Treasure Hunt

I thought that all the quilts I was going to be able to see on our trip would be at the Cornbread Festival's special exhibit of the Inspired by the National Parks quilts. I was wrong! My new sister-in-law, Chris, pulled out of a trunk two quilts made by her Grandmother!

Pinwheel

The first quilt is a pinwheel block set off with plain squares. I believe the print fabrics are 30's. Chris said that she had heard that the quilt was made from feed sacks.

Old blanket

The quilt has some disrepair. It has been well loved. The batting is an old chenille blanket! The quilt weighs a ton!

Machine quilted

This quilt was machine quilted. I believe that it is the only quilting that was done, contemporary to the making of the quilt.

Full view

Each block is made using only two fabrics. The backgrounds are all solid colors. There are some fabrics used more than once, but I believe each block combo is different.

The backing

A totally unrelated fabric was used for the backing. It was also folded to the front of the quilt to make the binding.

Bowtie

The second quilt was made using polyester double knits! My guess it would have been made in the 70's. It has some fantastic double knits!  Even the knots of the bowties are made from fancy double knits.

Love it!

I can just see this as a dressy dress!

And printed double knit!

I love how the fancy yellow from the knot in the first block is used as a background in the lavender block.

The whole quilt

The blocks were definitely laid out in a pattern. I would imagine that the blocks were made using scraps.

Bowtie back

Interestingly enough this quilt has a cotton backing. Which is also folded to the front as a binding. The quilt is hand quilted. What treasures for Chris to own these wonderful quilts made by her grandmother! Although Chris was raised in Louisiana, her mother's family is from Mississippi, so these are Mississippi made quilts.

Great Smoky Mountains

After our visit with Matt and Chris we headed a bit farther East to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Oh my! What a wonderful place!  We stayed in the campground at Cades Cove. We also took a drive through Newfound Gap and hiked up to the Clingman's Dome for wonderful views. We will definitely be going back again,

Wall of Shame

I don't understand people. This is a photograph of graffiti on a cabin in the park. People proudly signing and dating their names on a historic landmark despite signs everywhere pleading to leave no trace. It is happening on every building in Cades Cove. Some of the dates were as recent as March of this year. Such a disgrace. It is because of this kind of behavior that eventually the park will have to close the buildings and you will only be able to view them from a distance instead of being able to walk in and feel the essence of  how it was to live there. What is wrong with people? Such a wonderful, historic place and they have to ruin it for future generations.

Turtle Rock

We stopped at a campground in Wyoming for a night. The feature was Turtle Rock. We hiked the trail going around it, probably 4 miles. I still have to google it, the sign did not state the distance. It was fun. Lot of families were there since it was Mother's Day.

Linking to Nina-Marie, Amanda Jean, Myra, Cynthia, Sarah, Emily, Nicole

National Cornbread Festival

I was very excited to find out that the Inspired by the National Parks were going to be at the Cornbread Festival in South Pittsburgh, Tennessee just at the same time we were visiting family nearby!

Capital Reef

I was thrilled to see my "Capital Reef" landscape quilt in the exhibit! This is the first time I was able to see the quilts in person.

Me!

It was a very hot day and I was very wilted by the time we found the quilt exhibit. So I am quite bedraggled in the photograph. It was fun to listen to the people going through the exhibit. So many wonderful comments!

Mississippi River

On our way to Tennessee we had crossed the Mississippi River! I had never seen it before! This photograph was taken on the Arkansas side at the confluence of the St. Francis river and the Mississippi. So impressive!

Wild Flower

I don't know the name of this flower, it was at our campsite in Arkansas. I need to get a wildflower book for the eastern USA. I have one for the west.

In process

South Pittsburgh, Tennessee is the home of the Lodge plant. They had a self guided tour open to the public in conjunction with the Cornbread Festival. Very cool!

Lady Liberty

There was a table set up with a display of special edition skillets. This one really caught my eye. I love the image of the Statue of Liberty.

I am linking to Nina-Marie, Amanda Jean, Sarah, Myra Judy Beth Emily

Only get to do Inspiration this time around

A couple of years ago I made a small fiberart piece I called "Bark. Link to a photo of it. I really enjoyed the process and have always wanted to do another version,. The first was from a photograph I had made of a eucalyptus tree.  I loved this tree at our campsite in Arkansas. But I don't recall what kind of tree it is.  But I am looking forward to another bark fiberart piece. 

Love the moss!

Another view

wildflower

Loved this wildflower at the campsite!  I am not familiar with this flower, so will need to look it up.

Lake Sylvia

And in Arkansas we found a lake named after me! How cool is that? Very few places are named Sylvia, so it is fun when I actually find one.

Never ending supply

When we are on the road I like to knit mindless dishrags. It is a something simple that I can knit without looking and so can watch the scenery as well. I have a never ending supply of  these dishrags. So do all my people!

I am linking to Nina-Marie, Amanda Jean. Sarah, Myra Beth Emily Judy Beth

Thread Heaven

Last week I was in St. George, UT for the Dixie guild's "Gems of the Desert" quilt show. It was fabulous!  I was also teaching and had two wonderful classes of students. But I didn't get any photographs!  LOL Sometimes you are so busy teaching that it is difficult to remember to pull out the camera. I did get a few photographs at the quilt show, but I did not get the info for each quilt and per the show rules I am not allowed to post the photographs without the proper acknowledgement. I guess you will just have to believe me, it was a good show! The guild has photographs up on their site of the prize winning quilts, check it out here.

