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Thursday, October 25, 2012

Good Morning, Salinda!

I was up early this morning --- too early!

I hate it when nature calls at 5am ---and it’s too hard to get back to sleep because my mind starts playing over what needs to happen during the oncoming daylight hours.  There was no turning back the clock ---SO much on the to-do list.

Although, the family still sleeps soundly, and I don’t want to make a bunch of noise and disturb their peaceful slumber --- so what is a girl to do?

Some silent stitching of course!  Okay, maybe not-so-silent on the inside ---I had my earbuds in and was listening to the upbeat nostalgic sounds of Jackson Browne!

I finished sewing the binding on this quilt the other night with yet another episode of Hoarders.  What is with that show?  It’s like watching a train wreck!  And then when I get done I have to just get up and de-junk and clean something.  I sure feel for the people in these episodes, it’s just heart breaking all the way around.  And I wish they would do something like show how life is for them 6 months after they’ve come through and cleaned them all out.

But that’s another tangent!  It was just past 5 am and I was sitting in the recliner end of the couch with my feet up, ear buds in and stitching to complete the hanging sleeve and then stitch down the label.

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I’ve done labels many ways ---and over time they have gotten more simple.  Sometimes, if the backing fabric is light enough to allow it, I’ll just sign my information right on the quilt back or sometimes the hanging sleeve.  But this has become the easiest way for backs that are too busy to view any writing ---take a square anywhere from 6.5” to 8” and fold it diagonally.  Baste it into the corner of the quilt before adding the binding.

I have  a stash of pre-cut label squares already pressed and folded in my drawer by the machine so they are always ready when I need one.  NO EXCUSES!

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All you have to do is stitch the diagonal edge after the binding is applied.  I’ve been using up all my remaining scraps of white on whites for labels.  I think they are pretty this way.  And yes, this is my own hand writing on the label just off the top of my head, plain, simple and to the point.  I named my quilt Oh, Salinda.  It’s based on a quilt made by Salinda Rupp in Lancaster County, PA in 1870.  I signed my name.  I put the year I finished it.

As nice as embroidered or computer printed labels may look ----generations to come will value our visible penmanship made by our own hands with pen and ink far more than any digitized design.  So if you do print your labels or stitch them out on an embroidery machine, please leave room for your real signature!  It is the one last personal individual touch you can give your quilt.

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It just fits this antique bed, doesn’t it?  The yellow is going to keep this room sunny through the winter months!

Today the plan is to go searching for flooring for the basement--- It’s the next big project on the house to-do list. 

I’ll be home alone tonight due to the Wake Forest football game ---anyone up for QuiltCam about 9pm Eastern tonight?  Look for me then!

52 comments:

  1. Good morning Bonnie! Your finished quilt is gorgeous. What a great way to start the day.

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  2. Our community Trick or Treat night is tonight, so if all of the Ghosts, and Goblins have gone home for the night, I will be there to join you, and put the finishing touches on my UFO-redo! For a tiny town with only about 25 kids, I have a hard time understanding where I get over 300 Trick or Treaters knocking at my door! (No joke, our town only has that many residents, but parents from neighboring towns, drive their kids here since their own night for it is different!)

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  3. what a beautiful quilt! i've always made my labels square and tacked them in to the quilt binding, but i've never thought about putting the label in the corner as you do. will have to try that!

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  4. Just gorgeous Bonnie, I'm just thrilled that you've finished your NI quilt. The yellow you've used in the border is just lovely, the perfect choice.
    Be sure to have a great day hon
    *hugs*
    Tazzie
    :-)

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  5. Thank you for the great label idea. I have appliqued a square that I've written on to the back in random places. Then I finish it off with a blanket stitch. That works well until you have a heavily quilted quilt and it's hard to blanket stitch without getting it through the top. I love seeing your work!!!

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  6. oh bonnie, that is beautiful. ideal for that antique bed. i AM in lancaster and off for some retail therapy this AM....how good is that?

