Treasured Family Hierloom, part 2 The Rings Question

Most of the story of this crazy quilt is in part 1, but I wanted to separate out this question in hopes of hearing some helpful information.

There are several patches decorated with sets of interlocking circles.  The only symbolism I know of for this kind of image are the three chain links of the Odd Fellows.   

But on this quilt, we see these configurations:

The owner is wondering if there is any tradition of representing the people in various branches of the family this way.  Any ideas, anybody? 

Treasured Family Heirloom, part 1

There are many different ways to put a value on a quilt.  Sometimes, like with this one, it's the artistry and the family history that makes it a treasure.  This poor quilt has definitely seen better days.  The silks are pretty much totally shredded.  But even so, the spirit, variety, and skill in the embroideries are notable.  Add to that a wonderful family history, and the quilt becomes something to honor and stabilize as much as possible.

Teapots and Butterflies

I found two fun fabrics on a pieced squares scrap quilt.  This is another from the family collection that I have been repairing.   See - Whirling Hexagons and Log Cabin and Capital S.

Fabric number one - turquoise teapots.

Capital S

A while back, I posted about a Capital O quilt that I rebuilt.  (And when I say "rebuilt", I really mean rebuilt.  It's quite a saga.)  I'd never come across an O block before.  And now, along comes another initial quilt block I've never seen, a Capital S.

More Quilts in the "Something From Nothing" Series

Here come the next three Something From Nothing quilts.  The series is all made from unwanted materials, primarily out-of-date decorator sample books.  (To learn more about the whys and wherefores of the series, visit Something From Nothing, and also follow the links at the end that will take you to other posts about quilts in the series.  You can find the whole set on my website.) 

Cathedral - 32" x 44.5"
This was shown in last weekend's annual Fine Art of Fiber exhibit at the Chicago Botanic Garden.  (Photos of all the entries in the show are on the FAOF website.)  All the fabrics in this quilt are different colorways of one print, no other fabrics have been added!  It was one of those quilts that mostly fell right together as I started playing with the fabrics.  Yes, there were a few sticky, problematic places.....but once the work-in-progress had hung on my design wall for long enough, the sticky places seemed to find their way to coming unstuck.

 

19th Century Toddler's Outfit - Addendum

Here's to the wonders of social media, especially in the hands of antiquers!

I recently posted about this mid-19th century toddler's outfit, and now have added info to share.  

 

Turtles!

A quickie little post to share just this one fabric.

I found it on a 1960s scrap quilt.  As I've written before, I'm not in love with the mid-century modern look in quilts, furniture, clothing, etc.  But now, I'm getting lots more quilts from the 1950s-70s showing up here for repair.  So I need to like them!  I discovered one aspect of the era that I totally enjoy - the wealth of conversation prints.  Like this one, they are so very clever.  If I saw this at a store, I'd buy some!