Showcase: 1970s Calico Cathedral Windows Quilt

In this post I want to share the Cathedral Windows quilt that Kathy K., one of my college roommates, made for me.  It's an amazing quilt!  It is now a treasury of late 1960s and early 1970s calico fabrics (and a few other non-calico printed cottons from the same era).  Most of the fabrics were Kathy's, probably from her family too since they sewed and quilted, but some are my quilting fabrics or from clothes I made for myself.

The background fabric, if I remember correctly, is kettle cloth.  It is a fabric that has a linen-like texture, neutral and a bit nubby. It was a contemporary fabric, often used for home dec or clothing, and no longer manufactured.  It has a lovely hand but it made a very heavy quilt. (Note the sag on the clothes line in the photo below!)

Cathedral Windows Quilt early 1970s (approx 1972-1975) Made by Kathy Kuklish, New Effington, SD. 46.5 x 58.5 inches, 332 windows!

The quilt has 332 blocks, all sewn by hand.  Truly a masterpiece and a labor of love!

Here's another close up.  The detail photo below has scraps of fabric from a comforter I made for my brother and his wife as a wedding present, fabric from the dress I made and wore to the christening of my first Godchild, and a scrap of fabric for a fall quilt I planned to make but never did!

Too heavy to use as a lap quilt, I occasionally hang this quilt up on a wall mounted quilt rack so I can enjoy it. This quilt deserves to be in a museum.

But not yet!

Indigo Quilt Planning

I've been thinking about making a quilt with indigo fabrics for months. I just drew a possible pattern on graph paper and I'm really liking the design.

This is a project that will need lots of cutting space and a design wall. So for now, it will stay on paper. But it's ready to go when things settle down with my house work!

Orphan Blocks and a Few Fabric Strings Make a Quilt Top

I've been putting orphan blocks in a plastic bin for the past several years.  Some of the blocks are one time trial blocks or color studies, some are a few extra blocks from a project, some are from downsizing a quilt and there is a least one section of strip piecing I never cut into blocks!

All together they are bright, vibrant and create interesting activity in the quilt top.

It's still very much a work in progress. There are hundreds of loose threads that need to be clipped. These blocks that have been sitting around are messy!  And I'm trying to decide if I want to put a border on it to make it a better twin size quilt. I'm still not sure what I want the final quilt to look like!

Sewing Heart Blocks for Orlando--a JP Knit & Stitch Event

I hope American readers all had a great Fourth of July celebration yesterday!!

There is an FREE event coming up at JP Knit & Stitch in Jamaica Plain, MA that I want my local Massachusetts readers to know about.

This coming Saturday morning, July 9 from 10:15 AM to 1:15 PM, JP Knit & Stitch is hosting an event to sew blocks for a quilt to send to Orlando.   Like the Boston Modern Quilt Guild after the Boston Marathon Bombings, the Orlando Modern Quilt Guild is collecting finished quilts to distribute to those affected by the recent shootings there.

The heart pattern for this quilt is Cluck Cluck Sew's Easy Heart Block.  The block for this JPKS quilt has patterned fabric for the heart and any solid color background that coordinates with the heart.  The hearts can be any of the sizes in the pattern.  Strips of the solid border fabric are used to enlarge the unfinished block so it measures 12 1/2 x 12 1/2 inches square.  A Fat Quarter with a Pattern and a Solid Fat Quarter will make a block. We need a total of 20 blocks for this lap sized quilt.

If you can't come that day but want to make a block, please drop one off at the shop and send me a message to let me know you made one. (If you click the first link above, you'll see a photo of two other blocks made for this quilt).  

Hope to see you at JP Knit & Stitch on Saturday!!

Shop address and more information about JP Knit & Stitch.

Knitting: Sky Scarf Completed--a year of weather documented with yarn!

I finished my Sky Scarf this week!  Leafcutterdesigns.com created this great knitting project. Each day you check the sky, pick 2 colors of yarn that match the sky and knit 2 rows. Repeat daily for a year!

Recent skies in Boston, Massachusetts:  Blue blue, blue and white, light blue and white, grey and white.

I started at the end of June last year. Here's a link to my first post about my Sky Scarf project.  In addition to sky color and clouds I knit in some beautiful sunsets, the Fourth of July fireworks and one lunar eclipse.  Each snow storm in the Boston Winter 2015-2016 is recorded as a pure white bar in the scarf.  In the photo below the eclipse is shown in the rows of dark pink and purple right at the bottom fold.

