The quilts in the shed
Rack after tack of interesting designs.
2006/06/01
A quilting surprise.
As we were visiting town yesterday, a small white poster on the door of the local café caught our eye….
Quilt Show, Free, in the town of Miltona.
Now how could a dedicated quilter ignore that?
So this morning, friends Joan and Lori and I took off for the town of Miltona, our expectations high.
We drove past green fields that supported the winding Long Prairie River… Past the red houses and barns of the Amish families who have moved to this area recently. The buggy tracks on the side of the road tell us that they have been out visiting already today.
Miltona is one of the small towns in this area supported by a large lake…. We spied the home made sign !!!! ‘Quilt Show’ and the car did a sharp turn…
As we drove up we noticed it was a regular house, but the garage was brimming with quilt racks and what seemed like dozens of folded quilts hanging there like sentinels, just waiting for someone to come and fondle and discuss them. Turns out this is the work of one woman…. A one woman wonder I think…. Dozens and dozens of quilts… not one alike, made with care a dedication and most of them were hand quilted….
She offered us coffee and cookies and we chatted for some time about her quilts…
Quilting to most of you who read this blog is a large part of your lives… for me it is my profession and passion. Here is a gal whose passion manifests itself in a huge number of quilts and every couple of years she chooses to share it with interested parties… how wonderful….
We moved on to the town of Alexandria to yet another quilt shop…. The common threads quilt shop. Set in a little cottage, with a white picket fence and flower boxes out the front… this shop just begs you to visit. I had to purchase some civil war fabrics for an urgent project… so this was just the right place to come.
It’s a lovely shop with a large stock of fabric… I noticed the vintage theme features quite strongly in this shop. The latest 40’s feedsack reproductions are just wonderful… I don’t see them in Australia… but maybe I need to introduce a ‘Vintage’ genre class.
We haunted the thrift shops and I purchased a super jacket with illustrations of New York all over it… it was ghastly as a jacket. However, it now has had a transformation …. As we sat around our little outdoor kettle fire last night… I cut it apart into sections to be made into a funky quilt.
Quilt Show, Free, in the town of Miltona.
Now how could a dedicated quilter ignore that?
So this morning, friends Joan and Lori and I took off for the town of Miltona, our expectations high.
We drove past green fields that supported the winding Long Prairie River… Past the red houses and barns of the Amish families who have moved to this area recently. The buggy tracks on the side of the road tell us that they have been out visiting already today.
Miltona is one of the small towns in this area supported by a large lake…. We spied the home made sign !!!! ‘Quilt Show’ and the car did a sharp turn…
As we drove up we noticed it was a regular house, but the garage was brimming with quilt racks and what seemed like dozens of folded quilts hanging there like sentinels, just waiting for someone to come and fondle and discuss them. Turns out this is the work of one woman…. A one woman wonder I think…. Dozens and dozens of quilts… not one alike, made with care a dedication and most of them were hand quilted….
She offered us coffee and cookies and we chatted for some time about her quilts…
Quilting to most of you who read this blog is a large part of your lives… for me it is my profession and passion. Here is a gal whose passion manifests itself in a huge number of quilts and every couple of years she chooses to share it with interested parties… how wonderful….
We moved on to the town of Alexandria to yet another quilt shop…. The common threads quilt shop. Set in a little cottage, with a white picket fence and flower boxes out the front… this shop just begs you to visit. I had to purchase some civil war fabrics for an urgent project… so this was just the right place to come.
It’s a lovely shop with a large stock of fabric… I noticed the vintage theme features quite strongly in this shop. The latest 40’s feedsack reproductions are just wonderful… I don’t see them in Australia… but maybe I need to introduce a ‘Vintage’ genre class.
We haunted the thrift shops and I purchased a super jacket with illustrations of New York all over it… it was ghastly as a jacket. However, it now has had a transformation …. As we sat around our little outdoor kettle fire last night… I cut it apart into sections to be made into a funky quilt.
Log Cabin Quilt
This is the quilt I purchsed the other day.It's has a considerable amount of wear, but is an interesting study.
I've been crawling around on the floor for the past few days trying
to understand the ideasof the maker.
I has been sewn to a thin cotton foundation piece.
I think the centre square which is made of worsted red wool was placed in the centre of the cotton piece and the rest of the logs placed randomly around it. Some of the centres are 1/2", some are almost an inch.
