One of my all-time favorite quotes is by Louisa May Alcott.  When I was learning calligraphy in a college class I practiced my skills on this quote, “Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations.  I may not reach them but I can look up and see their beauty and try to follow where they lead.”  I framed that piece and it hangs in my sewing room. I think that reflects my quilting style.  I have aspirations and dreams of quilts to design and make.  I buy fabric to begin the journey.  I put the fabric, design idea or pattern or book in a tote and put it on the shelf.  Periodically I review my collection and renew my interest. The beauty of the fabrics catch my eye once again and I bring it to the sewing area. It may become a reality or it may be enjoyed visually and then be put back on the shelf for further deliberation.

The pieces pictured here are a result of my love of collecting and dyeing vintage linens as well as fabrics. Often I dye the fabric and then select the linens to coordinate but this time I was dyeing a large collection of “gifts” from friends and liked the result so much that I repeated with the yardage (several yards).  I had an idea because the colors reminded me of summer sunsets.  From idea to design and now in the cutting stage and ready to start sewing.  Don’t hold your breath for the finished quilt as I have some other self-imposed deadlines but a top will be

finished soon.

     

 

There are still openings for the Friday, June 7 Fabric Dyeing Workshop, Color By Design. Grab a friend and plan to have a fun time dyeing your own fabric in addition to the fabric provided.   Check out the information below.

This past week I had the opportunity to chat with the two sisters who authored the book “While the Windmill Watched”.  It’s their story of growing up in the 50’s in North Dakota but it has sparked such interest that they now do a recorded “chat” every Monday evening with guests recounting ties to or memories of the 50’s. This last week of January it was my turn to share stories related to quilting.  It’s a 30-45 minute chat you can tune in for at www.whilethewindmillwatched.com at 8pm central time.  Look for 1950’s Fun Chat on their website.  It’s a little bit personal memories, a little bit quilt history, and a lot of lighthearted conversation all about quilts. Past recordings are available so you can check out other guests with a wide variety of topics being covered.

So what is your favorite story from the 50’s?? I had the good fortune to have a grandmother and three great aunts who were very good quilters and practiced their craft almost daily.  While I don’t have a pristine quilt with any of their stitches, I have samples of their needlework in other forms that I treasure. Their work did inspire one of the quilts featured in my book, “Hand Me Down Quilts”.  Using the traditional blocks and a novelty print featuring fashions from the 50’s I designed the quilt titled “ Ode to the Quilter’s of ‘57”.  A quilt is one way we can share our stories, preserve our memories and, perhaps, even inspire the next generation.