Friday check in: welcome autumn! vintage finds, OMG all set, and something new

 It's gotten so that if I don't take a good walk at least every other day I really feel it! This week we went to Sedge Meadow/Des Plaines River Trail and Illinois Beach / Camp Logan.  

Top: compass flower, snakeroot, false Solomon's Seal (b.erries). Center: goldenrod, fungi, riverbank grapes. Bottom: white heath aster and skyblue aster, New England aster, butterfly weed (can you see how the spent stems make a whorl?).

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Isn't this the coolest souvenir tablecloth ever??? I got it for $3 at a church rummage sale.  The midcentury graphics are terrific! 

It has some stains and I thought I might cut it up and use elements in a project. But I probably wouldn't.  So I mailed it off to a librarian friend who lives in New Jersey and collects vintage textiles.  

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The Magpies are collaborating to make quilts for the twin sons of our dear friend Sarah Curry.  Her favorite block was variable star and she liked bright colors.  I volunteered to make the flimsies. Here they are -- very similar but somewhat different, just like the twins.  

I've mailed them to Carolyn who will quilt them and make a collage with the signature squares to piece into the back.

Creating the flimsies is my September One Monthly Goal. Here's the link up.

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Here is the new project.  I've had a box of 1.5" batik HSTs for a long time. A while ago I made a bunch of very scrappy cake stand blocks (4.5" unfinished) and some variable star blocks. 

 

I'm not sure how I'll combine these, or if I'll combine them.  It's just fun to do some no-destination piecing.

Linking up with  Finished or Not Friday   (Busy weekend ahead!)  

P.S.  More vintage purchases from that rummage sale and another.  The Christmas candelabra tablecloth is the third one that I have. It must have been very popular.  (Did I need a third? For $3, how could I resist?)  The two dishtowels are linen.  

Estate sale: sarong, so right

I went to an estate sale on Thursday.  I had driven past the house many times. Though I knew who the owners were, I didn't know them well enough to go inside their house. (Want to see? Here is the listing.)

Thursday  was the first day of a four-day sale so all items were full-price (25%, 50%, 75% reductions to follow). I was sure someone would scoop these up the first day so I bought 'em.

The Lava-Lava is poly-cotton but a fun print. 
The other is a sarong -- 39 x 70.

The gold foil label says "Batik Asli / tjap / Daftar No. 71566 / Bibir Manis."  (Tjap (pronounced "chop") is the stamp used to print batik designs.) Batik Asli is in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (It's also the name of a restaurant/hotel in the Netherlands Antilles.)

To read more about Indonesian batik sarongs: this article

I have other sarongs in my batik stash. I used one as a quilt back a few years ago. Some day I'll use the others.

[I'm counting the batik sarong as "fabric in." I'm not counting the Hawaiian sarong since that is an addition to my vintage textiles collection.]

Estate sales are a good source of office supplies, too.  Partially-used legal pads, small and large. I couldn't resist the "Miss Steno" stenographer's notebook.

DWM: two finishes and batik bonanza

 I finished quilting the red rail fence quilt (see it on last week's DWM post).  This photo shows the no-mark flowers I quilted in the border and two of the three red fabrics I used on the back.  (And the red/black binding.)

"Christmas Boxes" is finished!
6-1/2 yards in all.  This will be raffled at the AAUW-Waukegan Area Branch holiday party on December 13.
















I'm pleased with the way the quilting turned out, especially in the blocks.











This is the batik bonanza. There are a Hobby Lobby and a Joann's en route to the civic center where the quilt show was held. I stopped and shopped. The yardage on the left was HL clearance ($4/yd). The yardage on the right was on the Red Tag shelf at Joann's, half the reduced price ($3.50/yd) (plus a 20% off coupon). The FQs were quilt show purchases. The scraps in the front were gleaned from the scrap tubs in the quilt show boutique, sold for $5/gallon bag on Saturday and $3/gallon bag on Sunday.  No, they didn't come that flat. I pressed 'em.

See what other quiltmakers have on their design walls at Judy's Patchwork Times.

Today's bargains

I needed to get a couple of greeting cards at the Hallmark store. I had a $2.00 rewards card coupon. It would have come in handy had it been with me rather than left on my desk at home. I bought the cards anyway. 

Then I went next door to the Salvation Army.  As I browsed among the women's clothing (you never know; there might be something nearly new and just the right size) a woman holding three sweaters said, "Can I ask you a question?"  It goes to show that even retired librarians have "ask me" invisibly tattooed on their foreheads. She wasn't asking a reference question, though; rather, she wanted to know which of the sweaters was the best color for her. I said, "You're a winter, so this is the best," pointing to the grey-taupe one (rather than the others which had yellower tints to beige). She understood just what I mean by "winter."  Do you remember when Color Me Beautiful was all the rage?  Skin tones and hair/eye colors were sorted by "season." Palettes for clothing, makeup, and jewelry were recommended for each season.  (For years I didn't wear anything black because I'm a "summer" and summers don't wear black.  Even now I won't wear anything black near my face. (Well, my wonderful winter hat is an exception.))  The woman explained that she buys sweaters, unravels them, and re-crochets them. She said, "I got a book from the library that show how to do it."

