An Inspiring Legacy

Honey Bees Legacy: 2010  (Started: 1999)

Inspired in 1997 by the book "Legacy", Erica and I set out to one day make a Honey Bees quilt.  I used a pattern from Ruby McKim’s “101 Patchwork Patterns” rather than the one used by Talula Gilbert Bottoms.  She had made hers between the years of 1890 to 1910 (so that’s a relief – I was so slow doing mine!).  

We enjoyed the “Legacy” story written by Nancilu B. Burdick about her family, amazed that one woman, her grandmother, could have achieved so much given living conditions in the US at the time.  Barbara Brackman, a tireless author and historian, also offered an amazing array of patterns, historical information and blogs in the Civil War and other genres.  So much to choose from!

I had wanted to do a Honey Bees for ages so Burdick’s book was timely and proved to be motivational. I decided on an antique colourway and as luck would have it, Civil War style fabrics were becoming popular at the time.  Eventually I started making the blocks (1999) and although determined to make a hole in the growing stash, still managed to run out of my chosen prints before completing enough blocks.  So began the hunt for more fabric, or something similar, if I could find it. 

Sadly the colours don't "sparkle" in my photo.  Honey Bees set on point. 
(That's sunlight hitting the quilt not a stain!!)

Erica & I found and shared a rather nice fabric – an antique look was important to me and in Jan-Mar 2000 we got cutting and I had the extra I needed to finish piecing my top.  It took a couple of years to piece it up with all the machine work and hand applique but by 2003 it was basted and ready to quilt.  I didn’t take it overseas with me, so I didn’t finish hand quilting it until April 2010.  (I noted in my diary that I took it to the Randwick Quilters April Meeting.)  Needless to say, Erica had completed hers long before!

I should mention the quilting design which I found in an edition of the Quilters Newsletter Magazine, (a Nov 2003 edition, the design on p.75 is called "Whirlwind - very handy). 

Just for the Record:
Quilt Finished Size: 128x 168cm
Block Size: 12”
Cut in: 1999
Pieced: Hand & Machine Pieced 2001
Basted & Quilted: Started Hand 2003
Quilt Type: Personal Choice
Quilt Finished: April 2010
Exhibited:  Australia Day 2010
Collection: Home# 037
Pattern Name: Honey Bees
Pattern Source: Ruby McKim, 1962 p119
Fabrics Purchased: From my stash
Fabric Design: Antique look
Fabric Style: Cotton
Materials Type: Cotton
Wadding Type: Hobbs Poly Down
Backing: Cotton

Lots of quilting with a pattern I found in
QNM (details above)

Lessons Learned:
My stash was starting to get out of control and I was determined to use it up.  One of the big lessons from this however is that the pattern you choose and the quantity you need rarely match the number of fat quarters left in your stash…  Of course, you can waste hours looking for those missing fabrics, but they’ve long since been discontinued.  Having read “Legacy” we really appreciated how much easier it is for us today.  How lucky are we with shops brimming with treasures that take your breath away?  And masses of on-line options with even more eye candy!  Even so, the bulging stash beckons and in true pioneer spirit, what I have on hand is used.  Of course, that didn’t stop me from adding a few little extra pieces to the collection – just in case I find the time to one day make up those quilts that live in my head.

Debra at Vintage Crafts & More kindly posted this Honey Bee
from Ruby McKim's book.  It's the pattern I used for my quilt.

Eighty Stars

Ice Kacang: 2004  (Started: 1999)

Essentially this story is the same as “Soda Pop to Hip Hop”.  Both were made at the same time.  I loved the ease of putting the blocks together. For this one, I chose to make Stars in the Sashing.  (I just love that Hopkins & Martin patterns make cutting and sewing so, so, so easy!)  I also loved the 3D effect of this design and was inspired to look further into transparency and depth using colour. 

I named this quilt after a Malaysian dessert – a favourite refreshing ice snack – that I could never quite resolve whether it was sweet or savoury.  However, it is really tooth-achingly sweet!

