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Friday, March 25, 2016

A Bit of Traverse City Antiquing!

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Today we are time-traveling back to my visit in Traverse City Michigan!

I didn’t get a chance to share the wonderful quilts and things we saw while we were putzing around town on our free day.

My presentation wasn’t until the evening, and the girls had planned quite the day out: Antiquing, Exploring, Photo Ops, Shopping and LUNCH!

My favorite thing of all to do is wander antique shops and just see what is out there.  Inventory changes all of the time.

No two shops are ever alike, and quite often I find pieces of history specific to that area, like when I was in Oklahoma and found all of the Sooners memorabilia, including a poster of my uncle!

Here’s an idea for those with a grandmother's flower garden quilt in cutter-condition.  These adorable pincushions were made with the shattering quilt pieces and stuffed with walnut shells.  I love pincushions and would have picked this up to bring home, but it weighed 5 lbs and my luggage was already at weight limits!

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Fun with 4 patches!

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We all loved this sweet 30s print!

Such a simple block, but how striking with those red sashings?  If you need a quilt in a hurry, wouldn’t this be a great block for Quilts of Valor?

**Note** It wasn't until I hit POST on this blog and looked at it that I saw the oops block near the center!  Hey, it happens!

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Older and loved to pieces.  Friendship Stars!

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Of course there is Sun Bonnet Sue!

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What little girl didn’t want a Sue quilt back in the day!

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LOVE LOVE LOVE this churn dash!

Look closely!  Do you see it??  Wait for it ---

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Now you you see it?  Hahahaha!

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Phenomenal top!

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The applique on these animals is very fine!

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Who was this made for?

Why was it never finished?

What was the source of patterns?

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I just love this for a child!

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Oh yes, tumblers gone crazy!

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Close up!

What looks like “pieced” tumblers are actually cut from a cheater cloth crazy quilt looking piece of fabric.  So interesting!

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Sweet 30s trip around the world!

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Earlier dolly quilt!

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Bold and bright!  Ohio stars on point!

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Jack in the Box!

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Love the muted colors and the value play in this one!

What looks like empty spaces where there are no blocks are where fabrics have faded completely to white leaving just the “ghost lines” of patches being sewn to patches.  This was really a fun one!

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Wonderful double wedding ring!

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Aren’t some of those arcs just interesting?

At first glance we were like “Oh, double wedding ring”  As if we’ve seen a million of these and they are just not that interesting..but when you really start to look at this one you begin to question the maker’s choices and wonder why some of her arcs are so bold, and some are very subtle.  What was the story here?  Who was it made for and was this all she had to work with?  I love that she put it together the way she wanted to!

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Sweet “Cherry” Baskets!

Yes, I am calling them Cherry Baskets because this is MICHIGAN, the Cherry State!  These were sweet and I love that they are marching in straight little rows.

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Lovely Log Cabin!

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Check out those fabrics!

This maker knew how to separate her neutrals from her colors! Hahaha!  I thought to myself that THIS is exactly how I would make this if I had a chance to make it.  And then I remembered. Oh yes, I did!


This is MY first bed sized quilt!  Look familiar?

Yes, I think that quilter and I would have gotten along just fine!  You can read about my first quilts HERE.

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And our chuckle of the day!

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Are they apple cores?  Or are the….

((excuse me…but I can’t help myself!))

Panty Liners?  LOL!

I spent too much time in stretch and sew class attempting to make lingerie and I can’t help but look at this shape without thinking of panty parts and why would I want a quilt made out of this shape when there are so many others out there?

The fabrics however were fun, multi-generational, and you could tell where one person took the earlier parts and added more modern “into the 70s!” fabrics to complete the quilt.  I love the part about relationships!  But would I make an Apple Core?  NOPE!  Ha!

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Morning on the Mountain!

We gad a bit of gentle spring rain last night, and this morning the world is washed clean as the sun begins to burn off the rest of the cloud cover.  Beautiful!

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This baby waits to be seen to!

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Quiltville Quote of the Day!

Talent is not instantaneous. Talent is only the seed! Nourish it, work hard at it, and watch it grow! 

Tumbler Leader & Ender challenge quilt shared by a student in my Kalamazoo classes last week.

Have a wonderful Friday, everyone!


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20 comments:

  1. Thank you for saying it! Yes,I too made lingerie and can not stop myself from seeing the panti liner or sanitary pad. OOPS - now I said the other thought. Yes, there are so many other patterns to be creative and use our scraps.

