McKim Studios - Ruby Short McKim Revival: 2016 CELEBRATION

Click on the photo to visit the website!

16 Marks the 100th aniversary of Ruby Short McKim's 1st published Quilt Pattern, Quaddy Quiltie, in 1916. - See more at: http://www.mckimstudios.com/12celebration/2016celebration.shtml#sthash.FCSxKjSx.fAAvRmwM.dpuf

2016 Marks the 100th aniversary of Ruby Short McKim's 1st published Quilt Pattern, Quaddy Quiltie, in 1916. - See more at: http://www.mckimstudios.com/12celebration/2016celebration.shtml#sthash.FCSxKjSx.fAAvRmwM.dpufDid

Did you know that 2016 marks the 100th Anniversary of the publication of Ruby Short McKim's first published quilt pattern, 'Quaddy Quiltie' in 1916.

Visit the website to learn more and join the celebration!

Ruby Short McKim's 1st published Quilt Pattern, Quaddy Quiltie, in 1916. - See more at: http://www.mckimstudios.com/12celebration/2016celebration.shtml#sthash.FCSxKjSx.fAAvRmwM.dpuf

2016 Marks the 100th aniversary of Ruby Short McKim's 1st published Quilt Pattern, Quaddy Quiltie, in 1916. - See more at: http://www.mckimstudios.com/12celebration/2016celebration.shtml#sthash.FCSxKjSx.fAAvRmwM.dpu

'Drezden Daizies'

May I take this opportunity to introduce 'Drezden Daizies'.

2012 AQSG Study of Colonial Revival Quilts from the Early 20th Century

Have you ever come up against a deadline
for a project that just had to get done?
I have.
'Drezden Daizies' made its deadline by way
a technique I call 'applique-quilting'!

Look closely and compare Drezden Daizies with it's inspiration quilt top.
What do they both have in common?
Dresden Plates - yes!

Dresden Plate quilt top - unfinished

In fact, very similar Dresden Plates.
Each Dresden in the quilt top is duplicated in a smaller size in the wall hanging.
How is that possible?

Originally my plan was to scan each of the Dresden Plates into my computer.

Unfortunately they were too large to fit on my scanner bed.

So, I took a photo of each block in the quilt top ...
plus the one extra Dresden Plate that came with it ...
and loaded the photos into the computer.

The top (folded), extra block and a fabric printed image.

With a little Photoshop tweaking each one was printed on fabric in a variety of sizes.

The printed fabric pieces were layered with a lightweight fusible interfacing
with the printed side of the fabric facing the fusible side of the interfacing.

Each Daizy was free-motion stitched following the scalloped edge
of the printed image which was visible through the interfacing.

Each flower was trimmed about 1/8" from the stitching line...

cut a slit in the center of the interfacing...

and turned them right side out
carefully making sure the interfacing would not show.

 

The background was made from an actual Pratt's feed sack.

I cut the feed sack down a bit and used the left over fabric for the outer border.

 The blue inner border is made from the same vintage fabric used in the inspiration piece.
An actual vintage doily was cut in half and stitched into the border seam to add some some dimension.

A little fussing with a red toile print helped create a pitcher that gives the impression of an old red transfer ware pitcher.

Love the red polka dots!

With the key elements in place the Daizies were arranged
in a way that was pleasing to me.

They were then fused them into place.

Rick-rack trim was used to create stems.

 Leaves were created using the same technique used for the flowers before fusing them into place.

(Since I was rushing through this project I did not take many photos of the process. Sorry!)

I then layered the top with cotton batting and the backing fabric.

With all three layers together I appliqued the elements to the quilt while quilting at the same time.

I call this technique applique-quilting.
I stitched around the perimeter of each Daizy and over each would-be seam to create flowers with petals. Details of the leaves and the pitcher were also applique-quilted in a similar manner stitching in details for each.
The rick-rack is stitched down the center.
The background is grid quilted and the border got the quickest feathers I could possibly do at 10:30 p.m. the night before I was schedule to catch a 6:00 a.m. flight from an airport more than 1 hour away.

