Monthly Archives: July 2011

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Butterflies in the garden

Lansing MI finally had rain!  In my yard we had 2.25 inches Wednesday night and 1.75 inches Thursday night.  I went out to the garden to see how many plants were knocked down by the rain and had to take some pictures of the butterfly that was drying its wings.

The swallow-tail butterflies love my coneflowers!  They are the most frequent visitors to my garden.

Butterflies have long been a quilting motif. (click for enlargements)

These quilts from the 30′s have appliqued butterflies.  They were a great pattern to use up all those assorted colorful prints

Pieced quilts also featured butterflies.

I have not made a butterfly quilt  myself yet but I do like to paint butterflies.  Here is a painting I did a few years ago from my garden

This one I did with watercolor pencils.

Have a great Weekend!

Tim

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Pine Burr re-working begins

Today I began the work of re-working the pine burr top.  (see the 7/13 post for more).  I began by separating a few of the blocks.  Not a small task!…the top was hand pieced which is not hard to take apart but someone, at some point in its history, decided to try to make it lie flat and went over and over the seams with very small machine stitching.  Once I had a few blocks free I could see that they would never lay flat as they were

There was just too much extra fullness to press out.  Time to take it apart and see if I can tell where the problem is.  It looked like it had to be the edges so I started there.

Edges off and still not flat…… well take it apart more

Now it lays flat so the guilty piece is the center and those curved seams!  I had to replace that piece anyway since the fabric is deteriorating.  So I had to draw a new pattern piece

I drew diagonal lines corner to corner on the pattern paper and marked the center of each of the 4 legs with a pin and placed them on the paper

Traced the pieces and made some adjustments

added seam allowances and cut it out. I used freezer paper to draw it so I ironed it on to cardboard and cut it out to make a template

If I place the old piece over the template you can see how off it was

And if I fold it in half you can see the lack of symmetry

I made the new piece using the fabric that was the border of the quilt top so it’s of the same period as what I am replacing.  I hand stitched the new piece in

Careful pressing helps so that you don’t distort the pieces (press don’t iron)

All 4 added and looking nice and flat. now put the outside pieces back in.

looks good now.

Now 11 blocks to go.  This one took the better part of a day but now that I have the system figured out it should go faster for the rest.

I have 3 other quilts in progress at the time so It might be a while before I get back to this one but I couldn’t wait to get at least a start on it.

Happy quilting

Tim

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Applique for thimble display

On the 18th I posted about a thimble display case.  Saturday I made the quilted insert for the center.

I thought about using a vintage block from my collection but I didn’t have anything that fit the opening.  I decided to make a new block using an old Kansas City Star pattern called “Memory Bouquet”.  The pattern is from the 1932. There are 20 different blocks in the series (The Detroit News published 25).  The block I chose fit the opening in the display case perfectly.

I hand quilted it and then washed and dried it before attaching it.  I love the way washing makes the piece look old.  The shrinkage of the batting causes the puckering. (it also distorts the applique a bit but I still like it)

I still have plenty of room for more thimbles (I could fit 2 or 3 in each square).

One of the thimbles I wrote about on the 18th was a political advertizing thimble that I dug up in my garden.  It says “Just sew you’ll remember..Hugh Silsby for Sheriff.”  I did some research and found out about Hugh.  He was in fact the sheriff of Ingham County from 1918 – 1923. 

Hugh W. Silsby graduated from Webberville in 1903 and was elected Sheriff of Ingham County and served three terms. He made his home in Mason but his brothers, Harry, Earnest, and Archie remained in the Webberville area. Their father worked in a mill in Webberville and walked to East Lansing to attend school at MAC. (later to become Michigan State University) Then he taught until his hearing became impaired. He then became a building contractor and in 1912 built the Webberville Elementary School.  He was active in township political affairs and he served as Clerk and Supervisor several times. He died on March 21, 1951 and is buried in the Maple Grove cemetery in Mason.

