Crazy Quilt Embroidery and Family History

Here are some lovely embroidery details from a crazy quilt c. 1890-1900.  Family history has it that this quilt was made by a group of "church ladies", possibly a church sewing circle.  There are certainly some areas of stitching that are done with much more finesse than others, which supports the oral history.  The quilt belonged to the current owner's ancestor, Mabel Connelly, who was a farm wife in central Indiana.  The quilt has had a hard life, very mistreated for many decades.  So there is little left of many of the fabrics. The embroidery still has lots of life left in it though, and the artistry of the makers still shines out.

Lovely embellished initials, probably representing Mabel's husband.

Another set of initials, the person not known to the quilt's current owner.

James and the Giant Peach On Stage

Here are photos from Thin Ice Ensemble Theater's production of James and the Giant Peach.  Costume sketches and a discussion of the design goals are in a previous post.  More photos and costume portraits are on my website.

Aunt Spiker and Aunt Sponge

 The insects: Earthworm, Ladybug, Grasshopper, Glowworm, Spider, Silkworm, Centipede

Attic Windows

This quilt came to me for a wash.  The wash brightened it up, but did not remove the staining.  (The stains are more obvious in real life than in the photo.)  It is one of a pair of twin-sized quilts.  Sadly, the second quilt is pretty severely stained.

The pattern is called Attic Windows.  It's a great way to use scrap fabrics and one's imagination.  The scraps become little glimpses of the world outside the tiny windows.  Consistent shading of the window frames will create the illusion of depth.

It is one of those wonderful quilts that is dated.  The date is embroidered on one of the back corners - June 22, 1959.  So these windows also give us a glimpse into the fabrics available in the late 1950s.  This is particularly fun for me, because this is the world of fabric, as it were, into which I was born.

James and the Giant Peach

The next Thin Ice Ensemble Theater play is "James and the Giant Peach," based on the Roald Dahl book. We have 28 actors, aged about 6 to 11.  Here are the sketches for their costumes.

The bodice of Aunt Sponge's dress is stuffed with fabric.  The actress is wearing two bum rolls and 3 very long, very full petticoats that hang from shoulder straps.  The dress is now too full to zip closed, needless to say.  The back opening is secured with three elastics, and she will wear the matching apron as a capelet to hide the back.

The bottom ruffle of Aunt Spiker's dress was removed to make a straighter line, and leave her ankles showing to add to the illusion of height.  Black trim is being added to emphasize the vertical, and the ruffle will become a turban-like hat.

Tablecloth Update

In honor of spring - to which, in my part of the world anyway, we are all saying "finally!" - here are some lovely yellow roses and little purple posies.  This is the tablecloth begun by my mother-in-law Jeanie, which I am finishing in her honor.  I'm not an embroiderer really, so I am learning as I go.

Favorite Quotes #5 - Becoming an Elder

"It's no good getting old, if you don't get artful."

I found this quote somewhere, so long ago that I don't remember where.  The only note I have says that it is a Yorkshire proverb.

I like the double meaning possible here, for an approach to Life in general, and for pursuing creativity and expressiveness.  I find it most uplifting.

Having recently passed my 60th birthday, I'm finding myself latching on to words and ideas to help me grow into the next stage of my life, thoughts about how to be an elder, and hopefully, a wise one.

I find I'm thinking of this chapter of Life as a time to gather the results of my experiences and share them, and as a time to give more space in my schedule for "just being", with myself and with others.  And don't these goals have a place in both kinds of artfulness.

I'm appreciating the style of the Red Hat Ladies - having fun, breaking with convention, and togetherness.  It's just around the corner now.

Publishing my book stems from my desire to pass along things I have learned.  And really, now that I think of it, the cover is nearly in the official red hat lady colors.  Oh!  Maybe I am a red hat lady already!

The photo is of me and the life-sized doll I made for a production of "Arsenic and Old Lace". The doll played the double roles of the bodies of Mr. Hoskins and Mr. Spenalzo with a change of jackets and an added hat.  Old and artful, the both of us!

Dresden Plate

This is a lovely quilt from the 1930s or 40s.  The pattern is a variant of the Dresden Plate known as Friendship Circle, the differences being that the spokes at the four quadrants have pointed tops, and that the center circle has four graceful ovals.  These special pieces are usually made in an accent fabric, in this case, a pumpkin orange solid.

