BUCKET LIST QUILT # 4

As I try to de-stash a bit, I am pulling fabrics for about a dozen "BUCKET LIST QUILTS".  Those I still want to make. Here is the next one, Pieces of the Past in Purple. 

PIECES OF THE PAST--CIRCA 1875:

I have written about this quilt several times. To read the whole story go here: MY FAVORITE QUILTS #1  It is a reproduction of an antique top I found at a yard sale in 1988. The top was later determined by a well-known quilt historian to be from approximately 1875, hence the name, 

As a baby quilter then I thought I would hand quilt it. After studying it for a while, it was clear the fragile fabrics would not stand up to that so I reproduced it. Following the antique top, I used my least favorite color, BROWN. The quilt took all the skills I had at that time--those four-patches are "set-in", on the diagonal. Not easy by machine.

As much as I loved this quilt I knew no one would want to make it, the construction was just too difficult. So I made it again, easier this time, by replacing the four-patches with a square and adding more geese to create regular sashing that could be machine pieced. This has been a successful class for me. I named it "FIVE EASY PIECES":

Some years later I took it to a workshop with Liz Porter who assured me the large squares of what look like cotton bolls was originally PURPLE, not brown! Everyone laughed as they knew purple is my favorite color. From that moment on, it has been my intention to make the original one more time--in PURPLE this time.

PIECES OF THE PAST IN PURPLE:  The FABRIC PULL:

                                        

The antique top, now stored safely in a pillowcase, in a closet, out of light. It rarely leaves home these days:

the back showing the hand piecing

Front detail 

Front showing very worn border fabrics

The day I bought it at a yard sale I had my sons hold it for a photograph

This top is one of my greatest treasures. It has taught me a lot. Like:

1. Don't judge a book by its' cover

2. Look at the bright side of things

3. When you find a treasure, forget about the one that got away

4. Beautiful things are all around, you just have to look

5. Being in the right place at the right time is mostly luck and good fortune

6. Someday your skills will catch up to your desires

I am really eager to see this one made new and fresh, maybe looking more like it originally did Circa 1875.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Ready for Fall

 I know it's Fall when it's time to turn on the heat. Low's in the 30's, highs in the 50's, the air is crisp and the sun sparkles on the fallen leaves:

The Knock Out roses are still blooming and the sky is so blue with such clean air: 

There are a few little Fall quilts I use to decorate and some pumpkins, not a lot because I just don't get excited to rearrange things to decorate seasonally:

Our bed is dressed for cooler weather too:

And I got this in the mail--so excited. I have wanted these stamps since I became a quilter. They were issued in 1978, 7 years before I found my passion and bliss as a quiltmaker. The Quilt Show Store has a few of these left, and they won't last long:

I hope your weather is grand, wherever you are!

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Student Photos

Most quilt teachers I know love to get photos from their students of class projects, either by email or by being tagged on social media.

This morning I got this lovely top in my email inbox:

Carolyn F. made this in our 5 Easy Pieces class in Panama City, FL--I was there in early April. Isn't it beautiful?  Carolyn says:

Barbara this is what I made after taking your class. I don’t think I will add a border what do you think?  I am trying to decide how to quilt the top.  I’m thinking about circles but not sure if my idea would work. This was an exercise in color for me.  I used tone on tone where the colors met. In the intersections where four colors converged I used fabric with the colors in it. I like the result. I enjoyed your class very much.

Circles will be a great way to quilt this and a border isn't necessary unless the quilt needs to be larger.

Carolyn's timing was perfect--yesterday I shipped my sample quilt for this class to VA to inspire students who will be attending the VA Celebration of Quilts (VCQ) next April--sign  ups start in August and they asked to have the quilts there for students to see.

Look how different my quilts are:

The Light Version with Easy Piecing

The Dark Version with Complex Set-In Piecing

It is so great when a student can make a quilt the way she wants to make it and is pleased with the final result. Thanks, Carolyn, for sharing your top!

Let's quilt.

Barbara