Paper Cranes from Kayla
2 hours ago
My Latest Obsession
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 0 Comments »
A pox on Nancy! She dragged me kicking a screaming (well maybe just whining slightly) into the world of Civil War repro fabric. And you know how we stashaholics are -- just open that door a crack and we fling it WIDE open. Anyway, I've found a few online sources that I thought I'd share.
First, Nauvoo Quilt Co. Julie Stoud has a lovely Etsy shop, with a large number of repro fabrics. I can't say enough about her service. As you can see from her blog, she's quite knowledgeable and extremely talented. Make sure you take a look at her costuming. Exquisite hand-stitched detail, historically correct, down to the hand-made buttonholes. Unbelievable.
Autumn Rose Quilting is another excellent source. Very fast shipping and very fair prices on a wide selection of repro fabrics. I had some random questions which were answered quickly and by expert Cynthia Sullivan. Cynthia has a gajillion (is that a Civil War term?) precuts in addition to regular yardage.
And then there is The Old Country Store. Those of us who make periodic trips to the Lancaster PA area are familiar with this marvelous store in the heart of Intercourse. It's always a highlight of the trip because of their selection and prices. Well now they sell online as well. If you check them out, tell Rachel Lapp I sent you.
Although Autumn Rose specializes in repro fabric, Nauvoo Quilt Co. and TOCS offer a wide range of other types of fabric. TOCS has tons, and I mean tons, of batiks if you are batik freak like me. Are you headed to the Lancaster area? It's well worth the side trip to visit.
A-Stitchin' and A-Waitin'.......
Wednesday, March 03, 2010 3 Comments »Just a-waitin' for Miss Maddy Rose.
I've been stitching the binding and thinking about that brand new life about happen. Every little stitch holds a wish for a life filled with happiness and wonderment; for love from her family and the joy I know she'll bring.
I actually like to hand stitch the binding. It's the time when I really connect with that quilt. Somehow the concentration of doing all of those tiny stitches brings me into the fabric and into the quilt. That's when I think the most about where that quilt's going, and who it's for. Kind of like a meditiation or a prayer.
I've been stitching the binding and thinking about that brand new life about happen. Every little stitch holds a wish for a life filled with happiness and wonderment; for love from her family and the joy I know she'll bring.
I actually like to hand stitch the binding. It's the time when I really connect with that quilt. Somehow the concentration of doing all of those tiny stitches brings me into the fabric and into the quilt. That's when I think the most about where that quilt's going, and who it's for. Kind of like a meditiation or a prayer.
Here's the finished flannel blanquilt (quiltlet?). It's nothing elaborate -- meant to be used hard, washed, used and washed some more. I'm very fond of the fabric. Also glad baby Madeline wasn't around to hear her GG speaking in tongues while doing the ruffle. What a colossal PIA.
That's my DH, Rod-o, acting as the design wall. I told him that if Nancy, near Philadelphia's hubby could do it, so could he. Now he has another skill to put on his resume. If your DH is interested, rumor has it that Nancy's Joe is scheduling seminars.
Shhhhh. Please don't tell Jamie about the quilt. She's not getting it until this weekend.
A "Sprinkle"
Tuesday, March 02, 2010 0 Comments »Newest grandbaby Madeline Rose is due to make her appearance in early April. 4 years have passed since DIL Jamie last used her baby girl layette items, and most of those have long since been passed along to friends. So Jamie's girlfriends hosted a "sprinkle" for her. Not a full-blown shower, just a sprinkle. Such a sweet and loving thing to do!
Anyway, Jamie's friend Janell makes the cutest darned stuff, and created a fabulous "coming home from the hospital" set for baby Maddy. Here are the pictures.
Don't you love the onesie, with matching hat and sox? Janell actually found out what fabrics I was going to use on Madeline's big girl quilt & used those to trim the outfit and make a coordinating rag quilt baby blanket.
Janell sells her burp cloth sets on Etsy. She calls them "Spit Packs" ("stay pretty, not spitty' -- how cute is that!). She'll be expanding her line to include the other newborn items shortly. Please check out her store, BabySewChic. Also featured are beautiful hair bows, including ones that are slip-resistant for very fine baby hair. As a matter of fact, I just ordered a set of big girl St. Patrick's Day hair bows for Annabelle. Wish I were young enough to wear them too........
Fort Sumpter Block
Wednesday, February 24, 2010 1 Comment »I've made my first 2 blocks for the Marcus Civil War Tribute BOM quilt. We will be making one or two sets of blocks each month over the course of the next year, with each block commemorating a different battle in the Civil War. In this case, the "set" consisted of an 18" block and a 12" block, based the Spinning Hourglass pattern and made in rememberance of the Battle of Fort Sumpter.
I'm still not nutso crazy about the fabrics, but my hubby really likes them. The finished quilt should be just wonderful -- right up his antique alley. The project has also kindled my interest in this period of history, prompting me to buy a book from Amazon to bolster the brief history lessons that accompany each block. On the recommendation of another quilter in the class, I also read The Lost Quilter, by Jennifer Chiaverini. I had never read any of her Elm Creek Quilt series, but I will certainly be reading more. This particular novel added a different dimension to my Civil War studies -- it was a fast and very enjoyable read!
Because there are more block sets than months, March will bring double sets. I'd better go read my book so I can figure out which battles those blocks represent -- don't want to be the class dunce!