The fabrics used in thisQuilt are many and varied.
The blocks are hand quilted onto the foundation and due to the dense fabric, they have some loft.
The quilt has a quite a thick cotton batt and a cotton back which is in good condition.It is tied in the centre of the red centre square,
although not evident in this photo.
2006/05/31
A quiet time...
The past few days have been rather quiet and lacking in adventure…. The weather is wonderful and Long Prairie is in the bloom of summer. The lilacs in the gardens are sending out their heady perfume, the trees bright green and the undergrowth seems to grow an inch or two each day.
From the windows here, we have watched rabbits, raccoons and all manner of birds… woodpeckers, wild canaries and even a brilliant red jay…
I’m learning the intricacies of film editing, podcast broadcasting and designing a super new web page… I’m set up here in the Gazebo with two computers… two cameras and at times a cloud of confusion which is punctuated by a good movie and coffee…
I’ve had time to wade through some wonderful books. Anne Knudsen from Breckling Press my publisher gave me the latest book from Nancy Crow… and Joan and I have great delight in reading it… if you get the chance to purchase one, it is a wonderful insight into her creativity and personal journey through her art.
Well it’s 7.30 am and I answered all my letters, and now it’s time for Simply quilts…. What a way to begin a day…
From the windows here, we have watched rabbits, raccoons and all manner of birds… woodpeckers, wild canaries and even a brilliant red jay…
I’m learning the intricacies of film editing, podcast broadcasting and designing a super new web page… I’m set up here in the Gazebo with two computers… two cameras and at times a cloud of confusion which is punctuated by a good movie and coffee…
I’ve had time to wade through some wonderful books. Anne Knudsen from Breckling Press my publisher gave me the latest book from Nancy Crow… and Joan and I have great delight in reading it… if you get the chance to purchase one, it is a wonderful insight into her creativity and personal journey through her art.
Well it’s 7.30 am and I answered all my letters, and now it’s time for Simply quilts…. What a way to begin a day…
2006/05/29
Rest Day.
10.30 at night and it's still in the 90's.
I've spent the day resting and working in turn....We've not been out because both Joan and I have allergies....It should be short lived though.....
I've a new computer, an editing program and I'm learning the intracies of film editing and production... I have my first official showing in a few weeks so the pressure is on.
No shopping tours, or bargains for the past few days... But I still have to share with you the great quilts I found.....
I spent the past two days in the cities (Minneapolis and St Paul) and caught the shuttle home yesterday afternoon....
The mall of America was buzzing with people in their summer clothes.... It's the official start of summer and school is now out.
As you drive through the small towns there is evidence of graduation parties everywhere... It's quite a big thing here and families come from miles around to celebrate.
It's Memorial Day tomorrow and a public holiday. Joan and I will go to the service and parade in the morning... It is similar to our Anzac Day.... the sad thing is that there have been several thousand young Soldiers killed over the past few years in Iraq...
I just sat very quietly and watched the racoons feeding in the dim light of the evening... it's still hot and the forecast is for hotter tomorrow....
I've spent the day resting and working in turn....We've not been out because both Joan and I have allergies....It should be short lived though.....
I've a new computer, an editing program and I'm learning the intracies of film editing and production... I have my first official showing in a few weeks so the pressure is on.
No shopping tours, or bargains for the past few days... But I still have to share with you the great quilts I found.....
I spent the past two days in the cities (Minneapolis and St Paul) and caught the shuttle home yesterday afternoon....
The mall of America was buzzing with people in their summer clothes.... It's the official start of summer and school is now out.
As you drive through the small towns there is evidence of graduation parties everywhere... It's quite a big thing here and families come from miles around to celebrate.
It's Memorial Day tomorrow and a public holiday. Joan and I will go to the service and parade in the morning... It is similar to our Anzac Day.... the sad thing is that there have been several thousand young Soldiers killed over the past few years in Iraq...
I just sat very quietly and watched the racoons feeding in the dim light of the evening... it's still hot and the forecast is for hotter tomorrow....
2006/05/27
Di's Vintage Quilt.
I have actually done a little research and added it to my web page if you would like to know more about the Dresden plate design.www.pamhollanddesigns.com
Quilts and Kimonos.
