Vintage Modern Monday

This week I decided to look at quilts specifically.  I’m inspired by women that used to sit and hand sew big quilts. My great-grandmother Waggoner made a wonderful around the world quilt.  My grandmother had it on her bed in the guest room.  As a little girl I would sit and just look at it, follow the blocks around, and usually found a new print that I had not seen before.  Thank goodness my grandmother kept her mother’s hand sewn pieces, I have them put away in my sewing room.  Wish I had inspiration to do something with them.

Wonder how old these actually are?

Can you imagine the time that it took?  Then again they didn’t have TV, internet, Facebook, 60 hour a week jobs to get in their way.  They lived very different lives from us even just 80+ years ago.  How many of us had home ec in school?  We did very limited sewing in the class, mostly cooking.  Luckily my grandmother had taught me to sew long before the class.  It was very boring for me.  Imagine what those women could do with all of the technology we have now.

Sewing Machine Quilting

 

                                                                                           
Spring 1980 edition.

 

For a couple of summers my mom and her friend would go to estate sales and auctions for fun.  Sometimes they would find wonderful old fabric stashes, patterns, pieces, etc.  This had to be my favorite…it was filled with fabric.  My mom’s friend gave it to me as a college graduation gift, I thought it was perfect.

In case you didn't already know it is a suitcase.

So how did we get to what we call Modern?  What can we learn from previous trends and create something new?  Found this great history that I recommend you spend some time reading.

http://www.bluebirdgardens.com/?realm=Quilts&page=Quilts%20History

Found these quilts on Etsy.  Fitting that one is an Around the World, I found this before I started writing the post.

News Thread 2.25.11

This has been quite a busy month for me.

The 2011 Project is way behind.  I need to make blocks for Weeks 4 – 9, maybe even 10.  There is a list made of blocks to make.  I will be making mock blocks for the Mother’s Day quilt project that I am working on.

Below are the fabrics that I have selected and awaiting approval.

Just a peek.

I have most of the fabrics ready to go for the special center block.  To go around the center block, the Mother’s Dream will be used to bring in the extra fabrics.

My latest completion from last week is a very special quilt for a friend.

Can't show you anymore, it's a secret.

This would be the most challenging quilt I have done in some time.  Lots of applique and quilting that isn’t edge to edge.

News Thread 7.6

After a wonderful weekend in NYC I am ready to get back to normal.  I did get to stop by the garment district on Sunday very briefly.  Luckily I knew my limit and carry on size so I did not purchase too much fabric.  I picked out two wondeful yards that I already have ideas for. 

What is on the docket for this week…LOTS.  I start my new job next Monday.  I’m taking the rest of the week off to spend some time sewing.  I will be in a great mood going into the new job especially if I get a few projects marked off this list. 

  • Finish June block for Quilt Guild…yep, I’m behind already
  • Make the July block
  • Get those out in the mail
  • Piece rows for the custom quilt for Etsy
  • Finish applique on a quilt for Etsy
  • Press some UFO tops to hopefully get pinned and basted. 
  • Get some items started for Etsy listings so I can keep listing every couple of days. 

Goal for this week is to spend Wednesday-Friday sewing so I can enjoy my weekend.  Last week before we left I did make some strides in organizing my sewing room.  I unpacked about two big boxes.  I found a great new piece to put in the room for pressing pieces, it extends with drawers.  I can now walk from my cutting table, to the pressing table and put ideas up on my design wall.  My design wall is just a simple plastic tablecloth the with fuzzy back. 

Fabrics that I bought for quilts have been sorted into a shoe organizer.  That way, I can just pull them out and get started.  BTW…I have that thing full, so 24 projects to go.  Doesn’t look like much was done in there last Wednesday, but I see progress and that’s what is important.

Thank You Gma

I spent some time with my gma this weekend.  This the woman that has basically made me the woman that I am today.  Plus she allowed me to just be myself as a kid.  I got to pretend, play dress up (she had a great dancing wardrobe), sew, and run around outside.  Overall, it was a pretty awesome childhood.

My coworker and I were talking this week about who taught us to sew.  I told her the story of sitting at the sewing machine saying my ABC’s & 123’s as a kid.  Good think I didn’t injure myself.  There was also a good chance I was rocking back in the kitchen chair too, a BIG NO-NO. 

My gma is 96, my mom was an oops when my she was 45.  I have uncles that are close to age of my dad’s parents.  She is very traditional and a sweet loving woman.  I had the hardest time understanding with I wasn’t a “GREAT” grandkid when all the other kids were my age. 

Unfortunately at 96 memories fade, the body isn’t what it used to be, the mind doesn’t put it all together.  Up until about August 2009 she was sharp, just physically slowed down.  Someone asked me the other day how she was and this was my response:

“My gma is not the woman that everyone once knew.  She is not strong, stubborn, and free willed anymore.  She is now a frail old woman.”

I can say that because I have watched her become that and it is not what she wants.  That’s not the way I remember her.  I remember her as the woman that let me be creative and express myself.  Guide me through life to become a great woman.  Give me life lessons that only she could. 

It’s harder to go see her know.  I used to really look forward to it.  Now it just breaks my heart.  Here is a photo of her at my wedding.  She sometimes doesn’t know she was there.  But she LOVES anything I create her and will talk about it for weeks. 

Bad smiles from the Bride and Groom, but our faces hurt by this point.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.  Call a loved one and tell them how much they mean to you.  I’m looking forward to the next time I can give my gma a hug.  My generation tends to forget about the very important people in their lives and focuses instead on themselves a bit too much.

Wedding Dress Repurposing

I have jumped into something new and I am VERY excited. 

My wondeful friends have encouraged me to do this after what I have done with my dress.  I am going to start repurposing wedding dresses into something useful for brides.  Whether that is pillows, a quilt, sachet bags, purses, whatever they want.  I can’t wait to get started and get my first customer. 

I mean why not?  Most brides I know have their dresses stored away in a closet or at their parent’s house.  What a great way to re-use the dress for something you can put to use more often.