QUILTS & FABRIC: PAST & PRESENT


Monday, September 29, 2014

Richmond Reds: Emporia Original Print






Why Emporia??? Like the other prints in this line
Emporia has a nice ring to the name. Emporia, Kansas,
was about ten years old during the Civil War,
founded by anti-slavery Northerners. We picked
towns North and South for Richmond Reds.

The document print for Emporia in my new 
Richmond Reds reproduction collection of Moda

The original star print was a hexagon in a very worn-out 
comforter that was quite scrappy. I bought the ragged quilt because
it had a hexagon of this Grant Campaign fabric
from 1870.

Although the Grant print was not nearly
in this good a shape.

The original tied comforter, which I took apart
for the fabrics, looked something like this.

I guessed most of the fabric was from about 1870 to 1890
when those scrappy charm quilts were very popular.
I added ten years either side to be safe on the date
 so dated this print as 1860-1900.

The reproduction is available in three colorways
You can see we toned down the bright white
of the original at the top left above, so the new print wouldn't be quite so
spotty. We also added a little more space between
the stars so it would read more as texture or blender from
a distance.

Georgann Eglinski's been using the red colorway to make her
Austen Family Album blocks.



Friday, September 26, 2014

American Quilt Study Group Auction

Charm Quilt by Dawn Cook Ronningen

Pieced from 342 reproduction prints

In the last post I mentioned the silent auction at the
annual AQSG seminar. We also do a live auction.


Julie Silber is our auctioneer

ably assisted by the Juliettes,
dressed this year as Cheesettes 
(Green Bay Packer fans.)

Highlights of the donated auction items included
Dawn's small hexagon quilt at the top of the page. Members make
quilts for the auction and donate antiques from
their collections.

Sometimes members re-donate items
they bought at previous auctions, such as Hazel
Carter's mini, sold first in 1998




The auction committee chooses the best of
the donations for the live auction.

Another highlight was this stuffed-work Lily quilt date-inscribed 1856.


It was a little worn but quite a document


donated by Kathy Metelica Cray of Grafton Village Quilts


Bobbi Finley donated this North Carolina  Virginia top.


Even if you don't attend the seminar you can
donate items to benefit AQSG.

Quilt related items are welcome too.
 I donated this watercolor I did last year.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

American Quilt Study Group Meeting/Milwaukee


The American Quilt Study Group held its 35th yearly seminar last week in Milwaukee. It's an annual highlight in the quilt historian's year. What's the best part?


  • Old friends
  • New friends
  • Scholarly papers
  • Antique Quilt Exhibits
  • Exhibit of reproduction Civil War Quilt Study quilts
  • Tours
  • Study Centers

  • Rod Kiracofe talking about quilts from
    the mid- to late-20th century from his new book:

    Unconventional and Unexpected
    American Quilts Below the Radar 1950-2000





    but


    • Shopping Ops has to be a top draw. 

    One can buy (or see) spectacular quilts from dealers who come from around the country. The onsite exhibits and sales are open only to registrants.

    We also have an auction room featuring donations from members. This sale benefits the organization.


    There's an enormous silent auction.

    we bid for a couple of days

    Notice finger in lower left. These are bi-i-i-ig yo-yos

    The donor auction has items for all tastes.

    from finished quilts....



    and tops

    to blocks


    and paper ephemera, books...you name it...

    More pictures to tempt you to consider 
    attending the 2015 seminar in Indianapolis, September 9-13.









    The 2014 Seminar was hosted by the Wisconsin Quilt Study Group and
    the Northern Illinois Quilt Study Group.

    Brochures for next fall's event will be mailed in early summer.
    Bookmark the American Quilt Study Group webpage:

    Saturday, September 20, 2014

    William Morris: Working on a Best of Morris Line

    Mostly Morris by the Heritage Quilters of the McHenry County Historical
    Society, 2014

    The McHenry County Historical Society and Museum in Illinois  is selling tickets to win this quilt made from my William Morris reproduction collections for Moda. The Heritage Quilters have used Jeff Gutcheon's Card Trick pattern with a selection of blue-greens and wine-reds.

    It looks like the border is this piece from the Morris Apprentice
    line of a few years ago.
    Click here to read more:
    http://www.mchsonline.org/mostly-morris-quilt-button

    The drawing is November 12, 2014.

    Moda and I are working on a Best of Morris collection, which the sales reps are showing to the shops this month. We took my favorites and did a little recoloring.



    See what's coming by clicking here:
    http://storefront.unitednotions.com/storefrontCommerce/search.do?searchType=keyword&keyword=%22best+of+morris%22&emailAddress=

    Another form of sneak peek is the Moda catalog, which you can view by turning the pages at this link:
    http://issuu.com/modafabrics/docs/moda-piece-no-9?e=6151448/9176232

    My Best of Morris collection begins on page 83.


    (Just so you don't get indignant that your shop hasn't got these fabrics yet, remember this catalog features future lines. The catalog is for shop owners so you will have to wait to actually buy the beautiful fabrics.)

     While you wait, I thought I'd show you some more Morris projects I've found on the web. You still may be able to find the fabrics the clever stitchers used or you can wait for the Best of Morris, scheduled for February, 2015, delivery to shops.

    Reia at My Patchwork home decided to try some
    curved piecing with a pre-cut pack from the Morris Apprentice line.

    She worked from the center out

    improvising and photographing as she went on....

    to finish a Morris medallion.

    Read more at My Patchwork Home
    http://mypatchworkhome.wordpress.com/2014/02/02/a-grown-up-quilt-for-a-grown-up-home/

    Ann Marie at AMSewing pieced a Kansas Dugout
    pattern from JellyRoll strips of A Morris Tapestry

    See her method here:

    http://amsewing.blogspot.com/2010/01/theres-more-than-one-way-to-piece-block.html




    My old friend Judy Martin has included William Morris reproductions in the Sisters Log Cabin quilt patterned in her book Extraordinary Log Cabin Quilts. (We worked together at Quilters Newsletter when we were mere children.)


    Sisters Log Cabin by Judy Martin, quilted by Lana Corcoran, 102" x 102"

    Read more about Judy's book here:
    http://www.judymartin.com/sneak-peek.cfm



    It looks like she used the Morris Tapestry line too.

    I'll be posting more about the Best of Morris.