The Tapestries of Stirling Castle

A friend posted a link to this amazing tapestry story.  There's been a 14-year project (yes, that's right, 14 years) to create new work based on the famous unicorn tapestry series held by the Metropolitan in New York.

The originals were made around 1500.  The new tapestries are being hung at Stirling Castle in Scotland.  James V is known to have had unicorn tapestries there (of some sort, not necessarily the ones at the Met) during his reign in the first half of the 1500s. 

The artists worked according to all that is known of the weaving methods and materials of the time.

The video is a must-see!  (Follow link at the bottom of the main page.)

(I continue to be fascinated by tapestries ever since my experience a while back with helping conserve one.)

Fun and Easy Crib Quilt

This perky crib quilt was brought to me for repairs.

 

The idea is so creative!  Absolutely everything is reversed from red to white - two-color polka dot fabrics, trims, ties, and ruffle.

19 Stars - Indiana Quilt Exhibit

Starry Knight by Ellen Anne Eddy

My quilt friend Ellen Anne Eddy posted an article about a new quilt show at the Indiana State Museum.

It's called "19 Stars: Quilts of Indiana's Past and Present", celebrating the state's upcoming 200th birthday.  Indiana was the 19th state to join the Union, and the Indiana flag features 19 stars.  So the museum is showing 19 antique quilts and 19 contemporary quilts from their collection, all with starry designs.  I love the idea of juxtaposing the old and new quilts to celebrate the history of the state.

Here are two video clips about the show.  The second one features Ellen's quilt, "Starry Knight".
historical quilts
contemporary quilts

I've always found themed exhibits and books the most fun.  They really bring out the variety and excitement of all the approaches to quiltmaking.

I first discovered how cool these shows can be in the 1986 book All Flags Flying.  It includes the 52 prize-winning quits from the Great American Quilt Contest "Expressions of Liberty" celebrating the Statue of Liberty's 100th birthday.  Some are very literal, some are very abstract.  My favorite happens to be the winner from my home state of Illinois, made by Sidney Allee Miller.  It's called "Freedom's Children," and is 72" square. 

(Photo credit, All Flags Flying)

The concept is unique and the execution is both folksy and technically amazing, a great combo! 

I Love a Good Coincidence

Remember this sweet baby quilt I posted about a couple of months ago?

Well, look what I found at an estate sale this weekend!

I think I squeaked out loud when I found it....

I don't have any intention of making this quilt, but somehow just had to buy the pattern anyway!  Really, how could I not?

And now, I can add the pattern name and info to the quilt's story:

Snowball

Such a lovely Amish quilt!  Here's a quilt with all the criteria needed to satisfy any Amish quilt collectors:

Colors are bold.  It is wool.  Piecing is precise.  Quilting is prominent.  Stitches are teensy.

It is quite large, and is backed with a grey striped flannel.

Magic Vine - Quilting Progress

I've spent a few weeks with relaxing sewing while watching fun things on Netflix, a very nice "spring break."

One project that's benefited is the vintage Magic Vine quilt top that I am finishing.  I started the quilting 25+ years ago!  I've only worked on it now and then, when I go someplace to demonstrate hand quilting.  After its most recent excursion last November, I decided to push forward and finally finish it.

My First Quilt - The Fabrics

Here are some photos of the fabrics in the first quilt I ever made.  You can find the story of making the quilt in the previous post.

Most of the fabrics are from the 1960s, and some are from the 70s.  Scraps are from clothing my mom and I made, the constant stream of aprons and kitchen curtains my mom made for the south-facing window, and scraps I inherited from a good friend's family scrap pile.

I am reminded of a quilt that a student brought to one of the first quilt classes I ever taught.  It was a simple 9-patch quilt, made in the 1870s or so by a 13-year old girl as I recall.  There was a map of the quilt with details of every fabric - Aunt So-and-So's dress, and so on.  One of the fabrics had this story:  The girl and her sister had been dressed in their brand new best dresses for an event, and then wandered off and did some strawberry picking.  The result, as you might expect, was strawberry juice stains that wouldn't wash out.  The mom made the girl put those stained patches in her quilt, as a reminder of the lesson learned!