Remembrances of Days Gone By

In the midst off all my grandmother's things, there was this afgan.  I remember it as being the bed skirt of one of her beds.  It's in pretty good shape, just a few holes that can be stitched together again.  I laid the afgan on the back porch for several days (okay weeks....I forgot about it) to air it out and then this past weekend I finally decided to put it away.

But I remembered something....I've seen this before...in a picture.

This was the afgan that was on my mother's bed when she was a teenager.

The stitches that we make hold us together...through time...to bring back cherished memories, of the dreamy days of adolence and the journey we've taken.

What we stitch together today will hold through generations.

Packing

My dad went to visit his aunt a few months ago.  She still lives in the house that her husband brought her to as a young bride, that of his childhood and where his mother still lived.

The attic is still full of their old clothes and school books.  My dad brought me a suitcase and a box of clothes.    Some of the dresses belonged to my great-grandmother (in the picture below with my grandmother, brother, and cousins).  Sally (my daughter) got a kick out of all the clothes.  She tried on one of Mammie Wigg's dresses and it fit her pretty good.

Daddy got a kick out of bringing me shoes that belonged, not only to my great grandmother, but also my great-great grandmother and a few of her dresses.  

The shoes still had the mud and dirt on them from the last time they took them off.

 Most of the buttons were missing off the dresses since they had to reuse them for newer clothes, but this dress still had all the big pearl buttons down the front..  Only rick-rack adorned the collars for decorative stitches.  My grandmother was taught that a woman was not to show their forearms in public and one of the dresses had extra material added to the sleeves (from different material) for a complete arm covering.  All the dresses are of simple design with a fitted waist and long, made from 100% cotton. There were 2 blue dresses and 2 brown dresses and house coat, probably made for  wearing over their dresses while they worked during the day.

The suitcase was small and made of something similar to heavy cardboard.  I imagined them packing all their necessities in this little case for a long trip to visit family, loading the buggy and heading out. It held everything they needed.  Not like the 3 to 4 suitcases it now takes to carry a family's needs.

So yesterday, I washed the dresses (left the shoes with mud and all) and packed my great-great grandmother's things away.  

Black & White Log Cabin Quilt

My latest project has been working on this 8 1/2" block of black and white log cabin.  I really like the way it is looking on the design wall.  I think, after playing with it many times, this is going to be the overall design of the quilt.

Here is my material selection and the first cutting of 1 1/2 inch strips with 2 1/2 inch center blocks.

I then took my blocks and sewed them to my first light strip, leaving just a little space between the black blocks for trimming later. And while this goes very quickly and I'll admit that on the next strips I put my blocks even closer together....I discovered an even easier way to do my first two pieces together.


Instead of cutting all my 2 1/2 inch blocks and then sewing them to my first strip.....I sewed the center strip (2 1/2 inches wide) to the first light strip (1 1/2 inch wide).  Then I cut those into 2 1/2 inch sections.  It saved one step by doing this.

Back to the blocks on the first strip and to the ironing board.  Because I didn't butt the black blocks right up to each other, I had to do some extra trimming on this set of strips.  I ironed the strips open and then cut them into 2 1/2 inch sections.

Once I got the hang of what I was doing, having the blocks closer together meant that I didn't even have to use the ruler.  I actually cut them all before ironing them open, using the previous block as my guide.  Just make sure that you cut them straight each time.

Back to the sewing machine to add the second strip of the 1st light strip.  I lay the blocks I'm adding all the same way so I don't confuse myself and add the strip to the wrong side.  Then going to the ironing board, I do the whole process all over again.

This strip is now ready to be cut.

After adding the first light "logs", it's time to add the dark "logs".  Working from the side where the last strip ended, I add a dark strip.

Back to ironing and cutting, then ready for the 2nd "log" of the 1st dark strip. I will continue this same technique with each strip, alternating between adding 2 light strips and then 2 dark strips going in a circular motion around the center.  I'm using 3 shades each of lights and darks.

I worked up this stack of blocks last night while watching (listening really) to a movie.  I have all my lights and darks laid out and a finished block handy to remind me of how to add my strips.

Traditionally, the center block of the log cabin block is done in yellows or reds to signify the hearth of the home, the fireplace.  While it's true that almost every log cabin built (the actual log cabin house) does have a fireplace....it's not the center of the home as it once was.  In the first log cabin homes, the fireplace was the place the family would gather to warm themselves, add light for evening activities, and cook the food.  Today, the fireplaces are mostly for looks.  Families still gather around them for warmth, but truthfully...the fireplace is more for ambiance.

When we were building our log house, a small log house, we were talking of not even putting a fireplace since we are doing central air and heat.  But it seems that most people just think it's wrong not to put a fireplace in a log house and I ran into the same people when buying my material for this quilt.  When I told the lady at the quilt shop what I was making, she insisted that my center block be at least orange or red (since I didn't want yellow).