If you are interested in my quilt or others that appeared in the same exhibit of quilts
inspired by the Early 20th Century Quilt Revival look for

 

Revival!: A Study of Early 20th Century Colonial Revival Quilts

by the American Quilt Study Group

The Colonial Revival era linked quiltmakers’ busy hands with a longing for the past, especially Colonial times. Member of the American Quilt Study Group accepted the challenge to study quilts of this era by making reproductions of Colonial Revival quilts from the early 20th century. Included in the book are 28 study quilts, with patterns for 10. Fifteen of the 28 quilts are traveling across the country in a special exhibit.

8 1/2 x 11 inches, softcover, 96 pages

Happy quilting!

Greta

Blogger's Quilt Festival - Spring 2014 - Mini Quilt Entry

Thank you to Amy Ellis of Amy's Creative Side for organizing the Blogger's Quilt Festivals.
It is a biannual event held during quilt market in the Spring and Fall.
Please click on the link below to visit the

Blogger's Quilt festival - Spring 2014 

where you will find LOTS of inspiration!

 

I have enjoyed viewing the quilts entered in previous Festivals.
This is my first entry.
Please check out all of the participants' entries.
Every single entry is wonderful!
Best wishes to all the talented quilters out there!!!

The Blogger's Quilt Festival categories include:

Mini, Small, Large, Applique, Art,

Hand Quilted, Home Machine Quilted,

Modern, Original Design, ROYGBIV, Scrappy

  I thought it would be fun to enter

 my Feathered Star quilt that I named
"Sweetheart"

The finished size is a little less that 9 inches square
so you will find it in the
Mini Quilt Category.

Feathered Stars are one of my favorites.
I enjoy the challenge of piecing them in any size
using traditional methods for piecing Feathered Stars.

I machine quilted 'Sweetheart' with 100 wt. silk thread
on my Bernina Virtuosa 150.
The quilting is stitched at approximately 34 spi.

  

'Sweetheart' has 121 pieces in the block, plus 4 borders.
I drafted the quilt on paper and cut templates to size the pieces.
I don't do a lot of miniature quilts. When I do I sew pieces, like HSTs, in a larger size and cut them down to size before assembling the pieces into sections and the sections into the finished block.
The seams in this top were pressed open when necessary to facilitate assembly -- just like I would do with a much larger block.
Same techniques - smaller size.

The top was pieced about 7 or 8 years ago;
made from leftovers from another project.
The finished top was put away without being quilted
until earlier this year.
After a very stressful time in my life this little quilt
provided some much needed quilting therapy.

If you follow my blog you may have seen it before here.

 Voting for 'Viewer's Choice' takes place from May 24-29, 2014.
I would be honored if you would consider voting for my little 'Sweetheart.'

Sometimes It's Tough To Let Go...

Some time ago I decided to let go of things collected over the years that would have to remain in permanent storage if I kept them.  Mr. Splinters and I rented space in an antique mall for a couple of years which facilitated finding new homes for many of our treasures.  Yet there is still so much more . . . and we are still collecting which doesn't help!

So, I have been putting things up for adoption on Ebay and I am trying to get the word out to anyone who might be able to offer them a good home.  Our Ebay seller name is SplintersandThreads.

It is very difficult to let go of some of these things.  Seeing them again often reminds me of the excitement I felt the first time we met in an antique mall or thanks to a friend. It is not so easy to watch bids claim these things I still find inspiring; sometimes I want to cancel the listing. Instead, I console myself by taking lots of photos which will allow me to maintain the good memories long after they have moved in with their next inspired caregiver.

Little by little, I plan to continue to list goodies on Ebay over the next few weeks, months, years . . . whatever it takes to find them new homes. We just don't have room for everything!
 

Happy quilting and collecting,

Greta

Easter 2014

I hope everyone is having a wonderful day

spending time with family and/or friends.

Blessings all,

Greta

Splinters & Threads Antiques

Renovating an old house while living in it is not easy.  Especially since we downsized when we moved here.  We have about 900 square feet less than we had before.  Most everything except the basic essentials of daily living has remained in boxes waiting for the renovations to be completed.  However, there are a number of things that will never fit in this house so over the last few years we have begun to go through our storage space to decide what will stay and what will go.

To facilitate the elimination process of some of the antiques and collectables we gathered togethger over the last 30+ years, we decided to turn the focus of our business Splinters & Threads (Est.1994) to the sale of antiques.