My completed scarf is 76 inches long. Below ere are photos of the entire scarf and the label I made.  (I didn't buy the Sky Scarf kit which comes with a beautiful official patch which is different than my handwritten label).

This project was great fun!  I highly recommend it if you are considering knitting your own Sky Scarf.  I enjoyed really looking at the sky and knitting a couple rows in the evening, at the end of the day! 

Using Fabric Strings

Seems like lots of quilters are working on scrap quilts at the moment.  That got me thinking.  I've got a big bag of fabric strings.  I can't start a big quilt project with lots of cutting at the moment but the strings are ready to go. They just need to be trimmed to fit the project.

What is a fabric string?  I expect the definition varies from among quilters but my definition is a strip of left over fabric which is at least 3/4 inches wide but no wider than 2 1/4 inches. 

I also keep a bag of 2 1/2 inch strips.  That's the width of a standard jelly roll strip and there are lots of quilt patterns that use this size.  I sometimes cut wider fabric scraps into squares or rectangles but lately I've just been saving it in one of my bins, separated by color.

I've got 2 projects in the works where I am using this bag of strings. Somehow I expect I'll still have some left when both quilts are done!

Godey's Lady's Book, June 1958--Quilt and Embroidery designs plus other content

More treasures from the June 1858 Godey's Lady's Book I found on my bookshelf this past week. 

Above are 2 quilt patterns.  They are clearly applique patterns. While titled Patchwork Patterns, there is no way to piece these fascinating designs!  I wonder if anyone every made a quilt with one of them!

Here are a couple embroidery designs.  The alphabet stops with R.  I guess they assumed you could extrapolate the S-Z! 

And lest you think that designers of modern quilting fabric have some sort of monopoly on the use of arrows, check out this hair ornament!  She wouldn't make it through a 21st century security check!!

And finally, an ad for books by Charles Dickens!  It's a full page ad but I focused in on the offering of the "Cheap Edition". $5 for 14 books or 50c each, shipped postage free!

Part of a full page ad for books by Charles Dickens in various editions.

Doll's Cap Pattern from June 1858 Godey's Lady's Book

My faithful readers will no doubt have noticed that I haven't been posting any quilts recently.  There's been some much needed home maintenance going on at my house. Think plaster, dust, paint.  Everything is in bins and since I didn't move out, the bins have been moving from room to room as the work progresses. I can sew small projects but not quilts since my quilting room is all packed up. I have plans for quilts...but they are only being constructed in my imagination at the moment.

This week I packed up a bookcase.  There were a couple tattered magazines next to some old Bibles that I have moved on numerous occasions. I've never looked at them. Turns out I was missing a DYI gold mine!

Cover of June 1858 of Godey's Lady's Book

The 1858 June edition of Godey's Lady's Book is packed with patterns for sewing, handwork, recipes, menus and a drawing lesson. And there are tips for the nursery/sick room and illustrations of the latest fashions. I do wonder how the publisher could afford to pack so many features into one issue!

When I pulled this magazine off my bookshelf it opened to a page with a pattern for a doll's cap.  That stopped me in my tracks. (And stopped the packing of books into boxes for a while too)!

Yesterday I copied the doll's cap pattern at 120% and cut it out allowing for 1/4 inch seams.  This will fit a doll with a head circumference of 12 1/2 inches.  The pattern is great. The center section eases onto the curves of the sides of the caps beautifully.  The pattern designer clearly knew what she was doing. (Click the link to get a PDF of the pattern in its original size).  I made a reversible cap--the green daisy on the outside and white on the inside.

My Blue Ridge Mountain 1960 doll is modeling the cap in the photo at the top of this post. She didn't want the ties done!  I think she's very cute in her new cap!

Here's a photo of what the doll's owner might have been wearing. Note the text...the design is for the coming winter. With everything made by hand, that's is very realistic.

1858 child's dress and hood

Clearly little girls in the 1850s weren't climbing jungle gyms or riding bikes!

Here is a look at a home scene.

"The First Step" 1858.

A bit more from this magazine in my next post--some embroidery designs, fashions plates, and ad for Charles Dickens' books!  Anyone interested in recipes for rhubarb wine? It's got those too!!

I promise to get back to quilting...but may be a while before the dust finally settles!

BlueprintsForSewing's "Prairie Skirt" (and shirt)!

Taylor McVay is a fellow teacher at JP Knit & Stitch.  She is a sewist and pattern designer.  Taylor has an indie pattern company, Blueprintsforsewing.  She has created a series of garment patterns based on architectural designs. They are so much fun--click over and take a look at what she has been doing. (Purchase one of her patterns while you're there)!