Feed sack quilt top I
purchased. I just love this gal, she pleated the blocks to fit so that her corners matched...
Now Joan had
show and tell too...35 old kimonos she purchased... so here they are on the lounge room floor mixed with the quilts we purchased...
1930's quilt in pristine condition.... it has never been uses.
purchased. I just love this gal, she pleated the blocks to fit so that her corners matched...
Now Joan had
show and tell too...35 old kimonos she purchased... so here they are on the lounge room floor mixed with the quilts we purchased...
1930's quilt in pristine condition.... it has never been uses.
Inspiration.
I think we all have times in our lives when we meet someone who has had an effect on us… They may not be famous, they may not be written up on magazines or be in the media… let’s say it’s just a gut feeling. I feel that way about many of my friends… some I met as a Mother, some as a Tutor… I met my dear friend Joan on a bus in Scotland, and friend Lisa as a quilter in Cyber Space, Di and Della were in Houston during my win…..
Kaye England who encouraged me to go further with my quilting.
My son Matthew and I went to hear the Dalai Lama when he came to Adelaide many years ago, I’ve never forgotten the words he said…. I also traveled to Sydney to meet Mother Theresa. How could this small quietly spoken woman command such a presence….
When I was 15 I went to a lecture by the “Little Woman” Gladys Aylwood.
Standing just 4 ft 8 tall, this small woman talked for several hours about her life in china… she told us the story of how in the 1930’s she went to China to help a Missionary Mrs Larson… but only 8 months after she arrived, Mrs. Larson became sick and died. Now Gladys had no way of getting any income. A few weeks later, the Mandarin of Yangchen came and asked Gladys to become the official foot inspector. This job was to go around and tell people that binding girl’s feet was illegal and then to unbind them. The Mandarin needed someone with big unbound feet. Gladys accepted.
So she went visiting houses and revisiting houses again to check on the girls and people started to get to know her. Two years after she went to China the Mandarin asked Gladys to stop a riot in the prison. Depending only on God, Gladys walked into the prison. The men were killing each other and it was a bloody mess. Gladys commanded them to stop and tell her what was wrong. They were tired of being cooped up and needed food and work. From then on Gladys was known as “Ai-weh-deh” which means “Virtuous one.”
Once she saw a beggar on the road with a very sick child beside her. She bought this child for nine pence, for which she was later called. She fed her and adopted her. Her family grew. One day Ninepence brought in a boy saying that she would eat less in order to keep this boy, later naming him Less. She ended up with some 100 children in her orphanage…. And then her life story became even more interesting…
Why on earth am I telling you this… well today I reviewed the book, “The Inn of the 6th Happiness” the story of her life…. I found it in a book shop and just sat down to read it oblivious to all around me.
Gladys had a profound effect on me at 15…. I figured that in adult hood I would do something similar… well I didn’t become a missionary, that’s a little out of my league, I didn’t run an orphanage or quell a riot in a prison or even spy against the Japanese like Gladys did… but Keith and I do have a great family and with the encouragement of my friends in quilting, I’ve undertaken an interesting career.
Kaye England who encouraged me to go further with my quilting.
My son Matthew and I went to hear the Dalai Lama when he came to Adelaide many years ago, I’ve never forgotten the words he said…. I also traveled to Sydney to meet Mother Theresa. How could this small quietly spoken woman command such a presence….
When I was 15 I went to a lecture by the “Little Woman” Gladys Aylwood.
Standing just 4 ft 8 tall, this small woman talked for several hours about her life in china… she told us the story of how in the 1930’s she went to China to help a Missionary Mrs Larson… but only 8 months after she arrived, Mrs. Larson became sick and died. Now Gladys had no way of getting any income. A few weeks later, the Mandarin of Yangchen came and asked Gladys to become the official foot inspector. This job was to go around and tell people that binding girl’s feet was illegal and then to unbind them. The Mandarin needed someone with big unbound feet. Gladys accepted.
So she went visiting houses and revisiting houses again to check on the girls and people started to get to know her. Two years after she went to China the Mandarin asked Gladys to stop a riot in the prison. Depending only on God, Gladys walked into the prison. The men were killing each other and it was a bloody mess. Gladys commanded them to stop and tell her what was wrong. They were tired of being cooped up and needed food and work. From then on Gladys was known as “Ai-weh-deh” which means “Virtuous one.”
