4/09/2011

Vacation Week Almost Over

My trusty pal Rembrandt kept me company this week while Day Job was not in session (may it adjourn forever):
If only that cat would stay away from the blackboard chalk. It is her favorite toy. I put it more out of reach and she just works harder to get her paws on it.

So many chores this week, i.e., get broken furnace repaired, get recall taken care of on the Fit, get oil changed, mow lawn, color hair, clean, get haircut, do taxes (oops didn't go that one yet), try to reserve lots of time for quilting. The power went out for 18 hours on Tuesday, so this with the fact that the furnace had been broken for a week and a half and it had been quite cold in Atlanta, made me throw my hands in the air and go for a nice drive in north Georgia for the day. What a gorgeous day for a drive!

Here are the two quilts that Study in Amish attendee, W.C., has made. Aren't they gorgeous? This is the Holmes County quilt:

and this is the Lancaster quilt:
Last session, Illinois, meets later this month. I have loved doing this series.

BB CW Block 14, Fox and Geese:

and BB CW Block 15, Ft. Sumter:

Karen, at Log Cabin Quilter, spotted the tattered crib quilt on eBay and thought it would be fun to remake; I had thought the same but did not get started until I saw her darling quilt on her blog. Heaven forbid I should miss anything quilty. It was no joke trying to figure out the proportions, even with the help of EQ. There are discrepancies here and there and although for a while, I held the design to the original size that the seller said is 17x19", it would not last and finished at 18.5" x 21" instead:

Made this purse. This was no picnic. Although to the best of my knowledge, I followed the directions, it turned out massively crooked on one side and I don't know how it would have done otherwise given the directions. I guess the theory is that it would pooch out equally on the opposite "side" (which was the middle point of the fabric) but this did not happen for me. Had already wasted a great deal of fabric in the following of the directions and wasted more in cutting the side a bit straighter. You can still see the slope on one side. I really LOVE the idea of the gathered tiers, though, so am pondering how it could be made so it would be even and also waste less fabric:

Found a little 50s Ginny at an antique mall for a mere $25. She is a good Ginny with nice color and her bent knee walker mechanism still works great, her head turning happily from side to side as she walks :-). The little (tennis?) dress has an Alexanderkins tag. I don't know how old it is but assume it is also from the 1950s. Are there any 1950s Madame Alexander experts out there? Now I need to keep an eye out for the Medford Ginny dress that the bloomers match. I am pretty sure I do not have that dress.


Here are the other two quilts that my friend, Cheri Gilleland, quilted for me in a simple meander a few weeks ago. I love them!

10 comments:

ann hermes said...

I really like your rendition of the ebay doll quilt' fabric selection is wonderful..You brought an old quilt back to life!

antique quilter said...

great blocks, fabric choices make them!
oh this little quilt is just adorable, loved it on karen's blog now yours, guess I need to make it too!
very nice.
Kathie

antique quilter said...

the bag is interesting...I would still use it anyway too!
once you fill it with stuff maybe it will even out!
Kathie

Jan said...

Love your block with the civil war newspaper fabric. Haven't seen it before.
Your doll quilt is great, too.

Karen said...

I'm sorry that you have to go back to work after vacation. No fun.
Did you see the documentary on television about the lady who eats chalk all day long?

You know I like your new doll quilt!

Gretchen said...

I think Rembrandt either wants to draw or teach something. Wonder what she would draw with chalk? I love your CW blocks. GREAT fabric!!!! Very neat antique repro quilt. You are so clever to reproduce it in EQ. Enjoy your remaining spring break. So sorry you have to go back:(

Lori said...

I like your version of the small quilt too! How fun to recreate it.

I really like the Amish style quilts- very beautiful.

Bummer about the bag. It looks like a cute design.

MARCIE said...

I love Ginny Dolls! Don't let Rembrandt get a hold of her! Oh look at your cute little anchor fabric! And that South Carolina fabric is very cool, as is the newspaper print. I love the Amish quilts! And LOVE the doll quilt! Wow, you got so much done this week! The purse looks like one of those little tiered skirts! And the quilts look rather avant garde. So you! And you used that clever border again!

Karen said...

Lovely Amish quilts and blocks. And, the crib quilt turned out fabulous!

Appalachian Mercantile said...

OK, now that I have seen both of your renditions of the amish doll quilt, I might just bite the bullet and give it a try. I'll probably change it a little, too.....