Lovely World

vintage quilt block friday

8 inch squares in basket pattern. Fabric is cotton and appears recycled from clothing. The pieces are hand stitched.

These quilt blocks, and several others like it, were given to me by my dear sister for my recent birthday. The squares were made by my maternal grandmother, Ivis. She had made stacks of them, but never assembled them into a quilt. When she died in the early 1970s, my mother inherited them. Years ago, my mother made a twin-sized quilt for my sister out of many, but not all, of the blocks. And then she eventually gave her the bag of remaining ones.

I like that many of the blocks appear to be made of recycled clothing. My mother frequently talks about my grandparents' "depression-era" mentality, and I think that is evident in the fabrics. I was quite young when my grandmother died, and I guess that seeing these blocks connects me to her somehow - through a love of fabric, color, and pattern.

Please check out these other participants in the "Vintage Quilt Block Friday":

Courtney

Barbara

Heather

You? - Please join us!

bird

It has been a quiet week. Today is rainy and grey, simply increasing my tendency to nest about the house. Speaking of nests, I have had birds on my mind. They are such beautiful creatures, and make such delicately complex homes. As I walked back up our driveway after getting the kids on the school bus, I noticed a nest tucked into a bush. Bittersweet grew about the bush, and a bunch of the bright orange and yellow berries had fallen into the nest. It was quite a delight for the eye.

Yesterday, I happened upon a large group of turkeys while hiking in the woods. It was the first group I had seen in quite some time. In the winter, they come close to the house, scavenging for windfall around the apple trees and staking claim to anything that falls out of the bird feeders.

We have also had a great blue heron in residence. There are several bodies of water close to our house, including a pond and a stream. It is not uncommon to see this large bird fishing, oh so still and patient, at the water's edge.

quotable sunday

She discovered with great delight

 that one does not love one's children

just because they are one's children

but because of the friendship formed while raising them.

- Gabriel Garcia Marquez

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(My daughter made these wild-haired, happy folks the other day. She is a clever girl, and I do find such pleasure in having her around.)

vintage quilt block friday

10 inch block in the "Grandmother's Flower Garden" pattern, created with 19 interlocking hexagons. This pattern is also known as "French Bouquet," "Mosaic," or "Honeycomb." This particular square was made by Velma in 1932, as she has so brightly embroidered around the center hexagon. The fabric is cotton, and it is hand stitched.

This is a fun square. It is one of many signed blocks I have in this pattern. It appears that a woman's group was attempting to make a quilt together, which was never finished. I like that each woman signed her piece, and that some dated it. So much of women's craft work from the past is anonymous. We should all consider adding at least our initials to our work.

Please check out these other participants in the "Vintage Quilt Block Friday":

Heather

Courtney

You? - Please join us!

 

greetings

I love these old cards. They are just a few of many that my mother has packed away at her house. They are from my grandparents' era. Don't you think we should all have a greeting card with our name on it, like Lettie and Minnie? And how about that little Dutch girl?

The "Reward of Merit" card is interesting. A typically racist portrayal of a black family from the early decades of the 20th century. I think the mother is breastfeeding the baby. I wonder if a white woman would have been portrayed this way. Probably not. I like the idea of "Reward of Merit" cards, though. I think I may make some for my kids and hand them out when they do good deeds.

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Please join me tomorrow for the "Quilt Block Friday" that I am hosting. Read details here. Just leave a comment with your name and a quick note that you want to participate and I will add you to the list. Thanks.

Maribeth

 

vintage swap

What I received from Barbara: A large embroidered cotton tablecloth; a piece of patchwork with funky, unique fabrics; a bundle of soft cotton fabric in gold, pink, and green; yardage of floral on white cotton fabric; and a little wooden sewing box (which I unfortunately left out of the photo).

What I sent to Barbara: Yardage of brown print cotton fabric; several pieces of folk print cotton (old curtains); a string of 8 large brown buttons; a string of 4 crochet-look black buttons; a length of pink and blue floral ribbon; and a ring of embroidery floss that came from an elderly woman who spent her life making dolls and doll clothes.

I had so much fun participating in the Vintage Swap hosted by Heather over at Shivaya Naturals. I was paired with a sweet woman, Barbara. Her blog is Indiana Blue. Be sure to check out her art in her Etsy shop. I love every single thing that came in the swap box from Barbara. It is not that often that you meet someone who so quickly figures out your taste and style. Many thanks to both Heather and Barbara.

quotable sunday

Sweet and Low

Sleep and rest, sleep and rest,

Father will come to thee soon;

Rest, rest on mother's breast,

Father will come to thee soon;

Father will come to his babe in the nest,

silver sails all out of the west

Under the silver moon;

Sleep, my little one, sleep, my pretty one, sleep.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

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Since having children, sleep has taken on all kinds of new meanings. This poem reflects the gentle, quiet times that co-sleeping has brought to my life. My children are getting older; sleep is easier. But, falling into dreams together continues.

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Be sure to check Friday's post if you have an interest in sharing old quilt blocks!

vintage quilt block friday

Vintage 3 by 3 quilt block, 6 x 6 inches, handpieced, probably 1930s. The white print appears to be old shirting. (Love the paisley)

Lucky me. Over the years I have been gifted a variety of old quilts, quilt blocks, and even pieces of vintage fabric cut to shape but not yet sewn into a block. I would love for some of these to see the light of day. Therefore, I am going to post a photo of one vintage quilt block here each Friday.

Would you like to join me? If you have vintage quilt blocks, or blocks you have made yourself out of vintage materials, post a photo on your blog each Friday. Leave me a comment here with a link to your blog, and I will post the list of participants each Friday.

Have a nice weekend.

XO Maribeth

giraffe

I am working on making some more animals. I am using my collection of vintage paper circus figures as inspiration. There seems to be quite a bit of trial and error in pattern making. For example, I am currently working on a giraffe. I've made three different versions so far. Finding the right balance between the long neck and long skinny legs is tricky, as I would like the creature to stand nicely on its own. At the same time, taking the time to create something from "scratch" is very satisfying. When I conquer this dear giraffe, I'll post a photo.

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How do you like the new banner? The image is from one of my vintage Japanese origami books. I think that little squirrel is busy collecting nuts and getting ready for winter.

children at Terezin

I recently found this book, "I Never Saw Another Butterfly: Children's Drawings and Poems from Terezin Concentration Camp, 1942-1944," at our public library. It broke my heart. It is so difficult to wrap my mind around the cruelty that exists in this world. Who would hurt a child? But look at the beautiful art work the children made while they were in this difficult place. It is as if by the sheer force of their creative spirit, they were able to move forward each day.

I think that this book would make a solid introduction for an older child to learn about the Holocaust of World War II. Like "The Diary of Anne Frank," this book is from the child's perspective and hence allows a contemporary child to understand history through their empathy for children in the past.