Once she saw a beggar on the road with a very sick child beside her. She bought this child for nine pence, for which she was later called. She fed her and adopted her. Her family grew. One day Ninepence brought in a boy saying that she would eat less in order to keep this boy, later naming him Less. She ended up with some 100 children in her orphanage…. And then her life story became even more interesting…
Why on earth am I telling you this… well today I reviewed the book, “The Inn of the 6th Happiness” the story of her life…. I found it in a book shop and just sat down to read it oblivious to all around me.
Gladys had a profound effect on me at 15…. I figured that in adult hood I would do something similar… well I didn’t become a missionary, that’s a little out of my league, I didn’t run an orphanage or quell a riot in a prison or even spy against the Japanese like Gladys did… but Keith and I do have a great family and with the encouragement of my friends in quilting, I’ve undertaken an interesting career.
2006/05/25
Gruber's and Aunt Annies
There is nothing that can compare with the sight of loons on Big Birch Lake at sunset…. Or the way the clouds reflect in the water under a stormy sky. Green becomes iridescent, blues shimmer and the gold of the sun on the distant hills is in stark contrast to the storm clouds.
Enough of waxing lyrical…. Sometimes I just can’t help myself.
As I write this blog, the mellow light of the standard lamp reflects in the window of the Gazebo… Looking through the reflection on the glass my eyes become adjusted to the dark. There are small lights at the edge of the woods some 10 meters away and I sat for a while and watched two fat raccoons take their supper.
The quilt shops we visited today were Aunt Annies in Avon and Grubers in St Cloud.…Gruber's defies description… If I remember correctly there are about 10 rooms each hosting a different genre of quilting and knitting….I’ve visited many times, but it doesn’t diminish the excitement you feel as you walk through the door… full size shopping trolleys decorated in fabric scraps give you the hint that this store is a little out of the ordinary….
There are 100’s of books for purchase set in genre’s, flowers in one section, history in another, piecing, wool, embroidery and the list goes on. Samples cover every wall, so inspiration is never far away. I didn’t purchase any fabric, I’m only concentrating on one project for the next year or so…..
The owners of Gruber's, purchased a huge building which houses other shops and one of my favorites is an antique mall. I succumbed and bought a vintage crazy patch quilt top made from feed sacks for a mere $22. I love the fabric and it hasn’t been laundered so it’s in wonderful condition. It will be a great fabric archival piece. As I was paying for my purchases the assistant asked my opinion on two other quilts she had out the back….wow…. My heart beat faster….
One is a star quilt, 1930’s, hand pieced and quilted with a thin cotton bat….. It has never been used and it had an appraisal certificate…..!!! that sure found it’s way into my bag….
There was another gorgeous one….buttercup yellow, with flowers appliquéd on it….I need to go into my data base to name the block…I should have taken a photo…. That one was made in the 1940’s, never used, hand pieced and hand quilted…. Appraised. If any one is interested I can sure go back and purchase it….!!!
Di, Joan and I sat outside of Grubers in the foyer and had show and tell and coffee…. Yes, there is a foyer where me can sit and wait for their wives… it’s decorated in country hunting style with a big leather lounge suite, huge fireplace, tall ornamental pine trees and lots of magazines !!!!
That’s the way to make the men oblivious to the spending in the other department!!!
Aunt Annie’s is in the town of Avon, just 12 miles from St Cloud.
Owner Lucy is a talented quilt maker and we were privileged to see some of her landscape and music pieces she had made for a recent show.
Lucy stocks very different fabric, Japanese, African, Australian and decorating fabrics along with the ordinary quilting stock. She had a bag of silk worm cocoons she was about to dye…. So we poured through a book she had that showed how they could be used….
We also visited a huge craft store…. Probably as large as a K Mart… Crafts Direct…. I thought Di was going into shock she was so excited…
Di’s trip is about to end. I’m taking her down to the cities today…. It’s been wonderful sharing my life here with her… I can talk about it at home… I can show pictures.. But it’s not the same as sharing the experience.
Aunt Annie's Quilts and Silks PO Box 359 Avon, MN 56310 320-356-1061 ...
Enough of waxing lyrical…. Sometimes I just can’t help myself.
