Happy 2011 everybody.
I didn’t intend to have such a long hiatus from blogging but my little holiday break seemed to lapse in to a bout of computer laziness.
Christmas day here was lovely with family and good friends in abundance…and thankfully my children have reached the age where they can allow me to sit back (just a bit) and enjoy the day.
DD, slicing and dicing; Mumsie no where to be seen but no doubt enjoying some of that Champagne.
DH and I had a couple of nights in South Melbourne at DD’s place early this week (cat and house sitting) so we got to do a few city things… balmy Melbourne evenings/sitting on the upstairs balcony/relaxing/restaurant dinners/G and T’s.
And during the rest of the summer break (which still has a week to go for me) I have thoroughly enjoyed taking the time to get back to some projects and to-do lists.
One quilt (top) I am really pleased to have finished is the Nebraska Basket Quilt.
You may remember this pic from an earlier post
Work in progress
Well now the top is finished and ready for quilting.
Nebraska Basket Quilt circa 1854
This quilt is one I started a couple of years ago. My inspiration was a quilt by Mary Novotny Lahowetz (1835-1907)
Mary and her quilt are featured on pages 20 and 21 of the book
Nebraska Quilts and Quiltmakers;
Edited by Patricia Cox Crewes and Ronald C. Naugle, University of Nebraska Press (1991)
Mary’s quilt features this unususal basket block whereby the piecing of the basket extends into the space usually left open below the handle.
Does spotting an unusual block variation get you rushing for graph paper and pencil too?
I have drawn up another block for the Maltaville Album Quilt 1847 and managed to get that sewn over the break.
I decided to have a go with the ‘back basting’ method which I have seen on various blogs over time…I thought it would be perfect for this Scherenschnitte type block.
Back-Basting in readiness for applique. Dargate Prussian Blue C. 1830, patt # 24413 by Margo Krager
Back-Basting, reverse side shown.
Then I cut the fabric a little way ahead and unpicked just a basting stitch or two ahead of where I was sewing…
…turning the seam allowance under as I went.
I found the method worked very well, thank you to those of you who have shared it before.
Voila…
The Maltaville Album Quilt (1847) is in the Smithsonian Institute.
It contains 61 applique blocks (one large central block surrounded by 60 smaller blocks) and now I have finished two with another nearly drafted and ready to go.
The original features a lot of Prussian Blues so I am enjoying trialling different options from my stash.
The other bit of ‘whimsy’ I’m frittering hours away on is my Drunkards Path. I’ve no idea what this will end up as …a whole quilt or just a border for something, but in the meantine it’s a bit of enjoyable evening hand stitching or something to take to ‘quilting’ if I haven’t got anything else organised.
Drunkards Path Blocks
I’ve been cutting 5″ squares out of my stash including bits of Smithsonian, I need to add some Prussian Blues though.
Okay, one week left of the hol’s…Focus,
Connecticut Quilt, you’re next.