One issue to be solved for this quilt was patching some worn pieces.  I did a bit of color manipulation on these, because the whites in this quilt have become quite yellowed and the other colors have faded.  The easiest fix was with this black fabric.  Using the reverse gave it just the dullness needed to not stand out from the original fabrics.  (The little swatch shows the right side.)

Delicate Edwardian Dress

I did a tiny bit of repair work on this lovely, delicate Edwardian dress.  As always, it is fascinating to hold and handle these amazing old pieces, explore the construction details, and marvel at the age and quality of the fabrics and laces.

Cheery Cherry Wreath

This quilt was made near Millmont, PA.  It was purchased in the early 1990s on the farm of an Amish quilter who was selling both her own quilts and those made by other quilters in the area.

The quilt block is called cherry wreath.  I like the clean, clear look of the quilt, due to the great balance of color, and the expanses of white.  And as every quilter knows, stitching all those circles is a challenge and requires an experienced hand at appliqué.

Wooden Art

My recent estate sale excursion found this lovely little box, which I bought for my daughter who crochets.  The design is marquetry, inlaid with dyed wood, not painted.  And very sweet and springy, too.

As a child, I worked on several marquetry kits, and loved doing it.  I still have them - that's how much I enjoyed making them!  

Pewter Buttons

I was at an estate sale this weekend, and found several dusty, dingy cardboard boxes filled with dusty, dingy old sewing supplies.  In amongst them, I found these unusual, to me anyway, buttons.  So of course, I brought them home.  

My brilliant husband identified them as pewter.  We found out that in the late 18th and early to mid 19th century, many, many buttons were made of cast pewter.  These, according to some Q&A pages and blogs, were made for the folks who do historic reenactments.  These are easily identifiable as reproductions and not originals, because the shank is cast on as one piece instead of being added after casting just the circle.  So, no Antiques Roadshow win for me this time!  I am still quite happy with the purchase and my new knowledge, don't get  me wrong.

These are Revolutionary War style, proudly displaying the initials of the new country.

Needlework That Tells Stories: Exhibit in England

While searching around for something else, I came across notice of this wonderful exhibition at the Time and Tide Museum (lovely name!) in Yarmouth, Norfolk England.  It's called "Frayed: Textiles on the Edge."  It runs through 2 March 2014.  I'd go if I could!

Here's the theme as expressed by Ruth Battersby-Tooke, the exhibit curator, on the exhibit blog:  "...we have collected people's stories as well as the objects .... that had relevance to the idea of making textiles as a therapeutic art.  Not only an occupational therapy, a meaningful and structured way of busying the hands to still the mind, but also a powerful way to communicate, a creative and expressive way to release an inner voice." (The photo above is from the exhibit blog.)

Russia, the Olympics, and Quilts

Olympics!!!

The outfits of the U.S. snowboarding athletes use a print based on an antique quilt.  While I was peering closely at the snowboard racers on Thursday evening, I noticed a diamond patchwork-like design on their number bibs.  And then, handily, a quilt friend posted an article about that design.  

The "prints" on the diamonds contain references to many, many of the folk art traditions all across Russia.  The design is being used all over the Olympic events, and shows up on the medals as well.

So I began to wonder about the tradition of patchwork in Russia.

Here is the Russian Quilters Association.  Clicking on most of the links will take you to a page with photos to explore.

And the All Russia page shows lots of really wonderful quilts.  I especially love the rendition of Klimt's famous painting "The Kiss".  For some reason I was just imagining the other day how that painting could done in fabric - and poof! - here it is!  I can't find the name of the quilter.

Also, there are lots of cat quilts, which is fun.  There was a specially themed section called, "One Day in the Life of a Cat and Her Friends" at the show which is highlighted.  I especially like this stylized black, white, and brown one called "Family Portrait", by Galena Progonova.

I've always been fond of Russian culture, studied Russian throughout high school, and traveled there as a graduation gift back when it was still part of the USSR.  Also, my anthropology major in college has colored my interest in seeing how quilts and quilting vary around the world.  It's fun to see quilts, especially on the All Russia page, that depict the traditional Russian babushka (which actually means "grandmother", but in English has come to mean her headscarf) and Russian folktales and traditional dress.

I, for one, love to watch the Olympics, even though I'm not a sporty person.  The travelogue segments are the best!  I imagine I'm going to get a lot of embroidering done on my big tablecloth project.  I'll post a status report after the closing ceremony!

Romeo and Juliet - Costume Details

Here are the stories behind putting together some of the outfits worn in our recent Romeo and Juliet.  The story of the overall design process and photos of the production are in the previous post.