Here is a newspaper article from his campaign

He must have found the thimble advertising to be effective because I found another one that recently sold on-line.  I wish I had seen it first! 

And an update on extra-large thimbles:  I found an antique on eBay UK that is a sail makers thimble that was intended to be worn on the thumb.  I look forward to its arrival…lets hope it fits!

Here is a picture from the Quilt Index of the complete Memory Bouquet quilt

The “memory Bouquet” patterns are often available on-line as well. I bought my set of patterns on eBay.  Here is the one I used

Some day I will make the entire quilt.

There  is a set of patterns for sale on eBay now.  It is item #370528668313 .  Type that number into the search line on the eBay page to find it.  The selling price is $6.00

Check out my garden Journal for an update on the flowers

http://timquilts.wordpress.com/garden-journal/

Happy Quilting

Tim

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Garden Update…the heat wave continues

The heat wave continues and the garden work has consisted of watering and watering and watering.  I use soaker hoses in all the flower beds which are the best way to water in the hot sunny weather.  The water goes into the soil where it is needed most and keeps the foliage dry.  Wet foliage in the searing hot sun is not a good thing.  Sun shining on water droplets heats up the water quickly and can burn the foliage.  Wet foliage is also the best way to spread diseases like Powdery Mildew and Black Spot on the roses. 

Even in all the heat there is still a good bit of growth in the garden.  Here are a few pictures. (click for enlargement)

The purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) are blooming away and the Blue Salvia makes a nice addition to the bed.

The crocosmia is blooming, the variety is “lucifer” due to the red flowers.  The queen of the prairie (Filipendula rubra) Is blooming but I think I will move it next year, It needs more space

The Oriental Lilies are standing the heat.  It is in the upper 90′s today

The Phlox is blooming and so far no signs of powdery mildew.  Dry foliage and air circulation help

Liatris and Coreopsis are looking good

The millet has a lot more blooms and the Colocasia Black Beauty is finally showing some growth

The new flower bed is looking good

The front is as well.  this is the climbing Collette rose working its way across the gate.

With all the heat and dry weather I think it still looks pretty good.

Happy Gardening

Tim

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Antique Thimbles

I have a problem with thimbles.  I can’t find one that fits!!  Why don’t they make thimbles large enough for me?!  My quest for the perfect thimble has spurred a collection of antique thimbles.

Arent they pretty!  None of them fit!

The largest I can find is size 11

And I have tries all kinds of new ones…..here are a few

I have to make my own…I use leather and elastic and tape…..If you use leather you need to replace or repair very often!….the needle head goes right through the leather fairly quickly so I am always gluing on a patch.   If you have ever tried hand quilting without a thimble you will understand my problem!

I do love the collection of antiques.  They are all so different and interesting.  Here is an old political thimble I found buried in my garden

It’s hard to read in the picture but it says “Just sew you’ll remember  Hugh Silsby for Sherriff – Republican”  I have no idea who that is or if he won but It sure is an interesting find.

With the collection growing I needed some way to display them.  My Friend John is an amazing woodworker so I asked him if he could make a display case for me.  I got the finished product today. (He really should sell his work….He also makes amazing custom canes)

Several boxes to display the thimbles. And an open diamond in the center which will contain a quilt panel.  For the picture I placed an antique quilt I am working on behind it.

Here are a few thimbles in the display

I love it!  I cant wait to all the quilt panel and fill it up.

Here are a few fun fact about thimbles:

The earliest know thimble is first centure roman and found at Pompei, made of bronze

In the 19th century thimbles were used to measure spirits, hence the phrase “just a thimbleful”

The first thimble made in England was in 1695 by a Dutch metal worker named Lofting. It was called the ” thumb-bell,” because it was worn on the thumb when in use, and shapped like a bell. The shape eventually changed, but the name, softened into thimble, still remains.

