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 the addition of a colorful patchwork mug rug? It's like a pick-me-up for your morning pick-me-up! 

My friend, Mary, 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 plenty of ideas and tutorials online, most beginning with a basic quilt block. They make great gifts too!

*Originally posted June 19, 2015.

Strawberry Preserves

Hi everyone! Can you believe the seasons are changing already? I've been so focussed in this summer's project that I feel like it's still July! Do you remember this mid-century inspired doll quilt with a vintage embroidered strawberry? I first posted about it 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. It's such a shame to leave things like this half-done, but that was that, or so I thought. Earlier this spring, I brought it out to show my friend, Ruth, who graciously offered to finish it for me.

Just look at her beautiful stitches! Ruth suggested using perle cotton for the quilting which adds a lovely luster to the overall design.

 

As it turned out, making a doll quilt was the perfect way to preserve that vintage embroidery. 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 interpreted by a veteran English teacher, you don't know what you're missing. Listening to her read was absolute bliss!

I bought 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!

We certainly made some great memories this summer! 

The Strawberry Patch

One of my favorite memories growing up was going through the linen cupboard with my mom. Everything had a story, from the fancy damask tablecloths we only used "for good," to the delicate hand crocheted doilies, dresser scarves, and antimacassars made by grandmas and aunts long gone.

I liked the handmade items best so when we came across a set of napkins hand embroidered with strawberries, I wanted to know more. Apparently, Mom had no recollection of them whatsoever! Is it possible have saved them "for good" so long she forgot them altogether?  

, the napkins had never been used and, 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 myself 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 lately.  Apparently, my "dragging" them around as I compose a post prevents them from enlarging. Who knew? According to my tech savvy friend, Wanda Hanson, the proper method is to "click" on a photo and "drop" it into place. Let's see if it works!

Please click on the photos in this post and if they enlarge leave a comment. I'll enter your name in a giveaway of assorted 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 on the back 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.