Can I Get A Whoop Whoop? Vintage Made Modern!

 

Hi, all!

Wow!  Is it Friday again already?  Well, we all know what that means - it's time for us to get our whoop whoop on!  I'm ready, and I hope you are too - so let's go!

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I think I've mentioned that my husband's cousin sent me some vintage embroidered blocks - I say vintage, but they are really only about 28 years old.  They were made for a baby quilt for her son, but circumstances arose and the blocks got put away without being used.  Her son is all grown up now, but the blocks are still in really good condition, so she asked if I could do anything with them.

When I received them, it turned out to be thirteen blocks I could square up to 8.5", and one block that would square up to 10.5".  Fourteen blocks was a conundrum - how could I turn this into a quilt?  There was no logical way to turn it into a symmetrical quilt, and I sat at my worktable staring at the blocks and wondering what to do with them.  Then I saw a jelly roll I bought a while back - The Lookout by Jen Kingwell - and noticed that the colors in the jelly roll echoed the colors in the embroidery really well. I contacted our cousin and showed her what I had and she gave me the go-ahead to do whatever I thought best.

Now I will admit to having had a shortage of quilting mojo lately - quilting what I needed to, but not really feeling it.  But I got an idea for this quilt and grabbed the graph paper....

...and here's what I came up with!  I planned to border each of the embroidered blocks with 2.5" strips, then lay them out with continuous strips behind them so that they appear to be "floating" on the stripes behind.  

And I'm so happy to say that it worked!  I love the way this turned out - bright and cheerful and just a little modern.  You can see the pretty embroidery in the following close-up shots of each quarter of the quilt....

I had a lot of fun with the quilting, too!  I wanted to do something different, so I did pointed swirls with flower petals (thank you, Christina Cameli!) in the striped areas, and smaller pointed swirls in the background of the embroidered blocks.

...and after a good productive morning spending quality time with Jolene (my quilting machine), I finally put in the last stitch!

I always love to see the quilting on the back, too...

Such lovely texture!  And now it's all ready to go back to our cousin to be loved and cherished!

So - - - can I get a whoop whoop?

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And now it's your turn!

What's got you whooping it up this week?

What's making you do a little happy dance?

Share!  We want to dance right along with you,

And it's always more fun to dance with friends!

The party will stay open until Sunday midnight.

Hope to see you there!

Hugs!

Sarah

Make-A-List Monday - Planning For The Next 100 Days!

Hi, all!

It's a good thing rainy days and Mondays don't really get me down, because it's been raining here for three straight days!  As we watched the TN Titans play in Seattle on Sunday, the sportscasters commented on how unbelievably nice the weather was there - while we suffered through Seattle-like rain all day.  I'll be glad when this system passes through!  We're supposed to have beautiful fall-like weather then for a week or two, which would be really nice.  I am so ready!  How about you?

Last week was a very good week on the quilting front - let's see how it went....

1.  Re-assemble the vintage top and add a border.

2.  Quilt and bind that vintage top.

Done!  This quilt is ready to go to its owner!

3.  Quilt a quilt that will be a farewell gift for someone at church.

Done!  

4.  Keep piecing the hockey quilt.

Done!  And I mean really done - the top is finished!

5.  Bind two ministry quilts.

Done - but alas, no picture!

And with the completion of numbers 1, 2, and 3 on that list, I have finished all of my obligations and can work on what I want for the rest of the year!  I've decided to join in Leanne's (@devoted quilter) WIP challenge, devoting the next 100 days to finishing up my WIPS.  So mostly, my weekly lists will be geared towards that.  Here's what I'll be working on this week...

1.  Make a back for the hockey quilt.

2.  Quilt at least one of the grands' annual quilts.

3.  Work on some fun Christmas pillow covers.

4.  Lay out and assemble the blocks from my vacation quilt.

5.  Make a few more blocks for my Endless Summer lap quilt.

It's fun to think of what I have to work on - I had  bunch that were top of mind (the annual quilts) but when I started digging I found several that I had forgotten about.  Some just need quilting, others need more blocks pieced to move them along, so I'll probably be working on blocks some weeks in between other stuff so I don't get bored with the block-making.  That's usually what stalls a quilt for me.  And in the interest of keeping myself accountable, here's my list of goals for the last 100 days of the year....

It will be interesting to see how much of this list I can finish (and if I end up starting any new quilts at the same time!)

And now I have only one question - - - what are YOU working on this week?

Hugs!

Sarah

Make-A-List Monday - Making Progress!

Hi, all!

Wow, has it been a week!  We're back to scorching temperatures here in Tennessee again, so there's plenty of time for sewing, thankfully!  I am so. ready. for. fall - how about you?  Well, until it gets here, let's see how last week's list went...

1.  Quilt the baby quilt.

Done, and delivered!

2.  Quilt a vintage top for a customer.

Also done and delivered!

3.  Make progress on each of the annual quilts.

Definitely progress made!  Five drama llamas are complete...

