Great Granny Mary's Quilt

A few weeks ago, I showed off one of my Great Granny Mary's Quilts -- one that I had hoped to remake.

A close-up of one block, they looked simple -- I made one test block with scraps and then pulled a stash of romantic florals and matching solids.  I cut out enough to sew a few here and there and ended up with a wall full of the blocks.  

I also made several HSTs to play with a pieced border -- for now it will have to stay.  I have tops to quilt and deadlines to make.

On a personal note, last Thursday I had a small procedure to correct my right eye's distant vision, called Lasik.  On Friday, I went back to work -- driving, working on computers and came home to sewing.  I use my left eye for close-up and now my right eye for distant.  AMAZING!  I fully expected a period of adjustment and downtime -- one day, that is all.  No more contacts or glasses.  I am a happy camper.

For more design walls, visit Judy at Patchwork Times.

The Real Thing!

It's Vintage Thursday and I have two items to share.  The above mantel clock was passed down from my maternal Great Grandparents.  The poor clock has been through a 1987 Tornado that destroyed the mechanics and ruined a portion of the framing.  A local woodworker has restored some of the damage, however I am not sure the clock will ever work again.  But that doesn't matter, I will pass it on to my son one day with hopes the stories will be enough.

Now....do you see what the clock is sitting on???

Another quilt from my great grandmother, all sewn by hand.  Look closely at the blocks below.  No reproduction fabrics here -- they are the real thing from the 30's and 40's.  Several years ago when the the reproduction fabric first came out, I purchased several in hopes of finding some of the exact prints (or close to them).  I still want to reproduce this quilt one day, oh well, another quilt for the wish list.

This quilt is one from my collection that has the least amount of wear.  Granny must have used it sparingly, because I only found a couple of problem areas, which is how I discovered the raw cotton used for batting -- seeds and all!!!

Vintage Block #1

Tuesday, I showed an old block from my Great-grandmother's stash. Here is the block re-created in EQ. If I find the official name for the block, I will come back and update this post.

My main sewing machine will be in the shop a little longer, so I am still going through boxes and cleaning out my room. There are so many projects that I would like to work on, but they will have to wait. If I start getting withdrawals, I can always sew on the spare -- just not as much fun.

Vintage Blocks

While my sewing machine is in the shop, I have been cleaning my sewing room and visiting some of the vintage blocks left behind by my Great Grandmother Mary, "Granny". I was 13 when she died (in her 80's), however I was very blessed to have inherited her love for quilting. As a child, I remember her always sewing (by hand). In her later years, the quilt tops accumulated and then passed on to her oldest daughter (my grandmother) for finishing.

Many of the quilts tops finished were given to family members over the years. Following my grandmother's passing, my sister Phyllis and I now have several of those unfinished tops and blocks ready for assembly. Some are beyond use and very fragile -- mostly because the fabric came from worn clothing. What better use of these treasurers? Inspiration for new quilts.

I love the little block above made from shirtings and gingham. Looks like something else loved it too as a snack. Using EQ, I have sketched the block and will save for a special quilt in the future.
The partially made block above must have been a practice block. All hand-pieced, this scrappy block was used many times in Granny's finished quilts -- if only someone had thought to take pictures of them before giving them away.

Although I have already set up one of my spare sewing machines, I have been enjoying this time visiting these old blocks -- not to mention a cleaner space.