I Was Just Thinkin'....

This month, I started thinking about how many quilts we see "come and go" across time. We spot one at a quilt show whose beauty and creativity knocks our socks off... and then we are on to spot the next one. Sometimes it pays to take a look backwards and remind ourselves of what we've seen that inspired us -- and why! I decided to take a walk down memory lane by showing you some photos of old quilts. These quilts have stood the test of time -- but I want to look at them through the lens of what made them great... and keeps them great. Join me!

Probably the most unusual thing about this quilt (from today's perspective) is that it is basically brown and blue with a touch of pink. There's nothing odd about a brown and blue quilt - but the intricacy of the designs, all jumbled together, dazzles the eye.

Here's a close-up of the interior border -- you can see the colors a bit better here, along with the repetitive motifs: 6-pointed stars and hexagons, flowers and butterflies, hearts and flowerpots... And, again, it's not the colors or the motifs; it's the dazzling array of all the motifs and contrasting colors, together in the same quilt. It's amazing!

In the red and white quilt, below, the piecing is phenomenal. Think about it: quiltmakers of a hundred or more years ago were working with simple tools; they had cardboard templates for the piecing, which was often done entirely by hand. It's a wonder that a block of this complexity could be made so well. This quiltmaker added a unique floral border which softens the hard edges of the geometric blocks. How many of us would have the patience to tackle a quilt like this without a rotary cutter and ruler? Similarly, here's another quilt that was made before the advent of rotary cutters. The Carolina Lily is seen in many early quilts - but today's quilt makers often avoid this block because of the many set-in seams. It is a block that deserves to be tried, though -- it offers many different setting opportunities to quilters.
The Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt below was made entirely of silk. It is so fragile today that it was displayed on a wedge-shaped platform surface. Age could not steal its beauty -- it was made in 1860 and was entirely hand-pieced and hand-quilted.

Here's a doozy, below. There is nothing terribly unusual about it... except that it's hard to figure out how the quiltmaker made it: there are 9-patches, there are lots of half-squre triangles... but did the quiltmaker assemble this in block sets? Where are the dividing lines between them? Did she have some unusual combinations of squares and half-square triangles? Or did she assemble this row by row, picking up the next piece, as required, in each row. Hmmm. Sometimes it's really difficult to figure out how things were done a long time ago!

These old Log Cabin quilts that use stripes and solids in pair relationships always seem to catch my eye. I've not seen but a handful of these quilts that have been made in the last 50 years -- but I've got such a quilt on my "someday, I'll make this" list!
This photo gives you a better view of those color-matched strips in each block. I should also note that today's quilters don't usually use solids as much as quilters of yesteryear did -- but we should just think about it once a while. Maybe someday we'll surprise ourselves with our creative use of them!

The following red and green quilt is fun because the princess feather blocks are so angular, and have flowers between four of the feathers -- and added to this are the quirky birds in the border.


Here's a close-up of those birds. They are absolutely delightful! You can catch glimpses of the cheddar which was popular during a portion of the 1800s.
Talk about a challenge... could you dare to begin making the quilt below without paper foundations? Oh my goodness - I cringe at the thought! But think about this: this quilter did not have a fabric store or an internet or a book of quilt patterns that she could use to make her pattern. She likely drew out the pieces by herself and hand-pieced and hand-quilted the entire quilt. Such effort makes my quilts seem like such paltry offerings!

And here are some cherries -- but notice the coxcomb flowers in the border. You'll see more of those motifs in another photo. This quilt is just lovely -- and someday, I'll probably be making one much like it, full of red and green cherries.

You can see the coxcomb flowers better in this close-up. Keep an eye out for another quilt with coxcomb flowers in it....

Patriotism was ever-present in the early years of our nation. Eagles were everywhere, along with flag and star motifs. Here's a favorite old quilt -- I love the glorious eagles in this quilt, along with the single vase on each side that spreads flowers across the length of each border. This quilter had such imagination!

And here's a close-up of the eagle -- and the roses with their fluted interiors.


The grandeur of the above quilt is quite a contrast with this next quilt -- with its very simple but lovely rose trees. I'm working on my own rose tree quilt and should have it done soon.

Here is another quite different block - it resembles the rose tree, but it is actually a tree of flowers set in a blue vase. It is unusal - and attractive.

And here is yet another red and green quilt with berries, flowers, vines, and vases. The coxcomb flowers in the blocks are very reminiscent of the coxcomb flowers in the border of the Cherry quilt, above.

And here is yet one more red and green quilt. What is unusual about it is that the vases and flowers on three of the borders face inward -- while the vases and flowers on the top border face left and right. What do you think the quilter was thinking? Was it made that way to accommodate pillows... or what? We may never know.