People who collect thimbles are known as “digitabulists”.  I think I will stick with “quilter”

If anyone knows where to find a xxl thimble let me know

Happy Quilting

Tim

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Sunday update…Pineapple Applique quilt border

I have been working on the pineapple applique quilt blocks.  The pattern I am basing the quilt on has 12 blocks. I had planned to make mine with 16 blocks (22″ each) for an 88″ square quilt.  As I laid out the blocks I decided it would benefit from a border.  So the new plan is 9 blocks and a border. So I drew up a pattern using elements from the blocks and here is the progress so far.

I am making the border in pieces.  The quilt blocks are 22″ square so the border pieces are 11″ x 22″ with an 11″ square in each corner

So that makes 9 blocks for the quilt and 4 blocks for the corners and 12 for the borders for a total of  25.

This makes for a lot more hand applique work but I think it will be worth it. Here is a picture of the original pattern

I think the addition of the border will make for a more interesting quilt.

I am relatively new to hand applique but I am enjoying it and getting better.  my stitches are getting more even and smaller.  Here is a picture of the back of one of the blocks

Not perfect but getting better.  PBS used to have a painting show years ago called “Welcome To My Studio”  With Hellen Van Wyk.  She was a very accomplished portrait and still life painter with years of experience.  She often sad that people would look at one of her painting and ask “how long did it take you to paint that?”  She would respond 37 years! (the # of years she had been painting).  I think quilting is like that….over the next 37 years I expect to keep improving…for now I claim progress rather than perfection.

There are a few new things blooming in the garden (despite the heat and lack of rain)

This double day lily is always pretty ( It came from a friend in New Jersey)  I don’t know the variety name but it is not a fancy new hybrid, it is a very old one.  It tends to want to spread and take over the entire garden so 2 years ago I decided it needed to be controlled.  I dug it up saved one division and planted it in a very large plastic pot then buried the pot in the flower bed…now the plant can’t spread beyond the pot.

Another ornamental millet is beginning to bloom.  I love the dark flowering spike against the bright foliage.  I plan to try saving seeds of this one for next year.

Despite being transplanted a month later than they should have been, and living through hot dry weather, the plants in the new flower bed are doing fine.

Happy Gardening and Happy Quilting

Tim

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Pine Burr antique quilt top….a restoration project

This week I got yet another quilt top from eBay.  The amazing assortment of antique fabrics made it too hard to pass up. The pattern is “Pine Burr”  Brackman #3002

I’m not sure what the maker was thinking with the pink and blue sashing in the center….I think that needs to go (and be recycled because it is great fabric!) but the individual blocks are full of early fabrics

Overdyed greens, madder, paisley, shirtings

Lancaster blue and more paisley

Garibaldi red  green calicoes and indigo

Indigo so dark it looks black, interesting botanical prints

There is one fabric that is deteriorating. 

The mordant used in the dye process in this fabric caused the deterioration.  This fabric is used on 4 of the blocks.  I will need to replace it.

The blocks are constructed very well with good hand stitching

However the top does not lay very flat.  I will need to take the top apart press all the blocks …repair the damage, and then reassemble.  It will be well worth the effort!

Happy Quilting

Tim

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Rain dance!….finally

We finally had rain yesterday!  Happy rain dance today!

The storm came through yesterday and according to my rain gauge we got 3/4″.  The flowers and the lawn look so relieved today.  The problem with rain is that it  knocks down some of the flowers.  When that happens I make a floral arrangement.

