Monday, September 30

What's on the line? It's a "Turnover"!!

Just a little something "on the line" today................

.............and all you have to do is "turn it over"...........


for a whole other look!!  You may recognize this design as I made the same pattern with fabrics from the 2013 Quilt Minnesota fabrics. You can see that project by going here.  I called the little quilt project "Sweet Turnover".  It's a table topper that measures about 24-1/2" x 27-1/2".  I must apologize for the poor quality of these photos. It was so sunny that the color is too bright on the top photo and for some reason, they are sort of faded looking on the bottom photo. In the top photo, it's 2-1/2" strips that are the base for that side of "Sweet Turnover". And on the plaid side, it's 5" charm squares that make up the reverse of this table topper. I am considering sharing this as a tutorial but want some feedback from all of you. Would you like to see a tutorial for this project? Let me know, please.
Here's wishing you a good Monday!!!
Sandi


Monday, September 23

What's on the line?

What a glorious day for hanging quilts on the line! On Sunday afternoon right around 4:00 p.m. I took this quilt and another one out to my clothesline in the trees for a couple of photos. According to the weatherman, Fall had arrived at about 3:44 p.m. and it was just a beautiful day. It was a wee bit windy but look at that sun and the grass behind my quilt is greening up a bit after being very brown and crispy because we hadn't had any rain. But we got rain and it didn't take much to make the grass turn green!
And sooooooooo..........what's the story of this quilt? Well this one is quite old, the quilt top that is. It dates to sometime in the 1920's and was made by Granny Blair. This is a bit complicated but here goes. My mother Mary Katherine was raised by her Aunt Bell Blair. Aunt Bell was the sister of my mother's mother Mary Ann (my maternal grandmother) who died when my mother was just 3 years old. Granny Blair lived with Aunt Bell in the 1920's before my mother came to live with Aunt Bell in the 1930's. Granny Blair made the top sometime during the 1920's and then sometime in the 1970's, the top was given to me. I used an old quilted bedspread for the batting and backed the quilt with a soft white sheet. The binding is made from scraps of gingham and polka dot cottons. I tied the quilt with bits of embroidery floss and it made for a really comfy quilt. This was one that my kids, Collette and Devlin, would use when a little extra warmth was needed on a cold night and also when they would not be feeling well. Some of the blocks show wear and I've mended here and there. It doesn't actually get used much anymore but sometimes I just like to lay it out and look at all the fabrics and wonder if they were dresses.....or shirts.....nightgowns? And for a long time, I wonder about Granny Blair. I wondered what her first name was but all my mother could remember hearing of her was that she was.......Granny Blair.  And then this past Labor Day weekend, I got the answer in a most unlikely way. One of my quilty friends on Facebook posted a link to the U.S. Census records and a comment that they were available free for the entire Labor Day weekend. I hopped right over to that link and started downloading Census Records for our family members. And there on the page for Daviess County, Gallatin, Missouri was the name of my Aunt Bell, her husband, John Blair and one other member of the household.........his mother, Elevetta Blair! Finally, I had the name of the woman who made this quilt top! I was so excited. And I loved the sound of her name. So pretty!  I need to get a label made for the back of the quilt and then this quilt will never again be without it's proper identification.
Now the other quilt that I took photos of .......... well, that one will show up next Monday on the line. And if the weather continues being so nice, I may finally get photos taken of those four scrappy quilts that I mentioned a while back. I love Fall because it gives me energy. Summer is warm and sunny but oh, the heat drains my energy. Planning to get out my Fall decorations and make the house look very festive with pumpkins and autumn leaves and a bit of Halloween, too. Here's wishing you a Happy First Day of Autumn! Make it a good one!
Oh! and Happy Birthday to my friends Judith and Lynn and anyone else out there who has birthday this fine day! And remembering especially, my Aunt Bell whose birthday was today. She was born in 1899, a very good year, I'm sure!
Sandi

Monday, September 16

What's on the line?

It's another re-run this week!  We have been gone this past weekend to my husband's 50th Class Reunion in Humboldt, Iowa. It was a great weekend of reconnecting with old friends! More on that when I get pics loaded to my computer. Just trying to catch up a bit.......always trying to "catch up a bit"! LOL! So anyway...........it's finally cooling off and that means Fall is finally on the way. Here's a pic of one of my favorite wooly projects...........

 
To see the quilt when I first featured it here on my blog and the story behind it, just go here.
 
That's all for today, but now that the big reunion is over and a few other summer projects, perhaps my goal of "catching up" can be realized. Um.........then again.........my list of projects is long! Oh, well, at least as friend, Anita says...........we have a good reason to get up in the morning!  Back soon...............
Have a good Monday and make it a great start to an awesome week!
Sandi

Monday, September 9

What's on the line?

As some of you have noticed..........I have been a bit of an "absentee blogger" lately.  Plenty of excuses but the one that covers it all is ......just plain busy!  Oh, and too hot! I was hoping to get out to hang those big quilts on the line but our weather here in Minnesota has been more like what we get in July. I am hoping that soon there will be some relief from the heat and also some rain!! In the meantime, I'm featuring a "re-run" on the line. This is a quilt that I made in 2002 and shared with friends at my church.

I am sharing them again with the quilt group that I belong to.......Kindred Kwilters. We are up to the Schoolhouse block and so I am working on that one this coming week. It was the most difficult block in the quilt and I am trying to make it a little simpler. I might not succeed, but I'm going to try. You can read the story behind the quilt here and also see a better indoor picture here. More on this project in the coming weeks. And hopefully, I'll soon be able to take pictures of some quilts and you won't have to watch "re-runs". 
Back again soon.........
Sandi
"Peace can be found in the piecing of a quilt."
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