Taylor recently had a residency in Michigan were she visited a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Ann Arbor. She used a window in the house as the inspiration for the pockets on her new "Prairie Skirt" pattern.

There are 3 pocket options in the pattern--easy to advanced. I went for the advanced one, the one without instructions!! It is a perfect quilter's challenge!

I decided that making a paper pieced pattern, using the scale drawing for this pocket in the pattern, was the way to get the best pocket. In the spirit of the pattern which is published in zine format, I created my paper piecing patterns drawing by hand, rather than importing them to the computer.  They are a bit wobbly but fine once trimmed carefully at the end.

Here are 2 foundation patterns, ready for sewing.

"Prairie Skirt" pocket #3

I love the pattern!  The skirt in the pattern is straight.  I added a bit of flare, just because I'm more comfortable wearing a skirt with a bit more room.

Unfortunately, a lot of the detail in the piecing is "lost" because I used a fanciful Japanese print fabric.  My choice of fabric also added to the complexity of the piecing since the the fabric is directional!

I found a T shirt in my closet just the right color!  And added a pocket I designedthat coordinates with pockets on the skirt.

This was a really fun project. 

Renovated 1970s Baby Quilt Completed

The quilt renovation is done!  The Winne-the-Pooh baby quilt I made in the mid 1970s is pictured on the left, and the 2016 renovation on the right! 

Renovated 1970s Pooh Baby Quilt

The backing is my "Apple Blossoms and Dots Pink" fabric printed by Spoonflower.com.

Front and back of the renovated quilt

I wasn't sure it would be possible to remake this quilt, but it turned out to be totally do-able. I was able deconstruct the old quilt because I had done a minimal amount of hand stitched quilting.  I did need to un-sew the inner machine sewn seams between the blocks and sashing but that wasn't difficult. (See my last post for more about this project).

On the renovated quilt, I machine quilted the sashing and then hand quilted around the appliques just as there were quilted originally.

I'm really pleased with this "new" quilt.  It now is in great shape and can be enjoyed by the next generation of children!

Renovating a 1970s Baby Quilt Update

Yikes!  It looks like a theft at a museum!  But, no this was a sanctioned block removal from a baby quilt that I made in the mid 1970s.  (More about that on a previous post).

It was fun to see my handiwork.  I was amazed at how tiny my applique stitches were. I think I must have been a lot more patient in my 20s!  I don't really notice the stitching on the front of the blocks but they were so clear on the block backs when once they were removed.

Back of an appliqued block sewing the stitching.  The oval is an embroidered eye which gives a sense of the scale.

I found I needed to remove and re-do some of the embroidery on the blocks. I'd used a lot of a variegated gold to cream thread it was completely worn away.  Some of other colors looked like new!

Looking for something else in my box of old patterns, I was delighted to find all my original templates and one original drawing for the animal appliques on my blocks. Here's my original sketch of Pooh and my cutting template. I drew them freehand from Ernest Shepard's illustrations in my childhood copies of the Winnie-the-Pooh books.  (I got a chuckle when I saw a note to one of my college roommates on the initial sketch.  I'd remembered working on this in my dorm room, but then thought that couldn't be right. But here's the proof)!

This project has been a bit akin to an archeological dig!  So much fun!

The old restored blocks have been reassembled with new sashing, batting and backing.  I finished machine quilting the renovated quilt last week. I still have some hand quilting to do and the binding. Hopefully I'll be able to post a picture of the finished quilt next week.

The new quilt is so different from the original but very sweet...

Charm Square Apple Blossom Quilt

I got the last 2 UFO quilts in my stack quilted last week.  We had a couple cool days in New England and so it was the perfect time to finish them. It's not so fun to quilt when it's hot and humid!

This is my Apple Blossom Charm square quilt, using my "Apple Blossoms and Dots Pink" fabric printed by Spoonflower.com and 2 Kona® cotton solid charm square packs, Warm Sunrise collection. It was quick to sew up and I love the colors.

Here's the back.  My backing fabric is the same "Apple Blossoms and Dots Pink" print but in a much larger scale. Only the smaller scale version is available for sale at the link above.

I keep a "dog quilt" on the foot of my bed where my dogs often end up.  This is the new addition.  They are quick sews--charm square quilts with polyester batting so that they can wash and dry easily.  With these bright, happy colors, I know it will make me smile every time I look at it!

