Those Crazy Quilts

Here is a bit of a shop update before I show you some of the Crazy Quilts I saw in Omaha.

This is the new "Pezzy Prints" from Moda.  This are a repeat of the very popular print from Peas and Carrots by American Jane.  We are very happy they have been reprinted.  There are more colourways to come.

West Indies by Jennifer Paganelli for Free Spirit has arrived. I just love the bird toile.

We had a very productive workshop on Saturday with Catherine Butterworth.

Catherine will be teaching a regular monthly class next year.  The class will be on the 3rd Tuesday of the month.  Please ring the shop if you would like to book in.

SNEEK PEEK

We are thrilled to let you have a sneek peek of one of our new Blocks of the Month for 2012. 

It is called Kew Gardens.

We are creating this beauty with the help of Sue Ross.  You have the choice of two beautiful floral border fabrics.

We should have full details up on the web-site before Christmas.  We already have a number of customers who have booked their quilt (they saw it on the design wall).   So stay tuned.

Crazy in Omaha

The trick with Crazy Quilts is to take photos of the stitching.  This gives you a stitch reference library.  I was quite amazed at the variety of embroidery stitching on the quilts we saw.  The problem with most Crazys is that the silks they were made of has shattered. So when you are looking at restoring a crazy the main focus is on the stitching.

This was a very interesting quilt.  We tried to put together its story.  The photos are of the back of the quilt (yes the back was a crazy) it is all done in black and grey wools.  The embroidery stitching was all there.  The front of the quilt is a brick pattern of wool suiting fabrics cut into rectangles.  The front appears to have been made in the 1920's - 30's.  The quilt was then quilted in the red and yellow "big stitch " quilting around the rectangles on the front.  This gave the back a really cool look.

The story we made up was Mum made the crazy top in the black grey wools.  Brightened it up with the embroidery.  She never finished her crazy quilt.  The daughter used the crazy top as the back for her utilitarian "depression era quilt".  She hated Mum's dark crazy.  But waste not, want not.

That's our story, who knows it might be true.

Melinda

I'm Back - Nancy Kirk Restoration Workshp

Sorry about the gap in posting, I arrived back last Sunday to be greeted with the 37C day.  I had left from Denver in the snow, so it was a bit of a shock.  I'm now over the jet lag (I think), seen to all the shop stuff, so I can sit down and look at my photos, and send out a blog.

In this post I will show you some photos from the Quilt Restoration Workshop I did in Omaha, Nebraska with antique quilt legend Nancy Kirk.  Wow.  Five days of visual learning about antique quilts, fabric dating and of course how to fix tears, stains etc.  I felt like I was in antique quilt Wonderland.

Day one was a trip to the International Quilt Study Centre and Museum, in Lincoln Nebraska.  This is a brand new purpose built quilt Museum.  Wish we had something like it here.

This is the staircase up to the Museum level.  Lots of glass (which is interesting in a quilt Museum where light is a real problem) but it works and looks great.

This is the major exhibition we saw.  Wonderful.  I recommend to any antique hexy quilt lover to buy the catalog for the exhibition. These are available directly from the Museum - www.quiltstudy.org.

We could take photos in the exhibition, but no flash photography.  The combination of that and the low UV lighting used by the Museum have turned all the photos very yellow. I took these shots to give you an idea of what the Museum is like.

The rest of the Workshop was held in our hotel.  Just masses of information was shared.  I feel like I need to take a month off just to sort everything out.  Guess what I'm doing over Christmas.

Here is Nancy, with one of her treasures that she keeps in acid free boxes.

Workshop participants were asked to bring along some of their own quilts that needed restoration.  This little Cir. 1860's doll quilt was a winner.

These are a few of the wonderful fabrics and blocks in Nancy's Collection.

Just a fabric feast.  Who says antique fabrics are dull and brown?

I will send out another post looking at all the Crazy Quilts we saw. 

But only in America.  It was approaching Halloween when I was at the workshop.

Here is the standard pumpkin shot. 

This was a great place to have lunch.  Shame we were too busy to have dessert.

I bought this Halloween Sugar Cookie, but just couldn't eat it.

Melinda

Great Stitching and a tiny SALE

As you may remember we have several sit and sew groups at Quiltsmith. 'Geraldine's Group' is a small but prolific group of lovely ladies. Some pictures from their gathering last week.

This is Sondra's simple yet striking quilt. Playing with fabrics and colour, it's what we do!

Anything goes :)

Then Sondra produced these gorgeous covered shopping bags, yes, shopping bags.  Oh the patience.  They are beautiful!

Look at this one -- I loved this one.

And here is Linda's deliciously elegant (just like Linda) taupe and oriental lounge throw ready to hand quilt.  Lee is in the background cutting, cutting and some more cutting of his honeycomb shapes ready to be paper pieced.  Can't wait to see some progress there, he is using reproduction civil war style fabrics.

The ladies who come to GG are, of course, Geraldine, Linda, Sondra and Rose.  Rose is sadly departing Sydney (probably not for her!!) to return to the beautiful Byron Bay to live.  We will miss you Rose and your exquisite knitting and wonderful quilts.  Come back and visit us soon. 

oOo

We also had Linda Butcher's class last week and a couple of quilts here from some of her beginners.  First quilts too!  They are lovely.

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As you are also probably aware, Melinda is in Houston for about 4 weeks, with her blessing, we have put our 'Value Fabrics' on sale.  For those of you who don't know, they are all the bolts of fabric in the cardboard boxes in our second room.  The bolts are all unpinned and marked with a star sticker.  Normally $13.50 per metre, starting today they are $8.00 per metre !!!!  For two weeks only, ending on Saturday 5th November.  Minimum cut 0.5m (same as usual) and the sale is IN-STORE ONLY. 

Come and pay us a visit and grab a bargain while you're at it.  Go on...you know you want to.

L

America Calling

Today, I'm in the middle of that wonderful last minute panic, as in a few days I'm off to the US.  I am undertaking a very quilty trip.  Starting in Omaha Nebraska, where I'm enrolled in the Advanced Quilt Restoration Workshop with Nancy Kirk.  Then onto Houston Texas, for both Festival and Market.  Then to Golden in Colorado, where I am visiting the Rocky Mountains Quilt Museum.  Then home. 

As I am not dragging a PC with me I will post  photos when I get back so you can share my trip.  I will be on the lookout for some more antique quilts to add to my collection.  This will give me something new for our next Airing of the Quilts.

Lindy will take over the blog while I'm away.

Anthony came in to show us his latest quilt.

It is a delight in double pinks, conversation prints and shirtings.

But look at where he is with his Yorkshire Coverlet.  Looking amazing.

The new release Kaffe Fassett fabrics have arrived.  There are four brand new designs.  Frilly is my pick of the new designs (it's the one on the bottom with the blue flowers).

Both Brandon Mably and Phillip Jacobs have new colourways for existing designs.

On the Reproduction front, Howard Marcus's new Comfort is in. Yum Yum.

To continue with my obsession for spots, look at these beauties.

Now for a quick catch up with some of the Civil War blocks from the staff.

Here are some of Janet's latest.

Some from Marj.

 

Some of mine.

See you when I get back.

Melinda