Now here is what you might really call a quirky quilt! Filled with stars, there is barely a spot for your eye to rest! But oh my, the colors and the arrangement of designs makes your eye dance across the face of the quilt! I believe that quilts like this are hard to make today because too often we are trained to create resting spots for the eye, and to certainly match our fabrics more carefully! But it is clear that the delight in this quiltmaker's eye abounds. Compare the last quilt to this one, now. There are plenty of places for the eye to rest... and the mind! The Princess Feather is a lovely block - and the only thing that keeps me from finishing the Princess Feather quilt I started 7 or 8 years ago is the fact that I cannot decide on the "right" border treatment for the blocks. That obviously didn't stop this quilter!


Can you figure out the difference between the last two quilts and this one? The small-star border on this one amuses me - since the other borders all have medium-sized stars. Go figure! But there is plenty of space for the eye to rest, for sure. And of the three quilts, none suffer from lack of interest.
This quilt takes the prize, though, for no resting spot for the eye. It just goes to show... every rule is made to be broken! I love the bright colors in these blocks -- and the fact that every block has a different center block. Wow!
That's all for this month. I didn't include anything that I've been working on this month because everything that my hands have been into are just a little further along, but not finished. Next month, hopefully you'll see something FINISHED!

Until we meet again, happy quilting!

Sue Garman

(c) 2011 Susan H. Garman

Spring Has Sprung!

I love this time of year in my little corner of the world -- when the flowers start blooming, the weather is lovely, and it's pleasant to be outside. Despite the fact that many of you believe I am extremely productive, this month I have proven to be quite the opposite: I have nothing new to show you! I spent most of my quilting hours in front of myBaltimore quilt - I've finished hand-quilting 12 of 16 blocks and most of one whole border - but I have nothing else to show you. Never fear, however, I have a stash of old photos to share! The first one is an old pictoral quilt of mine: The Garden Lady. I have fun making "thematic" quilts, where I choose a theme and then flesh it out with all the accoutrements that go with that theme. This month's whole blog is devoted to the theme of "flowers." Enjoy!

The Garden Lady, Susan H. Garman

This next quilt, "Spring Beauties," was made by Terry Aske of New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada. In describing her quilt, Terry says, "Every spring, I eagerly await the first tuplis poking through the hard ground. Aftera along, dark winter, I marvel at the incredible range of colors that these spring blooms display." Terry'sgreatest challenge was deciding which colors to include or omit in her quilt.

I loved seeing Roxane Lessa's "Angel's Trumpets" at the quilt show in Houston last year. She hails from Raleigh, North Carolina, and angel's trumpets bloom in many of the neighbors' gardens. The flowers are very large and droop down - presenting waht Roxane calls, "a bewitchingplant!"

The quilt below, "Sunflower I" by Patricia Schumacher of Lawrenceville, Georgia, is part of a sunflower series that Patricia has done. She says that her rheumatoid osteoarthritis causes severe joint pain, so the time that she spends with her flower quilt garden replaces time she might otherwise spend in a garden - and relieves the pain as she becomes involved in making the quilts. I'm sure that many of us find comfort and "therapy" in quilt making!

Lest you think that Patricia's sunflower quilt is simple... look again! Patricia's quilts have an enormous amount of embellishment, with the sunflower center composed of dozens of different colors and shapes of tiny beads. See the close-up, below....

Pat Kroth's "Florilegium II" uses hand-dyed, raw-edge fused applique. This Verona, Wisconsin quilter has created the "glorious perennial garden in my mind's eye." But she confesses, " my intentions are always grand in the spring, but with art-making and sewing as priorities, somtimes by late summer, the weedsmake a better showing." We can probably all identify with that statement!

"Still Standin'" by Pamela Druhen of Northfield, Vermont, gives us a view of the cottonwood treesthat line the west shore of Isle LaMotte on Lake Champlain. A violent storm wiped out many of these trees in 2008 - but these two are still standing. Pamela's techniques included dye painting, heavy threadwork, and heavy machine quilting.

Melinda Bula's "Rain Drops," below, is full of detail. Her choice of color - and added color - is amazing. Try taking your camera out into the garden and photographing a few flowers. Transfer the outlines of the flowers onto paper and develop a pattern for your own realistic pictoral flower!

The small quilt below - smaller than a handkerchief - is the third in Houstonian Kumiko Frydl's "Mission" series. She traveled extensively for a number of months and had little time for quilting - so she made it her mission to create and completel a project in a limited amount of time. Wouldn't you love to see her other miniature quilts?

