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Wednesday, July 13, 2011

So What Did She Buy?!

Every year I tell myself that I don’t NEED to BUY another quilt…seriously. Where can I put another one? Isn’t enough enough? It’s like adopting kittens, but at least I don’t need to feed them. What will I do with them in the long run? I have no idea --- have one heck of a yard sale at some point I guess, or flood ebay with listings?

I figure they will live with me as long as I need them to live with me. As long as they give me inspiration and add to my life, I’ll rotate them out and enjoy them.

Do I feel guilty about the price? Not really. Most of the ones I buy are on the cheap side, under $100, and I can’t hardly buy good running shoes for much less than that.

My purchases usually stick to the "antique quilt or top" category -- But look! This little quilt is NOT an antique!

There was a booth selling small quilts, and the money was going for scholarships. I spied this one that Kristin made, and snatched it up right away. JUST LOVE IT! Thanks so much, Kristin! It is going live in my studio, I am so happy with this!

I also bought THIS beauty:

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I just fell in love with the pattern of this "Jack in the pulpit" variation and the fabrics in it. The sashings look brown, but they were once upon a time green. You can tell when you look close.

One of the things we do when we get home is spread our goodies on Randy's bed for close inspection! I'll let Lori and Randy show their own, so check their blogs for updates.

Some of the fabrics in this quilt are pretty cheesy and loosely woven, but the piecing is pretty dang good! The date on it says circa 1900, but there are fabrics much older than that in this quilt. And that’s how it would be if anyone were dating my scrap quilts 100 years from now. Just this week I was sewing a 30 year old piece of calico I bought in 1981 into a quilt. It’s easy to see how a quilt can contain many decades of wonderful fabrics.

You can click the above to see close ups of my favorite blocks! This quilt NEEDS a bath. And I’ll probably do a soak in the tub with orvis soap when I get it back home just to see if I can help lift some of that old age and plain ole dirty musty-ness out of it.

The backing is homespun! And you can really see the quilting detail on the back side:

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It’s a very nice piece of history, an unusual block design, great quilting, and I will love having it around!

I also found this top, for the way too cheap price of $30.00:

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The spools are adorable, even if they are plenty lumpy! At some point it looks like someone has added extra blocks to turn this into a top. The fabrics added seem to be from the 1980s. That includes the green border……which may or may NOT need to be removed for me to like it. Maybe it’s growing on me, or maybe it just doesn’t look THAT bad in this picture…but I think I might change it to something else. The other fabrics in the quilt are much older..there are 1930s and 40s and possibly some 50s in here.

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I love these giant green polka dots! This block reminds me a lot of the spool block I did for Quiltmaker Magazine a couple months back…only…I wimped out and did NOT use the set in Y seam method. ((Or as I call it the W-H-Y seam method!!))

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Isn’t this wild 1940s red FUN! Many of the blocks were hand pieced, and then set together by machine.

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Loved this block with the funky stripes too…..and here you can see a bit of that 1980s green border. What do you think? Does it need to go?!

This is a top that is sturdy enough to machine quilt up nice and cute and actually USE it on a bed…so that’s my plan for it.

There were a few other quilts seen around town, here and there that didn’t make it into my previous slide show….so just to re-wet your whistle:

I wished I could take them ALL home, really --- but just like cats, where would I put them!? Still-- aren’t photos just grea for inspiration?

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Best of all, it was fun to share in the excitement with friends who feel the same way about them as I do. It’s infectious!

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I already can’t wait for next year…..do you think this quilt will be back again?! We’ll have to wait and find out!

18 comments:

  1. Love the quilts that you p1urchased. And the rest are beautiful inspiration. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. I love the Jack-in-the-pulpit! I can see why that came home with you. The spool top is a no-brainer at that price (I don't use the "Y" seam on this block, either). The border? From a distance the color isn't an issue for me. When I saw it close up it is obvious that it is a more modern fabric than the rest of the quilt. So I guess I would change it only if I thought the time period gap was going to bother me. I'd ponder it a bit to decide. : )

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  3. This may sound stupid... but after you soak the quilt in the tub, how do you ring it out... or do you? I am guessing you lay it out on the lawn on a sheet to dry. I'm asking because of the couple of quilts I've recently purchased. They do need a bath.. just not sure how to go about it.

    Thanks!

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  4. Anonymous9:05 AM EDT

    If it were mine, the green border would have to go, just doesn't feel right to me...

    Thanks for all the inspirational pics!

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  5. LOVE that little quilt! It's so YOU!

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  6. I love the Jack in the Pulpit quilt!

    The green border should go, maybe a 30s reproduction? The color is fine, but the print is not. Anita Shackelford was the speaker at our guild meeting last night, talking about some of the antique quilt tops she's rescued. At least one of them she completely disassembled and re-worked. It's an amazing lot of work. This one should be easier, though.

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  7. I love all of your purchases, enjoying the slide shows of Sister's. I have always dreamed of going there one year but a long trip from Stratford Ontario. I got to Paducca (wrong spelling) one year and just loved the experience. Blessings Sandra

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  8. Love the pictures!! Keep them coming! On the spool quilt I would remove the green border, quilt it and then just bind it. I really don't think it needs a border.
    Jeanne

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  9. Bonnie,
    Love all the pics. I too have a question about cleaning/washing old quilts. Perhaps you could give us a tip or two on how to care for/rescue them and do's and don'ts? Thanks for a great daily read! G

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  10. What a beauty! I love the Jack in the Pulpit and the handiwork is stunning. I am always telling my mom that I am making "new antique" quilts as I try to get through my oldest stash fabrics!!!

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  11. How old do you think the red/blue star quilt is? Have similar one made by my Grandmother in the early 1900's, I think.

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  12. Hi Bonnie,
    You found some beauties- it is hard for me to imagine that someone would sell an old quilt top for 30 dollars. You got some great finds and treasures to add to your collection.
    Thanks for sharing.
    Regards,
    Anna

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  13. The "quilt" quilt is WAY too cute, love your big purchase, the hand quilting looks lovely, and the spools, leave the border and quilt it! Great purchases all around!

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  14. Your quilt finds are fabulous! And in the slideshows....wow! That baskets one, and the tons of orange one....and seven sisters! Wow! Just love 'em! And the string stars....someone will surely snatch that one up! Thanks so much for all that inspiration! Hoping to make that trip one day!

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  15. I am not a green person, but I think that green goes good on that quilt with all the other older fabrics.

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  16. ditch the green border. I like solids, like red, maybe, but i am odd like that- I think red goes with everything!

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  17. Love those quilts but the Jack in the Pulpit is calling my name! I went to Quilters Cache and they don't have this pattern.
    Any plans to make one of these?

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  18. Hi Bonnie! It's so exciting to see that you bought my quilt. I'm glad it's gone to a good home! Kristin

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