My Magical Magic Vine Quilt Is Done!!

So here's the story of a UFO (UnFinished Object) that on Sunday June 12, 2016, officially became a Finished Object......after about 8 decades!

I bought the 1930s top at an antique store in the 1980s.  It was quite a find!  The applique artistry is amazing, it came packaged with more of the same green fabric that was intended for the back, and green is my favorite color.  I decided to do a bang-up job of quilting to honor the wonderful work of the anonymous woman who started the quilt.  Since the 80s, it has been the quilt I take with me when I demonstrate hand quilting and talk about antique quits. 

So I've worked on it just a few hours at a time, just a few times a year.  In the meantime, I've raised two kids and done tons of other quilting and sewing.  A couple of years ago, I decided it was time to actually put some focused hours into it, quite honestly, so the poor thing wouldn't end up for sale again as a UFO....

Stories of Migration: Contemporary Artists Interpret Diaspora

Robert Bein, "Boat Travelers" (detail), 2015.  The George Washington University Museum.

This exhibit sounds great! 

Stories of Migration: Contemporary Artists Interpret Diaspora
https://museum.gwu.edu/diaspora

"In this timely exhibition, forty-four artists share personal and universal stories of migration—from historic events that scattered communities across continents to today’s accounts of migrants and refugees adapting to a new homeland. Co-organized with Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) and with assistance from George Washington University’s Diaspora Program in the Elliott School of International Affairs."

Here are the exhibit details:

Through Sept 4, 2016

The George Washington University Museum and
The Textile Museum

701 21st Street, NW
Washington, DC 20052
Phone: 202-994-5200
museuminfo@gwu.edu

The artworks from this exhibit shown on the website are very powerful images. They are inspirational on both levels of creating art and of celebrating the human spirit in the midst of trauma.

Over the last couple of years, I have been gradually gathering information on my father's and uncle's escape from Germany in 1939 and on the other members of my family who were killed in the Holocaust.  I'd never considered making a quilt about them all!

The photo below was probably taken about 1915.  The little boy on the left is my dad.  In September 1939, he sailed out headed for New York City on the ill-fated British ship the Athenia, which was torpedoed by a U-boat on the day that England and Germany declared war.  He was rescued from the ocean the next morning by a merchant marine ship.  Neither of my grandparents were able to leave Germany in time, and most of their siblings perished as well.

Time To Celebrate!

Last night at about 11:30pm, this happened:

A great, excitingly, BIG number of pageviews!

Thanks to everyone, from my offspring and good friends who urged me to start blogging, to all the folks who visit and follow my pages!  I've ended up really enjoying writing and sharing about the quilts and quilt history that come across my path.  

Redwork

This redwork embroidered quilt needed a bit of repair and a vacuuming after many years on display.

The binding had torn away at the bottom.

I mended that by patching on the back, and then reattaching the binding with a herringbone stitch that went through to the new patching fabric.

New Quilts

I'm so excited!  Over the last couple of months, I've finished 6 new quilts for my Something From Nothing series.  And I have 4 more in varying stages of design and stitching.  I am bound and determined to get this series to a place that feels like completion.

The series is made mostly with decorator fabric samples, plus other bits and pieces of otherwise unwanted fabrics.  You can see the whole series on my website and the stories of making some of the quilts here on the blog.

Here are the newbies:

4 By 4

14 1/2" x 14 1/2"

Formal Wear Quilt: BowTies and Tuxedos

This quilt combines many of my criteria for a wonderful quilt - it has a creative design, a great story, and it's signed and dated!

Dressing Downton

 

My friend Mary and I had the absolutely best day at the Dressing Downton exhibit.  We saw costumes from the series on display at the Driehaus Museum.  The Driehaus is in a huge stone mansion just off the Magnificent Mile in Chicago.  It provided the wonderful, wonderful clothing with the perfect setting - an American counterpart of the upper-upper crust life that was showcased on the series.  Mary and I treated ourselves to the scrumptious high tea served in a most amazing hall within the mansion.  I just can't find enough superlative adjectives for the day we had!  Honestly, I just can't stop looking at these photos.  Wooooo!!

The gowns on the left and right in this photo were worn when the Downton ladies went to court and curtsied to the King.  There were strict rules about what was to be worn, such a headdress with three white Prince of Wales plumes and a short train.