Hallie O'Kelley's "Tropical Beauties," below, was inspired by her husband's striking photo of a brillian tropical flower. Hallie dyed the fabrics - and screen printed the border fabirc.

"Jill's Geranium," by Jean K. Smith, was designed when her daughter asked her to make a quilt of her favorite flower, the geranium. Jean resorted to buying a live geranium and with freezer ppaer on her design wall and an overhead projector, she had all of the ingredients for her quilt.

Barbara McKie's "Under the Sunflowers," below, started with a photo transfer. These exuberant sunflowers grew in a neighbor's garden in Lyme, Connecticutand inspired the quilt . They seem to want to reach out and touch the gorgeous sky!

And here is another set of flowers - daffodils - by Barbara Holtzman. Inspired by a photo by Desirae Nelson (who gave permission for its use), Barbara says she gets new energy every spring when she sees the daffodils popping up.

Last, but far from least, here is a quilt by Andrea Brokenshire of Round Rock, Texas. Her "A Great Garden Discovered," was based on the discovery of a garden of irises growing along a stream that cascaded down to a creek below, near Laek Georgetown, Texas. This quilt is a wonderful example of the artistrythat can be created when painting on silk.

I hope you've enjoyed this snapshot tour of spring quilts - and I hope that your garden overflows with the brightness that the season brings into our lives.

Until next month... happy sewing --

Sue Garman

(c) 2011 Susan H. Garman

Knocking Out UFOs -- Whee!!!

Oh my, but it is SO much fun to knock out a bunch of UFOs -- as in finish them! This past weekend I had the pleasure of going to a 4-day guild retreat on nearby Galveston Island. I find quilt retreats to be wonderful because I am inspired by everyone else's projects, I learn by watching and listening to other quilters, I get to sew as much as I want, and I have the joy of friendship - all at once! So let's take a look at a few of the things I've been working on this month.

First of all, my "Borrowed Roses" quilt top was nearly finished when I left for the retreat. I just needed to assemble all of the blocks and then stitch down the corner ribbons and tassels. I don't like the corner ribbon design, so ignore what you see below; I'm going to revise the ribbons and tassels and you'll see the revision next month. I've been asked if this will ever be a pattern. Yes -- but I never publish a pattern until the quilt is finished, including the quilting, so the pattern availability is still a couple months or more off into the future. In the meantime, take a peek, below. Except for the corner ribbons, I love the look of this quilt - and the feathered swag border was amazingly simple to make! It is made in rectangular sections; the sections are sewn together into border strips - and then the ribbons and tassels are added. Getting all of those swags to line up may seem like a tough trick... but I'll show you how I did it in the next photos.

The swag border is made of three 12 by 22-1/2 inch rectangles (unfinished size). I always applique on a piece of background fabric that is larger than necessary and then I trim it down to size. But how do I trim that rectangle so that the swags line up and meet in the right place? Here's how...

• Trace the outline of the swag onto a piece of plastic (I happened to use Sharpie markers on old ziplock bags that I taped together).


• Tape together a bunch of rulers so that the set measure 22-1/2 inches wide -- and more than 12 inches deep. Note, in the photo, that I used the painter's blue tape because it is easy to remove when I'm done.


• Tape the plastic with the design on it across the rulers, placing it so that the top and the left and right sides of the pattern match the top, left, and right sides of the ruler set.


• Lay the ruler set across the appliqued swag... matching the applique to the pattern outlined on the plastic...


• Now you are ready to cut the top, left, and right sides of the swag rectangle.


• Once you're cut those three sides, turn the ruler set around and cut the bottom side of the rectangle, such that the rectangle measures 12 by 22-1/2 inches.

This works like magic! The last half-inch or so of each swag is left un-appliqued. In this way, the swag fabric can be folded back out of the way when the rectangles are sewn together into border strips. If there is any gap, don't worry; it will be covered up by the ribbon when it is appliqued across the intersection of the swags.

Honestly, I love this swag so much that you'll probably see it again in another quilt some day -- but my vision for the next swag is something done in color gradations, with the "feathers" each getting darker as they splay out away from the center feather.

Another quilt I'm obviously still working on is my Friends of Baltimore -- here it is, in its current state, with 9 of the blocks quilted. All these other projects got in the way this month or more would be done!

This block has a little fleur-de-lis kind of design in the open area of the bottom corners; I like little oddities in quilting.

And here is the 9th block, not quite finished -- the cross-hatching is all done, but not quilting in the ditch around all of the fruit. That will be done in the next couple of days.