There weren’t many flowers knocked down so this is not a large bouquet.  I used Hydrangea, purple cone flower, Helianthus, lavender, peony pods, hardy fern, and meadow rue seed heads.  The vase is a recycled jar.  Jars are my favorite container for flowers from the garden.  They come in a variety of sizes and you never have to worry about the cost! 

here are a few pictures of the flowers in the garden

I got the top on the garden arbor.  Next year it will have some vines covering it

 

 

 

Now back to quilting

Tim

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Antique red and green applique blocks

I got a few new antique blocks in the mail this week.  I plan to collect enough to make them into an album quilt. (click pictures to enlarge)

It is always interesting to me how the dyes used in the 1800′s change color over time.  The red and the cheddar fabrics have held their color while the greens in these blocks  have changed.  The dye process was an over-dye , fabric was dyed blue, and then yellow (yellow and blue make green).  If the yellow dye was more fugitive than the blue and begins to fade away the fabric becomes more blue-green (teal). If the blue dye was more fugitive and fades more than the yellow the fabric becomes more yellow-green (poison green).  Barbara Brackman has a great post about antique green fabric on her blog.  http://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/2011/07/green-calicoes-antique-prints.html

The blocks are all different sizes  but average 20″ square.  I will need about 12 blocks to make a full quilt.  I could reproduce the blocks to fill in but I think I will wait to find more and keep it all antique.

The work on the blocks is very good.  here is a picture of the stitching

and remember they did it all without freezer paper or glue or computer printed templates.

There are still a lot of blocks out there to be found.  Ann Champion came across a great one recently.  Check it out on here blog  here:  http://annchampion.com/?p=1561

I will keep updating as I find new blocks.

Meanwhile an update on the quilts I am working on this week:

Pineapple Applique  6 blocks done 6 to go

I’m making progress on the Old Italian Block scrappy quilt, Over 1/2 done

When I hand quilt I always start in the center of the quilt and work out to the edges.  This allows me to work out any extra fullness or wrinkles that I might have missed when I basted. I work them out to the edges.  Here is a close up of the “by the piece” quilting (quilting stitches follow each piece in the block about 1/4 inch from the edges)

I still have to decide how to quilt the border….I think a rope design.

The new garden is coming along

I got the posts in for the arbor and now have to build the top.  The posts are antique porch posts that came from a flea market in Iowa.

I also added a few solar lights

More to come, It’s too hot to work outside this weekend, and as dry as can be!  Fingers crossed for rain!!

Happy Quilting and Happy Gardening

Tim

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Curved Piecing a Drunkard’s Path….Don’t be afraid

This is a Drunkard’s Path quilt I finished last year.  The top is from the late 1800′s. I cleaned up the fabric and hand quilted it.

I have seen articles written and patterns designed to avoid the “scary” curved piecing required to make the blocks.  I thought I would show how to do curved piecing.  I am beginning a red and white quilt so I will use it as an example.

First I have templates to cut the fabric.  In the old days they would make their own template (with cardboard or sandpaper).

The secret is to line up the pieces that don’t look like they would ever fit together. Fold the pieced in half and finger press the center of each curve .

line up the creases and pin in the center (If you hate to pin this is not the block for you!)

Now add a pin to each end lining up the straight edges

Looks like a mess and you did something wrong?  perfect, then its going fine.

Now starting at the pin sew a 1/4 in seam….go slow and keep lining up the 2 layers….sew with the small wedge-shaped piece on top

When its done it looks like this

Notice there is no clipping needed.  Now press to the dark

That’s all there is to it.  If you prefer to hand sew the idea is the same but I start sweing at the center pin and sew to one edge, then go back to the center and sew to the other edge

Here is a top I made where over 1/2 of the blocks are hand pieced and half machine pieced.

One of the silly “tricks” that I have seen (popular quilting magazine name withheld, but think pbs ) is to sew the 2 pieces together just stacked on top of each other and then cut out the extra fabric and then make coordinating bias tape, and then top stitch the bias tape over the raw edge seam.  Sounds like 4 more steps than just sewing the curve the right way! 

Anyway Its noting to be afraid of, either by hand or machine it’s actually an easy block to make.

Happy Quilting

Tim

Note:  see my post  on UFO’s for more drunkard’s path quilt layouts http://timquilts.wordpress.com/2011/03/29/ufos-not-a-new-phenomenon/