| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| countrymamma |
Posted - Jun 16 2005 : 2:42:45 PM
I've started although I only have found one so far. I paid 50¢ for it at a yard sale and restored it. It now sits on my treadle sewing machine.
~Carol |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Nikki |
Posted - Aug 26 2005 : 11:05:53 AM
Wow! Such wonderful stories are wrapped in quilts!
An older gal pal gave me a quilt top that her mother had made about thirty years ago. My galpal doesn't sew, and didn't have a use for it so she offered it to me and I GLADLY accepted! It is made of just a simple array of blocks approx 4" squared, and is HUGE - but the bad thing is that somewhere along the line, betadine was spilt on various parts of it. :(
Anywho, just reading this thread has given me a wonderful idea!!! I should make a tree skirt from it to place under our Christmas Tree!!! If any of the betadine spots show up in the section that I cut - I could always applique a stitchery over that section!!! :)
Thank you so much for the idea! |
| Carol |
Posted - Aug 25 2005 : 6:11:22 PM
Hello Farmgirls!
Cindylou had to dash out early, and she asked if I would post this letter from her. ~Carol
The Farmgirl Posse Rides Again!!
Clare, in her moderator capacity, myself, MaryJane, and Carol are developing an upgrade to the features on our forum.
We love the projects that are exploding on the forum! You fabulous farmgirls are participating in mail art, making blankets for the needy, creating mail art, aprons, quilts, and dolls that travel. You are tireless in your efforts to give of yourselves to others.
I have a lot of experience in organizing round robins, since I organized the travels of the Premiere magazine and journal. Thirty worn copies of the Premiere magazine have traveled to over 450 farmgirls at heart along with journals that came back fabulously and elaborately decorated. It took bundles of time and organization. I’m pleased as punch to call projects like that part of my “job”!!
Now if I coordinated the travels of the traveling Farmgirl MaryJane and Farmerette MeggieRae dolls, they could return to the farm after visiting say 8-10 farmgirls. They’ll have lots of new clothes, accessories and stories by then. Carol and MaryJane will take pictures to post so you can all see the dolls. Some of the pictures might even show up in upcoming magazines. Typical of girls, the dolls will need new wardrobes fairly often, so after they’ve rested and recuperated ~ tee hee~ I’ll send them out again pronto. As I learned with the Premiere Tour, it’s a lot of tracking and nudging to keep things traveling along. I can plan for the dolls to return for Farm Fair next July so you can visit them when you come.
We’ve noticed that several new farmgirls on the forum are feeling lost because some of the conversations are quite lengthy. They can’t easily find a central spot to sign up for any of the projects that are going on. Nothing confuses and discourages farmgirls like chaos! MaryJane has gone to great effort and expense to create the Forum and I know you all appreciate it. We’d like to keep MaryJane-related adventures right here on the Farmgirl Connection Forum and not send our farmgirls off to other websites; it just gets too confusing.
We want to tie some secure “apron strings” around the mail lists by having them originate from the farm in order to protect everyone and their information. We’ll organize a master list for each wonderful, bright, and original “traveling” and “exchange” venue that is created.
Soon we’ll gather up all the lists. You’ll be able to sign up on whichever lists suit your fancy. In the near future you’ll simply e-mail ~ quilts@maryjanesfarm.org, dolls@maryjanesfarm.org, buttons@maryjanesfarm.org, aprons@maryjanesfarm.org, mailart@maryjanesfarm.org, birthdays@maryjanesfarm.org, books@maryjanesfarm.org, etc. Then we’ll e-mail back to ask a few pertinent questions and get your address and phone number. While we monitor the lists for privacy and safety, all you farmgirls at heart can turn your energies toward creativeness and leave the “worries” to us! We have the technical experience at working out the “bugs” on mail lists and organizing “traveling” journals, etc.
Thanks for your understanding, farmgirls and guys! Watch for more details soon.
MaryJane's Left-Hand Farmgirl
Cindylou
|
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Jul 23 2005 : 11:13:56 PM
they sure are!!
Jenny in Utah
The best things in life arn't things! |
| Fabulous Farm Femmes |
Posted - Jul 23 2005 : 10:31:02 PM
Aunt Jenny, my grandaughter turns 3 tomorrow also!!!Her older sister turned 4 today! They are the best thing in whole world aren't they? |
| Fabulous Farm Femmes |
Posted - Jul 23 2005 : 10:28:48 PM
Marcia Marcia Marcia....
gosh, I have been waiting so long to actually get to say that to someone...hope you don't mind a little teasing...