Our paths crossed a couple more times while we were shopping. I was able to show her what I picked off the textiles rack.  "See the batik?" I said. She admired it.

Here's what I got for $5.75.  The batik is on the left; then a yard, a FQ, and a 14" piece, and a never-used cashmere/silk shawl. In the back is a tablecloth made out of Provencal cotton.

 At home I unfolded the batik and looked at it closely. The sticker and the stamp mean it's genuine, all right.  See the narrow hem (just above the Batik Tjap stamp)? I suspected what it was and when I measured it -- 41 x 84 -- I knew.  it's a sarong. This one was never worn. I guess it was a souvenir.

 

Here's a good article that explains more about Indonesian sarongs: click here .

I don't know if I will see the re-crochet woman again. I hope she'll create something interesting just as I hope I'll be able to use today's bargains.

DWM: quilt in progress

As I wrote last Sunday, this week was very busy indeed.  I had a Woman's Club committee dinner Monday, P.E.O. birthday potluck Tuesday, quilt guild Wednesday evening, our Rotary Club's 15th anniversary breakfast Thursday (at the library, which meant I needed to be there at 6:15 a.m. to let the caterer in), and a book talk Thursday (see previous post). The library's annual in-service day was Friday. The Zion-Benton Leadership Summit breakfast was Saturday morning, followed by the library's first BAM! celebration (that's Books, Authors, and More).

The quilt guild program on Wednesday was given by Patricia Simmons and her father from Quilter's Rule in Watertown  Waterford, Wisconsin. http://quiltersrule.com/  They make molded rulers, acrylic templates, and silk-screened cutting mats. They also silk-screen acrylic rulers for other designers.  Patricia showed photos from the factory: the molds, the styrene pellets, the screens, and the finishing.  It was very interesting!  She also showed how to use the templates to create quilting designs.

In and around all of these activities I made time to sew. (I am listening to Americanah, a novel by Chiminanda Ngozi Adichie, to review for Library Journal. It is long but very interesting.)

When I posted the initial photo of my version of Summers at the Lake I wrote that I was combing my batik stash for medium-to-dark blues for the 5" squares that separate the 9-patch blocks.  I didn't have much.  My self-imposed limit is that I am not going to buy any fabric during Lent. Well, I got all the 9-patch blocks made.  I tried a few 5" blue squares. They were awfully dark.  Then I tried another color entirely.  I didn't have quite enough of the twisty flying geese batik print, but I thad another in very similar colors.  The setting triangles are another fabric.  (I think I'll have to give it a different name, though....Summers  at the Volcano? ) 

dark blue pulls it down

as pictured in the book

I am grateful to Wanda Hansen for the inspiration.  You can see her beautiful quilts, many made from batiks, at her blog, Exuberant Color .

I'm linking up with other quiltmakers at Judy's Patchwork Times.

DWM: Sunday sights, scraps, swaps, sashes, and stamps

 

The Sunday sight: a pair of cranes at Illinois Beach State Park.  They were right next to the road when we first saw them, but by the time I got the iPhone camera aimed at them they'd set off across the meadow.

 

 

 

Scraps: given to me at Wednesday's guild meeting by a friend who knows I'll be able to use them eventually.

 

 

 

 

Swaps:  fabric from my guild Secret Pal (top) and batiks swapped for polka dot fabric.  

 

These "Tam's Patch" black and white 8" blocks are my contribution to an upcoming BlockSwappers' exchange.

 

 

 

Sashes:   I put the pinwheel blocks up on the design wall in a couple of configurations.  The strippy setting appeals to me. I need to make 13 more green blocks.   

 

 What sashing fabric should I use? Here are the four I'm considering. 

And, finally, stamps:  the box of postage stamps -- 1.5" squares -- is getting full again. These blocks measure 5.5" unfinished.  I've just gotten started and there will be a lot more!

P.S.  I can't think of an "s" word for this:  I backed/basted/quilted/and bound this flimsy
this weekend!   2.5 yards for the backing and binding.

Thanks once again to Judy for hosting Design Wall Monday where you can see other quiltmakers' current projects.

 

DWM: year-end edition

This daisy bouquet wallhanging is for a P.E.O. sister who recently moved from here (Chicago suburbs) to Atlanta. Another member of our chapter, who is also a quiltmaker, will attach the binding. The pattern is by Linda Sullivan, d/b/a Linderella's Design Studio, and was published in McCall's Quick Quilts (July, 2006).

 

Do you remember these blocks from last week's DWM?  Set all together they were too dark.  I tried purple/lavender squares and found that those were too dark, as well.  [Note to self: next time cut just a couple of squares to audition rather than the entire piece of fabric in case you discover that it's not right for the project.] I rootled deeper in my batik stash and found a yard of yellow for the squares and a brighter purple for the setting triangles.  I've had the purple-and-yellow batik (border fabric)   for six years or so.    (The flimsy is approx. 66 x 73 and used 3-1/2 yards.)

