Quilters' UFO's

As if I don't have enough UFO's of my own, I was quite happy to inherit someone else's!

Yesterday, a friend gifted me with a bag full of quilt blocks. She had bought these at an estate sale or auction 10 years ago.
They were done by a woman in the next town, who was going into a nursing home.

The colors are, for the most part, a little drab- but, almost all the blocks are hand pieced!!!

I could never do this - nor would I have the patience!!!

I am most in love with the 45 star blocks! The muslin is stained in some places. On one here and there, the center point might be a bit off, but they look pretty perfect to me!! All that work - and never finished!!!

My question is- do I clean the blocks before I put them together? What would be the best way to do that, AND, would this fabric hold up to being a bed quilt? My thought is it would be best as a decorative bed cover in a guest room, or hung on a wall. Machine quilting would hold it together, but am not sure the fabric would withstand much washing.

The fabrics look like a combination of feed sacks and old shirting and dress materials. Exact date or origin unknown.

Any thoughts from you quilt experts out there?

These were hand pieced, and it looks like she started to put the blocks together in two rows. Of course, there is no more matching fabric to continue the rows. 40 blocks in all

                                                        These stars are my favorite!!!

45 hand pieced blocks- unbelievable!!!

Some of the squares are not perfectly square, with points very close to the edge, some staining/age spots - but, overall - impressive!!!

Hand stitched - every one!!!

These odd pieces look like she was practicing paper piecing (?) by machine. All stitched on to a fabric back.

I just put this on the floor in a random pattern

Dark blue is the backing fabric

reverse side

these all seem to go together- but what to turn them into is my question?

The stars are a little rough, but pressing them might make them look better - all this hand pieced too!!! Amazing!

back view

I guess I better get busy and start putting some of these together! I have some other old feed sack blocks that may even match these. I will have to pull them all out and see what I can create - maybe (?) even in time for my  Mountain Meadows Quilters Retreat      with Pat Sloan on August 25th!!! Wishful thinking.......LOL


And, here I am, "artfully" posing for an upcoming newspaper article on the quilters workshop. This was not the best shot, (a bit fuzzy) so probably won't make the cut - but we took a few!  The requested pose was of me quilting, and not looking at the camera! Pretending (sshhh!) to work on one of my vintage Dresden plate thrift store finds.....

Mountain Meadows Quilters Retreat 2012

Only 4 months to go before the first Annual Quilters Retreat on Saturday, August 25th!!!!

We have the wonderful Pat Sloan teaching a 6 hour workshop!

Master rug hooker Donna Bleam will be showing her works of art!

Tasty boxed lunches available for pre-order from Turner Ham!

3 baskets of goodies will be given away to some lucky workshop attendees (including a wonderful "locavore" basket!)

Quilters' tea at Broadway's Julieanna on Friday afternoon, August 24th- Susan and Julie put on a tea you won't want to miss!!

Bring a chair and drop back Saturday evening for a bluegrass concert by the fire with Thompson Store Revival!

Limited reservations left- Pat's class will be no more than 25- to allow individual attention to all! This class is beginner on up- how to turn your stash and "trash" into beautiful quilt blocks!

Pass the word and make your reservation- I will get your info packet in the mail to you!!!

Here is the website link for further information:

Mountain Meadows Quilters Retreat 2012

Looking forward to seeing you there!!!

Friday Fotos

                                                          

                                                                     DECAY

                                                                 HOPE

                                                              GROWTH

 

 

JOY

 

(To see these scenes and many more, please consider coming to the Mountain Meadows Quilters Retreat 2012 )

Tea on Tuesday

This morning's libation......... (libation to me, because tea brings the intoxicating calmness that wine brings for others- with no hangover!!LOL)
.......... comes in a quirky little mystery cup and saucer, designer unknown.  I just love its off kilter style- which describes most days in my life!!LOL Filled with a red rooibois, I feel like I should be sitting at the table with Alice, for the Mad Hatter's tea!!!! 




Since Easter is almost upon us, with spring definitely in the air, have a look at the treasures brought home from my foray to a local garden shop's opening day.......

         Frost, frost, stay AWAY, so the seeds and I may come out to play........

