8/11/2006

Decorating with Quilts


I've owned this antique log cabin quilt almost from when I moved into this house ten years ago. I hung it at my entry and the three primitive angels with their rusted wings joined it shortly thereafter and they have all been there ever since.


On the opposite wall from the log cabin is a painting I did long ago, a still life; portion shown here. It shows the hooked rug that my dad made when he was 12 and a small crib quilt that was made by an ancestor a few generations earlier (in a rather painterly version that is).


A few weeks ago I was headed to the garbage can with these fabric samples because I am on an August to May Reduce the Inventory project so that I can manage a move without it being a total nightmare. I got these at the secondhand store with the idea of making a tote of some kind. Anyway, on the way to the garbage can, I thought, hey, just sew these five rectangles together to make a sort of tablecloth and put them on my outside picnic table with the shabby white birds. So they have been used after all.

Thank you ~ALL~ for your helpful comments re the Folk Art Applique quilt top. I have six colors of perle cotton to experiment with and if I quilt it, it will be with hand quilting, which means I have to quilt the one in the frame first. I have to say I am severely tempted to get a second hand quilting frame. Especially since I'm planning to sell a lot of the furniture around here, which is to say, there will soon be room for a second frame.

Next on the to-do list are rather more housekeeping quilting chores than otherwise, i.e., work on the Jo Morton swap blocks (those cute little blocks! but they are 70 of the same thing) and beaucoup handquilting. What can I tell you about such activities? If you've seen one identical swap block, you've seen them all :-).

Tomorrow is BOM at the LQS; they also do Show and Tell as we stand in line and I have been using that to encourage myself to get something finished each month to take for Show and Tell. I do not have anything finished this time (actually the quilt for Jack is done) but the night is young and after this I am going to poke around to see if anything is finish-able even if I stay up into the wee hours. Thank you all again, you are such good Blog-Friends!

9 comments:

Juliann in WA said...

What a wonderful post - full of beautiful things to look at - love the quilt and the painting and the cloth and the birds - thanks so much for taking the time to share
Juliann

Quilts And Pieces said...

Oh your log cabin is gorgeous! I"m off this weekend to take my son to college, but remind me next week and I"ll post a picture of my civil war quilt I own - it is my absolute favorite quilt. It is worn and faded, and simple, but everytime I look at it and touch it I get all these thoughts about the family who owned it.

Hanne said...

Can you not take anything to show & tell that is not finished, and tell where you are in the process ? We do it at my guild often, and it is as enjoyable to see as any finished object.
Take your primitive blocks. They look very good.

Tracey said...

I *love* that log cabin quilt. What a treasure you have in it! I'm thinking that I would feel right at home in your home. ;o) Oh...and the kitty pic...too cute!! I miss having a cat 'knead bread' on me. Gosh, it's been years!

Darlene said...

What a great way to "save" those fabrics that you obviously loved. Your log cabin quilt looks great with those angels hanging on it.

Nancy in MT said...

Glad you decided not to go to the garbge with those fabulous fabrics, they look wonderful stitched together as a tablecloth, the birds are perfect.

Marlublu said...

I love that log cabin quilt with the angels. It says comfort and safety to me. I like the painting to. You do great work. I really really like the folk art quilt. It's beautiful.

Laura said...

Wow Karen you are quite the artist! Love the picture you painted. And the tablecloth is wonderful with the birds. Please tell us some about your background in painting! (I don't have any personal email at the moment for you to reply to, lightning!)

Lucy said...

Wow what a lovely logcabinquilt. ANd the angels are so cute . can I get a close up picture from them ??? I am a angel fan:-)