Taking a blog break...........

Taking a break from quilting and blogging to recover from knee replacement surgery.  Ouch.  Had no idea it was going to be so painful.  O my, am I learning a lot.  Looking forward to feeling better and getting my quilting urge back.  Until then, it will only be quilt blog surfing for a while when the mood strikes.  Also hoping time starts flying...................:-).

My tiny flying geese

My friend, Jo, from the last post had given me a small piece of the cheddar she had left over
from her large flying geese quilt.  A few months ago, she also gifted me with the mini Quilt In
A Day fg rulers.  So my mind starting obsessing over a new little project using both treasures
she gave me.  One try at the tiny geese and off I went cutting different indigos and stitching
up my little doll quilt.  She's wobbly and wonky and I am hoping once I wash her  in some
warm water, she will krinkle up and be even more wobbly and wonky to look like a well used
doll quilt.

See that quarter in the bottom left side?  Those little flying geese finish 3/4" by 1.5".  Sweet!
And then I wacked off some of the bottom ones.  Isn't that what they used to do way back
then?  Glad I like things a little primitive.

It's tiny and it was fun.  And I can't resist a little indigo and chedda'!!!!

Borrowed Flying Geese

My quilting buddy Joan recently finished this queen sized flying geese quilt.  She used the
Quilt in a Day flying geese ruler and her geese are perfect.  Scrappy geese paired with a
great cheddar stripe from Judie Rothermel make her quilt look like an antique.  I asked
Joan if I could post a photo and she said yes.  I needed to share a picture this post because
I have finished the Lemoyne star potholders for the September exchange and finished
my blue willow.  The finishes don't show any differently than previously posted photos so what
better reason to show a friend's project.  Jo's quilt is massive and I could not get it all in one
picture. She said maybe it would inspire someone else to make a strippy flying geese.  A good
"next project" if you need one!

Rapid fire lemoyne star tool and pot holder quilt exchange

A few months ago on one of my trips to Good Wives quilt shop, the shop girls were making some lemoyne star blocks.  There was a goofy tool they used to make the blocks and it didn't make any sense
to me because I am not a big ruler fan.  But those star blocks looked so nice in the center.....
It bugged me for a couple weeks because I liked those star blocks and it was "needling" me
how well they turned out.

You might have guessed on my next trip over, I bought the ruler.  Other projects were calling me and
the new tool sat around waiting for me to open it.  So this new book comes on the scene and many of

you have seen it on blogs or have your own copy.  It features the history of potholder quilts and how
they were made for civil war soldiers. (It is a great quilt history book, by the way.) Our applique group decided to make a little group pot holder quilt and in September, eight of us will exchange completed six inch finished squares to make a small potholder runner.

What a fine time for me to try out the Rapid Fire star tool for my block choice since you can make Lemoyne star blocks from 3" up to 12" with one ruler.  I must say my first run thru reading the directions had me scratching my head and even my first block took some time following along, but once made.........I was hooked.

I made my eight blocks and a couple more for good measure.  It was fun and they met in the middle quite well.  I think with more practice, I could even do better and that will be for another time.  If you are interested, you can look this ruler up online and follow a youtube demo to see if you would like
to invest in one.  I give it a thumbs up!

Here is the start of my small potholder exchange.  I am doing simple machine quilting on my blocks.
It will be fun to see which blocks the ladies make for this.  We aren't keeping any secrets and can
follow each others progress every meeting.  It will be fun come September to trade our blocks.
I'm excited!

Another small civil war quilt done

This is my third small quilt from The Civil War Sewing Circle book by Kathleen Tracy.  It is my
version of the pink patches doll quilt on page 52.  This is made in faded browns and blues.  It looks
antique-y and actually reminds me of an old wallpaper you might find in the dining room of an old, old house.  Such a fun and quick project once again.  It's a good book and I know a lot of bloggers own
this one as I have seen various finished quilts in blogland.  Now to decide which one to make next

when I need a break from larger projects.

Surprised with a gift

A couple weeks ago the mailman brought me a little bundle.  It was from one of my sisters.  What could it be?  It was a little mug rug that she had made me.  I was totally surprised.  This sister is a rather newbie to quilting and when I saw her lovely work, I was doubly surprised.  Her skills from this project propell her out of the "newbie" category.  She chose great colors and even used the salvage edge.  It arrived at a good time for me as I needed a gift for a fellow quilter and this was a perfect gift
project. 
My sister shared the link with me where she found the pattern/directions and I will do the same for
anyone needing a little quilt to gift a friend.  The website should appear here.  You can make this
in color choices to fit your friend's taste.
I am not a coffee drinker so I told my sister that I would be using mine as a candle mat.  How cute!

I copied the Primitive Gatherings fabrics she used in this and started making a few.   Whether you use yours as a mug rug or a candle mat; make as a gift or keep it for yourself, this was a quick, easy and fun little project.

I remember Joan Vibert's great primitives.........

When I took my first quilting lessons in 1985, I chose blues and browns for my beginning sampler blocks colors and I tended to stay with the dark colors.  I enjoyed learning the new world of traditional
quilt blocks and traditional is still a favorite.  My quilting tendencies stayed on the dark side and soon
muslin wasn't getting it for me..........there needed to be a bit darker muslin for my tastes and that is
when I stumble upon the designs of a lady named Joan Vibert.  Her work opened up the world of

primitive dolls and quilting to me with this book. And she tea dyed muslin for ageing!  Notice that familiar co/author's name, Linda Brannock.


I made tons of primitive dolls from this book with some still surviving.  And being like a
stitcher on the prairie, I mostly stitched these by hand, including the bodies!

See that itty bitty next to the thimble?  I would not make that one again ever!

From then on I collected almost every book Joan Vibert had her name on and I still have them.
She had a little prairie girl character named Sarah Jane and I followed her faithfully.

There used to be a great quilting magazine published back then called Lady's Circle Patchwork Quilts.
I didn't dare throw away my copy that featured Joan's work and the work of her like minded primitive designers.  I made a prim flag doll quilt like she did, of course tea dyeing those wickedly white muslins
to get the old and worn look I loved of hers.

In those pre-internet days, I had always wondered why she stopped publishing her books and designs and never did know. Who knew how to find out?  But when her works stopped there seemed to be a couple names that continued the primitives I loved and
they are still designing today.  It wasn't long back then when a great book by these ladies was published, Snowbound, and even a first primitive fabric line only to be followed by many, many more lines.  Can you say Linda Brannock and Jan Patek?  How wonderful!

But when I look at my old prim books, it was Joan Vibert who first opened my eyes to crinkly, wrinkled, tea dyed fabrics and knot haired dolls of all sizes.  I don't know if she was the first or the first of many to begin the primitive era, but it doesn't matter.  I'm glad she/they did.  Thanks, Joan Vibert.........for me, it all started with you!