3 Waldorf Type Dolls Just Off to New Homes

Here are the 3 new Waldorf style dolls I recently finished. Each child chose the coloring for her doll, the colors and styles of the clothes and the accessories!  It's the first time I've been asked for necklaces!  Making the necklaces was a lot of fun and these girls are old enough so it isn't a safety concern.

Here they are on the steps of the slide at a local park!  Already having fun!

Fox and the Four Seasons Wall Hanging Pattern Release

Over the past several years I have written a handful of free quilt patterns.  A few of the patterns have been posted here on my blog (see quilt patterns and tutorials tab above) and others were for students in my quilting classes.

This past week, my first pattern for sale, "Fox and the Four Seasons Wall Hanging" was released! At present, it is available exclusively in the brick and mortar store, JP Knit & Stitch, 461 Centre St, Jamaica Plain, MA, for $15.00 USD. 

This pattern is for a 20 x 20 inch wall hanging. The pattern's packet includes a fat quarter panel I designed. The panel has 4 blocks, the fox in each season, and the apples and dots strips for the sashing strips in this project. My fabric panel was printed at Spoonflower.com on Kona® cotton.

I rated this pattern EASY.  It is a perfect project for someone with a bit of experience sewing but new to quilting. The directions include instructions for piecing the wall hanging, doing the quilting, making the binding and sewing a sleeve to hang the wall hanging using a wooden dowel. For a quilter with more experience, there are great tips for doing straight line quilting with a walking foot.

Here's a photo of the finished wall hanging.  It would a sweet decoration in a baby's nursery.  I chose a solid orange border but a pink border will pick up the pink of the apple blossoms in the spring block and blue will accentuate the snow in the winter block!  Using a border fabric with a pattern looks greats too!

"Fox and the Four Seasons Wall Hanging"

If you are in the Boston area, I hope you'll stop by JP Knit & Stitch to see the finished project and pick up a "Fox and the Four Seasons" pattern packet for yourself or as a present for a friend!

Homemade Outdoor Dog Mats

It's seems like a nice thing to have a mat on the deck for a dog to snooze.  The ones I've seen in catalogs have been pretty pricey.  So I decided to make my own with several of my fabric designs at Spoonflower.com.  Spoonflower offers a great Eco Canvas which is 100% polyester.  I chose that option because I think it will hold up well outside. It also takes the printed colors beautifully!!

The mats are 24 x 36 inches, have 2 layers of 1/2 inch polyester quilt batting and a different design on each side of the mat.  Shown here are Springer Spaniels with Flowers and Dancing Circles on Teal.

We've had beautiful spring weather lately.  The other day both my Springer Spaniels lay quietly on the deck while I ate my lunch. Tipper just turned 8 and Taffy will be 7 in several weeks.  Neither asked me to throw a ball nor did they need any other attention.  It felt like a minor miracle!   The outdoor mat was on the deck but neither dog was snoozing on it.  Go figure!!

A Tunic Pattern to Love: "West Water Tunic"

I've been hunting for a tunic pattern to love since last year and I've found it!  This is the "West Water Tunic", designed by Sam Lamb.  The pattern is available in both printed and down-loadable PDF formats from the on-line shop of Squam Art Workshops.

I love how it upgrades my dog-walking outfit!  I've worn my West Water Tunic 3 times now and each day someone as come up, commented on much they like my tunic and asked what about the pattern/source! So much fun!

The pattern was great. I really appreciated the sizing information--it listed bust, hip and height.  This information made it possible for me to cut out the pattern pieces exactly for me.

I combined two pattern sizes so I needed to ease the lower back to fit the bodice.  I decided to do that by putting in a pleat. I added a hang loop over the pleat so I can hang my tunic on a hook when I don't need it.  I also added lined pockets.  The pocket lining fabric is folded over the outside of the pocket, giving the tunic a fun extra detail. The button has a little blue sailboat on it and goes well with the wave-like pattern on the facings and pocket lining!

I used Robert Kaufman's Essex Yarn Dyed Fabric (55% linen and 45% cotton) in the color flax which I purchased at JP Knit & Stitch, the shop where I teach quilting in Jamaica Plain, MA. I don't usually like linen but this has a soft hand and isn't itchy!  The linen content gives it that "worked in" look!

Here's are photos of the front and my personalized back. (The Essex Yarn Dyed has been washed and dried. It's not rumply looking on the bolt).

Apple Blossom Blocks Quilt

I've been working on my Apple Blossoms Blocks Quilt. 

