able to easily swap out the fabrics I didn't love with some from my stash.

I have a couple of trips planned for the next few weeks, so my blogging will be sporadic.   In the meanwhile, enjoy this fun picture of my darling Baby E.  She is into absolutely everything lately, and I cannot take my eyes off of her for a second.  Today, while I was auditioning outfits for my first trip, she climbed into the bathtub and proceded to play with her bath toys.  The fact that she was completely clothed and that there was no water in the tub didn't phase her in the slightest.  The tub was a play pen of sorts, so I just left her in it while I puttered around in my dressing room!

This was her trick last week.  She opened the big drawer at the bottom of my tv console and climbed into it to read a book.

Have I mentioned recently how much I love her?