Given its vintage qualities, it seemed appropriate to give this quilt to Dad for his 80^th Birthday.  I asked the family at his birthday bash to sign their names (in fabric pen) to mark the occasion.  Pretty sure Mum won’t let him use it though…. 

Just for the Record:
Quilt Finished Size: 152 x 195cm (60 x 77")
Block Size: 4 ¾” units
Cut in: 1999
Pieced & Basted: Machine 2001
Quilted: Machine 2003
Quilt Type: Personal Choice
Quilt Finished: 2004
Exhibited:  No
Collection: Private
Pattern Name: Stars in the Sashing
Pattern Source: Hopkins & Martin, 1998 p214
Fabrics Purchased: Keepsake Quilting
Fabric Design: 1930’s
Fabric Style: Cotton
Materials Type: Cotton
Wadding Type: Thin Cotton Batt
Backing: Cotton

Lessons Learned:
I just had fun being bold with bold colours, especially the plains, like bubblegum pink & that gakky, mustard colour that went with the 1930’s (Judie Rothermel, Aunt Grace) collections. I must add however that the cotton wadding I used for both these quilts is exceptionally heavy.  I could certainly not have hand quilted through it!  This experience did make me more aware (& more careful) about future choices of batting.

(Well, it will have to be a photo next time I visit.  How it escaped me & my trusty camera makes me wonder but I'm realising how the road to record "history" can be a bit rocky & full of holes - even when it's your own!)

Photos - not the best but at least its a start

Fresh from the 1930's

Soda Pop to Hip Hop: 2004  (Started: 1999)

Looking very sunny on a cloudy day

Somehow life seemed full of work and no play, so during a holiday break in 1999, I “went nuts” cutting up fabrics for two quilts.  I wanted to try a few patterns from Hopkins & Martin’s book, (101 Fabulous Rotary Cut Quilts, 1998 - my favourite pattern source) to use some 1930’s prints I had ordered from the US.  Let me digress...  Everyone was so keen on Keepsake Quilting!  We purchased fabrics quite easily by mail order and had their catalogue included in the box of delights sent back to us!  We would read those catalogues (or dogalogues depending on your bent!) for hours and hours.  I think I still have mine put away for a rainy day…   Fabrics, patterns and clothing – all things on offer were far more exciting than those available at home. 

Back to the quilt!  I chose a lemon background, a bold choice indeed, to go with my 30’s collection for a scrappy but fresh, bouncy look.  I was quite taken with the way the pattern “tricked the eye” into seeing a 3D effect.  I set about rotary cutting, machine piecing and covering my lounge room floor with blocks.  I kept a selection of left-overs for my backing which added a nice finish. Before long, I had a wonderful top, which was relegated to the UFO pile for a while.

A close-up of my sparse quilting.  I've just read
that Kerr & Ringle steam their quilts prior to a
show. Maybe I should have thought of that too! 

As I’ve previously mentioned, after purchasing my Bernina, I went on a bit of a marathon to finish some of my dreaded UFO stockpile.  I purchased a new machine because it worked out cheaper for me to quilt my own rather than send out for long-arm services.  I must admit that I also find great satisfaction in completing the “creative process” by choosing and applying my quilting design.  For this quilt, I wanted to keep the quilting subtle and in straight lines, mostly using the walking foot (showing my nervous beginnings).  This choice however, does allow the colours and patterns to shine, especially the 3D effect of the white pieces, which seem to float above the rest of the quilt when seen from a distance.  Hence my choice of title!

I was inspired by the works of dynamic quilting duo Bill Kerr & Weeks Ringle, and also Melody Crust who use simple shapes and quilting for great effect.  As I look back, I can see the beginnings of the modern quilt movement in their work. 

 

(Weeks Ringle also has her own blog, Craft Nectar, which is worth time exploring.)

Left-overs floating on a Monet inspired backing fabric
(framed by a nice view too!)

