Antique quilts

I am "flying high" today. I stopped at my mother-in-law, Dorothy's, house last night and she gave me 6 quilts to bring to Garden Club and share. They are just treasures! My very favorite one is a Flower Garden Quilt that she embroidered when she was a freshman in high school. The pattern was in the Bloomington Pantagraph newspaper each week. Her sister copied off the pattern and then Dorothy stitched one block a week. Her mom then put the quilt together with a picket fence border around the outside. Dorothy's stem stitch is just BEAUTIFUL! The ladies in club were so interested in it that they thought they would like to do it for a block of the month. To my good fortune, a quilt appraiser came in the store from Iowa right after club and I showed her the quilt. She said the pattern was designed by Ruby Short McKim and I could go to her website and probably find the pattern. Of course I went and googled it immediately. I found it! I am going to order the book and get started. I'm hoping Dorothy will let me display the quilt for a little while. - Another quilt I have is a quilt made by her favorite aunt. The appraiser thought it was probably a purchased kit. I didn't even realize they had kits back in the 30's and 40's! - Dorothy said that most of the fabric was probably ordered from the Sear's Catalog. Her mom ordered scrap bags of fabric and the fabric would come in all shapes and sizes. The bags were probably like our scrap barrel! Some of the fabrics look just like our reproductions. It is awesome! - The double wedding ring quilt has a purchased bias binding on it. The appraiser said that she considered the binding to be a "hot gadget" at the time. Bias binding was something very new and the "gadget girls" were the ones who purchased it. - Dorothy's aunts would come to her house around 8-8:30 AM and would stay until it got too dark in the house to quilt. Just think--they didn't have Ott lights! - Dorothy's mom's stitches are soooooooo tiny. I don't know how she got them so small and even! Her mom never took any of her quilts to the church to have them quilted, she just quilted them with her sisters. Oh what fun they must have had!-

TTFN,
Carol

Sunday - Sew Day

Sometimes I wonder if I should be sewing on Sunday, but I came to church in Princeton this morning and then decided to stop by the store for a few hours to put some borders on some new quilts. You will have to stop in the store to see them. I think they are so neat. We have already sold one kit for "Hannah's Joy" before the quilt is even done! Hannah's Joy is a tumbler quilt and Beth's daughter, Hannah Joy, has designed the applique to go in the corner. Remember the new fabric we purchased, Petal Pushers? This quilt is made in this fabric and yes, it screams freshness and spring. The other quilt is made from my favorite, Kansas Troubles, and is an applique quilt I have been working on for..........well, a long time!
Have you been thinking about the cruise? The balconies are almost booked! Bunny was in yesterday and said 100 people are already signed up. We are so excited. It is going to be tons of fun and Bunny has lots of neat surprises too!!! If you have any questions, call the store and if we can't answer them, Bunny will. Remember, Bunny is also putting a package together that will include airfare, hotel accommodations the night before the cruise and transfers from the airport to the hotel, hotel to the ship and ship back to the airport! We are looking to take a flight out of Bloomington, Peoria, or Moline so don't stress about having to get to Chicago! What a vacation - cruising and quilting!
Well, better get to those borders. I told my family I would be home to cook dinner.

TTFN,
Carol