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  2. I remember spending that day with you and Sue. I also remember how hard we laughed when you picked up the "panty liner quilt" ... had never looked at it like that before ... don't expect to see an Apple Core quilt in my future either! Thanks for the great post and the wonderful visit!! Linda H

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  3. Oh yes, Stretch ans Sew! I did try it all too in the 70s. Made a swim suit ( that I actually wore!) and made some nightgowns that I gifted. But never wasted my time on panties...lol. Thanks for sharing all these Bonnie.

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  4. So, Bonnie, I guess the next leader and ender challenge will not be an apple core? Am I correct in that assumption? LOL. Actually, I am one of the few who likes the apple core and have already made one and love it. But once is enough for me. Mine is hand pieced and hand quilted. It took too much time for me to make another one. Still, I love mine, but, yes, it does remind me of a feminine product.

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  5. Your quote about talent reminded me of something I learned when in school-- Art is what you are born with, skill is what you learn, and craft is how you put the two together. In school, it was in regard to teaching, but I've found over the years that it applies to everything.

    Happy Easter.

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  6. O.K. Now I am afraid that we were twins separated at birth, as I find nothing wrong with your "panty liner" comment.

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  7. Anonymous11:19 AM EDT

    The pink quilt with the animals reminds me of the quilt my grandmother made for me, pink and all! You wondered where the patterns came from in that quilt, well in my quilt grandma had a coloring book she picked the patterns from. I remember sitting with her and showing her which ones I wanted, and wishing I could have the coloring book. My animal quilt was on my bed for many years, now it needs a little care but I still have it. Thank you Bonnie for sharing your wonderful finds and brining up great memories.
    Tracy
    Tracy@nwctv.com

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  8. Panty liners...hahaha. I started an apple core quilt by hand and it quickly and swiftly became a small...very small wallhanging!

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  9. I love that those two earlier quilters left the odd pieces. Quilting should be fun! Sometimes people seem to want perfection and that can take the fun away!

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  10. Thank You Bonnie!
    Will never look at another Apple Core Quilt the same...LOL
    Can now take that one off the bucket list.
    But the Log Cabin and Ohio Blocks are Classics
    Thanks for the Tour and chuckle....

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  11. I love seeing all your finds. I especially like the faded one with the "empty" spaces. It might have come home with me.

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  12. Love to "travel" with you through your blog posts; and I love that you share all your great finds. Although I didn't take any Stretch & Sew classes, I did make a half-slip and panties. Worn them both a lot. Not something I would like to sew everyday, but making quilts---bring them on. If my husband would just quit wanting me to clean house and do dishes and let me sew. LOL I am lucky though in that he does most of the cooking. He is such a better cook than I am! Thanks, Bonnie "for all you do"!

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  13. I love that churn Dash, it is a DANCING Churn! Anything goes in a Vintage quilt. Thanks for sharing. Yes, I made Panties in those Stretch n sew classes too. Even Boys undies. NOT FUN!
    No apple core happening here.

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  14. Huh, I knew there was a reason I didn't like the apple core quilts. Never a peeled to me. 😏 I love the log cabin quilts, they are my favorite. Thanks the showing the antique quilts and your story about your quilt.

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  15. I will never look at Apple Core quilts again...without laughing!! Thanks for the giggle!

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  16. what a lovely collection, such a shame the animal one was never complete a truly talented lady or maybe man made that. Woops saw the error in churn dash, I too have a quilt I just quilted and have found an error, hopefully mine will t be spotted

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  17. As for me, that one quilt with animals is really great! It is so cool as for a child. It can help to learn animal names!

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  18. sigh.....hope no one looks at my completed apple core/ax head quilt that way...it is a doll quilt and the pieces were cut from 1 and a 1/2 strips and are only 3 inches long and all have apple theme print because I did not want it to look like ax head.....and now this.....the binding even follows the shape rather than the edges being trimmed straight.....and all by hand.....sigh, oh well.

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  19. LOL, I saw it before you said anything and after making a 60x80 apple core quilt with another partially completed all by hand two winters ago I won't tell my boys this whenever I get them finished. I hand pieced them...my first, and want to hand quilt them. I had never looked at mine like that and I think it's because these are elongated with high domes and the solids just stand out. Too late to turn back now, must finish and maybe find another hand piecing project. Thanks for the funny!

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  20. Thanks for the link to the stories about your first quilts! My mom wasn't a quilter, but she did love to sew. My first quilt was made from five inch squares cut from her scrap box. I had no idea about fabric content or chain piecing, but that quilt is full of memories!

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