• About
  • Guest Speaking and Trunk Show Information

The Plain Needlewoman

~ Quilt Study, Sewing, Vintage Textiles, Collecting quilts and other old odds and ends.

The  Plain Needlewoman

Monthly Archives: September 2014

Simply Beautiful !

22 Monday Sep 2014

Posted by mcinnesjanette in Uncategorized

≈ 4 Comments

It is a beautiful day in Melbourne today, a perfect day for airing quilts and taking some photos in natural sunlight.

Mennonite Crib Quilt

Mennonite Crib Quilt

This little 9 patch quilt has come into my collection recently. It belonged to quilt collectors, Bernie and Eileen Donnelly. They originally purchased it in South Yarra, Victoria at an exhibition of old and rare North American and Canadian Quilts by John Leach.

It appears to be made in the 1920s and is in good condition, particularly for a crib quilt. The quilt originally came from Elora near Unionville in Ontario Province, Canada and was made by Old Order Mennonites.

The fabrics are florals and striped shirtings as is the backing. It is machine stitched, more than likely on a treadle machine. The binding is very neatly machined to the right side of the quilt. The quilting is exceptionally neat with tiny stitches measuring 16 stitches to the inch.

Another nine patch variation is the Snowball block.

Detail of Snowball quilt.

Detail of Snowball quilt.

Snowball Quilt

Snowball Quilt

I purchased this quilt as a top from Jen Hyland from A Piece Of Cloth. It contains a wonderful collection of fabrics.There are many feedback pieces, shirtings, plaids and some older pieces from a few decades earlier than the period this appears to have been stitched. It was probably made in the 30s or 40s.

I quilted it in my favourite quilting design which is freehand baptist fans. I backed and bound it with vintage fabrics from my collection.

My favourite block in this quilt.

My favourite block in this quilt.

Plain and simple designs and lots of fabrics, preferably from the scrap bag make the most wonderful quilts.
Happy Quilting, Janette

Sewing

03 Wednesday Sep 2014

Posted by mcinnesjanette in appliqué, old fabrics, old sewing books, vintage quilts

≈ Leave a comment

Beautiful Illustration

Beautiful Illustration

This beautiful illustration is from a book published in 1973 by Octopus Books called Sewing by Honor Gillot. Old sewing books are a great source of information. They also provide a nostalgic look back on the styles and techniques of the era they were published in.

The Big Book of Needlecraft

The Big Book of Needlecraft

This wonderful book which unfortunately doesn’t include the date it was published, but does state that it was printed in London. It contains a wealth of information including simple dressmaking, embroidery, rug making, weaving, quilting and appliqué. The chapter on darning and patching is extremely informative with simple illustrations. I will be trying out the recommended method of patching on an old quilt that I have in my collection that requires a little bit of TLC.

Pre-loved appliqué quilt

Pre-loved appliqué quilt

The workmanship on this quilt is exquisite and with a patch here and there and a new binding I think it will come up a treat. I will let you know of my progress. Happy Sewing, Janette

Recent Posts

  • (no title)
  • Cathedral Window Quilt circa 1930s
  • Marjie”s Star Quilt
  • Australian Crazy Quilt
  • Clarence Valley Coverlet No. 2

Recent Comments

mcinnesjanette on Marjie”s Star Quilt
Lowana Radel on Marjie”s Star Quilt
Jill on My Wagga Quilt
mcinnesjanette on My Wagga Quilt
Sherry on My Wagga Quilt

Archives

  • January 2021
  • February 2019
  • November 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • September 2017
  • June 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014

Categories

  • 19th century Madder Fabrics
  • antique fabric
  • antique quilts
  • appliqué
  • Australian Quilts
  • Cathedral Window Quilts
  • Christmas
  • Crazy Quilts
  • Cumbria
  • d'oyleys
  • Doll Quilts
  • Double Pinks
  • English Quilts
  • Feed Sack
  • hand piecing
  • hand quilting
  • handquilting
  • hexagons
  • Mary Brooks Picken
  • Mending
  • North Country quilts
  • old fabrics
  • old quilt tops
  • Old Quilts
  • old sewing books
  • Paper Piecing
  • Postage Stamp Quilts
  • Quilt Collections
  • Quilt Restoration
  • Quilt Stories
  • quilting projects
  • red and green quilts
  • Red and White quilts
  • Redwork
  • Repairing old quilts
  • Scrap quilts
  • Sewing machines
  • Signature Quilts
  • Singer Sewing Manuals
  • Spider Webs
  • stitching
  • Stripe Quilts
  • Strippy Quilts
  • Trip Around the World
  • Turkey Red
  • Uncategorized
  • vintage quilts
  • Waggas
  • Welsh quilts
  • Yo-Yo quilts

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com

Recent Posts

  • (no title)
  • Cathedral Window Quilt circa 1930s
  • Marjie”s Star Quilt
  • Australian Crazy Quilt
  • Clarence Valley Coverlet No. 2

Recent Comments

mcinnesjanette on Marjie”s Star Quilt
Lowana Radel on Marjie”s Star Quilt
Jill on My Wagga Quilt
mcinnesjanette on My Wagga Quilt
Sherry on My Wagga Quilt

Archives

  • January 2021
  • February 2019
  • November 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • September 2017
  • June 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014

Categories

  • 19th century Madder Fabrics
  • antique fabric
  • antique quilts
  • appliqué
  • Australian Quilts
  • Cathedral Window Quilts
  • Christmas
  • Crazy Quilts
  • Cumbria
  • d'oyleys
  • Doll Quilts
  • Double Pinks
  • English Quilts
  • Feed Sack
  • hand piecing
  • hand quilting
  • handquilting
  • hexagons
  • Mary Brooks Picken
  • Mending
  • North Country quilts
  • old fabrics
  • old quilt tops
  • Old Quilts
  • old sewing books
  • Paper Piecing
  • Postage Stamp Quilts
  • Quilt Collections
  • Quilt Restoration
  • Quilt Stories
  • quilting projects
  • red and green quilts
  • Red and White quilts
  • Redwork
  • Repairing old quilts
  • Scrap quilts
  • Sewing machines
  • Signature Quilts
  • Singer Sewing Manuals
  • Spider Webs
  • stitching
  • Stripe Quilts
  • Strippy Quilts
  • Trip Around the World
  • Turkey Red
  • Uncategorized
  • vintage quilts
  • Waggas
  • Welsh quilts
  • Yo-Yo quilts

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • The Plain Needlewoman
    • Join 302 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • The Plain Needlewoman
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...