A Perfect Morning Pick-me-up!

I love a good cup of coffee in the morning. Brew it strong and serve it hot with a splash of milk and spoonful of sugar. What could possibly make it better?

How about a colorful patchwork mug rug? It's like a pick-me-up for my morning pick-me-up! 

My friend, Mary Conley, made this postage stamp version for me, exclusively from her scraps. Each vibrant square finishes at a mere half inch! Isn't it fun? 

Why not make a mug rug for yourself and see if it doesn't “perk up” your morning brew? There are loads of ideas and tutorials online to get you started. Most begin with a basic quilt block.

*Originally posted June 19, 2015.

Strawberry Preserves

Summer is quickly turning to fall, but I’m just not ready for the change of seasons. I'm still focused on this summer’s project, a mid-century inspired doll quilt that features a vintage embroidered strawberry. Perhaps you remember it from here.

Motifs like this are typical of the 1940s-50s when they adorned household linens such as tea towels, tablecloths, and napkins. I added calicos, polka dots, and gingham checks for vintage charm and bordered the quilt with a whimsical retro-style daisy print from American Jane.

                        

The top itself was finished years ago but got set aside when I gave up doing handwork. What a shame, I thought, to leave something like this half-done. Apparently, my friend Ruth agreed because when I finally showed it to her (nine years later) she offered to quilt and bind it for me.

Ruth is a highly accomplished needlewoman who excels at everything from embroidery and knitting to sewing and quilt making. Just look at her beautiful stitches! Can you see how the perle cotton subtly catches the light?

She included me in the process every step of the way, not so much because the quilt, but  she saw how much I enjoyed "talking quilts" again!

 

As it turned out, making this quilt was a perfect way to preserve that vintage strawberry. Thank you to Vicki Haninger for her inspiration and to Ruth, of course, for seeing the project to fruition. I couldn't be happier with the result!

Strawberry Preserves

15” x 17”

machine pieced, hand quilted

2019

Scenes of Summer

Hi everyone. How was your summer? Mine was filled with extraordinary moments shared with extraordinary friends, like Wanda Hanson of Exuberant Color, who surprised me with one of her signature batik color-wash quilts. Isn't it stunning? Read more about it here. 

Of course, visits from quilters are always welcome, especially when they bring "show and tell." Here's Sheila with her Sunflower quilt and me with Wanda's Zig-Zags.

Jenny graced us with fresh-picked basil and cherry tomatoes from her garden. Jean shared delicious peach cobbler (made with real Georgia peaches) and the best homemade blueberry pie I've ever tasted!

Local troubadour, Bill Glaysher, serenaded me one afternoon. Swoon! I even got a copy of his CD!

Which enabling friend helped make this online purchase? I couldn't resist a few new American Jane fabrics in summer hues.

My friend, Bev, volunteered to read aloud to me. If you've never heard To Kill a Mockingbird read by a veteran English teacher, you don't know what you're missing!

There was a delightful new quilt book too: The Magic Forest by Gwen Marston.

 

Jim and I even attended a bridal shower, hosted by friends, Mark and Linda, for their daughter and son-in-law to be. What lured us out on a 97-degree day was the promise of mango mimosas and eight different kinds of cake. Believe me, it did not disappoint!

I can't thank my friends enough for so graciously sharing  their time and talents. We certainly made some great memories, didn't we? Love you all!

The Strawberry Patch

One of my favorite memories growing up was sorting through the linen cupboard with my mother. Everything had a story, from the fancy damask tablecloths we only used at holidays, to the hand crocheted doilies, dresser scarves and such, crocheted by loved ones long gone.

I liked the handmade items best so when we came across a set of vintage napkins, each embroidered with a charming strawberry, I wanted to know more. Had Mom had made them for her hope chest in the early 1950s? Were they a gift from one of her high school friends on the occasion of her marriage? 

Closer scrutiny revealed they'd never even been used.

Apparently, the napkins had never been used and Mom had no recollection of them whatsoever, so I asked if I could have them someday

Fast forward to recently when I saw a series of small quilts made by Vicki Haninger of Turkey Feathers. showed just how to make use of those berries. Vicki added an embroidered motif to each of her little doll quilts and the result was so charming, I couldn't resist trying it myself!

Used with permission of Vicki Haninger

Equally as charming were the fabrics Vicki used: pure, bright colors, prints with white backgrounds, assorted checks, polka dots, and whimsical designs... none of which I had in my own fabric stash.

An Internet search led me to Sandy Klop, whose American Jane fabrics ticked all the right boxes--cheerful colors and charming prints, all with a retro vibe!