You are SO lucky to have someone who quilts in your family.I am the only crafter- needlewoman -quilter in my whole family on both sides and they all think I am nuts.I, too, was very close to my maternal grandmother, in fact in my heart i think of her as my mother.I did't get to spend as much time with my paternal grandmother, but wonderfully for me she was skilled in all the things my other grandmother wasn't.I lost them both too early, you were more fortunate.
What kind of quilts do you prefer? I love the 30's and 40's quilts, but lately i have been leaning toward brighter colors...I'd love to have a small selection of brighly colored cheery quilts to swap around on the wall when the winter grey days start back up
I also love the Elm Creek books, just finished reading them a second time, coincidentaly.
Where in Washington do you live? I am near Tacoma/Seattle.. |
| Celticheart |
Posted - Jul 23 2005 : 8:36:35 PM
Susan,
Maybe I should send those orchid and mustard blocks to you....they definitely aren't as pretty as most. My friend Sandy said the funniest thing when I was working on them at one of our quilt meetings. She asked me if maybe my grandma was looking down on me working on those and thinking "Oh No! I thought I threw those things away!"
"I suppose the pleasure of country life lies really in the eternally renewed evidence of the determination to live." Vita Sackville-West
|
| atwell |
Posted - Jul 23 2005 : 6:22:45 PM
Marcia!!
What an amazing family legacy!!. I loved reading your story and know ing that you knew these grandmothers so well. very fortunate indeed!
I love olds quilts too! I have mostly books on the subject and have collected several tops and lots of blocks and pieces/parts. I feel the need to give these "misfits" a home!Especially the ones that arent as pretty as most..... I alway like to wonder about the maker.. who was she ? where did she live....?etc......
susan
FatQuarterQuiltFarm
Long Arm Machine
Quilting ~and~
Fabric Flea Market |
| Celticheart |
Posted - Jul 23 2005 : 11:53:06 AM
Antique quilts is what got me interested in quilts and quilting in the first place. I was fascinated by old quilts when I was a teenager. One of my great grandmothers was a phenomenal quilter and I was lucky enough to grow up in a household that used those quilts. Her favorite pattern seems to have been the Lone Star. I remember seeing more of those than any other. The only one of her quilts I own is a baby quilt that my mother embroidered(with cowboys and indians) before I was born. Grandma Black quilted it. She was my dad's grandmother. She was also a painter(something she didn't take up until she was 85) and the daughter and granddaughter of true pioneers. Her grandparents came over the Oregon trail in 1847. My mom said she also made her own wool batts from the fleece from her sheep. She died when I was 16 at the age of 100. And yes, I knew her very well.
The other old quilt I own was made by another of my great grandmothers. It's a Double Wedding Ring made in the 30's, in perfect condition. It's my favorite since I love that pattern. During the Washington state centennial in 1989 one of the state historical society projects was cataloguing antique quilts. My mom had all of hers and ours done. She has made sure that my 3 sisters and I all have at least one quilt done by our great grandmothers. We had 3 that were quilters. I also have a set of blocks done by this same grandma. They are from the 30's also is my guess. They're the Snail Trail pattern in orchid and mustard yellow solid. Really awful! Maybe I'll do something with them someday. This grandmother was my mom's grandma and also an interesting woman. She defied her family and came west from Iowa to teach school in 1905. Eventually the rest of her family came west also. She died when I was 33 at the age of 103 and not only did I know her well but so did my children.
When my DH's grandmother found out I was interested in quilts she took me to her closet and pulled out 6 or 8 quilts from the 30's all in perfect condition. None had ever been used. They had all been given to them as wedding presents and they were made by her aunts. When I asked her why she didn't use them she told me she was "saving them for good." I told her if good hadn't come in 55 years it probably never would and she should get some of those out and use them. She laughed but she did it.
I've been thinking about my grandmothers and great grandmothers alot. I'll probably write something more about them in the Family Matters forum under mentors later. I come from a family of very strong, creative and intelligent women and it's amazing how much they influenced and shaped our lives, especially mine.
I have read most of the Elm Creek books and the Persian Pickle Club--I loved that one. Have any of you read any of Earlene Fowler's books? Also a great book I read 20 years ago about quilting and pioneer women is Annonymous Was a Woman. I don't know if you can find it but it's about women pioneers in Texas, I think, but deals with pioneer women in general. They saved scraps of cloth and fabric and worked under the worst conditions to create works of art and add beauty to their world. Another really good book along the same line is Quilts of the Oregon Trail.
