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Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Browsing, Browsing!

“Get out and stretch your legs every so often” is the medical advice given by my doctor regarding the bulging disk in my back.

A devious smile crosses my face as I realize this coincides with one of my favorite pastimes ---Antiquing!

This also has its down side ---I can’t afford to bring EVERYHTHING home. Quilts and quilt tops take up a lot of space. Kitchen stuff – oh I love vintage kitchen stuff: Granite ware old egg beaters and salt shakers and fun tea pots ---but I can’t bring it all home! Where can I put it?

Taking photos but leaving things where I found them is the answer.

I love finding quilts that inspire me in future projects and sharing them here, and then being sure I can FIND THEM myself later when I have time to make them --- aka PINTEREST ---means that I don’t have to bring each and every little thing home.

And the upside --- I’m getting out of the car! I’m stretching my legs! I’m giving that gas pedal foot and leg a break.

So what did I find? Let’s take a look!

Simple 9 patches always catch my heart. How many of us learned to quilt by sewing squares into 9 patches? The sweet top above has solid blue center squares in each little block, plenty of fun vintage 30’s and 40’s prints ---love that yellow! The background is a simple muslin. Instant love!

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Red polka dot bow ties!

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This one was SO great – just a top, very old, all flannel! This top had blues, greys, browns, blacks, and peach. I don’t know if you can tell by the photos how soft and fuzzy this is, it has definitely never been washed. I turned it over to check the stitching on the back side…all by hand!

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Stitches are small and even, the seams a bit less than 1/4”.

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I really love this block! Just might have to play with this one!

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Simple and classic, white shoo-flies with red backgrounds and white sashing. YUMMY!!

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9-patch hourglasses! I think this is an “exquisite” block off the top of my head, but not sure. What I really love is the row of 2/3 blocks ((not half blocks!!)) at the bottom row:

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Not sure what happened to that corner block – it’s got an extra hourglass unit!

I guess it was 5 o’clock SOMEWHERE! ;c)

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I saw this one and fell in love!

Until I lifted it and smelled it…..it smelled REALLY BAD! LOL!

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It was also very heavy ---and it sounded like the newspaper foundations were still attached – which made the thought of washing this to get the smell out impossible…it was also fragile in some areas, but how graphic is this?! Loved it --- from a distance! Another example of why not everything can come home!

What else did NOT come home?

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A PAIR of Chinese dogs!

If you would like a pair of these dogs to guard your stash, contact me, I know where you can find them…LOL

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They don't come cheap! AND -- they take up far more room than any number of machines or quilts that I could bring home. ((Do you see me rationalizing here?!))

There are more quilts, but I’m going to get my morning moving --- I need a shower, I have to pack up all the quilt stuff that is all over my hotel room and fit it back in my car. There will be more sight seeing today as I make my way toward colonial Williamsburg, Virginia!

I'm doing the happy dance of joy ---November's mystery quilt top is a TOP -- it's together! Whoowhooo!

Happy Tuesday, everyone….it’s the last day of July, 2012 – make it memorable!

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Love the pictures, but best of all you answered my "burning" question...you are doing another mystery quilt in November!!!!! Hooray!!! and Thank-you!! I really have had fun with the last two.
Michelle

45th Parallel Quilter said...

Love that classic red/white ShooFly .. there is just something about two color quilts that appeal to me. Travel safe. LOVE Williamsburg, VA ... DH and I eloped and got married there ... very romantic ;-)

Lilac Joan said...

I will make July 31 memorable by shopping at Goodwill. Today all blue tags are 85% off!!! That is 53 cents per shirt!

Sewing Sue said...

Well who doesn't need a lion or two in their back yard!! ;-)

Andra Gayle said...

Colonial Williamsburg is one of my favorite places on earth! Enjoy!

Janet O. said...

That flannel top really captured my eye! Love the unexpected peach color amidst those dark flannels--and it is a great design.
Seriously, you passed on the Chinese guard dogs? And they were such a bargain! *LOL*

jolyn said...

one thing that has really helped me with sciatic pain is to alternate my feet when sewing...use right foot for a while and then left foot...unless you use a knee control...

Nann said...

The Exquisite is my favorite quilt block name. It's the same as your "Smoky Mountain Stars." I bet there is a name for "hourglass nine-patch," but I don't know what it is.

I stopped at a St. Vinnie's on Saturday where there were three sewing machines, all ancient Kenmores in cabinets. (Ancient=that textured steel. One of them was maroon.) Nothing came home with me!

Anonymous said...

I can't wait for the Nov mystery quilt. I am going to be, READY- SET-GO this time! Last time I was about 6 weeks behind. I have saved scraps all year, so hope I have what we need! If not I will cut up stash, and that is not a bad thing. Jan

Mary said...

I'm curious about the Flannel quilt top too. I'll have to look it up on my Blockbase to see what it is called. It would be a fun one to make with my DH's shirts. Time to get them de-boned. You didn't say you bought any of the quilts this time. Thanks for taking the pictures and letting us see them through your eyes. Travel safe to Williamsburg and have fun, tell Kathy T and Jennifer Chiaverini "Hello" for me. Kathy is my Lucky SBS friend who gets to go there.

Cindy Brick said...

Bonnie, I love your photos and descriptions -- they're great -- but would you mind including the prices for the quilts and quilt tops that got away? I do a lot of research on this, and it would be so helpful...
thanks much.

GeeMa said...

The Chinese Lion Dogs are often referred to as Foo Dogs. They are representative of the pekingese dogs that guarded the palaces in China. The foo dog in your picture is a female because she has her paw on top of the baby. The male has his paw on top of a round sphere which represents the globe.

Love the red and white shoofly quilt.

Bonnie K. Hunter said...

Sooty, but no. That's not what this blog is about. It takes time, space and my attention from other things.

Thank you for understanding, but no.

Bonnie K. Hunter said...

Typing via phone. That was sorry, but no.

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