Quilts of the 1930's

Not to brag, but we enjoyed a perfect NYC day today. After, frankly, a crappy Saturday of rain and high winds, today was a sunny and gorgeous 60 degree day. We ate eggs benedict and crepes at Maison and visited the American Folk Art Museum for the first time. There was a spectacular Lancaster County Amish quilt on display that I examined for 10 minutes. Then, we walked through Central Park (hence the picture of the only two trees we saw with pretty foliage) and visited the Lincoln Square branch of the museum for the special exhibit of RECYCLING & RESOURCEFULNESS: QUILTS OF THE 1930's. This is a wonderful FREE exhibit of about 20 quilts, showcasing recycled cloth and 1930's quilt design. I highly recommend it if you will be in the NYC area before March 15, 2009. If not, check out the pictures on their website - my favorite was the purple-sashed Chinese Fan Quilt and the Sampler Quilt. We topped it off by splitting a delicious Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip cookie at Levain (we'd seen this bakery on the Food Network, and it was surely worth a few blocks out of our way!)

I can't ask or hope for better days than this.

Visiting Jane Stickle's quilt

Wow! I didn't think I could be further impressed by Jane's quilt, but seeing it in person gives me even more appreciation for her handiwork. The intracacies of each block are stunning, and at 145 years old many of the fabrics are still bright and vivid.




It's apparent to me now that Jane must have had a working plan for the quilt. Maybe she started with the center block and worked outwards? Given that many of us who make Baby Janes today use computers, modern techniques and machines to plan and make each block, to have made hers entirely by hand is simply impressive. And how in the world did she get her hands on so many different fabric pieces during the Civil War?

The Bennington Museum displays the quilt around mid-September for one month and this was the last weekend for the 2008 display. The museum has several exhibits including other 19th century quilts, an old Vermont-made automobile, historic local pottery, and a wonderful collection of Grandma Moses paintings (she lived nearby across the New York border).

If you get a chance to go, I recommend visiting Bennington as a gateway into touring Southern and Central Vermont in the fall. In town the foliage wasn't quite peak, but at Woodford State Park where we camped just 10 min up into the Green Mountains, the foliage was a little past peak. Camping was fun, but we nearly froze at night despite the 70 degree daytime highs, prompting us to call it quits one night short and headed home a little early.

Fall photos

I spruced up my blog header to celebrate fall, and along the way I finally tried Picasa's free photo editing software. It is so much faster than my old basic software. I may be the last amateur photographer to take it for a spin, but in case you're interested, watch this introductory video on Picasa's benefits.

Baby Jane update - August

Nothing to report for August. The group took a two week break in the beginning of the month, and at the end of the month I fell 4 blocks behind since I was finishing Maggie's Quilt and a few other projects. I have resuscitated my sewing room to its life as a guest room for visiting friends. In a week or two, I'll be back at work playing catch up with the group.

I do have exciting Dear Jane news, at least for me. We have made plans to go see Jane Stickles' quilt at the Bennington Museum in October. The museum displays the quilt for a month each year, and they are even hosting classes with Brenda Papadakis, although I won't be able to attend that weekend. We're going to camp at a nearby state park. Hmmm....October in Vermont....I think we'll need two dogs and quilt just to stay warm.

From our first trip to Vermont, Halloween weekend, 2004

In the meantime...

Maggie's quilt is in the mail, and her mama wants a surprise...so, Part II is delayed a short while.













In the meantime, I made this doorstop via the excellent instructions from Oh, Franson!...




Because our old arrangement could not work any longer!

The dogs don't seem to notice it's filled with beans, so I won't revert to my alternate plan to use aquarium rocks.

Oops, I didn't read the directions to use a 1/2 inch seam on the nine patch square. That's a quilter's brain for you. I like how it turned out anyway.




I love patchwork binding, although I have yet to use it on a quilt. So, I took i heart linen's advice and made a roll up for some future use.



And finally, this is the breathtaking sunset I saw today. What can I say? I'm a lucky girl.

My Sewing Machine

My friend and I were talking about our sewing machines yesterday, so I want to share a photograph and story of mine. My grandmother taught me how to sew when I was a teenager. Her Singer 306K was purchased in 1961, because her doctor thought the treadle machine was too much physical stress for a third pregnancy at the age of 35. We giggle a bit at that now, and my mom wishes she still had that treadle machine. But I'm glad to have the one thing I really wanted when my grandmother passed 10 years ago...her Singer. The one on which she sewed me a frilly dress or two, and the one she patiently taught me to sew on.

Although it is not fancy, it does have 6 stitches and is encased in a sewing cabinet that gives me a little work space. Since I've been putting it to the test lately, I've really learned how to fine tune and make it work sufficiently for my needs. I'll have a new machine of my own someday, but life in an apartment means I don't have room to keep both. And this one is sticking around for a long, long time.