It's hard to buck tradition...but as you can see...I did.

Red, White, & Blue

Blog hopping today...I'm expecting to see lots of flag quilts, so I thought I would show some too.  I made this quilt for my nephew's wedding gift, but then didn't get to give it to him until Christmas about 9 years ago.  He went to Iraq right after that for two tours.  He fought for freedom.

The wall hanging was made using a pattern from Square in a Square technique with fabric that already had the flag printed on it.  I love how the flag is actually in the center of a star design.

While he was in Iraq; I smocked this dress for his daughter to wear.

The picture is not great, and it was an old project made for a door prize at a ladies retreat in Alabama at least 12 years ago, but I made this flag wall hanging, actually constructing the flag, using a dark blue print that had stars in it.  I can't remember if I did the design on my own or saw it somewhere.  I wish the center showed up better.  I think I wrote 2 Chronicles 7:14.....

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Remembering today that we live in a country fought for by men and women who came to a new world so that they could worship God freely and a nation was formed.  Freedom was not easily won.  Peopled died, lost loved ones, lost part of themselves...but they fought and won.

Today, most of us take for granted what freedom cost and still live in captivity of some sort.  True freedom was fought on a cross and can be yours no matter what country you live in.  Today could be your independence day.

Adding to the Purple

This weekend I pulled out the purple cancer quilt and made a couple more blocks for it.  I'm fixing to teach a class on the log cabin block, so I thought I would play around with the pattern.  I ended up with a block about 16 inches, using 2 inch strips (plus seam allowance).  That was too big for my quilt, so I needed to trim just a little off.

I decided to split my logs and turn the blocks to get a different look.  I'm sure somewhere there is a version of this out there, but for me, tonight, it was my own creation and I'm calling it the Split Log Cabin Block.

I didn't take a picture of the block before I cut it, but it was a traditional setting with a 4 1/2 inch center block.  I added darks and lights (with a little yellow tint) on both sides as I built my block.  Once done, I found my centers, both directions, and cut.  I flipped the 4 new pieces until I was happy with the new look.  It took a little trimming to get it down to a 13 1/2 block, but nothing major and it looks great with the rest of the quilt.

With the left over "logs", I sewed the strips together and made some 4 patches, putting them all together until the block was the right size.  I had to add a little border to get the measurements just right.  So far I have 12 blocks and one center block that still needs a border around it.

Starburst

I saw a version of this block and decided I couldn't wait for the directions to come out in the magazine.  Their's was made with 80 pieces, mine was with 40. And I turned my pieces differently.  It reminds me of a starburst...hence the name I'm calling my version.

 Not having a pattern, I had to figure out how to put it together on my own and the centers didn't line up as easily as I would have liked.  I'm hoping that after it is quilted, it will lay flatter than it does now.  I used a strip method for the pieces and then cut on the 45 angle.

 This is the block and I fudged a lot of the points.  I suggest you wait for the magazine for their pattern,  I was ready to put the thing away, but tonight I put it together with hand piecing and it was much better than on the machine.

 I added a border and now it's ready to prepare for quilting.  I really love the color combination.

Final Stitches

 

Summer is officially here!  Hay is on the ground and I won't see Adam again until it rains or the leaves start to turn colors.  He's working on that farmer's tan and getting his clothes as greasy as all get out.  Three washings finally got the grease out of the pockets!  If you happen to know a trick for getting grease and cow poop off blue jeans....please share!

While the men worked outside this weekend, I played with my mother's sewing/quilting machine.  I've been a little scared of quilting with it, but I bit the bullet and played with a couple of pieces.

Janome Memory Craft 6600

 

 Here was my first attempt at straight lines.  The pieces were left over from my Nine-Patch quilt.  They are the Disappearing Nine-Patch pattern that I used in my class when showing the students some of the variations of the Nine-Patch.

I think this made a cute little doll quilt that will be put away for a future grand-daughter....no rush on that!

I found that using the auto-stitch option made my stitches even. 

 Then I played with the free motion setting with another Disappearing Nine-Patch made into pin-wheels for a small table runner.

I was a little tense doing this, but started to get the hang of it too.  I don't think I had one of my settings right, but I really like that technique.

 These two pieces are now ready to be quilted.  I love the greens and roses of this Nine-Patch sampler.  There are 3 different sizes and techniques of the Nine-Patch used in the lap quilt.  Then for fun I added some applique.  I call this one "Chasing Butterflies".

Here are some of the applique pieces close up.  I used bullion stitches for some of the flowers.  Several of the patterns used are made from templates found in my grandmothers' things.

 This is my Nine-Patch set together with 2 1/2 inch strips.  I don't have the name of the material, but it was a new line that came out a few months ago.  It is all done in country rose, greens, reds, and creams.  All machine pieced.

Now I just need to get brave enough to put these in the machine!