The main sources for the costume pieces were:

- our own collection

- a bin full of unfinsihed samples and prototypes generously donated to us by clothing designer Alice Berry

- Annie's incredible shopping spree at the Salvation Army on a 69-cent Saturday sale

- loans and donations from Julia at Basya Berkman Vintage Fashions

- the closets of the actors and costumers

 

Romeo and Juliet - Costume Design

Last weekend, our high school students performed Romeo and Juliet.  They did a spectacular job with the deep emotions, the stage combat, and the lengthy script.  But what I am going to write about is the costumes.  Of course.

Eileen, our director, set quite a challenge for the costumes.  She asked that the look straddle the Elizabethan and the modern eras, expressing the timelessness of the story.  And she asked that the costumes be haute couture and edgy.

Vintage Metallic Trim

A while back, I posted about an incredibly lovely vintage silk jacket.

One of its many gorgeous features is the wonderful metallic braid trim.  Yesterday at an estate sale, I found a length of the same kind of metallic braid.  I am so excited to have some of my own!  There is a little over 5 feet of it.

Snowboarding Meets Antique Quilt

Really?  Yep.

The new US snowboarding team uniforms are styled with inspiration from an antique quilt.  

Take a look:  http://extramustard.si.com/2013/12/04/new-usa-snowboarding-uniforms-look-like-your-grandmas-quilt/

These will be worn next month at the 2014 Winter Olympics.  How fun is that?

A Quilt From The Heart

This little quilt carries more heart-felt love than pretty much any other quilt that has come my way.  Writing up its story seems a great way to wish everyone a loving and warm new year.

When the owner and I determined that it was far too damaged for a total repair, I decided to salvage the few remaining (sort of) intact blocks and border sections.  The rest of the quilt was almost literally hanging by a thread, just tatters and empty spaces between them where the batting used to be.  I hasten to say that I virtually never, ever advocate for cutting into quilts, but this one had such a wonderful history, that I decided it deserved a lot more than being relegated to the rag bag.  Here is the story, in the owner's own words.

Rhinestones

My friend Julia brought me this sweet evening bag made by the designer Judith Leiber, in need of repair.  An image search for "Judith Leiber bags" will bring you to a fantasy land of rhinestone-encrusted little bags. 

This one is quite tame by comparison, but I find it very classy and elegant.  It's two bags, one silver-tone and one gold-tone, attached to one another.  There's a double strap with each color of leather.  The closures are coin purse style baubles with gold and clear stones.  They were missing quite a few rhinestones. 

Favorite Quotes #4 - Art with Fabric and Art about Fabric Artists

Two friends posted links today to really delightful art by and about women who sew.  I hope you visit, and find a happy interlude to your day like I did.

Incredibly beautiful fiber art by Louise Saxton.  Thanks for sharing, Ellen!
http://thedesignfiles.net/2013/07/louise-saxton/

A lovely collection of paintings, of women sewing and of the sewing supplies we love to use.  Various eras, many styles.  Thanks for sharing, Julia!
http://stilllifequickheart.tumblr.com/tagged/sewing

Little Cabin in the Woods

I have just completed working on a set of twin-size quilts made in 1934.  I restitched several places where the appliqués were coming loose, and rebound both quilts.

I haven't been able to find any info on the pattern, so if anyone knows anything about it, please let me know.  All I know is that I like it a lot!

Here are a few fun things about the construction of the quilts.

Being an Author

Being an author means getting good at self-promotion.  That is, being an author who actually sells books means getting good at self-promotion.  This is not something that comes easily to me.

Therefore, having friends who volunteer to do some promotion for me is a really, really good thing.

Summer Sanctuary by Ann Fahl

Many thanks to Ann Fahl for writing such a wonderful review of my book on her blog.  I met Ann quite a while before my 23 year old first child was born, so we go back a ways.  In the intervening years, her quilt career has taken her into authorship as well as teaching and making prize-winning quilts featuring flowers, birds, and cats.  Visit her website to "meet" her and enjoy her graceful art.

Lately, Ann has been restoring a red, green, and white tulip quilt, and chronicling her progress via her blog (follow the "restoring old quilts" label.)  Those 19th century red, white, and green lovelies have always been among my favorites.

Between the quilts, and fondness for cats, Mother Nature, and ancient Egypt, we have lots more in common than just our names.

Thanks, Ann!!!