...the moody blues quilt is making great strides...

...penguins are on parade...

...and I found a great back for this quilt today!

4.  Make progress on the Birch Bark quilt.

Progress made!  I have finished assembling one half of the quilt top - this piece is 60" x 100"!  I'll be working on the next half soon.

5.  Make progress on the three My Small World quilts. 

(Yes, I've lost my mind!)

Done!  I've made more blocks than these, but I'll share those on Wednesday...

Blues for Lilli...

Rainbow and fussy cut for Emmy...

And, of course, greens for Nathanael!

6.  Start working on the t-shirt commission quilt if the customer returns the deconstructed t-shirts.

And this is why I got so much done this week - she still hasn't brought the deconstructed shirts back to me!

7.  Keep up with any quilt ministry needs that come up.

Done!  Not so many this week...

This quilt went to a woman just diagnosed with stage 3 cancer...

...and this one went to a gentleman injured in an ATV accident.

I also, in a complete state of lunacy, decided to jump into the Pine Hollow Patchwork Forest Quilt Along, hosted by Amy of Diary of a Quilter!  Here's the fabric I've pulled for my version...

So as you can see, it was a busy and productive week!  I kind of like the "make progress" directive I put on my board last week - it seems to be less oppressive and a lot more fun!

And here's what I have on my plate for this week...

1.  Make progress on the annual quilts - just Emmy's and Lilli's this week, though.

2.  Make progress on the My Small World quilts.

3.  Make progress on the Birch Bark quilt.

4.  Make progress on the Pine Hollow Patchwork Forest Quilt Along! (In the future, to be referred to as the Patchwork Forest Q/A to save my poor fingers!)

5.  Make some flannel receiving blankets for a local NICU.

6.  Keep up with any quilt ministry needs that come up.

So another busy week on tap, but at least I won't be tempted to spend too much time outside - at least until it cools off this weekend.  And I'm having so much fun "making progress"!

And now, the question is - - - what are YOU working on this week?

Hugs!

Sarah

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? It Was A Very Good Day!

Hi, all!

Where did our week go? Seems like it was just Monday - but here it is, Friday, and you know what that means!  Time for us to get our whoop whoop on!  Are you ready?  I am - so let's go!

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This afternoon I was despairing, trying to figure out what I had to whoop about this week - it's been a busy week working on one quilt that I'm not anywhere near ready to share pictures of, and that's about all I've done.  And I didn't have any time to work on a quick finish, because I had to meet a friend about a quilt ministry fabric donation.

So I headed off to an antique store that was going out of business - the word was that she had fabric she wanted to donate to the ministry.  As I love antique stores, and none better than one going out of business with great discounts, I showed up a few minutes early so I could look around and see what she had.  

I saw lots of beautiful Depression glass (which I managed to resist, with much pain) but then I spotted a vintage quilt that needed further examination.

Look at those lovely colors!!  And as near as I can tell, not a worn spot on the entire top.  And then I saw.....

....the name of the person who made the quilt - and we share a first name, even spelled correctly!  Of course, this quilt had to come home with me - and for the bargain price of, get this, $45!

Look at that beautiful hand quilting - Baptist Fan and as pretty as I've ever seen on a vintage quilt.  This one has such a contemporary feel, despite its age.

But wait, that's not all!  After I saw this quilt, I spotted another one - a pretty feed sack quilt that was in excellent condition, except for needing a good (and careful) washing.  But unfortunately, the shop owner knew what she had, and it was priced higher than I wanted to pay - $189.95.  So I moved on.

In another room of the antique store, I found a second feedback quilt, with stunningly bright colors.  Unfortunately, this one had some pretty major damage where it had been folded and probably displayed, and the muslin in some of the blocks had deteriorated and broken. Also, no price tag on this one, so I regretfully put it back.

Hugging my one vintage quilt tightly, I went to the counter.  In conversation, I told the shop owner that she had lovely taste in quilts, with two more beautiful examples, but it was such a shame that the one quilt I saw had been damaged so badly.  She made a joke about people who were as old as that quilt also having cracks and blemishes, and I laughed, saying that I repaired many quilts in like condition. She asked if I could repair that one, and I told her that yes, it could be repaired.  We went to look at it, and surprisingly, she told me that she would sell it to me for $40!  So here's my next awesome find....

Look at all those beautiful feed sack fabrics, laid out in a granny square pattern! Hand pieced and hand quilted.  The only problem with this quilt is some of the muslin squares....

...which have dried out and worn away on the edges where this quilt was folded up.  But wonder of wonders, with some muslin, tea bags, and patience, I can make patches for these blocks that will blend right in and fix the problem!  So of course, this quilt had to come home with me.

Then the shop owner walked back to the back to find the one remaining quilt.  I went with her to look at it one more time, just for the joy of it.  And then she offered to sell it to me for $70.... so what's a girl to do?  Take it home, of course!  Look at this beauty...