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  7. Hi Bonnie. Your quilt looks so lovely on that bed! Very cheerful. So much work but worth the wait. Going to play with guild ladies today. This will only be my second time this year venturing out to sew with the girls. We are working on lap quilts for children. I made three lap quilts from scraps and 8 simple back packs to put them in. They need a total of 80 by mid November. Time is running out. As my grandson says, "Sew faster Grandma"!
    See you tonight
    Aileen in Florida

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  8. Really like the quilt, and the yellow is a great touch...I like the handwritten labels, too...I like to at least sign & date on the backing when possible...sometimes I will print a iron-on label with full details...particularly when it is from a class or pattern for for something special...
    --ed

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  9. That came out beautiful Bonnie. Thanks for the label tip!

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  10. That came out beautiful Bonnie. Thanks for the label tip!

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  11. Regarding flooring for the basement. Does that include your studio?

    When I picked the flooring for my studio I accidentally picked something that works very well.

    First, I picked a padded vinyl. It's fairly inexpensive and is comfortable to stand on.

    Second -- and here's the accidental part -- I picked a black-and-white checkerboard pattern. The squares of the checkerboard are, seredipitously, 9". So I can actually use my floor to measure, say, batting. If I ever need to block a quilt, I can use the squares on my floor to block it straight and square.

    My studio is 450 square feet, so I call my floor "the biggest quilt tool in the world".

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  12. I have tried to remember to use this labeling method ever since I first saw you use it. So quick and handy! Now I need to follow you lead in having them ready and on hand.
    Hoarders both fascinates and repels me. I finally had to quit watching, it was such a downer. But I read a couple of books about hoarding and I realize that when they do those clean-ups without the people getting serious help, they just go right back to where they were, which is what I suspected.
    Oh, Salinda--what a great name! It is a gorgeous quilt and looks SO good on that bed! Job well done, Bonnie!!

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  13. your quilt is beautiful...love all the scraps you use...and the label is great too.

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  14. Don't you just love the quietness of an early morning, with a brand new day to look forward to? It's a great time of day. I am TERRIBLE about labeling my quilts. Very few have labels, and I know I must get better! Your NI is wonderful - another amazing accomplishment.

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  15. Good morning Bonnie, looking forward to some quiltcam time this eve with you. Can you please tell us the name of the pattern used for the beautiful scrappy quilt you have on the background of your blog page. Thanks,

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  16. Your quilt is just beautiful. I love the complex blocks with the simple wide sashing to set them apart. Quiltcam has become my evening entertainment since my TV gave up the ghost.

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  17. Out of the strain of the doing, into the peace of the done.

    Congratulations on a beautiful finish.

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  18. Anonymous9:20 AM EDT

    Drooooollllll..... it is just perfect.

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  19. Oh Bonnie, it is just beautiful perfect for that bed! what a major accomplishment you should be so proud of yourself. makes me want to get out my blocks and make a few more
    I really need to finish this quilt
    someday!
    kathie

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  20. Love the early mornings, too. Not that I see many of them as I usually get up around 7:00 a.m. I love your idea of adding at least a handwritten signature to the labels. I print mine out from the computer and while they are nice and legible and you can get a lot of information on them, they are impersonal. I am making one today and will begin to add my signature.

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  21. Anonymous9:26 AM EDT

    What a stunning quilt! Love it on the bed an dyne yellow is a great accent color!

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  22. Oh my that quilt was a real journey! How lovely. I bet it will be studied in the future to figure out all those great fabrics used together. You really are the scrappy quilting Queen Bonnie!

    Happy Sewing

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  23. I have used your corner label method it works great like most of your tips. Remind us what kind of pen works best for writing on the label.

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  24. Anonymous9:38 AM EDT

    the quilt is just beautiful

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  25. This looks fantastic! I love the easy label idea, better than no label at all. Not that I have quilts like that, well not many.
    I like to put the label on before I quilt so it is sewn right into the quilt & can't be removed.
    Cheers
    Lush

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  26. The quilt looks stunning on your bed, Bonnie? I love the yellow border, and I the love the label too. That is a great way to personalize the quilt.
    Hope to be able to watch at 9:00 tonight.
    Grace
    gmp505@aol.com

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  27. Oh Salinda is gorgeous! The quilt is like a ray of sunshine. Thanks for sharing the label idea....a wonderful way to add the personal touch!