I did not bring her home, but this killdeer decided to hollow out her nest in the gravel underneath the plant tables at the nursery. Her cries to ward off intruders, did not stop people from shopping, but the store owners will be cordoning off the nest site, so she can brood her eggs in relative peace and safety. Usually, the killdeer's significant other will run around acting out the broken wing ploy, to lure predators away from the nest. I don't know where he was that morning, maybe out getting breakfast- but mom was left to defend her nest with voice only, never rising from the eggs. When her babies are born, fully feathered carbon copy miniatures of herself, they will be off and running (literally) within hours of hatching.

 Old fashioned coleus, cyclamen, and begonia for my grandmother's indoor vintage rattan planter

Future garden residents.......forgive me for not recalling all their names this early in the morning!!!

                                                                 gerbera daisy

                                                    mandevilla vine (I think...)

 

 

                                                      pansies- just love their little faces!!!

 

faux black eyed susan vine

ice,ice, baby......love these little vibrant ice plants to fill in the rock crevices

I may have to wait 'til next week to plant, altho' some friends are telling me to wait until mid May. I CANNOT wait that long!!! Will hold off 'til next week, and then, in the ground they go, with blankies at the ready, if frost shows up for a night or two.

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BTW, check out the workshop that Pat Sloan is going to be teaching at my Quilt Retreat in August-
                                         here's the link!
Plus, she's gets to go  to South Africa to teach this same workshop  - how cool is that!!!

There are still just a few openings for my retreat in August- would love to see you there!!!!
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Drop by Patty and Kim for a list of other tea lovers- see you next Tuesday for tea (and see you during the week for other things!!! Please stop by often!)

Tea on Tuesday

Still haven't figured out what tea I will have today, but thought I would post about our ladies' artsy group that meets the 2nd week of each month, combining creativity and tea.

This was Bobbi and Judy's idea, and we had our 2nd meeting last Thursday at Judy's. 1st meeting was at Bobbi's, where we explored the wonders of needle felting!!! More on that in another post.

When we meet, we have tea, of course! The next meeting is at my house, and I have alot to live up to- after experiencing the wonderful teas at Bobbi's and Judy's houses!!!

Last week, our group played at making greeting cards. Both Judy and Bobbi are experts at it - Bobbi has the Cricut (she just told me there is a sale on them at Michael's, drool, drool,- but I can't justify spending that $ right now.....sigh)
Julie and I did the best we could- in the unfamiliar waters of cardmaking!

I had an uncle and a cousin with birthdays coming up, so I made cards for them. It forced me to dig out and use up some of the endless amounts of ephemera  I have amassed, from online swaps, and my own collecting.  Judy and Bobbi were good enough to share from their enticing caches!!!

First, check out Judy's studio!!! To die for - and soooo organized!!!! Far different from my very disorganized basement studio.......

                 Judy added 3 extra tables to her roomy studio, so we would each have a place to work.

 

A stamper's paradise- and endless drawers, organized and neatly labelled!

 

Bobbi, sorting her teapots and cups for the adorable cards she is making for Julie's shop- Julieanna

 

Judy at her desk

We break for lunch and tea

Judy and Julie

A sumptuous spread

Scones, clotted cream and spreads, sandwiches cut in teapot shapes

 Out to the screened in porch to a lovely table, with scrumptious broccoli soup waiting for us

Judy made everyone a lovely floral bookmark, placed by our plates.

How cute is this little sandwich? - good too!!!

"MY" teacup, that I SOOO wanted to stick in my purse!!!

Desserts- scones, and chocolate cookies, and clotted cream and lemon spread....yummmmmmmm

                                  A lovely centerpiece- I have this very same tea angel at home!!!

                                                Back to finishing our cards.....................................

Julie made hers with fabric - blogger has turned them sideways again......they are really cute!!!!

With blank card stock from Bobbi, I took some of the stuff I brought from home (that little heart came from an online paper swap -anyone recognize sending it?), and made a card for my cousin.

                                     Somehow, I missed getting a photo of the other cards.

A fun time - next month's meeting, at my house (however will I meet the established level of                  teaworthiness????)
we will be making upcycled china pedestals(which takes no time at all!) and crazy quilting.

Drop by Patty and Kim for a list of other tea lovers. Drop back again next Tuesday!!!!


***join me at Mountain Meadows Quilters Retreat 2012****