The quilt is the product of a printing oops. Apparently my artwork slipped sideways on the art board on my computer screen while I was creating the repeat for the design, leaving a fine white line about the width of a hair on the right hand side. I didn't notice on the art board and couldn't see it on the computer monitor when I up-loaded the design for printing.  I've learned to check the pre-print repeats carefully for registration errors, but this one was just too small to see. When I got the printed fabric back from Spoonflower, there it was, a fine white line, less than 1 mm wide, running in parallel lines the length of the fabric. It was barely noticeable, but the eye easily picksup on any break in a design. Sigh.

The fabric sat on the table for a while until I decided to rescue the fabric by cutting it up into blocks, avoiding the white lines. I had 2 charm packs of Kona® Cotton Warm Sunrise collection which coordinates perfectly with my apple blossom design.  (Note: The Kona® Warm Sunrise charm pack collection is officially "sold out forever", but I found a few still for sale when I did a search last week)!

The blocks are a semi-planned random design because I didn't have enough apple blossom fabric to run the blocks in full diagonal lines. I'm planning to fold it at the foot of my bed for a pop of color this summer so the lack of a clear pattern isn't a problem.

Making Yarn Doll Hair Using Warping Pegs

One of the items I purchased after I was given my inkle loom was a set of Schacht Warping Pegs. As I was reading the instructions, I realized that the warping pegs would be really helpful making yarn hair for dolls. I'd been using the back of a chair. It worked, but the yarn tended to slip down which took time to fix and the yarn tended to get tangled.

So when I started making several dolls recently, I set up the warping pegs to do their hair. It worked brilliantly. I was able to wind up to 3 hair colors at the same time. It was fast, efficient and all the strands were the same length!  I wish I'd known about warping pegs sooner!! 

Knit Cats!

New England's Spring and been unusually chilly.  And the sewing machine I use for my quilting has been in the shop getting its annual Spring Clean.  So I had time to work on some other projects, including knitting two cats.

The Siamese, above, was knit using the Siamese Cat Pattern by Barbara Prime. I purchased the pattern from Ravelry.  She also has a website, fuzzymitten.com.  It went together easily.  She's getting a lacy dress that a friend is knitting for her.

Then using the same pattern, I made some variations of my own and knit up a black and white Tuxedo cat. She's wearing a skirt I made using South African Shweshwe fabric. The bright, bold print is perfect with her black and white scheme!

Black and White Tuxedo Cat, my variation of the pattern noted above

They are lots of fun to knit!

Book Review: "The Homemade Vegan Pantry"

This post is totally off topic, but cooking and baking are two of my other favorite activities.

I recently purchased a copy of The Homemade Vegan Pantry by Miyoko Schinner, published in 2015 by Ten Speed Press. It's the subtitle of this book, "the art of making your own staples", that convinced me I needed to add this cookbook to my collection.  Have you read the ingredient list on the commercial staples in your kitchen?  Oy! 

I love the idea that I can make my own staples. I'm not vegan, but my diet is primarily plant based and I read labels trying to choose items that have real ingredients. And I think it's a lark to experiment in the kitchen!  Sot this book is right up my alley!

The Homemade Vegan Pantry has so many great recipes and I've only just scratched the surface.  Making soy milk is easy!  All you need are soybeans, water, a soup pot and a tight mesh "milk bag".  The recipe in the book is delicious.  I don't even add the optional vanilla or sweetener.  I use it in chai tea, coffee and for baking.

The by-product of making soy milk is okara, the remnants of the soybeans.  It still has protein, fiber and other nutrients and can be used in many ways.  One of my favorite is the "San Francisco fab cakes with capers" recipe in the book.  Fab cakes are a vegan alternative to crab cakes. They are yummy! 

The "classic pancake and biscuit mix" makes awesome diner style pancakes--thick, fluffy and especially delicious with blueberries added to the batter.  I can't wait to try the two cake and baking mixes.

The mushroom stock is excellent.  I love mushroom risotto but don't loke using bullion cubes to make mushroom flavored broth.  This stock was perfect when I used it to make risotto. After the stock is done, there's a recipe to make mushroom pate from the vegetables cooked for the stock. Another excellent item!

But if there were only one recipe you ever made from this book, it's worth owning your own copy!  "Not-tella chocolate hazelnut spread" is totally amazing!!  With 2 cups of hazelnuts and 60% or higher dark chocolate as 2 of its 5 ingredients, it's a treat packed with nutrition and anti-oxidants.  On a graham cracker, it's the best!!   Get the book and make some for yourself!! 

Here are photos of several items I've made from the book.  Left to right:  soy milk, fab cakes, not-tella chocolate hazelnut spread.