Sorry for the long post. Quilts and quilting is a passion of mine. Can you tell??
Marcia
"I suppose the pleasure of country life lies really in the eternally renewed evidence of the determination to live." Vita Sackville-West
|
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Jul 22 2005 : 9:25:02 PM
I saw some quilts like the ones you describe Clare Stella at a quilt museum at Paducah, KY 3 years ago when we were out there to see my newborn grandaughter (she turns 3 tommorrow!!) it was sure a fun place to go..any of you been there? My mom and I flew out to see the new baby and visit oldest son and daughter in law and were there a week.. loved it there! The quilt museum had lot of rooms and lots of types of quilts..and I remember the ones that were so different from the rest and were like you described..neat!'
My favorites are the primitive pioneer types though, and I love love love 1940's fabrics. There is supposed to be a quilt show here in town this weekend. Utah had a state holiday called Pioneer day that we celebrate the day the pioneers made it to Utah and there are all sorts of fun old timey things going on in all the small towns nearby. I love it!
Jenny in Utah
The best things in life arn't things! |
| atwell |
Posted - Jul 22 2005 : 7:42:50 PM
Clare Stella!!
I too had the opportunity to see the Gees Bend exhibit when it came to milwaukee. Just amazing!!!!!I have a large coffee table book with photos and the stories of the women and the area. I also had to purchase one of the t-shirts and a handful of the postcards. I have 2 or 3 more books on african american quilts and their makers. I love the spontineity , resourcefulness and graphic quality of these.
This is what happens when you start with what you have,follow your instinct, and do not have a preconceived notion of what a quilt
"should be" Quiltmaking at its purest!If you are interested in these other books let me know and I will post the titles here!I dont own any quilts like this but have purchased old tops( to be finished someday. ...) and of course collect books about old quilts.
susan
FatQuarterQuiltFarm
Long Arm Machine
Quilting ~and~
Fabric Flea Market |
| Clare |
Posted - Jul 20 2005 : 2:54:34 PM
Carol, I would love to see your pics of the quilts. If you go to the Tech Section here, there's a tutorial about how to post Yahoo photo album links, but it can be used as a guide to any format, such as Photobucket, etc. Good luck!
**** Love is the great work - though every heart is first an apprentice. - Hafiz
Set a high value on spontaneous kindness. - Samuel Johnson****
|
| countrymamma |
Posted - Jul 20 2005 : 2:38:08 PM
We ended up at an antique store the other day and I found 2 quilts I wanted. My mom bought be one and I put the other one away which I will pick up on the 27th. I'm not sure how to post a picture here or I would.
The one I brought home today will need a few repairs although not many. The one I pick up next week needs no repairs.
~Carol |
| Clare Stella |
Posted - Jul 20 2005 : 2:23:25 PM
Though I have always loved quilts (and have a store-bought one on my bed), I do not have room in my small condo for a collection. I did have a wonderful time recently though going to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston (I live nearby) to see an exhibit of quilts made by black ladies from Gee's Bend in Alabama. What is so different about these quilts is that they were made out of whatever material was available in a very poor community. Many of them look like modern art rather than typical patterned quilts. One I remember was made of dungaree pant legs surrounding some pieces of bright red corduroy. The legs of the pants look like pant legs - long and straight, and even the pockets were separately incorporated into the quilt patterns. Many of these quilts were made during and right after the depression merely to function as bedcovers but they have now been "discovered." Some of them are incredibly beautiful. If you have a chance to see this exhibit, I recommend it highly. Does anyone own any quilts of this type? They are unusual and wonderful. Clare
Everywhere you go, there you are. |
| BillieKay |
Posted - Jul 20 2005 : 2:11:11 PM
I just found a postage stamp quilt handmade in the 30's. I bought it for $50. I had a quilt that my great-great gramma made(100 years old)But it was destroyed by a dog. Wasn't a piece bigger than 8 inches. Still makes me cry when I think of it. I would love to learn to quilt. I am teaching myself to embroider right now so maybe this winter I'll try it out.