Isn't she lovely?  Yes, there are age stains and I'll have to wash her very carefully, but I think she'll clean up nicely.  And as I was showing her to my husband, look at who I spied on the quilt...

Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck!   

And Goofy, riding a horse!

I wasn't sure that this was feed sack fabric, but after doing a little research, I found that yes, they did make vintage feed sack fabric featuring Disney characters!  And while we're looking at the quilt up close, do you notice the red quilting lines?  Imagine being so confident of your stitching you would stitch it in red!  It's just one more thing that makes me love this quilt.

So I am now the proud owner of three, yes three! vintage quilts!  

So - - - can I get a whoop whoop?

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And now it's your turn!

What's got you whooping it up this week?  

What's making you do a little happy dance?

Share!  We want to dance right along with you,

And it's always more fun to dance with friends!  

The party will stay open until Sunday midnight.  

Hope to see you there!

Hugs!

Sarah

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? Vintage Quilt Restoration is DONE!

Hi, all!

Friday!  One of my favorite days of the week!  The weekend is starting, fun times with the grandkids are on the horizon, more time with my hubby - but I get to start it by whooping it up with you guys!  I hope you're ready to get started - let's go!

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A while ago, my friend Shea asked if I could take a look at her grandmother's quilt and see if I could repair it.  I told her yes, and we set up a time to meet.  When she brought her quilt over, she told me how her grandmother had made it and it had been well-loved by their family for years.  Well, she was right - it had been VERY well-loved!  It needed lots of repair work...

...but because this was such an important quilt to her, I agreed to see what I could do to stabilize and repair it.

Fortunately, as you can see in some of the pictures above, her grandmother had used a blanket as the batting layer.  That blanket was in pretty good shape, except for a couple of places, and had essentially held the quilt together.  The backing was also in very good shape, with only one small hole.  

The first step was to go over the quilt with a fine-toothed comb.  To that end, I folded the quilt in eighths and examined each section carefully.  I repaired the smaller areas, usually by re-stitching a seam or two, and marked the areas that needed new fabric with a bright post-it note pinned to the area. By the time I had checked over the entire quilt top, it looked like this...

Looks like lots of repair work in my future!  Fortunately, I had a box full of feed sack fabric scraps at hand, so I was able to make replacement patches with fabric of the same age as that in the original quilt.  

If you've ever worked on old quilts, you'll know that the pieces are seldom still the same shape they started out!  Everywhere I needed to replace a piece, I cut one slightly larger and turned the edges under as I hand sewed it into place.  Many many of these and many hours later, and I was happy to say the patching was finished!  

That left the binding.  The original binding was sadly frayed in many spots, so it couldn't stay as it was.  I elected to re-bind the quilt over the original binding, but wanted it to look like the original.  This quilt had been finished by turning the back over the front for binding, so it was rather wide.  I ended up cutting a 4" wide strip of muslin and folding it in half, then machine sewing it to the back of the quilt, matching the raw edge to the edge of the quilt and using a 1/4" seam.  When I turned the folded edge over to the front, it covered the wide original binding.  Then it was time for hand-sewing the binding down!  I haven't done that on a whole quilt in a long time, and it seemed like it took forever, but I finally finished it on Thursday in time to get some good pictures!

I'm really pleased to see that the patches I added don't stick out visually...

...probably because of this quilt's rather random arrangement!

This picture makes me think of the scene in "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" when all the brides are dressed in winter skirts made of old quilts!

See what I mean about random?  But I see at least four patches that I replaced in the section above...

And it looks like it's holding together well - so much better than when I first received it!

Here you can see the new binding - I think it turned out well!

And the back of the binding turned out well, too!

I kind of like that you can see the blanket through the backing!

And I found one tiny hole on the back, about the size of the tip fo my pinkie, so I figured a little muslin heart appliquéd over it would add a little whimsy!  

So what did I learn throughout this process?  It pays to have feed sack scraps on hand.  I was lucky enough to find a truly ugly feed sack quilt top at a yard sale, made with very large pieces of fabric so I had some good stuff to work with.  I also used quilting thread, the kind that feels stiff and sort of waxy, to do all the hand stitching.  It worked well, didn't tangle as I stitched, and is very strong.  And I was careful to keep track of my time as I worked!  I actually spent more time than I would have anticipated repairing this quilt, so if you are repairing one for pay, you need to do that.

And here's one more whoop whoop worthy photo for the day...

All that yard work is paying off!  Look at my pretty pots of day lilies!  I'm not very good at growing things, so it's always a whoop-worthy moment when I keep something alive....

So - - - can I get a whoop whoop?

*&*&*&*&*&*&*

And now it's your turn!

What's got you whooping it up this week?

What's making you do a little happy dance this week?

Share!  We want to dance right along with you,

And it's always more fun to dance with friends!

The party will stay open until Sunday midnight.

Hope to see you there!

Hugs!

Sarah