Just for the Record:

Quilt Finished Size: 181x 181cm
Block Size: 7 ½” set on point
Cut in: 1999
Pieced & Basted: Machine 2001
Quilted: Machine 2003
Quilt Type: Personal Choice
Quilt Finished: 2004
Exhibited:  Australia Day 2011
Collection: Home# 036
Pattern Name: Churn Dash or Monkey Wrench
Pattern Source: Hopkins & Martin, 1998 p81
Fabrics Purchased: Keepsake Quilting 17/3/99
Fabric Design: 1930’s
Fabric Style: Cotton
Materials Type: Cotton
Wadding Type: Thin Cotton Batt
Backing: Cotton

Lessons Learned:
I needed a quick fix and this was one of those easy “I need to get back into quilting” quilts. I am still fond of simple geometric shapes and quilting that adds personality to a quilt. I often refer to Lee Cleeland’s book, “Quilting Makes the Quilt” 1994. This is a fantastic resource for checking out various patterns; not only patterns but how different a quilt can look if quilted with alternate patterns. If I had my time over with this quilt, I would have been braver, adding a little more quilting.

Taking a Quick Break

Kitty Needle Keeper: 1999

I joined a workshop late in 1999 (18th Sep) to add Kitty to my growing basket of sewing goodies.  A tutor (whom I've momentarily forgotten) ran the day for us and in only a short time we finished this cute & very helpful, little needle pouch.

For anyone interested, the pattern is from "Needleworks" by Kindred Spirits. 

Fairies in My Garden

Fairies in My Garden: 2002  (Started: 1999)

It's a pity the colours aren't "true" but I'm lucky to have this photo! 

I started a small wall quilt - my first as a grand-aunt - as a “birth sampler”.  I can remember doing some work on it when we visited the family on holidays in the Queenscliff Caravan Park one summer.  This very small wall hanging took a long time to finish with all the applique and extensive hand quilting; going small didn't seem to make a difference to the time it takes to finish a quilt!  

Not such a good photo (pre-digital) but at least the quilting is visible.

I found this cute Jo Samperi pattern in a 1998 Patchwork & Quilting magazine and it seemed perfect.  I already had some suitable fabrics but didn’t get the project finished for some years (during my time when I was on a mission to get the UFO box sorted, ha!). 

Just for the Record:
Quilt Finished Size: 89x 89cm
Block Size: NA
Cut in: 1999
Pieced & Basted: Machine 1999
Quilted: Hand 2002
Quilt Type: Wall Quilt
Quilt Finished: 2002?
Exhibited:  No
Collection: Private
Pattern Name: Fairy Quilt (Jo Samperi)
Pattern Source: P&Q Magazine, 1998 p52
Fabrics Purchased: My collection
Fabric Design: Prints & Plains
Fabric Style: Cotton
Materials Type: Cotton
Wadding Type: Thin Poly Batt
Backing: Cotton

This is what it should have looked like! (P&Q Mag 1998, p52)

Lessons Learned:
I had enough fabric to start a second of this quilt but it languishes in the UFO pile in my garden shed.  Maybe one day I’ll either get to it or start a variation - or something else.  Always waiting on inspiration to strike!  I am never good at repeating things – once done, I like to move on to something new and more challenging.

Flower of Life....

Tea Reading: 2009  (Started: 1999)

My favourite quilts are made with scraps.  This one is made from a mixed bag of left-overs, charm squares and friends’ donations.  The background is made up of a selection of “scrap” creams too, some from a tea dying episode.  This quilt, though not huge seemed to use an enormous amount of fabric – probably because of the shaped piecing.  Not that that is a bad thing; one just has to work harder to keep one’s stash at a healthy level!

This traditional tea leaves pattern by Judie Rothermel in “Aunt Grace’s Scrapbag” was sourced by Erica (who incidentally made 2 quilts of this particular pattern in lovely 30’s prints no less!) and they were my inspiration to try one.  The top is all hand pieced and kept me busy during those long hot Delhi summers!

For the backing, I used a cotton sarong I had purchased in Kathmandu, and a complementary fabric purchased in Mr Singh’s store, Nehru Place.

Once basted, I started to hand quilt the plain background pieces, but cotton wadding makes for better machining, so I did a small stipple using a variety of cream shades.  This had a nice effect of accentuating each tea leaf shape as I left them unquilted.