Garden of the Sun God by Ann Fahl

Antique Silk Jacket

Here we are at the intersection of two of my interests / careers:  costuming meets vintage clothing.

Thin Ice Ensemble Theater is producing "Anne of Green Gables" this weekend.  One of our young actresses will be wearing a most exquisite antique silk jacket. We inherited it with a set of costumes created by the theatrical grandmother in one of our families.  The jacket will be worn by Mrs. Barry.

The tan jacket is lined with a tiny red and white stripe, both silks.  Then there are super wonderful gathered silk flowers with bead centers, and a metallic lace trim.  Here are some close-ups.  I am in love!

Fantabulous Eagle Quilt

Photo by Sotheby's

I can think of no better way to celebrate the release of my book on antique quilt care than to tell you the story of this amazing quilt. Now, I love all sorts of quilts, and appreciate repairing anything, from simple comforters that hold memories of overnights at Grandma's house, to jaw-dropping wonderful artwork. This is one of the latter.

It was sent to me by Mark Wilcox of Summer Antiques in upstate New York. The quilt is inscribed "Phelps 1853".  I assumed that Phelps was a family name, but Mark told me that it is a town not far from his shop. Phelps is near the Erie Canal, which was relatively new at the time the quilt was made, and the quilt celebrates the economic growth the canal brought to the area.

Blog Hop Final

Thanks to everyone who visited my blog these last few days at the Quilting Gallery Blog Hop!

I've pulled the name of the Lucky Winner of my book, using an actual hat, and she has been contacted.

I asked people to mention their favorite traditional quilt block. Here is the result of that "poll". Lots of ideas for some nice sampler quilts, eh?

Happy Quilting to you all!!!
Ann

churn dash - 8

stars - 7

log cabin - 5

baskets - 4

Grandmother's flower garden - 4

bears paw - 3

double wedding ring - 3

nine patch - 3

Ohio star - 3

pinwheel - 3

sawtooth star - 3

embroidered crazy quilt - 2

hexagons - 2

scrap quilts - 2

album block - 1
Amish - 1
appliqué - 1

cathedral window - 1

Dresden plate - 1
Dutchman's puzzle - 1
feathered star - 1
goose in the pond - 1
goose tracks - 1
honey bee - 1
lily basket - 1
little boy britches - 1
magic vine - 1
mariner's compass - 1
odd fellows puzzle - 1
sawtooth blocks - 1
seven sisters - 1
snake trail - 1
star flower - 1
storm at sea - 1
sunbeam - 1
tulip appliqué - 1
rail fence - 1

My New Book on Antique Quilt Care

12/27 - Blog hop results are final. Winner selected. Favorite traditional blocks list tallied. Big thanks to everyone who visited!!

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I'm a first-time participant in a Quilting Gallery blog hop party - this one is all about "Giving Thanks." The list of bloggers ready to welcome you to their sites is at the Quilting Gallery.

The blog hop is open starting late afternoon on November 21, and ending on November 26.  I'll be drawing a name at random after the close and giving away a copy of my book - Preserving Our Quilt Legacy: Giving Antique Quilts the Special Care They Deserve - hot off the presses.

Enter the drawing by leaving a comment on this post.  Since the book is about antique quilts, let us know which is your favorite traditional quilt block or blocks.  I have lots of favorites!  Lily Basket.  Little Giant.  Hands All Around.

Two Books

#1 - Old book

My friend Gloria visited yesterday, and shared this amazing book with me.  It was published in 1916, revised from the original 1907 publication.  The title is:

Henley's Twentieth Century Formulas, Recipes and Processes
Containing ten thousand selected household and workshop formulas, recipes, processs and money-saving methods for the practical use of manufacturers, mechanics, housekeepers and home workers.

Here is the cotton entry, covering bleaching by "steaming", with calcium sulphite, and with hydrogen peroxide.

And here is the silk entry, covering artificial rubbered silk(?), artificial aging of silk fabric, bleaching silk, and washing of light silk goods.

The range of entries is huge - no table of contents, just in alphabetical order. "Silk" is preceded by "Sign letters - to remove black letters from white enameled signs", then "Sign letter cements - see Adhesives", and "Signs, to repair enameled - see Enamels."  After silk comes "Silk sensitizers for photographic purposes - see Photography" and followed by "Silver."

The number of ingredients and supplies that are unheard of today (or known by different names maybe) is amazing.

The use of dangerous chemicals is scary.  We may get fussy about how over-the-top safety precautions are these days, but honestly, seeing these recipes without any mention of danger is kind of freaky.

