A new antique quilt!!

August 15, 2012 by
image of 1833 Frame Quilt

Last week I had the very great pleasure of meeting a new antique quilt!!!

Is that an oxymoron?

I’m sure you know what I mean ~ an antique quilt not seen before, that makes it new right!

I also had the very great pleasure of meeting the owner, Melva who very kindly brought her quilt in for me to see.

Melva would love me to show you the quilt so it can be enjoyed by many.

So without further ado, please let me introduce you to the quilt known as Grandma Taylor’s Blue Quilt.

image of 1833 Frame Quilt

1833 Frame Quilt

Grandma Taylor is the great great grandmother of the previous owner, a relation of new owner Melva.

Grandma Taylor was from Westport,Pennsylvania, USA.

The fabrics in this quilt are a wonderful example of early 19th century fabrics, particularly those Prussian Blues I love soooo much.

There were the usual squeals of  “oh look” “look at this one” “Look at that ombré” “how about that for a paisley”

I should put photo’s with those exclamations shouldn’t I?

So for all those fabricaholics, enjoy.

image of 1833 Frame Quilt, detail

Paisley print on Ombre

image of 1833 Frame quilt detail

Prussian Blue Ombre print

image of 1833 Frame quilt detail

Surpentine Stripe

The quilt is in very good condition.  Only a few of the fabrics have not fared well and the above is one that has perished. I could only find this particular fabric in two places but many others are repeated all over the quilt.

I was particularly interested with this fabric

image of 1833 Frame quilt detail

Prussian blue and buff check

 because it reminded me of this one

image of 1847 Maltaville Album Quilt detail

fabric detail from the Maltaville Album Quilt 1847

More Prussian Blue

image of 1833 Frame Quilt detail

Prussian Blue Ombre

Stripes and a very sweet little paisley in yellow, can you spot it?

image of 1833 Frame quilt detail

Ombres, stripes and paisleys galore

And the back is very impressive too, a mid blue serpentine print

image of 1833 Frame quilt, backing fabric

Backing fabric

Many many thanks to Melva for sharing Grandma Taylor’s quilt with us.

And many many thanks to Mary at Patch n Quilt (formerly Drapers of Mt Macedon) who suggested it and then made it happen :-)

I would love to reproduce this, Melva has generously given me the OK.  I have so many great Prussian blue repros left from the Maltaville, they need a new project and so do I, LOL.

Tomorrow Jenn and I are off to the beach for a few lovely days of friendship and sewing with Linda (thank you, thank you Linda for providing the digs), Bev (no blog) and Debbie (don’t think Debbie has a blog)

We are sooooo looking forward to it. I have packed the car already!!

  We have heaps of work to do and hope to be able to show you what secret quilting business we have been up to very soon.

I will no doubt be dreaming of a certain blue medallion quilt.

til soon

Margaret

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Filed Under: Antique Quilts, Vintage Fabrics  

Vintage

August 4, 2012 by
image of Sewing days

That’s still the working title, not even Vintage Quilt or Vintage … anything.  Just Vintage, it’s the best I could come up with.

I took it to Mill Rose Cottage last Thursday, it was nice to catch up with Sue and the regulars, though I have hardly been a regular, this was the first chance I had to get there since April.

image of Sewing days

A bit of Sewing and a bit of Shopping, happy days.

I grabbed a copy of the book  History Repeated by Betsy Chutchian and Carol Staehle.

I love to read about a group of women getting together through a mutual love of quilts and it leading to such a wonderful project.  And of course, amongst the Divas there are a couple of names I recognise ;-)

I have been over in the studio today as  I really needed to have a tidy up.   I confess that I do work in a bit of a mess, functioning quite well until I get fed up with myself and get more orderly.

image of jumble

I get sick of rifling through stuff

The templates were piling up so they needed to be put away once finished with.

image of Templates

Templates so far

And my working book was looking quite empty despite the centre being nearly complete.

That’s bad, I use this as the basis of my pattern writing so it’s important that I keep it up to date while it’s all fresh in my mind.

So I updated that with instructions and fabric samples.

image of quilt workbook

Quilt Workbook, plus a pile of circles

I’ve sewn on the last of the leaves and then needed to make some more circles. I have a nice little pile there but I still need about 20 more.

But I got a bit bored and decided to come show you how it’s looking so far.

I haven’t got a design wall up in the studio yet, I kept rearranging the furniture so wasn’t sure where I wanted it for awhile.  But now I have decided and yesterday went to Spotlight to get some cheap Polar Fleecy (at Jenn’s recommendation)

image of Design Wall Fleecy

Design Wall Fleecy, awaiting a curtain rod and a tall man.

So for now I am making do with the back of the door

image of Vintage Centre progress

Vintage centre block in progress

You may have spotted some fabric changes from the last post.

image of Vintage Centre, early stages

Vintage Centre Block ~ early stages.

My quits tend to evolve. I actually don’t know how big this is going to be or anything.  It’s just fun playing.

Well I better go back and make those last circles.

Happy stitching,

til soon

 Margaret

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Filed Under: 1800s Reproduction Fabrics, Applique, Design, Quilt Patterns