Bright Blessings,
BillieKay |
| jpbluesky |
Posted - Jul 19 2005 : 4:20:52 PM
Lucinda - our book club read The Persian Pickle Club. Loved it.
jpbluesky
Heartland girl |
| Kim |
Posted - Jul 16 2005 : 08:39:55 AM
My quilt collection consists of 2 I inherited. My grandmother gave me one as a wedding present. She embroidered the flower panels when she was pregnant with my Uncle and pieced and quilted it when she was pregnant with my dad. Apparently when I was 8, I told her it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and I'd live to have it someday. 20 yrs later my wedding present.
farmgirl@heart
Be at peace with yourself and the rest will follow |
| thehouseminder |
Posted - Jul 12 2005 : 06:53:34 AM
It's so wonderful to read about your quilt finds! I haven't found any for less than $400.00 but I do have the "granny's flower garden" my grandmother made for me while I was in high school. It's made entirely from scraps left over from her sewing and my mother's sewing. I loved to be able to identify fabric from Grandma's dresses, my mother's blouse, and my older sister's baby clothes!
I have really enjoyed the Elm Creek Books too. Has anyone read "The Persian Pickle Club" by Sandra Dallas? It's a stitch!
Lucinda |
| countrymamma |
Posted - Jul 02 2005 : 07:23:26 AM
Bramble I would however I don't see a place in your profile to send you an e-mail. You can e-mail me though.
~Carol |
| bramble |
Posted - Jul 01 2005 : 8:26:24 PM
Countrymama-- If you like I will send you my copy since I am finished. Just email me through my profile and I will reply . Glad you like them too! I can only check that email on Tuesday so I will answer you after Tuesday. Let me know if you want it, otherwise I will post it in the Barter forum. Thanks!
with a happy heart |
| Nicol |
Posted - Jun 28 2005 : 11:26:48 AM
My one and only quilt that wasn't factory made is so precious. I purchased it at my kids' school auction last year. My daughter's preschool class made it. The kids made the blocks with the help of the adults. It has their handprints on it. I need to display it but I haven't found the right thing to do so yet. I don't have a big enough blank wall. I would love to discover a great find!
|
| jpbluesky |
Posted - Jun 27 2005 : 08:36:59 AM
My most treasured quilt lives on a seldom used bed (the best place to store them). It is a guest bed that rarely gets used and another comforter is over it, to prevent fading. The back of the comforter is whitecotton. This way, it is never folded nor exposed to light, and when I have guests, I do store it away for a few days. This is my grandmother's quilt she made for me as a child. It is made from her old house dresses. I really want to keep it in good shape.
jpbluesky
Heartland girl |
| countrymamma |
Posted - Jun 26 2005 : 9:14:01 PM
Yes I've read the Elm creek books, all except her new one The Sugar Camp Quilt. I love her writing.
~Carol |
| bramble |
Posted - Jun 26 2005 : 12:39:15 PM
Hi girls! Yes I do display my quilts. I try to rotate them seasonally and refold, rehang in different ways so no one area gets too much wear. My great grans quilt is out at Christmas time and that is just about all it can handle!The rest of them I use in an everyday way but I do baby the oldies a bit. I like to think they were made to be lived with, so we do.
Carol- If you like quilts , have you read any of the Elm Creek Quilt series by Lisa Chiaverini? I just finished the latest "The Sugar Camp Quilt" and though it started slow , it had a great ending!
with a happy heart |
| Alee |
Posted - Jun 24 2005 : 2:10:11 PM
Hi Ladies!
I have inherited one from my Great Great Aunt who was famous (in her area) for her quilts. The quilt I have is over 100 yrs old, although the exact date of manufacture is unknown. It has amazingly bright colors with lots of red satin like pieces. It is a triangle pattern (diamond pattern?) with each square being only about 2 inches wide. It has crazy quilt style embroidery (where the women would use every stitch they knew to show off their skills) but is is not a true crazy quilt because all the pieces are the same shape and size.
I don't display it currently because I have not found a dark enought corner for it. Sunlight is horrible for old quilts.
Also ladies, if you have antique quilts, make sure to have a quilt expert check them out before letting children near them. The reason I say this is because a lot of the old fabric dyes were actually made with Lead!! Much like lead paint. I guess lead holds color extremely well. Anyway I would hate for a little one to get lead poisoning from sucking on a quilt or something...I know kids put everything in their mouths.
Ciao
Alee |
| countrymamma |
Posted - Jun 24 2005 : 1:40:29 PM
Bramble, that is awesome. Wow 1865!! You must really treasure the quilts you have.
Do you have them on display?
~Carol |
