Sweet Old Things

22 Friday Jul 2016

Posted by mcinnesjanette in Feed Sack, hand quilting, Mending, old fabrics, old quilt tops, Quilt Collections, Quilt Restoration, quilting projects, Repairing old quilts, Scrap quilts, stitching, Uncategorized, vintage quilts

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1930s quilts, Fabric Study, feed sacks, hand quilting, handquilting, old quilt tops, old quilts, quilt collections

I have recently acquired a couple of very sweet old unfinished projects.The first of these is a house block quilt top. It is predominately made from feed sacks and contains plains, florals, plaids and one polka dot.

Florals and plains

House block

A deliberate mistake perhaps!

The quilt was not particularly well made and is slightly wonky. Despite this it has a certain charm and as I love feed sack fabrics and house quilts I couldn’t pass it by.

I am stabilising the edges by stitching narrow ribbon to the outside edges and easing the blocks onto the ribbon to bring them back to size.

Ribbon stitched to outside edge of each block

I am hopeful that I will achieve a flatter, straight quilt that I can then quilt and finish.

The second project that I am working on is a collection of signature blocks.

Album Blocks

The fabrics used to piece the blocks are typical of the 20s or 30s.Some of the blocks are complete with an embroidered name while others have been signed but not embroidered. The piecework ranges from basic stitching to an expert level. The blocks were not all exactly the same size. With a little trimming I have a working measurement of 12 3/4 inches. I am setting them together with lattice and setting squares cut from feed sack fabric and adding these to each block. When joined this will create a nice scrappy design.

Lattice and setting squares

On the design wall.

The blocks are very charming and include interesting fabrics. These friends made use of fabrics they had on hand and the cream backgrounds include calicos, taffeta and a heavy linen.

Nellie ran short of fabric!

While peacefully stitching these two projects I am reflecting on the lives of the ladies who made the original pieces. It is lovely to finish a quilt started many years ago. While contemplating the lives of these quilters I am also giving some thought to another little set of blocks.

More Feed sacks in these gorgeous blocks

I am waiting for inspiration of how to set these adorable blocks together into a quilt.

I will keep you posted. Peaceful Stitching from Janette, The Plain Needlewoman.

A Trip Around the World or Two

22 Thursday Jan 2015

Posted by mcinnesjanette in hand quilting, old quilt tops, stitching, Trip Around the World, vintage quilts

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1930s quilts, Antique Quilts, Fabric Study, feed sacks, handquilting, old quilt tops, old quilts, Postage Stamp quilts, Trip Around the World

Trip Around the World – setting one

Trip Around the World – setting Two

If You wish to take a trip around the world today, you only have to book a ticket with an airline and off you go. Paris, London, New York, Rome or Melbourne can be your destination.

To quilt makers of the grand quilt making epoch of the Thirties and Forties, a trip around the world would have been an incredible dream.

However, during this era ‘A Trip Around the World’ was made not by boat or plane but by cutting numerous tiny squares of fabrics and stitching these squares together to create quilts of great style and design. These quilts also demonstrate a sophisticated use of colour and pattern.

Wonderful use of colour

Tiny Squares – these measure 3/4 of an inch finished.

In Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns these two Trip Around the World designs are to be found.

This design is identified as Trip Around the World – – Aunt Martha and Home Art

The second design is accredited to Holstein and also called Trip Around the World.

My quilts represent examples of both these designs. In the book ‘The World of Amish Quilts’ by Rachael and Kenneth Pellman. The Pellmans state that this arrangement of squares was a favoured design predominantly made in Lancaster County, PA. from where it spread to other Amish settlements. The Amish call this design Sunshine and Shadows. These quilts were made in solid colours and nearly always featured at least one large border. It is also stated that ‘the squares are arranged by colour to form a series of brightly coloured expanding diamonds. Sometimes the squares are tipped on point to form a pattern of squares. The Pellmans also state the ‘the Sunshine and Shadow arrangement of squares worked in printed fabrics rather than plain, may be called Trip Around the World and is often made by non-Amish women’.