The next quilt that I worked on this past weekend was an assembly job -- I had already finished all of the stars and chain blocks; my friend Cynthia and I have been exchanging sets of star blocks for the past couple of years. Each block uses a civil war fabric and an assortment of shirtings. Did I mention that these blocks are 4-1/2 inches (FINISHED size)? Oh yes! That's so that they would "fit" with the nine-patch blocks that I made to go with them.

So here is what the stars and double 9-patch blocks look like together. I love using varieties of shirtings with civil war fabrics. They remind me of my grandpa's old pajamas.

And then... when you get enough of them made, the stars and chains begin to take on a life of their own. I like how those litlte HALF-INCH SQUARES just sparkle like blinking lights in a quilt like this. Did I tell you how many star blocks and Irish chain blocks there are in this quilt? Well... Take a look! This quilt has 374 blocks in it -- that's 188 star blocks and 187 chain blocks. I paper pieced all of the stars so that I could make them 4-1/2" finished size. The Irish chain blocks were time-hogs -- they seemed to take forever, even though they were strip-pieced, because there are a LOT of pieces in each block! But the result was worth the time. The quilt measures 76-1/2 by 99 inches -- perfect for a twin bed.

The final project that I worked on at the retreat was a quilt top made using triple four-patch blocks. These blocks were from various exchanges I was involved in over the last several years. I just never got around to sewing them together until this weekend. The photo below shows only the bottom half of the quilt... the top is hanging on my sewing machine, ready to stitch onto this set. Aaahhh.... we'll just wait and see if it takes another retreat next year to get around to putting that last line of stitching in place!

I hope you are finding some great sewing time... and finishing up some things here and there. Until next month's posting...

Happy sewing!

Sue Garman

(c)2011 Susan H. Garman

Finishing Up!

This month has been a month of “finishing” – I’ve been working on finishing various projects. Of course, make no mistake… I have made progress… but I still haven’t finished a quilt this month!
The first one, below, shows the progress I have made on my new “Borrowed Roses” quilt. The block is based on a traditional block called Prairie Flower, Missouri Rose, or Rose Tree. The border and use of the blocks is based on an old late 1920s Rose Kretsinger quilt called “New Rose Tree.” So far, I have finished four of the planned nine blocks and five of twelve border units. There will eventually be ribbons and tassels between all of the border units. The unfinished blocks are all basted, so they are easy to take along and work on at bees, meetings, doctor appointments, etc. – so hopefully, next month you will see the quilt top assembled… but don’t hold your breath!

The next photos, below, shows another old project that I started on well over a year ago. My friend Cynthia and I exchanged 4-1/2 inch (finished size) star blocks which used civil war reproduction fabrics and shirtings – a favorite combination of mine. Together, we both have quite a stack of little star blocks – and I really love Sawtooth Stars.

I’m going to use those star blocks in combination with some 4-1/2 inch (finished size) double nine-patch blocks that I finished making this month – all 175 of them! The little squares in the nine-patches are each 1/2 inch in size, so it took a while to get them all sewn.

Now that those blocks are all finished, I’m ready to assemble the quilt top. In the photo below, you can get an idea of how the blocks will be set together. When it is finished, this quilt will be twin-sized, with the blocks extending edge-to-edge – and no border. Naturally, an antique quilt that I saw at the Houston quilt show many years ago inspired this quilt. Doing block exchanges with a friend is a great way to keep me on schedule – Cynthia and I set deadlines for swapping blocks every two weeks, and we met nearly all the deadlines! I can’t wait to sew these blocks together – hopefully you’ll see the quilt top when I post an update at the beginning of April.

In between other projects, I have also been working on doing the last bit of touch-up quilting on a project that my friend Denise Green and I started ages ago. It was interrupted with a family illness, and I am just now getting back to working on this quilt. Denise and I collaborated on this quilt from start to finish – I did most of the applique, she did a ton of machine quilting, and I did a bunch of hand-quilting. We both helped each other a ton, along the way. This quilt is based on my “Lily Rosenberry” pattern and, finally, I will have my very own Lily Rosenberry quilt – I’m excited about that! Many thanks go to Denise –for her friendship and our teamwork on this quilt!

Last but certainly not least, I have been doing more hand quilting on my Friends of Baltimore quilt. So far, 7 blocks have been quilted. These are 15 inch blocks, and I am quilting in the ditch around every appliqued piece, and cross-hatch quilting the background in each block. My goal is to finish the quilting in June (of this year). This is another quilt that excites me every time I work on it – I can’t wait to finish it! Below are pictures of two of the blocks, so you can see how the quilting is turning out on them.

