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Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Home, Sweet Air-Conditioned Home!

The car thermometer hit 95 today while I was poking around Danville in search of treasures.

HOT HOT HOT HOT!

And our humidity is quickly reaching summer levels. That means that through the next few months our A/C will be running 24/7. And this is when I think back 100 years and wonder HOW they did it with corsets and stays and girdles and chemises, long skirts, hosiery, boots ----

I am absolutely POSITIVE that I was not meant to live in any other life time than this one.

It was a long two days to get home ----yesterday I just could NOT drive any more than the 9 hours I already had ---and I only took time to stop at the ONE antique mall in Verona ---by the time I left there and got to anywhere else, everything was closed. I've got pics from that jaunt to post ---be watching for those!

Upon recommendation from some other quilter-friends I have discovered a WONDERFUL place to stay in Lynchburg ---and I will share my photos from the Craddock-Terry hotel with you in tomorrow’s post ---

And to readers in the Lynchburg area ---I know I could have called or been welcomed to stay, but I really just wanted a quiet room, quiet bed ---and I was asleep by 9:30pm!

The reason I stayed there, besides the fact that I was exhausted? It’s an old shoe-factory turned hotel, and there are several fun antiquey places to hit in Lynchburg, one of them within WALKING distance!

And that is what I hit first thing this morning ---

I walked in, I saw this quilt, I paid for it, and walked out of there with it.

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How happy is this green?!?

I love how scrappy the stars are --- again, all dress making fabrics, not a quilt shop fabric in the bunch. I love that the maker used lavender as her background ---I even love how the sashings are not matched across the quilt, giving the layout a “stair-step” appearance.

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Aren’t the hand quilted fans just GREAT?!? And she was VERY consistent with her star centers --- NOT A SINGLE ONE MATCHED! :c)

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1930s & 1940s fabrics….so many fun ones!

Look closely – do you see that this block floats to the left?? My guess is that this row of the quilt was shorter than the row next to it and she sewed extra background to the row to make it “long enough”. AWESOME!

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I thought this was a neat accent ---the backing is brought around the front for binding….and she “quilted” down the binding through the quilt instead of whip stitching or blind stitching it ...those little stitches on the edge in white thread are adorable….might have to consider that option at some point!

I’ve unloaded MOST of the car – I’ve done a few “must dos” but the only “must do” to follow my sending of this post is a well deserved NAP!

It’s good to be home!

15 comments:

Saska said...

I would've snatched that quilt up too. I always love stars and scrappy stars are wonderful.
Glad you had a good trip.

Valerie said...

I. LOVE. THAT. QUILT!! The quilting is great. It looks like free-hand Baptist fans coming into the center from both sides. Lucky you for finding this one.

Carmela said...

Thank you Bonnie for showing us that perfect isn't always preferred!! Even with all the oddities in this quilt, it still made me smile, and I wonder if I had seen, would I have purchased it as well!! I'm sure happy that I found this blog for you have made me look at quilting in a whole new way! THANK YOU!!!

QuiltinLibraryLady said...

Whoever invented AC should be given sainthood!!

What a fun quilt. If the "quilt police" were around then this quilter wisely ignored them.

Anonymous said...

I know what you mean about the AC! We are approaching record highs in Michigan and the air went out last night! Two new fuses and we are all comfy again! I love those scrappy stars and that green is awesome! Grandma made me a Grandma's Flower Garden and that is exactly how she sewed the binding!

Sue
sullivan36@sbsglobal.net

teachpany said...

I love your blog! I laughed out loud that you walked in, saw the quilt, paid for it and walked back out. Really?? You didn't look any more than that?? Love it, and consistantly not matched. Excellent. I have to take a class with you, even though I'm not really a scrappy type quilter (yet!). Enjoy your AC!

Cindy, The Purple Quilter said...

Great find! Such an awesome way to end your journey!!! :)

Becky Clay said...

Did ya like the big red shoe?? Eat there also? Good food when my bunch ate there at Christmas!

Vic in NH said...

So glad that you are safely home to catch some rest! Without AC, and with all those tight clothes, women FAINTED A LOT! Thank God we are not there now. The quilt is delightfully whimsical. Maybe you can create a label documenting what little you do know about it like the year bought, what state, etc.

swakins said...

I really like the stitching on the binding! What a simple idea and it just adds to the charm of the whole quilt. You think if I did that no one would notice my mismatched stars???

Anonymous said...

Bonnie,

Isn't it wonderful how quilts used to be made to be made, no worrying about points, just putting everything together and making it pretty to put on the bed. Whatever she had got put in, no worry about where to put what, just cut it out, sew it together. Thank you for sharing.

Glad you are home. Don't forget - you're only July and August away from the lovely falls in NC. No place else has such a long fall season that I have lived in, and I always loved it. In the meantime, hot days outside means cool quilting days inside for the south.

Barby MH, ARK

Janet O. said...

What a very fun quilt. Another "research investment" for tax purposes, right?

Michelle said...

I think that our great and great great grandmothers must have been a lot tougher than we give them credit for. Hubby and I watched a documentary a few weeks ago about climbers on Mount Hood, complete with photographs of ladies making it to the top in their long dresses and then pictures of modern climbers struggling to the top in the latest state of the art gear.

Love your new quilt -- I can see why you brought it home!

Tonya Ricucci said...

that is a fabulous quilt!

Sally Langston Warren said...

The way the "binding" was stitched gave me an idea...I'm teaching a beginning quilting class in July..we'll just sew wide strips together and bring the backing to the front for the binding. They may have to finish the binding at home..so to stitch it the way this quilt is done might be the easiest. I don't want to get into the precision cutting side of quilt-making. I want the children to be inspired to use scraps from their outgrown clothes, favorite blankets, etc...to make lap size quilts. Thanks for sharing this idea!! Sally in SC jspwarren@aol.com

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