Here is Easy Street, Step 6.  Pairs of 2" strips cut into 3.5" bricks.  128 of 'em? No problem!   Bonnie has just posted Step 7 of Easy Street. Yikes -- it's time to put the units together and I still haven't cut the lime green squares. 

You can see what other quiltmakers are working on at Judy's Patchwork TimesJudy's Patchwork Times. 

 

And tune in to this blog tomorrow for my Annual Reckoning post!

 

 

 

 

 

                                              



DWM: the day before Christmas edition

Here's what I accomplished during my first week of vacation.
*  36 Churn Dash blocks in 19th century reproduction fabrics for a BlockSwappers' exchange. I've sent them off to Victoria though they aren't due until February 15.

*  65 Care Bags.  You can read more about this nonprofit project here.  In one of their newsletters they said they distributed an average of 100 bags a month, so I decided I'd contribute 100 bags a year. I did that for three years and then I got off track.  This week I pulled out the box with what I'd made in 2010:  35 bags.  I pulled out a tub of "miscellaneous" fabric (not quilting, not fashion) and began cutting and sewing.  I mailed two big boxes, with 100 bags, on Saturday.

For the 2013 batch of Care Bags!

-- Care Bags notes:  they can be made with handles or drawstrings. Drawstrings bags are quicker! I use clothesline for the drawstrings (.50 for a 20-yard hank at Big Lots, sufficient for 5 bags).  Home dec or corduroy are about the right weight -- if I use quilting cotton I add lining.  I try to have a fair number of Care Bags that will appeal to boys (=no flowers, hearts, etc.).

*  Easy Street, Step 5.  These were easy indeed!  I still can't figure out how all the units will fit together.

*  A few more 5" batik Puss-in-the-Corner blocks.  I'm still not sure where this project is going. 

You can see what other quiltmakers are working on at Judy's Patchwork Times  and Bonnie's Quiltville.



DWM: leading up to Labor Day

 We were up early enough on Friday to go to the beach to catch the sunrise (6:16 a.m.)   The remnant of Hurricane Isaac gave us less than a half-inch of rain -- but also a high surf yesterday.  It was almost like the ocean! (But, as my husband points out, fresh water doesn't smell the same.)

Labor Day is a day "on" for me and by extension for my husband.  The Mayor's Prayer Breakfast is from 8:00-10:00. (The event is theologically to the right of us, but this is a politically important event in the community.)  The library has a float in the Jubilee Days Parade in the afternoon. We have 100 lbs of candy to toss at the crowd, which numbers as high as 15,000. 

Of course I'd rather be messing with fabric.  Here's the update from my studio.

If I can't resist adding to my stash, at least I can try for bargains. These came from a thrift shop--9-1/2 yards for $12.00.  

I was channeling Bonnie Hunter when I scored these sport shirts at Salvation Army--$4.16 for both of them.  Many of you know that Bonnie recently led a quilters' tour of Bali. This shirt may have been a souvenir from a previous trip.  (Take a look at the label.  How often can you identify the original owner of a thrift shop item?  Here is more about  Helmuth.)   This orange Ralph Lauren print was too good to pass up.

 And, finally, here's what's on my design wall. 
These are the batik 9-patches I mentioned last week. The pattern is Bonnie Hunter's Rick Rack Nines, but set horizontally.  I had one yard of yellow/orange batik for the setting squares and that determined how many 9-patches I needed. This is 44 x 54.  I have to attach the corner triangles and trim it.  I don't know what the border fabric will be.

Check out what other quiltmakers are doing this holiday weekend at Judy's Patchwork Times.

Estate sale

I went to an estate sale in Waukegan today. This was the SECOND sale for the same estate. The first one, last month, went on for three days. (I was unable to go.) This one began yesterday and will end Sunday. It didn't look picked-over at all, which means that there was a LOT of stuff. I did not know the woman, but I have friends who did and they said that when she found something she liked she bought it in multiples, and she never threw anything away. She was a realtor, served on the boards of community agencies, loved to travel, garden, and collect. And collect. And collect.
The first photo shows everything I bought.





Next: a Lone Star, hand-pieced, bound (sewn with zig-zag). Two of the star points are somewhat faded, but the piecing is excellent. The star is flat (achieving that is difficult with this pattern).








This is a cotton batik sarong. It's a 'second'--the third photo shows where it misprinted. When cut up for a quilt the misprints won't show (at least not show as much). The printer's stamp in the photo is about 2" long.

This is a framed mola. It's 40 x 18. (Just $10.50!)

Four batik napkins. I have a couple of similar sets. One day I will use them in a quilt.





This is a pine utility box. It had a carrying handle, now broken off, and one corner is banged up. I choose to say that it's 'distressed,' and I'll use it to hold notions, or something.

I had not yet purchased Christmas cards for this year. These are Unicef cards, 13 packages of 10, sticker price $8.50 per package. Estate sale price $1.00 per package.