>>>>

Friday, March 03, 2023

For The Sake of Nostalgia -


On the receiving of the "Sticker of Shame" day earlier this week I STILL had to do all of the things one does when one drives 40 minutes to town -

We don't waste gas out here - there were errands to run.  Groceries, Dollar Tree for cleaning supplies and holiday décor items for the inn, and of course a run through Goodwill to see if there were any more irons that could be put to good use at the pressing stations -

Goodwill had nothing.  But as I walked past the bedding aisle, a certain fabric caught my eye.

Back around 1976 my grandparents became snowbirds from Minnesota to Rio Verde, Arizona. The 1970s was an interesting era for home décor, and I knew this fabric instantly when I saw it.  It took me back in time to when I was 15 and visiting for the first time.

(Small Rant: I won't tell you what it smells like when a retreating Oliso iron owner leaves a standard iron face down on the pressing table long enough to not only scorch its way through the protective layer of freezer paper covering the station, but deep into the canvas fabric and batting beneath - and in the process completely melt the Teflon coating on the iron soleplate killing the iron. Oliso irons make me crazy for this reason.  Bad habits when it comes to using standard irons!)


There was no mistaking that print!

But as I got closer, and inspected further -

My goodness!  Those fans are hand quilted!


Someone purchased the home dec fabric and made their own bedspread!

And once again I am presented with the opportunity to show you - whole cloth style - how Baptist fans are quilted around the outside edge of the quilt first, worked in toward the center and filled in however they fill in.


Filling in the center -

In this case there wasn't enough room to do another row of fans, so random lines about the same width apart as the fan arcs just fill in the area.


The maker stopped the stitches about 3/4'' away from the edge of the quilt, giving enough room to turn both the front and back toward the inside - the same knife-edge kind of finish I used on my hexagon quilts.


I will need to tighten up some stitching -

But this also gives more of an idea for binding in the knife edge way.  It might be the perfect finish for something that just doesn't work with traditionally applied binding.

The front and backing are each a polyester blend with poly batting as that is what was widely available in that era.

And yes - I couldn't leave this behind.  It's 50 years young, and still has a lot of life left, so I brought it home.


But before I did - Lola had to get her 2 cents in -


Yea, it's a good one!

I feel so connected to this piece of fabric - isn't that crazy?  Are there prints that you remember from your earlier life that still speak to you and take you back in time?

Oh, and speaking of cat approval - I want you to meet someone.


This one we have named "Tula."

(Because she has all the colors!)

Tula has been around for the past few months and maybe longer because there have been glimpses of "stray cats" ever since we purchased the house. I "KNOW" she comes across from the Christmas tree farm worker's housing across the street and up aways.

The other day three of us watched her saunter down the drive and come back over to beg for snacks.

The previous retreat, someone tried to adopt her and take her home, but you can't pick her up without getting mauled, so that didn't work.


We've decided if she wants to stay as an outside porch kitty that there is plenty of love to go around here.  It comes weekly with each new batch of retreaters who will shower her with with pets and scritches.  (But don't pick her up!)

My hope is that eventually we WILL be able to get her into a carrier and get her seen at the vet.  

The house across the street is migrant oriented, and I don't know if she has even been to a vet - she seems partly feral.  It looks like she has a healing back foot from some sort of injury.  I want to have her checked to see if she has been spayed? Last thing we need is a kitty family under the porch.

Right now her favorite perch is the old rocking chair by the kitchen door at the inn - and she is welcome to stay there as long as she wants, and help with the mouse/vole population as she sees fit.

Because we "technically" think she belongs to the house across the street, up the hill - I really shouldn't adopt her out to anyone.  That's what we are thinking anyway.

The March Quiltvillians are currently in residence and quilting up a storm - more photos and fun to come!


Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Every word matters.
Speak kindly and give encouragement!
Vintage and Anvil quilt found in North Carolina.

Love that pink background!


 

29 comments:

  1. Gorgeous cat! I would love one to wander up to my house!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ahh, you have a kind heart. Tula is a beautiful girl. Hope you are able to get her checked over soon, definitely don't need a litter (cute as they are).

    Love the quilt. Vintage sheets - vintage being from the 60's and 70's always call to me, but I have resisted. I have so much stuff!

    In my feed this morning was a clip from Music, Travel, Love. They are a cover band who does every kind of music there is. The clip was "Take Me Home, Country Road" and it made me think of you. https://youtu.be/rCIXjYo9qs4

    ReplyDelete
  3. what a pretty girl! Welcome to quiltville, Tula! Love the "bedspread" .. treasures ! I have no personal kitty of my own, just so y'all know... Joy to all, from Carlsbad CA

    ReplyDelete
  4. Put a kitty carrier on the porch and feed her in it. Eventually she will think it a safe place and you can simply close the door and take her to the vet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous8:45 AM EST

      Yep, food will do it.

