Saturday, November 24, 2007

Blessings

Hi y'all!

I hope all of you had a marvelous Thanksgiving!! I actually was off from the hospital this year, so cooked up a storm. A very traditional meal of Turkey, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, cranberry, rolls, pumpkin pie, and cheesecake. And my son was here!! and it was good!! Ssshhhhh, don't tell anybody, but I am off Christmas as well!! The first time in 16 years that I have been off both major holidays. Fun, fun...

I want to show you a quilt I purchased from the local antique store a couple years ago. It was on the discount rack, so of course I had to look. It is beautifully quilted by hand, about 12 stitches per inch. Probably 1930'S or 1940's? What is your guess? I love it. Notice that the some person attached a border to make the quilt to make it bigger, but she attached it by machine right over the scalloped edge, and the rest of the quilt is hand-worked. Just needed more quilt to cover the bed, I guess. I don't think it was the same person, because the quilting on the border is the same fine, precise stitches, but the attachment is pretty crude. I have thought about taking it off, but kind of like the story of it, in a way. It is not signed or dated....a pity. I would so love to know who this old quiltmaker was!!

Many quilter's are talking about stash reduction right now on their blogs. I have been working diligently to reduce and use up my own stash. I sometimes receive bundles of old, old fabrics from acquantances. Do you get gifted with these sometimes? When people find out I am a quilter, they seem to give me these old bags and boxes. I used to save them all, but now donate most of the fabric to making pillows for patients, or other donation places. I also have started sending e-mails throughout the hospital quilting group (the Remnants)offering fabrics if they have a specific project, and have given away lots that way. Like pinks, or calicoes, or blues, or whatever they need. Works great!! and helps another quilter.

I am grateful for our little poodle today!! He is such a little sweetheart, and keeps me company all the time. 14 years old!!!Quiltingly yours, JulieQ

9 comments:

mereth said...

What a lovely old quilt, I wouldn't have been able to resist it either. A pity about the added borders, but as you say, it's part of the story.
I also liked the photo of your hot pads, and I can quite understand why you make them.I love using the tiniest of scraps too, so perhaps I'll make some of these in the future. Hope you enjoy having the big holidays off.

Ali Honey said...

Hi Julie,
I'm pleased to meet you and find your blog. Thanks for visiting mine and leaving a message so I could find you.

We have 27 acres ( 10.9 hectares )but it is not all orchard. Some is bush ( NZ forest )and gullies and 2 little streams. A very large garden and some big gum trees. All the suitable flat land is either kiwifruit or avocados.
Regards from Ali in New Zealand.

sewprimitive karen said...

Hi, Julie, wow, what nice quilts, and I only looked back through November!

Jenni said...

How did you arrange both holidays off? Someone slipped up on the roster!

Lynn Dykstra said...

It is so funny how the practical people out there can really do a number on a quilt!
I love this block and don't remember seeing it before--I will reproduce it.

CONNIE W said...

Your dinner sounds like ours except for the cheesecake, we had pumpkin pie. Yummmmm to all of it! Pretty quilt.

Nicole said...

I love that pattern! I wonder what the block is, do you have any idea? It is a beautiful old quilt, despite the funky added border. Just part of its history I guess.

Lyn said...

I fell in Love with The "Blessings"Quilt, and would like to make a similar quilt for my friends daughters wedding next winter.Are there sashings joining the blocks or is there a plain block in between? Regards Lyn

Linda C said...

Sweet quilt, Julie.

My quilt group gets a lot of donated fabric and we use what we can. Some is not suitable and we take it to the Salvation Army where they bundle it up and use it in some manner--recycled?? Other times we have shared it with a quilt group that has less resources that we do and who are not so particular about fiber content.

Puffins and purples!!

I was tempted by Puffins...a squirrelly breed!!  LOL!  This fabric was shared with me, and I have been loved these bright, candy corn colors...