All Things Vintage

I love all things vintage.  Here is an ad from an old catalog - 1933 Montgomery Ward, I think - for fabric.  The prices are unbelievable but I am sure the paychecks were, too.   It would be nice to know how it compares proportionately to the present - I am sure there is a way to figure it but I don't think I am quite that curious!  I love the panel for the quick sewing  apron.

This is a 1933 swatch card for Newberry's.  I would certainly love to have a yard or two of each of these great prints!  Love the reproduction fabrics of the 30's and 40's.

Some batt from Sears.    Am not sure of the year this was published.

Two pages from 1952 catalog put out by Sears.  Prices had risen but not that much.  This was the time that I was just starting doing a lot of sewing for Sherry and me.  Hope you enjoyed these old ads.  (Click to enlarge)

Pretty New Fabric

Stopped at Joanne's today to find a liner for a hanging basket that I bought several years ago.  Do you find it possible to go there or a local quilt shop for just a single item?  Of course not!   Naturally, I had to go over by the fabric to check out what has come or gone since my last visit which was actually some time ago.  By the cutting counter, I found a rack of very pretty fabric - on sale for $2.00 off per yard.  At $9.99 per yard, that is really not a huge bargain but the fabric was lovely and very soft and silky.  Some of it was a line I have been reading about in various blogs.  The fabric I picked out, however, was not the same line but I think it is so pretty and looks like it could go right along with a book by Piece'O Cake I sent for from Connecting Threads.   Yesterday I spent going to nurseries for flowers - planned on planting containers today, but it is raining.  Will share some of that with you later.  Found some pretty posies!   (Click to enlarge)

Just What I Need - New Fabric

Batiks were on sale at Hancock's of Paducah recently and I caved in and sent for some - the beauties in the back of the picture.  The front stripped piece is in anticipation of a house block from Edyta Sitar's book that I like so much.  I have also bought several pieces of neutral batiks from our new quilt shop.  This stuff is scrumptious!

Then I bought some black and white to do blocks like these.  I saw this quilt on line - don't know where, I'm sorry to say - and thought it was really pretty.  I have lots of Kaffe's fabrics with the reds, pinks, oranges, etc., and that is what goes in the center part.  Just had to quick put together a couple of blocks to see how they look.  They look fine!  (Click to enlarge)

Trying to Sort Things Out

I have spent most of the morning downstairs trying to go through my batik bins.  The fabrics on the top of the bin above are ones I thought I might try in a pattern I found online called a schlep bag which looks easy and very nifty.  Will elaborate on that later.  We quilters are women of excess when it comes to fabric!  I am itching to do something from one of the books by Edyta Sitar - and wanted to line up fabric to choose from. 

I love the patterns and colors in this heap of batiks.  Most of these will go in a bin together for an Edyta project.

Here are more close to that second picture.  Since I took the pictures of my mess in the basement, I now have a good sized bin filled with the ones I would most likely use.  Want to add some other fabrics besides batiks, also.

Here are some pretty more "solid" colors and although they won't be in  with the more muted ones, I love the lovely colors here

 and in this bunch. There are quite a few other piles and bins of batiks,  but you all know how that is!   Don't you just love color?   Now I have to get myself ready to go to a meeting for our quilt show and then do some shopping for a package to send to Africa to my favorite 22 year old granddaughter!!  (Click to enlarge)

My Fat Quarters from Janet

Last week I won a giveaway from Janet at http://ahugdelights.blogspot.com/ and it came in the mail yesterday.  The fabric is by Moda and it is beautiful - Moda is my favorite!  And Janet's blog is one of my favorites, also.  Drop by and read her blog - you won't be disappointed.  Thank you so much for the generous gift!!  I will find something fun to do with it.  (Click to enlarge)

And there won't be a post on Hannah's blog this week - she has been busy and will take this week off.  I had an e-mail from her and she is doing great.  Sherry talked to her one morning and Hannah had received the first box sent so now has her bible, vitamins, and a sweatshirt among other items.  She said she had the sweatshirt on and it "smelled like home".  That brought a tear to my eye!! 

Pretty, Pretty Fabric

 Here is a group of Christmas fabrics - I think they are really pretty.  Don't they look as if they are all from the same place?  I think they look just like a "line" from one of the fabric companies.

 . 

Actually, they are from two very different places.   In the following two pictures, they are separated to show where each group came from.



This group I bought today at Joann's - I first spotted the third from the top piece and thought it was so pretty.  As I was looking at the rest of the bolts I noticed some of the others that had the same colors and were coordinated.  Checking the ends of the bolts, they were all marked something like "Holiday Inspirations".  The polka dot is wonderful and so is the the one that looks like candy cane pieces.  A nice stripe would make a great binding, too.  When I got them home, I thought it was a shame there weren't more darker color prints.  Then I had a light bulb moment---



I thought of some Moda fabric I found on sale at Hancock's of Paducah's website.  I had ordered four or five one yard pieces and two charm packs with the intent of making some table runners for Christmas.  When I went down to the basement to get them, they blended right in with the pieces from Joann's.  You cannot tell them apart when it comes to the feel of the fabric and also the colors are right on.  Some of the charm pack pieces and also one of the yardages will be going in a BOM I have been saving each month called Snowbound which is by the same designer that did Tisket A Tasket.  It should be a cute piece, also.   Fun to find something unexpected - and it was on sale, too!  (Click to enlarge)

A Couple of Things

Earlier in the month, I sent an order to Hancocks of Paducah and ordered some - what else? - fabric including these three charm packs. They are all really pretty, but I just love the Bliss and hope to get some more of that line. Not sure what I will do with them, but charm packs are enough to make tote bags or tablerunners or small wall hangings. Moda fabrics are my favorite!

