Embroidery Box

Several weeks ago on a beautiful Saturday, DL and I traveled north to Frye's Measure Mill  http://www.fryesmeasuremill.com/  in Wilton, New Hampshire.   If you like history, you'll be interested in this place.
  
Arriving around 1:30PM, we were just in time for the "free" tour of the mill.  
What an adventure !   Who would've thought so much work went into those little boxes.

After the tour, we visited the gift shop, jam packed with primitive gifts; specially Shaker and Colonial boxes.     I was delighted when DL agreed to finish one of the little unfinished embroidery boxes if I would make a cushion top for it.  

As he stained and urethaned the box, I worked on 3/4" hexies.  
Today the cushion top was glued to the box.   
I am so pleased with the finished product, I just had to show you all...

What d'ya think ?

I love it.    A true labor of love...

And sew on...

Jeanne

    

World Quilts 2010, Manchester, NH

Before I tell you of my latest adventure, I want to clarify my August 3 post about Cyndi Black's Log Cabin quilt at Maine Quilts - the logs were 1/4" finished - and the blocks were finished at 3".     I mistakenly wrote that the logs were 3/4" !   Sorry, Cyndi, but my error only reinforces how much work you put into that beautiful quilt.   Congratulations... 

On to World Quilts...
Third quilt show in a month !   I'm becoming an savvy shopper, by scoping out the vendors online before the show.   That way - no, or at least less, impulse buying and   more time to view quilts on display.   Or am I just "Type A" ?    A friend described this show as "traditional."   Being a traditional quilter, it was right up my alley.    Along with five friends, we attended the show on Sunday.   Even though vendors tend to have sold many of their products by the last day, I like going to shows the last day - usually, not so crowded, vendors are, sometimes, willing to make concessions AND admission fee is less than previous days...

Even though I'm a traditional quilter and most of my quilts are made of repro fabrics, I LOVE seeing bright, colorful quilts in a show.   

Disclosure:   The following photos are NOT MY QUILTS, I do not have the quiltmakers' identifications and I am not profiting by posting these photos.  

These are only a very small sample of the crisp, colorful quilts displayed at World Quilts, a Mancuso show, and these quilts, as well as many, many others are displayed at their shows around the country.     Enjoy !

I love geese and mariner's compass. Someday I too will make a similar quilt with both:

 

Check out the depth in this quilt.

Looks like fire sun rays.

What a great way to use up your stash !

Orderly, crisp, colorful, a great quilt for over a stairway !   Another stash buster idea.

World Quilts was well-worth the 45-minute drive.    Don't miss it, if you have a chance to see this show when it's near you. 

 

And sew on...

~ Jeanne

Images 2010 at the Lowell Quilt Festival

Images http://www.nequiltmuseum.org/events/lowell-quilt-festival.html  is the New England Quilt Museum's http://www.nequiltmuseum.org/  juried and judged quilt show, presented to support the museum.   This year the show was held at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium, which was stuffed to the gills (oops, my Wisc side is showing!) with absolutely beautiful quilts, vendors, raffles, quilters and enduring fans.   One of the happiest quilts I saw was Owsley's Owls by Maria Shell of Anchorage, AK.   Would you believe this is Broderie Perse ? 

 

Members from my guild, The Squanicook Colonial Quilt Guild http://www.scqg.org/ , represented us well - Kathie Beltz, Angie Callbeck, Melissa Heys, Cath Hallsworth, Beth Helfter, Michelle Banton, Carol Conaway, Linda Brooke, Jeane Brown, Rose Wuoti, Norma King, Donna Rosander, Barbara Townsend, Janet Arsenault, Jill McCaffrey, Sue Fors - and Barbara even won a ribbon for her Watercolor Madness.   I apologize if I missed any Squanicookies !

How impressive, that so many of the most beautiful quilts were hand-quilted !   If only I had the time, patience and skill.   These quilters are to be commended for keeping the pure art alive.
Now, I don't want to offend the machiners out there, but there's just something really special about a hand-quilted piece.

Baltimore Album quilts seem to making a comeback big time.   My favorite was was Cape Cod Baltimore by Alison Lescher of Falmouth, MA (on the Cape)    Here's a couple photos of that quilt:

I love green and white quilts.   Some day I will make one.   In the meantime, I will enjoy others.  The green and white shown below is called Christmas Harmony and was created by Anne Smith of West Dennis, MA and Marjorie Lydecker of Yarmouthport, MA - both from the Cape.

Having seen as much as possible, we headed out for a bite to eat and stumbled across a small cafe, where we were greeted by the owner/head chef, with the biggest smile - I think she was actually happy we were there.    The little restaurant was bright and clean and fun.   The service was 100 out of 10 and the food, well, let's just say, right up there with the best.   If you're ever in the heart of Lowell, MA, look for Mama Lia's at 25 Merrimack Street.    And... we took some of her menus back to the show and passed them out to anyone, who looked hungry !

Having seen the show, we then walked to the Quilt Museum, where we viewed the wonderful Contemporary Broderie Perse: An Elegant Revival exhibit.   What a treat !   

As always, the day must end, but what a fun day it was !   Think the best part of the day was just being with and seeing friends and enjoying all that quilting brings to our lives.

                                                                               And sew on...

                                                                                    Jeanne

Maine Quilts weekend

What a wonderful weekend I had at Maine Quilts with my friend, Corinne, from North Carolina !   Augusta, Maine is a 3-hour drive from my house - of course, conversation didn't stop the whole way.   We haven't seen each other for several months, so a full weekend together was quite a treat.

Maine Quilts is held at the Augusta Civic Center just off I95.   We were so pleased to find our lodging just across the parking lot from the Center.

Friday we spent 6 hours viewing the quilts and visiting vendors (of course).  

Another friend, Barbara Martin, who lives in Maine, met us at the show...   Below is a photo of her with her quilt, Baltimore Bunnies:

Friday night we attended the banquet lecture, with speakers, George and Virgina Siciliano.   What a hoot he is !    And talented - he's an amazing miniature paper-piecer and his wife, Virginia, is an extremely talented hand-quilter.   If you ever get a chance to listen to them speak or take a class, don't pass it up.     Here are a few of his quilts:

I saw the next quilt at the AQS show in Lancaster, PA this past March and thought you'd like to see it too.   It reminds me of the Mitford novels by Jan Karon.   The quilt is called Life in Holly Ridge, created by Nancy Prince.

Cyndi Black of The Busy Thimble quilt shop, Litchfield, Maine, entered an awesome log cabin quilt into the show - it's scrappy and made of 3/4" logs, resulting in 3" blocks.   Not only did I LOVE her quilt, but I spent a load at her booth.   Here's the quilt:

I was taken by the next quilt, Lemon Bar Shadows by Kathi Ahern.   It caught my eye everytime I turned that corner where it hung.

Saturday Corinne and I took a machine-applique class with Karen Kay Buckley teaching.    We learned sooooo much.     I do hope to finish this project and will post a picture when completed.

Sunday we took a hand-applique class with Karen.   Again, we learned a lot and reinforced techniques we knew.    Here is a photo of one of Karen's quilts:

Below is block we worked on in Karen Kay Buckley's hand-applique class.

So, the weekend is over and it's back to the old grind.   Sew much to do, sew little time.   Need to attach a label and sleeve to my Parker House (aka Holiday Inn) and get started on Sisters for the August JLWC and, of course... do the laundry and tidy up the house.    But, now it's time to figure out what I'm going to do with those pork chops !!!

And sew on...

~ Jeanne