As I write this blog, the mellow light of the standard lamp reflects in the window of the Gazebo… Looking through the reflection on the glass my eyes become adjusted to the dark. There are small lights at the edge of the woods some 10 meters away and I sat for a while and watched two fat raccoons take their supper.
The quilt shops we visited today were Aunt Annies in Avon and Grubers in St Cloud.…Gruber's defies description… If I remember correctly there are about 10 rooms each hosting a different genre of quilting and knitting….I’ve visited many times, but it doesn’t diminish the excitement you feel as you walk through the door… full size shopping trolleys decorated in fabric scraps give you the hint that this store is a little out of the ordinary….
There are 100’s of books for purchase set in genre’s, flowers in one section, history in another, piecing, wool, embroidery and the list goes on. Samples cover every wall, so inspiration is never far away. I didn’t purchase any fabric, I’m only concentrating on one project for the next year or so…..
The owners of Gruber's, purchased a huge building which houses other shops and one of my favorites is an antique mall. I succumbed and bought a vintage crazy patch quilt top made from feed sacks for a mere $22. I love the fabric and it hasn’t been laundered so it’s in wonderful condition. It will be a great fabric archival piece. As I was paying for my purchases the assistant asked my opinion on two other quilts she had out the back….wow…. My heart beat faster….
One is a star quilt, 1930’s, hand pieced and quilted with a thin cotton bat….. It has never been used and it had an appraisal certificate…..!!! that sure found it’s way into my bag….
There was another gorgeous one….buttercup yellow, with flowers appliquéd on it….I need to go into my data base to name the block…I should have taken a photo…. That one was made in the 1940’s, never used, hand pieced and hand quilted…. Appraised. If any one is interested I can sure go back and purchase it….!!!
Di, Joan and I sat outside of Grubers in the foyer and had show and tell and coffee…. Yes, there is a foyer where me can sit and wait for their wives… it’s decorated in country hunting style with a big leather lounge suite, huge fireplace, tall ornamental pine trees and lots of magazines !!!!
That’s the way to make the men oblivious to the spending in the other department!!!
Aunt Annie’s is in the town of Avon, just 12 miles from St Cloud.
Owner Lucy is a talented quilt maker and we were privileged to see some of her landscape and music pieces she had made for a recent show.
Lucy stocks very different fabric, Japanese, African, Australian and decorating fabrics along with the ordinary quilting stock. She had a bag of silk worm cocoons she was about to dye…. So we poured through a book she had that showed how they could be used….
We also visited a huge craft store…. Probably as large as a K Mart… Crafts Direct…. I thought Di was going into shock she was so excited…
Di’s trip is about to end. I’m taking her down to the cities today…. It’s been wonderful sharing my life here with her… I can talk about it at home… I can show pictures.. But it’s not the same as sharing the experience.
Aunt Annie's Quilts and Silks PO Box 359 Avon, MN 56310 320-356-1061 ...
2006/05/24
Goodies we found
Vintage sewing supplies
An old cloth tape measure
Sewing needles in a salt container!!!!
Time out
I’m having time out and a welcome rest.
Di, Joan and I took off for a small town called Perham, some 50 miles from our hometown of Long Prairie.
Perham is a small town nestled among over 1000 lakes surrounded by rolling hills and woods. It was named after Josiah Perham, the first President of the Northern Pacific Railroad. The railroad arrived in Otter Tail County in 1871 and the town is dominated still by the freight trains that rumble through the centre every half an hour or so.
Its late spring, and the scenery is picture book. Rolling hills, red Minnesota barns nestled in newly ploughed fields and brilliant green grass. The temperature rose to 86 today and we drove past dozens of lakes where the locals are preparing for a Memorial Day long weekend.
First stop was the Bay Window Quilt Shop. I’ve been there on other occasions. The last time was several years ago though… The combined local guilds hold an annual quilt show in an historic village and I was the guest artist… Grass roots quilting….
The bay window is a shop full of surprises… in fact it’s almost like a small department store… each little room is beautifully decorated. Moda seems to be a favorite here and the ranges displayed take your breath away…. Amy Butler, I love her fabrics but I haven’t seen too many of them in Australia. Of course there is Kaffe Fasset, Hoffman Batiks, a huge range of baby minkies and flannels in every hue. just to name a few.
