Winter Visit to Sugar Hill, NH

In addition to all the goings on in Massachusetts that I described in the previous post, I spent several days up in Sugar Hill, NH, visiting our cousins.  We traveled north on a dark grey and rainy day.  It wasn't much for taking glorious photos from the bus, but I like the moodiness of these.

 

 

One day was devoted to quilty events.  My cousin is not a quilter, but she loves old things and pretty things.  They live in a house built in the 1820s that is chock full of pretty things collected as they traveled and lived around the world.  She volunteers with the local history museum and is great friends with the museum curator, and she has a good friend who quilts.

So between them, they devised a quilt day.  I gave the same lecture that I gave in Melrose - Quilt Repair Tales - which combines information on quilt repair philosophy and techniques with stories of interesting quilts that have passed through my studio over the years.  Participants brought quilts to show and discuss.  And we had a most scrumptious potluck meal.  All this transpired in a wonderful family home with incredible winter mountain views.

 

Here are a couple of the quilts that we looked at.

This Lone Star has a nice set of c.1930 fabrics, and a neat overlapping circle quilting pattern in the borders. 

This crazy quilt was made from a scrap bag that spanned many decades.  Check out that dizzying red and white stripe!

    

     

    

And just look at the backing!  An amazing cheater cloth log cabin print!

And finally, this quilt.  Lo and behold, it was made with the same block as the quilt that was made in Melrose, MA, the quilt that initiated this journey to New England in the first place.  On this quilt, there is just one name per block and it is a signature quilt, unlike the Melrose quilt on which all the names were penned by the same hand and which was likely a fundraiser.  This one is dated in a couple of the blocks:  1914. 

The quilt will become the focal point of the Sugar Hill Museum exhibit next spring!

The rest of the days in Sugar Hill were spent enjoying the snowy mountain views, lounging, talking, and eating with the cousins.  It's such a beautiful place - no wonder that they retired here and love it.

One other fiber note:  These are pillowcases embroidered by my husband's grandmother Rose.

There was also a bit of poking around in gift shoppes, and one antique mall.  So what do I find to buy?  Why, buttons, of course!  It’s that big green one that sold me on getting the whole rest of the bottle.  Grin!