I purchased the Trip Around the World quilt from the collection of The Donnellys. They bought this quilt in Groton, Massachusetts in 1995 at The Quilt Loft from Dianne Reece. It is hand pieced and quilted. The squares measure 1 inch finished and the quilter has used a great variety of fabrics, including dimity, feedsacks, shirtings and early dress fabrics. The inclusion of the solid red and black in this quilt shows the quilt maker’s great flair for colour and design. The quilt contains 3,125 squares. The backing is a plain white homespun which displays the lovely hand quilting to great effect. The binding on this quilt is noteworthy as it is stitched around the edges of the tiny squares, creating a dainty scallop finish.

Binding detail

The second Trip Around the World Quilt in my collection was bought as a top from the quilt collector Jan Baker. I have basted this quilt and hope to start quilting it this year. The squares in this top are even smaller, three quarters of an inch finished. This Trip Around the World is an example of the quilt maker tipping it on point. The edges finish square so there is no fiddly binding to be done. This quilter came up with a nice border design for her quilt.

section of border

The fabrics in this quilt appear to be very well co-ordinated. The pretty, little floral patterns match up with a complimentary solid colour. On studying this quilt, I wonder if it is an early example of a kit quilt, which were available at this time. Well, I will have lots of time to examine the fabrics and think about the original quilt maker when I undertake the task of hand quilting it.

I consider myself extremely privileged to have two Trip Around the World Quilts in my collection. I hope you might be inspired to create your own, as one of my friends already has. Good Luck, Sally and Happy Stiching to you all. Janette, The Plain Needlewoman

With my quilt

Sailboats and Sunbonnets

07 Wednesday Jan 2015

Posted by mcinnesjanette in Uncategorized

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A Piece Of Cloth, applique, Fabric Study, feed sacks, hand quilting, old quilt tops, quilt collections, reproduction fabrics, vintage fabrics

Vintage Toy Sailboats

Beautiful old French monogrammed bonnet

Here in Melbourne, where I live Summer is well underway. January arrived in a blaze of heat. Hot, dry and windy conditions prevailed and we are once again faced with the prospects of bush fires. With temperatures in the high thirties, dare I say it is almost too hot for hand quilting. As I always have a few projects on the go, I turn to my hand piecing when the temperature soars.

My ‘Sail into Dreamtime’ quilt brings to mind a Summer’s day spent out sailing on our bay with cool breezes blowing off the water. The pretty fabrics in this quilt which are either reproduction thirties or vintage fabrics from this era, transform me to another place and time.

Sail Into Dreamtime – a quilt for Summer

I was inspired to make this quilt after being shown some old quilt blocks from 1939, that were signed and dated. I drafted my pattern from the original blocks and made 36 sailboat blocks using fabrics from my collection. The quilt is machine pieced and hand quilted.

Detail of fabrics used.

Sailboat block

Sunbonnet Sue quilts were very popular in times past. This quaint design evokes little girls in pretty dresses and bonnets playing happily in shady gardens. Studying these quilts transports me back to another time, when girls wore floral dresses, bonnets and cute little boots. It must certainly have been Summer.

Sunbonnet Sue quilt

This quilt is once again inspired by the wonderful quilts made during the Great Depression. This little girl is my own design and it is hand appliquéd, embroidered and hand quilted. Choosing the dress fabrics and co-ordinating them with just the right shades of solid pastels for the bonnets and boots was a wonderful opportunity to look over lots of pretty fabrics.

Another little Summery Sue.

Another gorgeous Sunbonnet Sue quilt

I purchased ten Vintage Sunbonnet Sue blocks from ‘A Piece of Cloth’ and made one more from the original design to construct this quilt. By setting it in a zig-zag setting I was able to create a good size quilt and preserve the beautiful work started by another quilter many years ago. These girls are appliquéd and finished with a black running stitch around the appliqué pieces. The reproduction and vintage fabrics worked well together. It is amazing how similar the reproduction fabrics are to the original.

