New Project

I'm starting a new project. It's a variation of  Wild Goose Chase from Hearth and Home and Ruby Short McKim's 101 Patchwork Patterns, 1931 and Tangled Cobwebs from Home Art in 1933. My version is a bit different from each and adds some extra stars in the sashing. I'm going to call it Hazel Ridge Path because it's a trade with Nick the Illustrator who lives on Hazel Ridge Farm. He used some of my quilts in his book F is for Friendship a Quilters Alphabet and even painted me for the book. He gave me the painting of me at my grandmother's treadle and I promised him a quilt.

This is the start of Hazel Ridge Path quilt. The block in the lower right was my first attempt,
but I thought the triangle units were too small compared to the triangle units in the sashing.
It took me a few tries, but I finally got the math right. The blocks should start going much faster now.

This is the painting I'm trading for the quilt.

Till next time......Happy Quilting

Bed Turning in Birmingham, Michigan - Update

Yesterday was the Quilter's Tea at the Birmingham Museum. WOW, what a day! The tea was fabulous, complete with crust-less egg salad and cucumber sandwiches, fresh fruit, brie, crackers and yummy, yummy scones and sweets. I did "The Briefest History of the American Quilt" and then out came the quilts. We saw quilts from the Museum's collection and show and tell from the participants. I bet we saw over 30 quilts including a pristine 1850s Quaker album quilt from the Washington DC area; a fabulous 1840s framed medallion broderie perse baby quilt top; an 1890s silk hexagon with petal border, where each pedal was individually bound in a coordinating fabric; and much, much more. I was too busy to take photos, but I'm happy to say Tim Latimer from Tim Latimer-Quilts, etc. blog took lots. Check out his blog here: http://timquilts.wordpress.com/2012/01/22/museum-quilts/ . I've been following Tim's blog for a few months now. He buys quilt bits and tops on eBay and finished them with fabulous hand quilting, appropriate to the piece. I also got to me Lisa at Stray Threads blog http://quilltr.blogspot.com/2012/01/winners.html.

Thank yous are in order:
Leslie Pielack, Executive Director of the Birmingham Historical Museum who pulled this fabulous day together
The volunteers at the museum for helping make it happen and for the door prize, a reproduction quilt!
Everyone who came to support the museum and the quilts
And to Tim for documenting the day.

And now for a quilt.....

I brought this Civil War era Nine Patch to the Birmingham
Historical Museum for show and tell.

Till next time.....Happy Quilting

Grand Hotel Retreat

Time to start making plans for 2012 quilting events. If you've never been to a quilt retreat, this could be your year. My recommendation is the Needlework Seminar on Mackinac Island, Michigan.

My quilting friend Jackie Compton is the host and she's arranged a really great chance to stay in the Grand Hotel for a great price. The dates for the retreat, Friday, May 4 - Wednesday, May 9, are before the season gets busy, so the hotel is giving the quilters a great deal.

For those unfamiliar with Mackinac Island it's an island in Lake Huron that doesn't allow cars. All transportation is by horse, carriage and bicycle. But don't worry, you will be greeted at the ferry dock by the staff of the Grand Hotel who will gladly transport you and all your quilting gear to the hotel (no tipping allowed). The Grand Hotel's claim to fame is the world's longest porch and it was the location where the Jane Seymour-Christopher Reeves movie, Somewhere in Time was filmed. The movie even has its own official website, here.  To see more about the Grand Hotel, click here.

Classes will be offered by David Taylor, Sue Spargo and Kim Diehl. Price includes breakfast, lunch and dinner, receptions and trunk shows, too. Click here for the registration brochure with full details.

Tell Jackie I sent you......

Till next time.......Happy Quilting

Bed Turning in Birmingham, Michigan

On Sunday, January 22 there is going to be a Bed Turning at the Birmingham Historical Museum in Birmingham, Michigan. It's not often that museums bring their quilts out, so it's always good to take advantage of the opportunity when it's offered. This is a fund raiser for the museum's quilt collection. The price is $50. There will be tea and treats and everyone who attends will be in the raffle for a reproduction quilt. The quilt will be raffled off only to people who attend the tea, so the odds for winning are huge. I'll be there to talk and turn the quilts. If you come, please bring an antique quilt (or two) for show and tell. There are still a few seats left, so please join us to view the quilts. In these trying economic times it's really important to support those who are looking after our quilting heritage.Call 248-530-1928 for tickets or go to their website at: http://www.ci.birmingham.mi.us/index.aspx?page=1015