Finally, since spring is on its way, I’ll give you a peak at another project that I’m working on. It’s the center block of a medallion quilt; I haven’t figured out what sort of borders I am going to add to the medallion – but I want to finish the quilt by April. Ha! That will be a trick, but setting a goal is a way for me to finish projects.

Until next month, enjoy the Spring! Check out my Yahoo group if you get a chance (see last month's posting for the link) – folks are starting to work on their own Friends of Baltimore (and other quilts) and one gal has already posted two finished blocks. Go Marian! You'll also find plenty of tips in that group - hopefully, they will help all of us finish more quilts!

Happy sewing --

Sue Garman
(c)2010 Susan H. Garman

Stay Warm...

With the icy waves of cold that are racing across the Nation, I want to start with the premise that we should all be making more quilts in order to stay warm! My outdoor thermometer shows that it is a chilly 32 degrees at 10 pm tonight... which is balmy compared to elsewhere.

This month there is not much to show, because I've been too busy to make much progress on anything. First of all, my "Friends of Baltimore" quilt is now on the market. I basted it right before Christmas and have already been quilting away like crazy on it -- check it out in the picture below; I have finished quilting 5 blocks. Yes, I'm a slowpoke, but this quilt is being heavily quilted!

Next, I have been working on my "Borrowed Roses" quilt. I have basted all of the blocks and have finished appliquing one block and one border unit. I love working on quilts that I can't wait to finish -- imagining what it will look like after it is quilted helps me keep my nose to the grindstone. The inspiration for this quilt was a quilt made by Rose Kretsinger -- if you check out my January post, you will see a draft of the pattern. Below is a picture of one block and one border unit-- I'm making progress!

Back on August 31, 2010, I posted several pictures of old cheddar quilt tops that I've collected. I found another one late last year and I'll share it below -- I just love all those bright 9-patches with cheddar setting squares and triangles. This is definitely on my list of quilts to "re-make" in the future. I've already purchased my cheddar fabric.

I have been asked by Emmy in Bemidji, Minnesota, to comment on how to select, prepare, and choose a non-bleeding red fabric good for applique - as well as other strong colors like green and purple - and whatever else I want to say about shades, brands, solids, etc. First of all, I like a very rich, rich red. Those are difficult to find -- there are lots of pinky, purplish, bluish, blackish, and gray reds... but a really good, strong, rich red is hard to find. So... the first rule of thumb is: when you find a good red, BUY it! Buy LOTS of it! Look at it against other reds and other colors (e.g., gold, green) to make sure that it is a true red. Sometimes when you place a red print against other colors, you'll find that it is a different shade than you thought.
I prepare my red fabrics just like I do all my other fabrics: it walks in the door and goes for a swim in warm water, then gets dried. It is not allowed to enter my sewing room until it has bathed -- therefore, I am always certain that all the fabric in my sewing room has been washed. I do not ever use washout markers, disappearing ink markers, starch, or fabric finish (sizing) on my fabrics, and particularly not on reds, navies, or blacks -- those items may cause your fabric to bleed, despite having been washed. Ask me how I know... and being the compulsive person that I am, I even tested these products on a variety of fabrics to prove that they may cause fabrics to bleed. If you do use these products, make sure that you thoroughly wash them out at some point.
As for brands... I have an inherent trust in all the major fabric manufacturers; they are in the business of satisfying their customers, and they work hard at putting out fabrics that make us happy. All of that is to say that you are probably safe with fabrics you find in your local quilt shop. As for shades of colors... there are tons of beautiful shades of reds, greens, purples, blues, golds, and so on. Which ones do you use? Choose your fabrics by laying them out to see if they work well together. While a pinky red may not go well with one green, it might go beautifully with another. It's a matter of trial and error -- just do not expect to be able to choose fabrics in 5 minutes. I have always believed that it takes 3 times as long to choose fabric as you think it should.

Finally, I have been asked to start a Yahoo Group for people working on my Friends of Baltimore quilt. I was reluctant to do so, as there is a certain amount of overhead attached to moderating a Yahoo Group, and there are plenty of other Yahoo groups on the web where discussions might occur. However, I have succumbed to the wishes of those of you whose persuasive powers overwhelmed my ability to say no... so I have now started a new Yahoo Group called SueGarmanQuilts. You can find it at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/suegarmanquilts/ -- don't be in a huge rush to check it out... I haven't posted anything there yet! Eventually I will post pictures of my Baltimore quilt so that those of you who want to see closeups of the blocks can easily do so. If there are other things you want me to include there, holler at me!

Okay - that's enough for tonight. It's 10:30... and now it's 30 degrees outside. I need to make more quilts!

Happy sewing -

Sue

(c) 2011 Susan H. Garman