I have missed our shop these last few months, but with Spring finally underway it is time to start focusing on selling again - at the shop, on Ebay and Etsy.  

One of the items going up for sale soon is this early hexagon quilt top piece.

 

It is in the same condition I found it in.

The center has a couple of fabrics that are albeit gone.

These fabrics came with the top piece - intended to be used to fix it I suppose.

I have not done anything with it in all the time I have owned it.

The hexagon pieces were most likely paper pieced...

though the papers are gone.

The hexagons are whip stitched together

with stitches that are almost invisible.

This top piece appears to have been the center of a larger top at one time.  The edges were obviously sewn to something.  I don't see any signs that it was ever quilted.  It is strong for its age which I would estimate to be early to mid 19th century based on the fabrics, or possibly later made by someone with a very deep scrap bag.

Splinters & Threads home office.

 Happy quilting!

Greta

Progress of Another Kind...

Not a lot of quilts are being worked on in my studio the last few days...

My Bernina and Featherweight are hiding under a sheet.

Boxes of fabric are blocking my embroidery machine.

Lumber is holding my design wall hostage.

As you can see in the photos, 

I occupy my studio space in spite of the pending renovations.

Even my cutting table has become a catchall for stuff.

That means that for any renovation progress to be made

my studio ends up a mess!

I have a huge window (3'x6') over my sewing table that faces north.

My view is our back yard and the woods behind us.

Soon there will be another nine square feet of windows 

installed above the cutting table for even more natural light.

Mr. Splinters is making room inside the wall to hide plumbing.

  Progress of another kind is being made though.

The kind of progress that brings us one step closer to finishing the renovations in my studio.

Who doesn't love a plumbing puzzle?

My job today is to put the plumbing pieces together so that we can close up this wall.

And then all of the other walls.

Eventually my wonderful 8' tall antique step back 

cabinet will sit in front of this plumbing-filled wall.

The cabinet will be filled with all the wonderful fabrics 

that have been in boxes far too long.

Right now the cabinet is the wood shop in the process of being refinished.

The ceiling installation.

The entire ceiling used to be only 7' high

which allowed space for some of the plumbing 

we now have to hide inside the wall.

Now, the ceiling slopes from 7' at the outside wall to a towering 10' 

where it is attached to the original 1870 house structure.

It is visible when entering the room.

I didn't want just any old ceiling.

It had to be something interesting, 

but not distracting.

We decided to use t&g v-groove boards that will be 

washed with a light-colored semi-transparent stain.

There is a stack of the ceiling boards piled up 

in our living room ready and waiting to finish the ceiling.

As soon as the plumbing wall is complete.

We have been working on this house for 11 years.

The end is finally becoming imaginable.

It will take us a few more years though because

Mr. Splinters and I do most of the work ourselves.

Goodies to be used in my finished space.

More evidence of my occupation.

Eventually my vests and other things will be displayed on a dress form.

I have upholstery fabrics ready to re-cover my wing chair.

And jars filled with wonderful things that look pretty on the shelves of my corner cabinet.

First things first ... the plumbing, walls, windows and ceiling 

need to be completed 

so that I can officially move in.

Happy quilting!

Greta

Doodle Blocks

I have a number of small quilts that I made over the years for one reason or another.

My tulip wandered a little outside the box...

This little appliqued tulip block represents one of the years I served on the a very special quilt show committee.

My thread tension was off on the web, but I sort of like the look.

In addition to the work we did to host an annual quilt show, committee members contributed their time and talents to create a raffle quilt. 

The proceeds from our show and the raffle quilt helped provide scholarships for students attending the the local community college.

I often include spiders and other surprise critters in my quilting.

Using leftover fabrics from the raffle quilt

each quilt show committee member made a block of their own to wear on our black pull-over vests during the show.

Inspiration for a bed-sized Dresden Plate quilt in my pile of PIPs.

These blocks represent two of the years I served on the committee.  

I never had time to quilt them way back when...

but it's been fun to go back and work on them

as quilting warm-up projects.

These two seem appropriate to share for a touch of spring.

I have lots of small pieces created over the years and plenty of sample blocks left over from various projects that work well to pull out and doodle with once in a while.

Brie has had some challenging days as of late.  

Today was a little better so I will be working through a little quilting therapy in my studio this evening.

Happy Quilting!

Greta