Spring at MSU

It has been an absolutely gorgeous spring. I took a walk on my lunch hour a few days ago and snapped these pictures of the MSU Campus where I work. So before this beautiful April comes to a close I'll share.

Till next time.... Happy Quilting!

Block Exchange, catch up

Fans, ~40" x 40"

For the past 3 months I was busy working on a Power Point presentation on the Detroit News Quilt Club Corner Column of the 1930s to present at Macomb Community College. I had a great time. We had a big crowd, complete with a super show and tell. A lady in the audience (I'm embarrassed that I didn't get her name) offered this fan quilt top to me. She found it while cleaning out an estate and didn't want it. I jumped at it and am taking this opportunity to thank her again for this wonderful piece.

Now that the lecture is over, I've been able to spend time catching up on my block exchange blocks. So here's a little show and tell....

Dorothy's Rose

Daisy's Squares

Cindy's House

The last block is for Debra. I took two birds that were published in the summer of 1935 in the Detroit News Quilt Club Column Corner's Laurel Wreath quilt. The Detroit News probably purchased this from Florence LaGanke Harris who published it in her Nancy Page Club column in 1934. Since The Detroit Free Press carried the Nancy Page Club, but the Laurel Wreath was being published in the News, the pattern from the News does not carry the Nancy Page byline or include the Florence LaGanke credit.

Cedar Waxwing and Hermit Thrush, 9" x 12".

I've added a free pattern for my version of Cedar Waxwing and Hermit Thrush.


Till next time........happy quilting.

Rags and Tatters free quilt pattern

The Lorenzo Cultural Center at Macomb Community College is displaying 15 quilts from the Michigan State University Museum's Clarke Family Collection. I gave a lecture on the collection on Sunday afternoon. I want to thank everyone who gave me such a warm welcome and to those who brought such great quilts for show and tell. I've made a pattern for one of the quilts in the collection, Rags and Tatters.

In the 1930s, the Detroit News, the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit Times, all offered quilt patterns to their readers. Rags and Tatters was in the Detroit News in 1933.




The top quilt was made by Detroiter Bozena Clarke from 1941-44. Click on the image to find the complete record in the Quilt Index.

The quilt below is an EQ5 version that I made to write the pattern.


The Clarke family made over 40 quilts covering all the classic 30s patterns. If you're in the Detroit area before May 8, make sure and see these quilts, they're worth the trip!

Till next time....Happy Quilting!

Sunbonnet Sue

This is an antique Sunbonnet Sue quilt from my collection. It is one of 10 that I'll bring to a lecture I'm giving for the exhibit,

And Still They Prospered: Living Through the Great Depression
February 27 - May 8, 2010

at the Lorenzo Cultural Center at Macomb Community College in Clinton Twp., MI. The title of my lecture is:

Quilting in Detroit in the 1930s
Sunday, April 11 - 2 p.m.

I'd like to invite everyone to attend. The power point will have lots of great stuff from the Clarke Family collection at the MSU Museum. In fact 15 quilts from the Clarke Family are on loan for this exhibit.
For more information, directions, etc. go to:
http://www.lorenzoculturalcenter.com/schedule/index.asp

And if you come, please bring a depression era quilt for show-n-tell after the lecture!

Final Four Baby!

My MSU Quilt in honor of our Final Four Spartans!

Till next time.....Happy Quilting!

Cool pillow case video

The first half of this video is half square triangles, nothing new. But the second half is a demo of a nifty pillowcase.

Until next time.....Happy Quilting.

Center Diamond Quilt

I made the top for this Center Diamond quilt last year for my boss, Lynne. She brought it to Kari Ruedisale who did an exquisite job on the quilting. Lynne chose the colors and most of the fabric (I filled in with stuff from my stash). She wanted to use fabric from her son's nursery. She likes the Center Diamond pattern and her favorite pattern is Flying Geese, so I combined them both.

This quilt is 96" x 96".

Till next time.....Happy Quilting.

Quilting Video

How much fun is this? My favorite quilt book author has videos on YouTube. Check it out!



Till next time.... Happy Quilting

Lattice Quilt, Part Deaux

I got an email from astute blog reader Sandy R. She gave me another source for the Lattice quilt pattern. It can be found in Treasures From Yesteryear: Book Two, Replicating Antique Quilts by Sharon Newman (That Patchwork Place, 1995). Since I had this book (who knew it had the pattern in it!). I looked it up and indeed, it is the Basket Lattice/Reflection of the Past quilt, on page 59. Sharon shows pictures of two quilts, one made in the 1930s with lots of navy and her own reproduction of it. She put the quilt together using partial seams. She also figured out a way to make it in units, so some chain piecing can be done and she has many more diagrams (four pages of instructions to my one). The biggest difference is the size of the units. She cut her's 2"x5" (based on the size of the original quilt) and I cut mine 3"x8". The 3"x8" size will be easier to work with. When you do partial seams, it helps to have room to maneuver. Sharon's quilts also have an interesting diagonal movement of color across the top. I googled the book's title and found many on line for as little as $2.50 (used) or as much as $44 (new).

So there you have it....Two sources for the Lattice Quilt.
Till next time....Happy Quilting.

Lattice Quilt

Donna, a blog reader from Connecticut, sent me a link to a quilt called Scrap Lattice: http://gingerquilts.wordpress.com/2008/06/17/scrap-basket-lattice/ and wanted advice on how to make it. Well I took a look at it and couldn't figure it out, but never one to back down on a drafting challenge, I gave it a shot. I played around on EQ5 and started cutting and piecing. To get the fabrics to weave in and out requires partial piecing of the seams. I wrote it up as a large crib size quilt. Click here for the pattern for the Lattice Quilt.


The quilt I started here to test the pattern will probably be a baby quilt for my next door neighbors. They are having their first baby in June. Mom's a redhead, so I'm hoping for a redheaded baby!


Till next time.... Happy Quilting

A Great Guy

Check out George Trippon, he's a hoot!




Till next time....happy quilting!

Block Exchange

Last weekend I went on a sledding weekend and actually sledded! Wow, it was really fun and I didn't hurt anything!




















Here are my first two blocks for the block exchange.
The first one is for Bonnie, who wanted last year's block only lighter. Working on this reminded me of the avacado and turquoise color combination so popular in the 1960s.






















The second one is for Carol Sc. She wanted it really scrappy.





















Till next time..... Happy Quilting!