The buildings are old and huge and allows a degree of creative expression in decoration like we never see. I’ll try to make a word picture of one of the café’s. It has high ceilings and a beautifully restored wooden floor. The walls and ceiling were paneled and painted in lime wash antique….. little nooks held intimate eating places…. One that took my eye was dominated by an antique lemon and pink grandmothers flower garden quilt hanging from an old quilt frame on the ceiling… a green distressed fire shelf held cream and white vintage plates and linen… the two small tables were made of recycled timber and the glass table top showed a 20’s pink and green Suffolk puffs block that were made into a giant elongated triangle. For us it was a treasure trove… and it had a wonderful ambience…
Downstairs I found an 1876 embroidery sampler made by Sara Smith, aged 8…. It cost me $18. sigh!!!!
Other delights were found in antique shops…. The collection of sewing goodies shown $9 and the wonderful log cabin quilt for $25….
Di bought vintage postcards and another vintage quilt that was filled with an old woolen blanket…
It’s light here till almost 9.30 so we took advantage of the daylight and took the scenic route home despite a huge storm that overtook us.
Dinner was at the Coach House Restaurant in Alexandria… the special of the evening…. $1 hamburgers that were just delicious… finished of with lemon meringue pie and great conversation.
I’ve spent so much time here, I’m now a local and I have great delight in sharing the things I enjoy with those I care about… My Husband Keith loves visiting here… but with my quilting buddies we let loose in the antique and quilting shops....
Di, Joan and I took off for a small town called Perham, some 50 miles from our hometown of Long Prairie.
Perham is a small town nestled among over 1000 lakes surrounded by rolling hills and woods. It was named after Josiah Perham, the first President of the Northern Pacific Railroad. The railroad arrived in Otter Tail County in 1871 and the town is dominated still by the freight trains that rumble through the centre every half an hour or so.
Its late spring, and the scenery is picture book. Rolling hills, red Minnesota barns nestled in newly ploughed fields and brilliant green grass. The temperature rose to 86 today and we drove past dozens of lakes where the locals are preparing for a Memorial Day long weekend.
First stop was the Bay Window Quilt Shop. I’ve been there on other occasions. The last time was several years ago though… The combined local guilds hold an annual quilt show in an historic village and I was the guest artist… Grass roots quilting….
The bay window is a shop full of surprises… in fact it’s almost like a small department store… each little room is beautifully decorated. Moda seems to be a favorite here and the ranges displayed take your breath away…. Amy Butler, I love her fabrics but I haven’t seen too many of them in Australia. Of course there is Kaffe Fasset, Hoffman Batiks, a huge range of baby minkies and flannels in every hue. just to name a few.
The buildings are old and huge and allows a degree of creative expression in decoration like we never see. I’ll try to make a word picture of one of the café’s. It has high ceilings and a beautifully restored wooden floor. The walls and ceiling were paneled and painted in lime wash antique….. little nooks held intimate eating places…. One that took my eye was dominated by an antique lemon and pink grandmothers flower garden quilt hanging from an old quilt frame on the ceiling… a green distressed fire shelf held cream and white vintage plates and linen… the two small tables were made of recycled timber and the glass table top showed a 20’s pink and green Suffolk puffs block that were made into a giant elongated triangle. For us it was a treasure trove… and it had a wonderful ambience…
Downstairs I found an 1876 embroidery sampler made by Sara Smith, aged 8…. It cost me $18. sigh!!!!
Other delights were found in antique shops…. The collection of sewing goodies shown $9 and the wonderful log cabin quilt for $25….
Di bought vintage postcards and another vintage quilt that was filled with an old woolen blanket…
It’s light here till almost 9.30 so we took advantage of the daylight and took the scenic route home despite a huge storm that overtook us.
Dinner was at the Coach House Restaurant in Alexandria… the special of the evening…. $1 hamburgers that were just delicious… finished of with lemon meringue pie and great conversation.
I’ve spent so much time here, I’m now a local and I have great delight in sharing the things I enjoy with those I care about… My Husband Keith loves visiting here… but with my quilting buddies we let loose in the antique and quilting shops....
2006/05/23
Whoopee
Grandaughter... Matilda Rose arrived this morning.... USA time.....2 weeks late and very tired.
This Grandma is sooooo excited......
This Grandma is sooooo excited......
2006/05/22
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