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Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Out and About with Mona!

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I could also title this post “Slim Pickin’s in Greensboro!” 

We went to one of my favorite antique malls, and while there was plenty of glassware and repainted (ugh) furniture and vintage Christmas items (fun to see and I feel the season happily creeping up on me…) there was just NOTHING in the vintage sewing machine department. 

Not a treadle to be found.  No “free the machine!” opportunities at hand.

We did find one 1980s beat up Kenmore but it wasn’t what we were looking for.

Mona needs a machine that does a basic zig zag for making repairs and piecing batting.  I showed her how I did it by butting the edges and letting the zig zag stitches seam them together super flat and now she can see that she HAS to have one.  So we are on the look out.

Her fleet currently consists of 2 featherweights, a 301, a 66 treadle and an electric 15 in a cabinet.  What’s one more when all that she has is straight stitch only?

It was Slim Pickin’s on the quilt front as well.  There just wasn’t a whole lot, but wouldn’t this drunkard’s path comforter be cute wrapped around the base of a Christmas tree?

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There were some string star blocks!

I love these –likely 1940s.  The polka-dots are dizzying and that just adds all the more to them.  Oh, maybe there are more string star blocks in my future?

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Foundation pieced on scrap fabrics!

The diamonds were very piece-heavy with that fabric foundation, and the corner squares and triangles were lightweight – it was a re-confirmation to myself on why I like to use paper foundations and get the paper out of there before putting the quilt together.  These were precious.

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This was a double-knit BEAST!

There must have been a wool blanket used as batting because this thing weighed a ton.  But look at the fun colors!

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Mona said “It’s “O” for Oetting – her last name!

If you look at the lavender and green block you can see by the seam lines just how this is pieced.  It also brought to mind my step-grandma and how she always wore double-knit pantsuits and also made quilts out of double-knit.  It will never fade.  It will never disintegrate.  It’s a petroleum product.  LOL.

You might remember seeing me use this quilt as the background for yesterday’s Quiltville Quote!

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The 1970s called.  They want their double-knit back!

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This was a treasure!

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Browns and reds and double pinks and poison greens and that AQUA, oh my!

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Love that blue paisley!

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I’m guessing 1830-1860

But that aqua has me stumped. I know it's an early fabric.

Another thing that helps with the dating is the style.  Do you see how things are in columns in the full quilt photo above?  Quilters would group “like kinds” together instead of arranging things in a more random fashion.  Today we are “oh, that is too close to this one, move it further away.”  And back in the early days many quilts had all of one kind touching each other.  Interesting, isn’t it?

The aqua is in 3 exacting places, near 3 corners of the quilt – nearly symmetrical, but our maker must have ran out because corner #4 has something else in place of the aqua.

I wish I knew more.  This quilt didn’t come home with me – I am out of room and thinking of downsizing my antique quilt collection, but I sure appreciated being able to touch it and admire it – including all of the points, most of them are spot on and this is hand piecing without a rotary cutter for cutting.

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This did come home!

Do you know how hard it is to take a photo of a mirror without catching too much in it?  Like – Sadie was watching on and I caught her hind quarters.  And my knee is also in the photo, on the other side!

I need a mirror above a dresser in the master bedroom at the cabin.  I’ve been looking, but I wanted something interesting and a bit chunky to go with the other big chunky furniture in that room. 

How beautiful is this curved bevel??  Such an interesting shape!

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Beautiful detail and mother of pearl.

We checked out every mirror in that huge antique mall, and found this as we were about to give up on ever finding one that suited.  The best part?  I thought the price had to be a mistake, but it wasn’t.

It came home for $45.00.  It is waiting to go up to the cabin when I return from Idaho.  It will be hanging by Thanksgiving.

And that makes me smile.

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Quiltville Quote of the Day!

Start by appreciating the little things!

Have a wonderful Tuesday, everyone -

15 comments:

  1. that quilt would have been hard to leave!! What was the price? Beautiful mirror.

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  2. Mona just needs to go shopping at Bonnie’s basement of treasures for her machine. Didn’t you say you need to downsize?? 😜
    Have a good one! Donna

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  3. Sew glad you and Mona were able to take a break for dinner and antiquing. The pickens may have been slim but the quilts and the mirror -- what a find! Safe travels to Idaho. Thinking of you and keeping you close to my heart. Allison C Bayer in Plano, Texas USA

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  4. The heavy quilt with the army blanket inside reminded me of a great story! My grandmother made me a wool quilt -- 8" squares - army blanket for batting, and flannel on the back. It was just a tied quilt, but it was (is!) so heavy and WARM. One year my sister saw it and didn't understand why I had that quilt, but Grandma hadn't made one for anyone else. So what did I have to do? Make one for almost everyone in my family -- siblings, nieces and nephews! My sister scoured thrift shops and yard sales for wool garments to cut up. Sometimes we couldn't find an army blanket for the middle, but all the quilts were warm and heavy!

    Christy

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  5. Got a chuckle from the polyester quilt. When I was young our neighbor worked in a clothing manufacturing plant not too far away and she would bring home bags of scraps for neighbors to make quilts--all polyester. Don't know that my Mom ever used the scraps for a quilt, but I know others did!
    Beautiful vintage quilt!
    What a find on the mirror. Can't believe you got it at that price. Happy day!! :)

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  6. grateful for the abundance in my life (on my hips? not so much)Life is so good and quilting is the cherry on top. Again, thank you for your contribution(s) to MY life, you and family are on my "list" -- it's a good thing! Loving the fall weather, more apt to be snuggling with a quilt on my lap in the evenings with handwork to be done... finished the label and the binding on En Provence two weeks ago!!! Thanks, Cats

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  7. Oh the 70's! I lived them and have a couple Polyester quilts in my closet. I didnt' make HST's with them. Cool Mirror for the cabin. Glad Mona and You could go Antiquing. Did she find anything?? Blessings and prayers as you fly to Idaho. I know your heartache. Losing a parent, even one not your own Blood is a hard thing. Keep all the memories in your heart.

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  8. My mother in law gave us a polyester quilt backed in flannel for a utility quilt when we got married... ahem, 41 years ago. I have had to replace the flannel, but the rest is heavy and strong as ever! It will outlast us all.

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  9. The mirror is shaped like a tulip.

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  10. I "freed" a vintage Kenmore at a thrift store today. Thought about you when I did it!

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  11. What a steal on that mirror, lucky I wasn't there we would have been tossing a coin to see who got it, hahahaha! Love it!

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  12. You need to get in touch with Barbara Brackman! I'm sure she'll be able to date the quilt - or confirm your thoughts on it. But what a beauty!

    Lol at the reflections! It's a cat head mirror! Lovely carving and decorations. Pity there weren't any machines for Mona though.

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  13. Was it Mona that had no interest in quilting when you first met?

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  14. Oh yes string star blocks! Let's do it! :) Love the star quilt and the vertical 'like' groupings. It gives a wonderful color/wash/fade across the center of the quilt. Our early Grandmothers may not have had 'artistic training' but the artistry was in their soul!

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  15. Lot's of possibilities with these classic blocks. One Christmas my niece wrapped a quilt I had made for her around her Christmas tree. The next year I made tree skirts. Love following your adventures. Thank you for sharing. Judy

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