Civil War Brides Quilt

Yes! My CWBQ pattern has finally arrived from Australia. Thank you to P for carrying it from Australia and to E for mailing it from Maryland. I have a couple other projects to finish first so I shouldn't (maybe) start until after the holidays, however there is so much to think about. There are backgrounds to consider, fabrics to gather, and I want a groom, so I need to think about that. I have also printed off photos of the original and looked at a couple of examples that folks have made that are on-line. I would like to add to the CWBQ blog too, after I start. I love the idea of women making this quilt all over the world. It's like a quilt club, but with international members. I wonder if anyone has seen the original pattern for the groom? The museum says they have it, but maybe the patterns have not been exhibited. This is a photo of the original Peacock Quilt in the American Museum of Folk Art in New York City. The pattern has a more simplified border, but in general, they are pretty similar. I am really looking forward to starting.

Bright Baskets started

I am making a "Bright Baskets" applique quilt. I have seen a few examples. There is a modern version in a Blackbird Design book, and I have seen two different much older versions in the state books. Mine will not be antiquey looking, as my baskets will be in bright colors with rick-rack handles. I cut out more than 220 baskets today, and am basting them to 6" blocks. I have about 30 already done. The background is creme on creme tones, and the baskets are bright. I just used stuff from the stash, and it turns out that I don't have as much patterned fabric as I would have liked, but I am making 2 baskets from each fabric. The colors are all over the place and I am considering using a darker blue or green for the outside triangles to give it a little unity, but I'll have to think about it. Of course, I could use a border, but I'm really liking the idea of all those little baskets.

I also received today in the mail a quilt pattern of the map of Michigan. She used fusible and did a watercolor technique with 2" squares. I'm probably going to extensively change the pattern, make the map a bit more accurate, and not use fusible because I don't like the feel of it in a quilt. This map will be a bed quilt for one of my sons some day. He plans to study abroad for a year or so and I thought it would be fun to have a quilt of home.

Crazy Quilting

I went to my next crazy quilt (CQ) class today. I learned some new stitches, and saw a wonderful "doll" quilt made with 6" CQ squares. She had beautiful embroidery and had unified her design by adding a yellow inside border and putting the same yellow behind her fans on each corner. And she had rounded the border corners to match the fans, how cool is that? I started a new CQ design tonight, but decided to baste my appliqued baskets instead. I have decided I have to be in the right frame of mind to CQ.

Crazy quilt legacy

I finished my first crazy quilt square tonight and I'm pretty happy with it. I am taking a class in crazy quilting because I really wanted to learn some more complicated embroidery stitches. We had one class last month and the next one is tomorrow. I will start another square then. This square has 2 pieces of cross stitch, silk ribbon work, cotton, wool, and rayon threads, wool yarn, a piece of blanket binding, old lace and linen, beads, buttons, charms, hand felted beads, and many types of fabric. It has taken many hours of work, and many parts of it, I did twice or three times, until I was happy with it. Here's a close-up of the center cross stitch piece. I used this saying for the theme and created lots of flowers throughout the piece.

I have been thinking about my legacy lately. I had a dear friend pass away earlier this month. She was full of life. I have been helping her daughter get her home ready for an estate sale this week. My friend was a true craftsperson. However that meant she had a lot of stuff. After sorting and boxing her stuff, I came home and tried to make some sense of mine. It takes a lot of stuff to weave baskets, quilt, cross stitch, loom weave, and do a little beading. So I boxed stuff and labeled it, so that if necessary, at least my family would know what was in the boxes. But I know that my friend's legacy is not her stuff, but the love of her children, stepchildren, friends, and neighbors. I saw it this week in their faces, and their tears, and heard the memories.

You have a well deserved rest, but we miss you terribly.

beginnings

I want this to be a memory for my journey through life with details of the quilts, woven fabrics, baskets, and other things I choose to create, and my family and friends.