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  28. Oh, I love the way this quilt looks on your bed! It almost makes me want to start a sampler quit! Great label idea. I think I will try that on my next quilt. Thanks for your constant inspiration. I hope I make it back from tennis tonight to join in on quilt cam.

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  29. Oh, Salinda is oh, so beautiful! I looks beautiful on the bed.

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  30. In case I haven't said it before, and it probably is because of the yellow and red... I. LOVE. THAT. QUILT.

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  31. I love this quilt Bonnie! It is gorgeous! I also like your idea for quilt labels. I do use embroidery labels, but from now on, I'm going to personally sign somewhere on the label. Thank you so much for sharing your tips, and ideas.

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  32. Oh Bonnie!! I love your interpretation of this quilt, especially the pink & green Rick rack border. Great finish.

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  33. Thanks for the quilt label idea. This is one thing I tend to have trouble completing. :)

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  34. Thank you so much for your comment about Hoarders. I thought I was the only one who would feel inspired to clean and declutter whenever I see one of those episodes.

    Of course the quilt is beautiful. You are so right about the personal touch of your own handwriting. My grandparents have passed on but I love it when I find something with their handwriting - it feels so much more special.

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  35. Great ideas i love to lable quilts with{ stem stitch} because i do not know what kind of pen i shuld use with out vanich with time and clean

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  36. Salinda is so very beautiful and so happy! I love her! You do such awesome work!

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  37. my ssister has a bed like that and loves scrappy quilts.

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  38. Hi Bonnie! I collect vintage hankies and the ones with a little embroidery in a corner and plain edges work great for corner labels. Vintage linen cocktail napkins work great for appliqued labels or in the corner as a rectangle with two edges sewn down.

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  39. Hi Bonnie! I collect vintage hankies and the ones with a little embroidery in a corner and plain edges work great for corner labels. Vintage linen cocktail napkins work great for appliqued labels or in the corner as a rectangle with two edges sewn down.

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  40. There's something about a quilt on a bed that makes me feel like jumping in! Love the old carved oak beds. Furniture was so sturdy, and beauty was secondary. Having both in a piece of furniture is true craftsmanship.

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  41. Anonymous3:40 PM EDT

    I'm not a big fan of sampler quilts but I LOVE this one. The colors really make it sing! Good job on the piecing and quilting!

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  42. ********gold stars Congrats on finishing antique style quilt it fits era of bed.Also good label idea.Can't wait for quilt cam.Happy quilting

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  43. The quilt is beautiful! What pen do you use to write on your labels?

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  44. I had to confess to being a fan of Hoarders, too! I even listen to a podcast of Matt Paxton's called 5 Decisions Away. It can be on the crude side, not for the faint of heart, but also funny and insightful.

    The quilt is just stunning and so beautiful on that bed. Perfecto!!!

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  45. Bonnie - Your quilt is beautiful. Guys are going to high school football game tonight, so I hope to join you on quilt cam. With Sandy on the way I plan to hunker down and sew all weekend.

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  46. Absolutely stunning! I do sign all my quilts, have been thinking about going digital but do like the idea of keeping my personal signature on there too! Sometimes "old fashioned" is the best way to go!

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  47. Your quilt is beautiful, and looked huge when it was hanging on the wall and while you were working on it. But, it looks absolutely stunning on your bed! It looks like they are a perfect match for each other, not sure how you don 't spend all you time in there looking at that and say 'I made that, I really did!' Great job!

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  48. I don't remember you making these blocks... can you tell me what/where I can find the links to follow the older posts about this quilt??
    Thanks Bonnie and congrats on a great finish.
    I will be using your label technique,I'm always looking for a faster way to apply labels

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  49. Fantastic quilt! There is also a little more known/found on Ancestry.com about Salina Rupp of Lancaster county and her family if you are interested. I looked her up. :D
    Kathy

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  50. That is one fantastic quilt, Bonnie, dear. You should be proud!

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