After lunch with a friend we headed over to Superior threads.  Can you say "Kid in a Candy Shop"!

Superior Threads warehouse

The rows stretch out forever!

And ever!

So many colors

I had never been there before! You can shop through the warehouse for your thread! I did ask permission to take photographs and to be able to post to my blog. They also have a fabric shop on the upper floor. I did not get photographs from that, but I did buy a couple of batiks. The one is a beautiful blue and really wanted to come home with me. I just couldn't disappoint that guy.

40 miles from home

We did a "big" city run to Page,AZ the other day. On the way home we turned off on a dirt road just to see where it went. It dead ended after a few miles with a campground and some hiking trail heads. I just love the rock formations in this part of the country!

Linking to Ruth, Nina-Marie, Amanda Jean, Sarah, Myra Beth,  Tweety Judy Emily

A Finish!

I love to hand stitch my bindings. It gives me a good feeling to finish a project, and having the quilt on my lap for the grand finale gives me a personal relationship with the quilt

The Helga Quilt

I am very pleased with the way this quilt turned out. And Helga was thrilled with the quilt!

Glamour shot 

Close up

I used my "wiggle" quilting technique. I go edge to edge using my walking foot.

Crocheted rag rug

A friend gave me some junky polyester fabrics. I cut them into 1 inch strips.  I then crocheted the fabric strips into a rag rug.  Just a simple single crochet with a large hook.

Detail

I am linking to Nina-Marie, Amanda Jean, Myra, Sarah, Emily, Judy, Beth, Nicole

Pin Basted and Ready to Quilt

A couple of weeks ago I posted a photograph of a quilt top that was missing the final border. The border is now on and I have it pin basted, ready to quilt. It always amazes me how this design changes with the addition of a simple border.

The Helga Quilt

Half Hexagons

I also pulled out a top that was finished at least 6 or 7 years ago. Time to work on some of those UFO's. So this guy also got pinned. I hope to have a productive weekend machine quilting.

Back Patio

And then we had another snow storm on Monday!!! It stuck a bit, melted the next day. I really am hoping that is the final snowstorm for the season.

Asparagus Souffle

And I baked a souffle this week!  I haven't made one in years. They really are not that difficult, just labor intensive.  It was good!

I am linking to Amanda Jean, Nina-Marie, Beth , Myra, Sarah, Shelly, Beth, Judy, Emily, Nicole

Marching along

Serita sample

I always like to have an in progress sample for my classes. I selected these 3 fabrics to use in my Serita class next week at the Pie Plate Super Spring Retreat. I haven't decided which variation to make, but will be cutting it this weekend.

UFO

I decided it was time to finish a UFO. This guy is pin basted and ready to quilt. Hopefully I can get him finished so I can work on the binding at guild on Tuesday.

I am linking to Nina-Marie, Amanda,  Sarah, Myra, Celtic Thistle, Beth, Judy, Emily Beth

Nothing to show, or rather nothing I am allowed to show

trimmings

I have finished a couple of art quilts recently.  But I am not allowed to show the results yet. First up is for the Inspired by Elvis challenge. I did a piece for the song "Moonlight Swim" from the movie "Blue Hawaii".  I used a Blue Hawaii novelty print for the backing. You can see the trimmings above. I had trouble with this piece, I used a collage technique and I didn't allow enough extra for the shrinkage.  I made a very wide binding.

Backing

The other piece is for a challenge, "Dream On". The first thought that came to my mind was the line "Clouds in my Coffee" from the Carly Simon song.  I had this wonderful coffee themed novelty print in my stash, so that is on the back. Of course I had to piece it, it is a directional print and I needed it in the other direction.

I have been trying to organize my new sewing room. It is quite a bit smaller than my previous space. Quite the challenge to get things to fit. I am using a second closet for my half of my fabric stash since the one in my room is about half the size of the previous room. Yesterday Sweetie hung up a couple of shelves on the wall and also put up some of my mini art quilt collection for me.

Shelves and mini quilts

The lower shelf is above my cutting table. I hope it will help me keep some of the clutter off the cutting area.

More mini quilts

The quilt hanging below the shelf is my Pin collector's quilt. I have a bunch of lapel pins which fit nicely in the center squares. Then I started to pin name tags from retreats and such in the borders. The feather duster is my Sweetie's addition.

Mystery Box

I have a lot of mystery items stored. I was sorting out some things that were crammed into the upper shelf in the closet and found this little box. Hmm, wonder what it could be? (I am not famous for labeling boxes)

I forgot about this UFO!

My Frank Lloyd Wright project from a Jackie Robinson class!

Class handout

I had all the parts in the box along with the receipt for the class and the class handout.  I took this class in Sacramento in 2003.

All the wonderful leftovers!

All the leftover parts! I love leftover parts! They turn into new stuff.

Fabrics,

Wow! A lot of fabric in that box. Some was used in the quilt top, some not. I am sure that I could have used some of those in other projects over the years. If only I had looked into the mystery box sooner! And what gets me is the color scheme I used for this design! It is so Kanab like! 14 years ago when I took this class I had no idea we would end up in Kanab! I will post more on this project next week, I am really excited to finish it up and get it hung on the wall in the hallway.

What is he doing in that box?

I have no idea what this block is doing in the box or what it was intended. Might have been a sample for a block of the month I did for one of my California guilds. He must have jumped into this box by mistake.

I am linking to Amanda Jean, Nina-Marie, Sarah Myra Emily Judy Beth and Beth