a long winter's nap

First of all I want to say a very heartfelt thank you to those who have checked in with me the past few months that I haven't been blogging.  It is so appreciated and so nice to be remembered even though I haven't been "out there".  All is well, but sometimes life just throws up too many obstacles for one to always what one wants to do.    

 So tired of our exceptionally cold, dreary, wet winter, I just returned from a walk in the most welcome sun, some pre-March winds, and warm temperatures.  It was inspiring for me, to say the least.  After 5 months of not posting, and with the holidays past, it is time to shovel out of the rut.

One of my projects included a collaboration with my extremely talented daughter, Casey. Check out her Pinterest boards.  It was such a great experience to work with her on 3 pieces.  I can't share details or photos of these designs quite yet, but it is coming soon. 

Meanwhile here are a few photos of some of the experimenting and quilts I've been playing with before and after the collaboration.  All are unfinished, my normal way of playing.  

14" x 27"

64" x  78" for Chase & Andrea

Twin size for Evie
(remember those chenille bedspreads of the 1950?)

twin size for Silas

16" x 22"

Now to settle down and get some things finished, right?  

Alabama Folk School part 2

Great Friends, Great Fabric, Great Food.  Just can't get enough.  Still reeling with with all the thoughts and memories that will serve me for a long time to come. 

I must take the time to thank Sarah Mills Nee, the director of the Alabama Folk School.  She and her husband are an amazing talented couple.  Sarah and her crew made the daily operation and schedule go smoothly and effortlessly to those of us participating in the workshops.  Everything was done to make our experience relaxing, inspirational and enjoyable.  If you like music or crafts, I can not say enough about this special spot.  They offer classes from nationally know artists and musicians and I can guarantee that you will get your money's worth and then some.

Thank you Sarah and the staff of the Alabama Folk School and Camp McDowell

Mary Ann Pettway - Gee's Bend
Sarah Mills Nee - Camp Director
Anne Robertson - Quilter

Now back to quilting

Mary Ann Pettway posing with her top ready for quilting
Can you tell that she is a fun lady?  

Bonnie

At the end of the workshop, everyone "hung" their quilt tops with blue painters tape to the windows.  Here is Bonnie (sorry Bon, not such a good picture) with her two quilts.  Bonnie has a delightful webpage with great pictures and descriptions of our time together.  Jump over to On The Way and read all about it.  Bonnie is a wonderful artist and you must also visit her web page and art gallery.    Hey!  I just had an idea.  Maybe the Folk School should put Bonnie on their list of teachers!  What fun that would be!!!!

I love the idea of hanging our quilt tops in the windows.  It was magical 

Nifty

Tina

Kim and her very cool GB piece

Suzie made lots of great pieces!

Cathy used her wonderful hand dyed and stamped fabrics

Looks like Cathy and I will be going to a Nancy Crow workshop together!
The fun never ends, my friend.

                                   

Anne had a blast with this one
I cannot wait to see more of it!

I began making more posies on day 2 and laid them on another bark cloth curtain panel. Soon got a bit bored with the posies and looked over to see what Victoria was up to.
(footnote: Tina made a posey for me too - the one on the top with stripped outer edges
Thanks Tina! )
(Do you think I am easily distracted?)

OK, so, back on track.   I scrambled around for some pale neutrals from the table of "shared fabrics" and made this little block:

Mary Ann and China graciously signed it for me
My plan is to hand quilt this one, frame it and hold on to it forever.

So ends the saga of my Camp McDowell/Alabama Folk School experience.  You can see all the other quilt tops if you jump over to the other sites that I mentioned in today and yesterday's post.  As I said, I am being a bit lazy here.  Or is it a case of TMI?
Whatever, there is just way too much to ever fit into one little blog. 
Happy trails to you
until we meet again. 

The Real Deal

My friend Laura and her hubby enjoy auctions.  

They always finds the BEST DEALS ever.  

Check out this beauty.  I feel certain that it is of African American origin from Tennessee.  Or at least one of  our bordering states.  It is made from ginghams, chambrays, corduroy, twills, wool tweeds & plaids, florals to mention a few.  I was immediately in love with this quilt ~ wonderful soft colors and great graphics.  

The backing is a ticking stripe and it is quilted, quite nicely,

in the traditional Baptist Fan pattern.  

Although it has been patched here and there, it is none the worse for wear, considering that it must have been a utilitarian quilt used every night. Laura and Steve graciously allowed me to share this beauty.  I hope that everyone enjoys it as much as I.  And of course, it is on my list to reproduce.  

And while I am on the topic, I wanted to share another local African American quilt which was shown in the local museum quilt show a couple of years ago.   This one, also, is on my list to reproduce.  Isn't it lovely?

Hope y'all have a wonderful week, full of great deals.