#2 - New book

Here's my book, making its debut at the Fine Art of Fiber show last weekend.  I am officially a published author now - how amazing!  I am learning how to sign the title page like authors do.

I've been working hard to get all the logistics set up to actually open up for on-line sales and shipping.  Hopefully all will be ready in a week or so!

What the Birds See

"What the Birds See"

This is my latest quilt in the Something from Nothing series.  The series is based on a pile of decorator fabric samples.  Part of the challenge I have given myself is to make the design of the quilt related in some way to the design on the fabrics.  You can read more about the series here.

For this quilt, my goal was to use lots of the large floral prints and make a happy garden quilt.  I was wondering about what to use or make up for a garden design, and my friend Julie suggested that I reproduce a part of the Chicago Botanic Garden, and have the quilt ready to display at the big Fine Art of Fiber show that is held there every fall.  Perfect!  Thanks, Julie!

Luxurious Vintage Lace Jabot

One of the best things about repairing vintage clothing is getting to examine the items so closely and learn from them.  In this case, I took notes all long, and now have a pattern for making a really cool accessory that isn't exactly common these days. 

Coming Soon !!!

I am taking a big step forward.  I am publishing a book!

Preserving Our Quilt Legacy: Giving Antique Quilts the Special Care They Deserve

The book will be available soon, during November.

106 pages, with step-by-step diagrams and 16 color plates

The book includes information for both quilt owners and quilt collectors.

Topics covered include:
The philosophy of quilt repair
Supplies and techniques for Restoration and Conservation
Cleaning
Storage
Display

1960s American Eagle

Here's an heirloom quilt that came to me for a bit of repair.  It had one small hole and quite a bit of missing quilting.  Also, the owner asked that I put a sleeve on the back for hanging.

He told me that his mother made this quilt for him in the 1960s, after he got out of the service.  She also made a quilt for each of her other three children.

Cigarette Girl Costume

My friend Julia of Basya Berkman Vintage Fashions learned through the grapevine about a woman with a stash of vintage clothing.  This is one of the amazing items that Julia acquired.

The woman said that her mother had been a performer in her early life.  It's likely that several of her vintage things, like this outfit, were costumes worn during her mother's career before her marriage.  Her mother was most likely dancing in the 1920s.  A real find!

Spools and Bugs

You are probably wondering about the title of this post.  Here's the spools part - a quilt made in 1965. It had quite a bit of wear in the squares along one edge, and several open seams.  (This photo was taken post-repair.)

Here's the bugs part - a fabric with chartreuse and turquoise bugs on a grey background.  The color combo is pretty much a marker for the 1950s.  Pictorial prints were popular then, but why the large bugs?  Hardly a print to appeal to the stereotypical perfect housewife of the era! And to me, they look rather dead, what with those curled up legs and all.  Huh.  Not appealing in the least.  Maybe the fabric is meant to illustrate the maxim, "The only good bug is a dead bug."  Maybe.

Favorite Quotes #3 - Invisible Work

The poem "Invisible Work" by Alison Luterman has long been one of my favorites.  (Note: It is the second poem on the linked page.)

It's a great poem for me, because it pulls together many aspects of my life - mothering - making art - honoring the life force in the world around us - feeling connected to that larger meaning as we go about our small daily tasks.  I really love that all this, in the end, becomes the definition of art.

World Without End

The border of triangles and squares that decorates my blog pages is a pattern called World Without End.  I adopted it as my logo quite a long time ago.  I like how it can look like a whole variety of different patterns depending on the coloration and layout, and I like the positive name.

Favorite Quotes #2 - Why Make Art?

"Oh, it's outrageous to consider creating art, isn't it? But life is short. And intense. And we need art to inspire and amuse us."
by Lisa Halpern, in "insight: the cornish magazine", 2010.  Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle

This is a brand new favorite quote, not one of my old stand-bys, found last night while musing over college promo materials before chucking them in the recycle bin.

Snowflake Quilt part 2 - Repair and Dedication

The previous post told the story of Grace Powell and the quilt she made in the late 1930s.  Here is my part of this quilt's history:  a large patch and an embroidered dedication.

At some point, someone tried to iron the poor quilt!  No one remembers when or how this happened.  This is certainly not a good idea, but became even more troublesome when the iron left a pretty large scorch mark.  The burned fabric on the front flaked away, and on the back the weakened fabric ripped.  The batting in the area fell out.