Jane, Tarzan and Cheetah

Tonight at the guild Christmas dinner, three of the four of us who trade the ATCs exchanged cards. Julie and I had both done posts about our cards so we knew that our great minds were in the same channel. However, when Clair came up with her card ----- there was Cheetah!! How fun is that? Debby wasn't there tonight - she is traveling - and now we wonder if she is doing Boy? Wasn't he with Tarzan, too? (Click to enlarge)

An Old Crazy Quilt Piece

I found this old crazy quilt piece in some of Ray's mother's things. It had to be an old pillowtop that had been taken apart. At one time, I am sure it was beautiful. The fabrics are mainly velveteen and the embroidery stitches are lovely, but the velveteen is worn and weak and the stitches broken and some of the floss is missing. One of the center pieces evidently had two painted flowers as a feature but they are almost gone.

The turquoise blue is very pretty and seems to have held up best of all. You can see how some of the stitching is just gone between the pieces.

Here is a part that probably was just lovely when it was new.

This shows the backing and more of the front. The fancy stitching here is very pretty. I have no idea who made this nor where Clemie got it. So many unknowns out there. Just thought you might enjoy this little piece of the past in the world of needleworkers. (Click to enlarge)

December ATCs

The theme for our artist trading cards this month is "Jungle Boogie" and here are my cards. I found this darling little "Jane" on the internet and also the cute background on another website. Jane is cutout and mounted with a little piece of sticky foam that scrapbookers use to make her stand away from the card but that doesn't show up in the picture very well. (Click to enlarge)

Those Joann Coupons

Don't those Joann coupons just burn a hole in your pocket? Seems almost like you have to use the darned things and it is so hard to find something not on sale already. A couple of days before I went to Kansas City I found this book -
and it is absolutely beautiful. The patterns are so very pretty and the quilt artist used batiks and regular fabrics in her blocks. I think they are splendid.

Even though I have done many different types of blocks in the many years I have been quilting and liked all of them, I have never found anything I love more than applique.

This quilt, although there is only one block of applique, is absolutely a stunner. The colors just scream out at me - and what a lovely bit of photography with the stones and the green hydrangeas. It's a mystery to me how I will ever get all the quilts made that are in my head -maybe I will have a senior moment and forget about them!! Just joshing! (Click to enlarge)

Fashion Friday

I have two old Spiegel catalogs that I saved - one from 1961 and one from 1965. A week or so ago I did a post on my other blog related ot the oldest one. By far the most interesting fact about the catalogs is what was not in them - no digital cameras, cd players, etc. In fact, there have been a lot of things that have come and gone since then. In the picture above is an example of the dresses - and the prices - that were popular at the time along with the hairdos. Actually, I really liked that style a lot and remember having a bright red one.

I started thinking about sizes - I cannot remember for the life of me ever seeing any size 0, 2 or 4 in stores back then. Size 6 and 8 were very tiny and 10 and 12 were just about perfect. So I turned to the size chart in the old catalog------------

and look - size 5 is smaller than size 0 today. Sizing has been changed drastically in the 48 years since the old catalog was published. So this can either make a person feel better about the size being worn - or lots worse when you think about what it would have been had sizes not been changed. I don't even want to think about what my size would be on the old chart!!! (Click to enlarge)

A Great Tip I Got From Kathy

I hope you can get an idea from these pictures how to sandwich the layers of a quilt using a great tip I got from one of the girls in our guild who does just beautiful machine quilting. She uses little strips of fusible web to hold everything together. I actually took the web from the release paper of wonder under and cut little strips, laid them on the batting (starting in the center) then unfolded the top and ironed it to the batting. I was careful not to press the embroidery that I had in the blocks. It only takes a few strips for each side - the middle, and left and right sides.

If you enlarge this, you can see the web, I think. Otherwise, it sure is a blank canvas, right?

After you have put down the web, fold the back over and iron. Presto, it's all ready to go to the machine. Thanks, Kathy!! It's a keeper. (Click to enlarge)

Back Home Again

Returned home late last night from Kansas City after a great weekend with my family. My new grandson's mother spends time house and pet sitting in a wonderful home overlooking the Country Club Plaza which is lit and ablaze with Christmas lights on Thanksgiving night for the season. On Friday night, she had us all down for wine and snacks - what fun. It was almost like a repeat of Norah and Chad's wedding on Mackinac Island in September. Here are my three granddaughters - I kind of like them!!!! Will post more later. Hope you all had a great holiday, also. Now on to Christmas - and it will arrive quickly! (Click to enlarge)