      Delete
  5. The fan quilting is wonderful. Thoughts of sitting and quilting by hand. Today the hand says no. I won't buy an Oliso iron for that reason. I wouldn't be reasonable about a regular iron. Tula is precious. Sounds like she likes people but isn't ready to commit. I made the mistake of thinking a young cat who I thought was my neighbor's cat was a male. Six months later I adopted her, her kittens and later the father. Millie still won't let me pick her up but she definitely calls this home.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous9:51 AM EST

    Some of the prints from 1960/70's era sheets are fabulous. There's a big market for those vintage sheets in some corners of the quilting world, but not enough sheets to meet demand. I would be thrilled if those prints started showing up in new quilting yardage in a big way.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Tula looks like the kittie I fed for a few months, her name was Lady. A beautiful cat but was unable to care for her after surgery on a broken leg. I was so lucky to find her a wonderful home where she even travels with her new owner's. Tula is beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  8. It makes me so sad to see a kitty just left on it's own without real love :( When we lived in AZ, we had a beautiful black kitty show up on our back patio. He/she would sit by the sliding patio doors and look in and I think he/she saw our kitty in the house. We couldn't get near him/her. We think he/she was dropped off in our area and just left to fend for himself/herself. We worried about the coyotes but there was nothing we could do. I've thought about that kitty a lot since we moved last year and wonder if he/she survived.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous10:05 AM EST

    It is always SO cute to see Lola make each quilt her very own! She is definitely the Queen of everything!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I have the oppoaite problem with irons. Our quilting group has an Oliso or two and I frequently get chastised for setting them on end instead of letting them pop up. A safer problem than your retreater's!

    ReplyDelete
  11. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  12. OMG! My mom bought that same fabric from J C Penney in 1974 to make curtains for her sewing room/sun room in their new house! I ended up getting the leftover and might have a few scraps in my stash! Now to get back to the blog... 😄

    ReplyDelete
  13. Yea for the memory the Quilted Bedspread brings. That Knife edge is hard to do,. Gotta have a good iron! Sorry, i know the smell you don't describe. I put freezer paper down on my Big board and left my iron once or twice. Phewy!!! Happy Fri-yay

    ReplyDelete
  14. Love the Baptist Fan quilt. It looks to me like they had both left and right handed quilters working on it judging by the directions of the fans. Interesting!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Annie Buck1:35 PM EST

    Oh Lola!! <3

    ReplyDelete
  16. I would have probably been very tempted by that whole cloth quilt, too. Lola seems to like it. Tula is a very pretty little girl! I love when they sit on their back haunches like a rabbit. So cute!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Tula is a beautiful calico! Despite her grumpy persona, I bet she really appreciates the lovin' you and your guests dole out to her!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Tula is one lovely calico! And I expect that, despite her grumpy demenour, she's very appreciative of the love you and your guests dole out to her!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I totally recognized that sheet - my Mom had that set too. She was an accomplished hand quilter who loved to make whole cloth quilts. She always used a knife edge finish and would never win at quilt shows because the judges always wanted a bound edge - she would never do it because she didn't like the look of binding on a whole cloth quilt. Our quilting group also had an Oliso and a NOT Oliso iron....lets just say, that is NOT a good idea!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thank you for showing the hand quilting close up! I always admire those who can do that. Lola certainly has good taste, doesn't she? What a beautiful new addition to the Quiltville family, hopefully she will be able to get comfortable enough to take to the vet and get checked out! I can't stand people who leave animals to fend for themselves. Another busy day tomorrow, but it does include a trip to the fabric store so I'm along for the ride! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous12:19 AM EST

    I don't think Tula is spayed as a feral cat, no clipped ear. Sometimes Animal Services will lend out a trap, so talk to them. Talk to a vet before trapping since some will not treat feral cats. Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous1:02 AM EST

    You might need a safe trap to get her fixed. I did a momma and three kitten's during covid now I have them for breakfast and dinner. Can only pet one. Sandra

    ReplyDelete
  23. My mom has sheets similar to that fabric in her guest room, so I sleep with them every time I visit. Yes, they are of an era!

    ReplyDelete
  24. oh, yes, there are quite a few fabrics that spark vivid memories....seersucker comes to mind immediately. My maternal grandmother, b in 1895, made most of her dresses....many of her summer dresses were seersucker, with a madras plaid print. These were perfect for wearing at the beach, down on Cape Cod....still wearing her shoes & girdle. Plus I recognize that bed sheet immediately, circa, 1960's with avocado green kitchen appliances. DOB 12/03/1956. Holly

    ReplyDelete
  25. Vivien Levermore8:34 AM EST

    Perhaps you could capture Tula by setting a carrier on the porch with some soft bedding and treats and close the door after she enters to get the treats?

    ReplyDelete
  26. Just mentioned on IGQuilt 2023 that my first quilt was a double sheet tied quilt that I made with my aunt. She would put these together to take up to the tent cabin on lake Superior. It had a double batt. I don't know why I gave that quilt away...

    ReplyDelete
  27. It was great to see your sheet quilt! Wow! Brought back memories for me, too! I bought sheets those very same sheets and "wallpapered" my first efficiency apartment with them using liquid starch, so I could easily peel them off when I left the apartment. I made curtains and laminated roller shades from the same fabric, and bought a quilted bedspread in the same print and from it made covers for my day bed and bolsters. When my Daddy would come to visit, he teased that he couldn't find the sofa because everything blended in together. Wish I had a picture, but your post stirred up the pictures in my mind.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Anonymous1:42 AM EDT

    Miss Tula is lucky to have you! I made my porch kitties " self heating beds" buy sewing a zipper cover out of minky. Inside is a layer of the shiny batting you use for casserole covers, shiny side UP, to reflect the heat back to the kitty bum, and a layer of wool batting, if you have it, or fleece. Zipper the cover over the batting ( zipper instead of sew, its nice to be able to wash the cover). I did make one with snaps, but the little rascals wanted to see what was inside their new bad and I was sorry. These self heaters work so well I made one for my own bum for stadium seats!

    ReplyDelete

If you are commenting as "anonymous" please leave your name at the end of your comment.

Did you know that ad space on this blog provides for all of the free patterns and free mysteries and challenges at no cost to you? Without ads, this blog would not be possible.

Thank you for understanding the many hours that go into this blog 6 days a week, 52 weeks a year. :)