Progress

It makes the world go 'round.  I think?  If one does not progress then one will surely die a lingering death. Progress always makes me think of a Joni Mitchell song;  Big Yellow Taxi.  "They paved paradise and put up a parking lot."  She is one of my heroes.  An artist.  A true artist to my way of thinking. Anyone who can write such exquisite lyrics and music, as well as paint incredible images is just brilliant in my book. Which brings me 'round to this.  In my somewhat smallish hometown, we are progressing.  In a couple more years, or less, we shall have a new airport.  Not a large, commercial airport, just one to accommodate private jets.  It will accommodate the captains of industry who must travel from far away places to our small city.  New industries that will make solar panels, cars, appliances, even shipping all those "cannot live without items" from Amazon, to name a few.  It will assist in providing new jobs for our depressed economy.  All those things that we need to progress. So, why am I spouting about all this?  The airport will encompass the land where I grew up. 

I took a walk over the property a few days ago.  The huge equipment has already uprooted the trees where I used to play as a child.  A huge, old oak tree, with roots extending on all sides had been cut down and hauled away for prime lumber.  As well as all the other oak, hickory, walnut, cedar and poplar trees.   These roots had provided the "house" for my acorn family when I was 8 or 9 years old.  I would "dust" out all the leaves and debris and have a glorious, multi-level dwelling for my entire acorn family amongst those huge oak roots.  This walk caused quite a few tears.

The farm where I grew up, where my brothers and sister grew up, where my mother grew up, where my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, great grand-parents lived is no longer a family farm.  This is one of the few structures standing and will soon be gone as well.   This project will assist in the progress of our county and region.  It is progress. Ann and Lucius moved from Clay County, NC to Bradley County, TN.  Many of their descendants are still here.  Including me.  

And progress we must?   Reproducing my great grandmother's quilt. And in doing so, I am progressing in my own way.  I can only hope that it is the right thing that we are all doing. 

"Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone."

Binding those ties couldn't wait

 

No matter that  I had resolved that December be the month to finish all those projects that I have hanging around in my studio.  I could reduce the tension in my shoulders and neck if I would just get out those pieces that are languishing around and complete them.  I have  placed them in pretty boxes on top of the cabinets that hold my fabric stash.  My thought here:  let's make them look nice even if I can't finish them up.   I am making a bit of progress, though. And if I am not able to empty those pretty boxes, I will be able to enjoy seeing the pretty boxes.  (Is there a song in that somewhere?) So these two small ones are fini.

Look out!  Here comes a fiberliscious package of recycled shirtings fabrics from a new friend, Lee Ann.  All the way from Seattle. She was so gracious to share her wonderful fabrics.  And it seems as if she used a microscope, or maybe even ESP, and sent exactly the fabrics that I would need to make great grandma's repro quilt work.  As she says, the older, used pieces add so much.  Of course I was compelled to jump right into the this. UFO's,  get back!  Me gots a new project to begin. 

The fun part:  trying to reproduce a similar look in this new quilt.  The not so fun part:  doing all that precise piecing. The string piecing seems to be a no brainer.  However, it has been so long since I have done actual, traditional type quilt blocks, I had forgotten why I lost interest in piecing/quilting in the first place.  I just cannot seem/seam to sew a straight line.  No matter that each part of my puzzle/block appears to be precise, when I begin to sew it all together ~ %&*@*!!!%^#&##. .  Well, then, this will be the challenge for the new year.  I have committed myself to do this thing and do this thing, I will.  Isn't that the reason for steam irons? Press and stretch that sucker into shape!  Jeeze, Louise!  What would Great Grandma and Grandma say about this? And please, do not mention anything about this to Ma.  Once it is all together and quilted and washed, who will know the difference ~ right?  It is gonna be okay.  And I can still make it fun.

 great grandma's original star

TA-DA!

my repro star

monthly colors

Every time I check out 15 minutes play website, I am inspired.  Victoria has generously provided a wonderful spot for quilters to gather, play and show & tell.  Now I am fortunate  enough to be able to participate in Victoria's online quilt bee with 12 very talented and creative ladies. This is a first for me and I am totally hooked.Each person has  been assigned a month of the year.  When your month arrives, you must choose an idea for making scrappy blocks. Each person, will then, make blocks along that idea, send them to that person and post them on the website.   It has been so much fun to see all the blocks from all the ladies as they are posted.  What has been a plus for me is the inspiration that I get from everyone.  For instance, the choice for November by Nifty Quilts  was scrappy block all in red fabrics.  I sent these 3 blocks to Nifty.

 

 

Once I began making these quick, fun, blocks, I couldn't stop.  I had to keep making more.  The same thing happened when I made October blocks for Victoria's month   This has inspired another idea.  Now I am thinking that I could make scrappy blocks for each month of the year.  But as an added idea, choose a color for each month of the year.  For October, I would make blocks using only blacks fabrics.    Reds for December.  Then make more blocks for November using golden yellows,  January might be blue.  You get my drift?  And as another added bonus, I already have a short stack of single colored scrappy blocks that I've had laying around  for a couple of years just waiting for more.

I had even made one into a pillow. Most of the scraps came from this quilt. All nicely coordinated, huh? 

T

 

This picture shows the back of the pillow.  Rather than sewing it permanently "closed", I like to make one side lap over the other.  Plus, it is fun to make a band that slashes across for added appeal.  I usually end up liking the back more than the front.   

 More to follow on this monthly theme as well as on the pillow theme.