This quilt allowed me to try a scalloped edge – and thus the need to cut & make miles of ½ inch bias for a pretty binding.  It wasn’t as difficult as I expected and the bias sat nicely in the tight curves. 

I put my Tea Leaves on show for the Dangar Island Australia Day celebration in 2010.  One of our visitors said that the pattern was an ancient design called “Flower of Life” and is heavily symbolic.

Australia Day Quilt Exhibition Dangar Island 2010

Just for the Record:
Quilt Finished Size: 177x 200cm
Block Size: 12“ circle
Cut in: 1999
Pieced & Basted: Hand 2005
Quilted: Machine 2009
Quilt Type: Group
Quilt Finished: 2009
Exhibited:  Australia Day 2010
Collection: Home# 034
Pattern Name: Tea Leaves
Pattern Source: Judie Rothermel
Fabrics Purchased: Stash
Fabric Design: Mixed
Fabric Style: Cotton
Materials Type: Cotton
Wadding Type: Cotton
Backing: Cotton

Lessons Learned:
I hadn’t hand pieced a quilt for ages and this one seemed to take forever ; ).  The blocks were very “portable” however, so this became an easy project to work on in those spare moments when life can be dull (eg driving 12 hours to visit relatives in another state).  I also seemed to use up heaps of fabric due to the shape of the leaves, which wasn’t so bad for the scraps but somehow I was always scavenging for backgrounds as I didn’t want them noticeably different from each other.  

Isn't it Always a Journey?

Ugly Twisters: 2010  (Started: 1999)

Hanging at Dangar Island Australia Day Quilt Exhibition 2011
(Margaret's bright hexagon flowers are on the right) 

This is a quickie strippy I did with Judy Hooworth at Maroubra with the Eastern Suburbs Quilters 28^th August 1999.  I can’t remember the exact details but somehow recall we had to bring our uglies with the intention of slapping them into something likeable…..  

It really was fast to piece but needless to say I didn’t like the resulting top (can you really make uglies attractive?).  Mind you, others in our workshop were more successful in creating attractive tops – perhaps I was trying too hard…  Eventually I added an outrageous border to pull it all together.  This improved it very little!  It’s rather a shame because I put together a pieced backing that I thought was rather nice. 

Finally by the end of 2001, the top made it to my pile needing backing & basting!  This was the start of my roundup in 2003 in prep for

a. my much anticipated new Bernina (read life-saving machine quilting), and

b. as part of my “clean up” of the UFO pile, which regrettably, I am still working through!

But still this top lingered, unloved.  Needing finished quilts to display for our 2011 Australia Day exhibition, I made an effort to get this one completed and have to say that I am finally at rest with this project – it doesn’t look too bad now.  I stitched a cable pattern in the wholecloth strips (hand quilted with sashiko thread) and machine quilted various feather cables in the pieced strips.  It looked quite good hanging up.  Maybe those uglies are finally growing on me…

Just for the Record:

Quilt Finished Size: 142x 142cm
Block Size: 5“
Cut in: 1999
Pieced & Basted: 2001
Quilted: Machine & hand 2010
Quilt Type: Workshop
Quilt Finished: 2010
Exhibited:  Australia Day 2011
Collection: Home# 033
Pattern Name: Simple 4 patch
Pattern Source: Judy Hooworth
Fabrics Purchased: Stash
Fabric Design: Mixed & Uglies
Fabric Style: Cotton
Materials Type: Cotton
Wadding Type: Cotton
Backing: Cotton

Lessons Learned:
This was a nothing ventured, nothing gained workshop.  We all had fun and relaxed.  It is too easy to get caught up in “overthinking” projects wanting them to work out perfectly – every time and instantly…  This quilt slowly evolved, benefiting from a little time in the UFO box and improvement in my quilting skills.  Fresh eyes, either your own after being well rested, or those of a friend willing to say it like it is, can turn around an ugly.  Time spent in reflection is never wasted!

“The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same.  Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination.”  Don Williams Jr (poet & songwriter)