Vintage Sunbonnet Girl

the eleventh block reproduced from the originals

I hope these quilts have carried you to another place and time. Either to escape the heat of Summer or to send you Sailing Into Dreamtime, perhaps looking forward to warmer days to arrive.

Happy Quilting, Janette, The Plain Needlewoman

Spiders and their Webs

01 Thursday Jan 2015

Posted by mcinnesjanette in old fabrics, old quilt tops, Spider Webs, vintage quilts

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Antique Quilts, Fabric Study, handquilting, old quilt tops, quilt collections, vintage quilts

Turkey Red and White Star Quilt

This quilt is another Variable Star pattern. It was probably made late 1890s or early at the turn of the 20th Century. I purchased the top from the quilt collector Jan Baker in 2009. This quilt is basted and is next in line for hand quilting. I am quilting my Seven Sisters quilt at the moment and have a long way to go on this quilting project just yet.

I was taking this photo of the quilt to post on a Facebook page and as I took the photo a spider crawled out from the folded quilt. Can you see it in the photo? As I am not afraid of spiders and never kill them (it is bad luck) I caught it and placed it outside in the garden. As I was folding the quilt to put it away, I remembered I had marked this quilt ready for quilting with the spider web pattern. The spider may have thought this was it’s home. As I mark my designs very lightly with a HB lead pencil it may not be visible in the photo. The Spiders web quilting design is a favourite of mine and quilts up beautifully. Can’t wait to get started on the quilting. As for the spider I shall look on this as a good omen for 2015.

Wishing you all a very peaceful, kind and wonderful year of quilting and happy days!
Best Wishes from Janette – The Plain Needlewoman

Fabrics and Styles in Double Wedding Ring Quilts.

31 Wednesday Dec 2014

Posted by mcinnesjanette in hand quilting, old fabrics, old quilt tops, old sewing books, stitching, vintage quilts

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1930s quilts, Antique Quilts, Fabric Study, feed sacks, handquilting, old quilt tops, quilt collections

The Double Wedding Ring pattern was one of the most popular patterns made during the Great Depression Era. Although a difficult pattern to piece it was made many times over. Double Wedding Ring quilts still remain a favourite with today’s quilters.

Vintage Double Wedding Ring Quilt

Detail of quilt

Backing in that green!

Laser cut templates, paper piecing and books devoted entirely to constructing the Double Wedding Ring pattern are readily available. However, the older quilts show some variation of the numbers of pieces of fabric in the arcs. Perhaps patterns were used from the syndicated newspaper columns popular in the 30s or patterns were adapted to make use of what was in the quilter’s scrap basket.

The yellow and green in this quilt clearly identify it as a 1930’s to 40’s quilt. This quilt was probably made from the scrap basket as it also contains shirtings, dimities, plains and a liberal use of a gorgeous red polka dot. The red polka dot fabric reminds me of confetti. This quilt is beautifully stitched, with six fabric pieces in each arc set against two pinks and a green. The background is yellow and the backing is Thirties Green. The hand quilting is neat and even. This quilt was purchased by The Donnellys in October 1997 at Buckhannon, West Virginia.

1930s Wedding ring quilt top

Detail of quilt top

Another quilt from the thirties contains a fabulous array of dainty florals and prints. This quilter chose to use 12 fabrics in her arcs, enabling her to use many designs throughout the quilt. The background is a fine weave cotton and the arcs are set with green and yellow. A wonderful collection of prints, plaids, florals, checks, stripes and geometrics were used in this top.

A treasured fragment

Another example of a 1930s Wedding Ring can be seen in this quilt fragment. A notable feature of this quilt is the use of Prairie Points to finish off the curved edges. The arcs consist of seven pieces and are set with pink and green patterned fabrics. The quilting was done in the Hanging Diamond pattern. I love this little fragment and can only wonder at what an exquisite quilt it must have been.

My Double Wedding Ring quilt

I completed my Double Wedding Ring quilt in 1996. There are six pieces in the arcs and they are set with a red and tan solid. I was inspired to make this quilt from a photo of an antique quilt in a Hallmark Calendar. I used primarily checks, plaids,stripes and geometrics. There are very few florals used in my quilt. I machine pieced this quilt and it is hand quilted. I carried the check and plaid theme through to the backing, using up all the remaining fabrics.