Then I have been doing some embroideries of flapper age girls in hats. Found some drawings on line and hopefully can turn them into a cute wallhanging.

This one is almost finished. I plan to do two or three more to go with these two pretty little gals. I also bought myself a birthday present in the form of a lightbox which I really love. It is so much easier tracing patterns with the box.

This morning I put the rows of the posey quilt together so that is ready to be pressed and made into the quilt sandwich for quilting. The teacup wallhanging is pinned and ready to be quilted so I am getting back into my little sewing niche. (Click to enlarge)

Something's Missing

Several weeks ago, I ordered a big - really big - ribbon tied group of fat quarters from Hancock of Paducah. It has been here for a few days now and I have not untied the bow to see what all is inside. However, I like what I see.

As I have said before, when it comes to quilting I do not just have one area that is my main interest. I work more with some types of fabric sometimes - but love it all. Lately, I have been drawn to Civil War prints. Now isn't that a great stack of fabric?

And Christmas, I love Christmas, but the last couple of weeks before the actual day are pretty hectic even when you are an old lady and don't do all the things you used to do. This year I have been sidelined a bit with a cold and have done lots of lazing around and spinning my wheels. However, I am feeling much better and certainly can't complain as I have been so blessed with good health. I did get my cards out and packages off that needed to be sent. I still have a little shopping to do and there is still plenty of time for that. I will be with Sherry, Barclay and Hannah Christmas Eve and with them at Deb and Steve's (their bffs - great people!!) so I will being making a red cake (that is my specialty) as my contribution to dinner. Therefore, I do not have a lot of cooking to do.

So what is missing? I haven't been sewing! That will all change after the Christmas celebration. I will just relax, get done what I need to do and enjoy this lovely season! The Civil War prints (and all the other fabric down in the basement) will be there waiting to be cut and sewn. (Click to enlarge)

Two Arrivals at my House Yesterday

Just got home a little while ago from a fun trip to the Detroit area with Kathy, Stephanie and Barbara and visits to five (or was it six) great quilt shops full of wondrous fabrics and various other goodies that quilters adore. An absolutely beautiful sunny day that could not have been improved upon weatherwise. Two great meals out - this evening at Zehnder's in Frankenmuth.
How I enjoy going along for such a fun time and it makes me feel so good that the gals ask me.
Even getting a little lost for a while was fun!! Above is what came in the mail yesterday - I was answering e-mails from Hancock's of Paducah again and sent for these great charm squares - all but one half price. Can't beat that! These gorgeous peonies came to me from my daughter, Sherry, last evening. Hers have just started blooming and she brought me a great bouquet. They are so pretty every year. Now I am going to get into some soft clothes and sit on the couch! (Click to enlarge)

It's Sooooooooo Pretty!

I am on Hancock's of Paducah's e-mail list and it gets me in trouble sometimes. There are always some things on sale and, of course, a lot that is not. Recently, I have really been taken by the "romantic" fabric that I see on some of the blogs. The Polka Dot Girls book that I bought has a setting for a quilt that uses the lovely, flowery, pastels.

So, listed in the sale items were precut fabrics - jelly rolls, charm packs, fat quarters and layer cakes. There is one more now - something like "muffins" which I think is fat eighths. Two of the Moda layer cakes were on sale half price. Since they are $35.00 or more that is a good deal. So I ordered Kashmir and Sweet, two lines by Moda. For anyone who reads my blog and doesn't quilt, a "layer cake" is a package of 10" pieces of fabrics, usually about 40, so there is a lot that can be done with them. Then, I saw Aviary - gorgeous! Not on sale, but I went for it anyway. Fedex brought them yesterday.

Isn't it a good feeling to get new fabric - like we need it or something? (Click to enlarge)

Some More "Much Needed" Fabric

You know what? I really have to live on for another 20 years at least to use up my fabric! And it's hard to resist books, also. This one I spotted on someone's blog and thought it looked interesting so I checked out Amazon and found it there. This book is by two women who have a quiltshop in Australia. Have noticed when browing through blogs that many of them are by Australians and they do really great work. Stitchery is also very big there - and in

Europe, also. So many fun things to do. Sometime back I went with some of the girls over to the eastern part of Michigan and we stopped at a little quiltshop called Pig Patch Farm (there were others, too, of course!). It was a great little shop. I have since ordered several times from their website - they are very prompt with their shipping. I found these pieces on sale so ordered a half yard of each. Love the colors and they are all from one collection. Have no idea what I will do with them, but one day will pull other pieces from my stash and use them with the above pretty fabric. The little shop does not have a huge selection, but I enjoy checking it out once in a while.

Now these are fabrics I will work with soon. Part of these came from Pig Patch Farm and part from Wish Upon a Quilt. I am thinking of traditional applique with these darling prints and some coordinating solids. You know, maybe I should try for thirty more years instead of twenty! (Click to enlarge)

Batiks!

Have spent most of the day in the basement going through my batiks - they were really in need of some sorting out. I think it's hard to know how to group them - so many have multiple colors and look so good with lots of other pieces. I have a few that I don't know where in the heck to ever use them and some of those I will just get rid of. There are some very pretty ones down there for sure. I never buy very big pieces - usually no more than a half yard unless I know I need more for borders, etc. My love is scrappy quilts - the more different fabrics I have in a quilt the better I like it so I don't use large amounts of the same fabric. So, right now my basement "studio" is in a bigger mess than usual. I took some pictures and will post a few. Still have several boxes to go through but decided to give it up for today. By the way, just to the right edge of the top picture is the ribbon with the dogwood blossom that my quilt "Blooms in the Night" wore home from Paducah in 1992! (Click to enlarge)