I cut four sets of fabrics, one for me and three to share with friends, along with four vintage strawberries. Speaking of "vintage," can you spot the Cranston Print Works calico in the photo below?

Why not find a scrap of stitchery and give it new life? It's a perfect way to honor an anonymous needleworker from the past!

The Strawberry Patch 

15" x 17"

machine pieced

2009

Testing, 1-2-3 Testing

Hello everyone. I've been having issues with my blog photos enlarging. Apparently, my "dragging" them around in Blogger disables that particular function. Who knew? From now on, I'll be using a little more forethought as I type.

Do me a favor--please click the photos in this post. If they enlarge leave a comment. I'll enter your name in a giveaway to celebrate my new-found skill. reproduction fabric swatches like those in the quilt below. The drawing will remain open until Nov. 25. 

 from a line of Harriet Hargrave fabrics as they  The simple one-patch layout was inspired by vintage fabric swatch books and salesmen's sample catalogs which arrange fabric samples in a similar fashion.

The cornmeal sack adds vintage charm and eliminated the need for batting.

"Swatch Book Sampler"

  7 1/2" x  7 1/2"

machine pieced, hand quilted

1996

Summer's Last Hurrah

During the heat of summer, quilting is the last thing on my mind, but when a pile of scraps presents itself, what's a quilter to do? I couldn't resist whipping up an hourglass block or two, until at last i had enough to make this little quilt. It's not my usual way of working, but that's precisely what made it so fun!  

Who could resist these luscious colors when they look like summertime itself? The colorful assortment of scraps reminded me of popsicles, and icy fruit sorbet. vibrant colorful  from these hand-dyed cottons

Once again, these are Milly Churbuck'sd  (sadly no longer available). 

They were perfect for making small quilts like this Hourglass with 1 1/2" (finished) blocks.

The border and binding plaid is an early Kaffe Fassett fabric that came from a friend’s stash (Thank you, Helen!). Several of our quilt friends have chosen to “pass on” their fabric after they’ve passed on. Using it in our own quilts is our way of honoring them.

Summer’s Last Hurrah

17" x 22" 

Diane Burdin, 2003

Making Conversation

At one time, I was a high school English teacher, blessed with the task of expanding the minds of curious 14 year olds. My class was reading Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, when a student came up to me and said, “In the chapter you had us read for homework, Pip and Miss Havesham were having sex.” “What?” I answered, shocked. “Yeah, it said they had intercourse!”

If the situation wasn't so awkward, it would have been the answer to any teacher‘s prayer; a teachable moment with students waiting in rapt attention for me to expound on the richness of the English language. On the one hand, it was an opportunity to talk about multiple meanings of words or how language changes over time. On the other hand, how could I explain the multiple meanings of that particular word to a class of snickering teenagers?

Maybe if I broke the word into its Latin roots, they’d lose interest and we could get on with the lesson I’d originally planned for the day. “Inter means between and course means to run; it's from the Latin intercursus which means running between.” More snickering. “Okay, how about the word discourse? It means a speech or discussion. So, if course means to talk, intercourse means an exchange between people; a conversation.

I should have stopped there but something made me pose this pivotal question: “So, what’s a four letter word ending in k that means intercourse?” I expected the class to erupt into laughter and mayhem. But they very earnestly responded in unison, “F%#K“ as if the answer was obvious. “No,” I replied. The word is TALK.” At least that’s one definition they’d never forget!

The story makes a good segue for today’s quilt which is made from conversation prints. These novelty fabrics, popular in the 1870-1900’s, are printed with images of everyday things such as cats or dogs. The tiny motifs are meant to elicit comments and conversation about the fabric. Most of the designs in this quilt are from Judy Rothermel for Marcus Brothers. I think my favorite image is the pool playing grasshopper. How weird is that?

Excessive Heat Warning

There seems to be an excessive heat advisory all over the country this week. I hope you're all managing to keep cool somehow. Quilting is probably the last thing anyone wants to think about in 90 degree temperatures, but I thought I'd keep posting about doll quilts for the rest of the summer.

I’ve gotten some of my favorite doll quilts from friends. The fun of owning someone else’s work is that the quilt designs and fabrics used might be very different from my own style. There’s also the novelty of owning a finished piece--one which hasn’t languished on my sewing room floor for months or even years.


This little Tumbler was made by Judy Heath, a talented and prolific quilter with whom I worked at our local quilt shop. Many of the fabrics are from the Peppermint and Sassafras line designed by Judie Rothermel in the mid 1990s. It's a charming little piece, measuring only 11" x 12" and covered in buttons that Judy brought back from a trip to Australia.