Pieced backing

I hope you enjoy studying the Double Wedding Ring quilts. Thank you for stopping by, Janette, A Plain Needlewoman

The Stars Are Shining Bright

13 Saturday Dec 2014

Posted by mcinnesjanette in hand quilting, old fabrics, old quilt tops, old sewing books, vintage quilts

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hand quilting, old quilt tops, quilt collections, reproduction fabrics, vintage quilts

The Variable Star Quilt Top

Star Designs are one of the most numerous and splendid of all quilt patterns. If you only made quilts featuring Stars you would have many beautiful quilts.

The Variable Star quilt top is a recent purchase from my friends and quilt collectors The Donnellys. Eileen and Bernie identify this quilt as a ‘Time Span’ quilt. The Donnelly’s date this top as being stitched from Circa 1880 to 1930. A Time Span quilt is a quilt which has been made over a period of time, and in this case it is over quite a long period. The fabrics appear to be dress cottons including some fabulous shirtings, turkey reds, double pinks, a 30’s dark maroon and some pretty florals, stripes and gingham.

Dark Maroon and floral print circa 1930s

Shirtings circa 1880s

Another from the 30s.

I love the way the maker of this Variable Star quilt placed similar colours together making for a very strong focal point. This practice seems to be common in older quilts, whereas today we would place them apart.

Reds side by side

In studying and documenting this quilt Eileen has noted ‘The patchworker has essentially used the same pattern when assembling the blocks but occasionally she seems to have reversed the pieces, and also altered the centre of some blocks. She has therefore created the impression of different block patterns forming the quilt. Perhaps, as it took so long to make she made some blocks without looking at the ones already constructed and just forgot which pattern she was following.’ Many of us can relate to this.

Variation in design

Also noteworthy is the pink setting squares and bright blue sashes and borders. The Donnellys purchased this top from James Carrol through the Quilt Loft at Groton, Massachusetts, USA in 1996.

When I first saw the Variable Star top I loved it immediately. I thought it was the same block that I had used in a quilt I had recently completed. However, on returning home and placing the two together, I realised that my design is another variable.

Constellation Star

I had long admired this quilt from the book ‘In The Beginning’ published by That Patchwork Place in the Quilt Shop Series and written by Sharon Evans Yenter. Sharon calls this quilt Constellation Star and I think it is also known as Annie’s Choice. Which ever name you prefer it is a lovely design. I drafted the pattern for rotary cutting and machine piecing. I made it a fraction smaller to make use of my collection of reproduction fat 16ths. The lattice and borders are vintage fabric that proved difficult to hand quilt, but the colour is just perfect. As my block is smaller than Yenter’s I made 36 blocks, which is the same number as in the Variable Star quilt top.

In The Beginning

Inspiration from the book

The Constellation Star Quilt is dated Circa 1910. Perhaps there are similar fabrics as in the Variable Star.

I think my Constellation Star Quilt could be described as a ‘Time Span’ Quilt as well. It contains some vintage fabrics, including shirtings. It has been inspired by an old quilt from a book that was first published in 1992. I pieced and quilted the Constellation Star during 2013 and 2014.

Finished quilt showing reproduction backing fabric

Constellation Star prior to binding

May all your Stars shine brightly,
Janette – The Plain Needlewoman

	mcinnesjanette on My Wagga Quilt
	Sherry on My Wagga Quilt
	mcinnesjanette on Sailboats and Sunbonnets
	mcinnesjanette on Sailboats and Sunbonnets
	Lynda Morris on Sailboats and Sunbonnets

The Plain Needlewoman

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

Tag Archives: old quilt tops

Sweet Old Things

A Trip Around the World or Two

Sailboats and Sunbonnets

Spiders and their Webs

Fabrics and Styles in Double Wedding Ring Quilts.

The Stars Are Shining Bright