More Mingei Museum quilts

So glad you could join me again as we tour the quilts recently on display at the Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park, San Diego, CA. Let's head up to the second floor!

Charm Quilt - Thousand Pyramids 1880s

Up here we find on display wonderful folk art items from each of the 50 states.  The first quilt is this amazing scrap quilt from Connecticut.  See how the top and bottom rows are done with just muslin and grey print to make a border, while the rest is a delightful scrappy mix?

Our next quilt is from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  This signature quilt has the names of members of the Bean family embroidered on each block in a lovely cross-stitch.  So different from the usual running stitch embroidered signatures that one usually sees on a quilt.

The colors are unusually vibrant for a quilt of this age and it is in excellent condition.  It is also unusually loosely quilted for a quilt dated 1858.  I would have guessed 1970's at first glance.

Signature Quilt - Bean Family 1858

Album Quilt - Mrs. Stephen MacDonald (Sarah Jane Trigg)
1850, Ellicott City, Maryland
Maryland Historical Society Collection

Here is a wonderful Baltimore Album quilt from Maryland. I am constantly amazed at this style of quilt.  The detailed applique truly is a work of art, and something I never would have the patience to attempt.  

Which block is your favorite?  The eagle in the second row, the wreath of grapes in the top row, or the floral basket next to it are three of my favorites.

A little farther along we find this Hexagon Star quilt from Virginia.  Tightly quilted in diagonal parallel lines, this quilt is scrappy and fun.  It's called a charm quilt, which indicates no two fabrics in the hexagons are alike.  I didn't check to see if that was true, but I found one red hexagon that was a 'make do,' with a little seaming to add a bit more of a different fabric to make it fit.  Our quilting sisters didn't hesitate to make little fixes like that, and they didn't hide them in the corners either!

Hexagon Stars Charm Quilt 1880s

Nearby, from West Virginia, is this sweet 1920's quilt made from a published pattern.  I love the log cabin center medallion and the fence post borders.  Such soft colors!  It is densely quilted with cross-hatching and scallops.  Another puzzle for me, as this one is also labeled as a signature quilt.  I'm so used to that meaning a quilt with multiple names on it, but clearly that is not the case here.

Signature Quilt - Cora Teets 1920's - 1030's
West Virginia

Housetop Quilt 1920's
Gees Bend, Alabama

Oh my!  Here's a quilt from Gee's Bend, Alabama! This distinctive quilting style, which began on a cotton plantation owned by Joseph Gee, and attained international attention about 10 years ago, mixes bold colors, asymmetry and improvisation.  A uniquely African American art.  

This quilt is a bit more subdued in color than many others of it's style.  What do you think the "A" in the center is for?  Alabama?  

Here's another in a similar style.  This one is called the Hired Man's Quilt and was made in Louisiana by an African American quilt maker. Very densely quilted, this quilt has a pleasing mixture of solids and scraps in soft, worn colors.  Looking at the photo, I see something I did not see in the museum.  The initials B. K. might be seen amid the plaids.

Hired Man's Quilt  c. 1925 Louisiana

One more quilt in this group, and it's very unusual.  It's made from Socks!  Yes, stocking tops.  The W.B. Davis Hosiery Factory in Fort Payne, Alabama made socks.  The 'tops' were made separately from the 'feet' and were sold by the pound.  Ida Jones, the maker of this quilt, acquired the tops from her sister-in-law who worked at the factory.  The backing was acquired from the Agricultural Extension office as part of a New Deal program to aid farm women. Ida made two sock top quilts.  The other one is in the Smithsonian Institution.  High praise indeed, Ida! The knit fabrics must have been tough to work with but I imagine it is one soft, cuddly quilt. The sock tops are hand quilted in an overall basket-weave.

Sock Top Quilt, Ida Jones
Fyffe, Alabama 1934
Alabama Department of Archives and History

That's all for now.  One more museum post to come next week.  Thanks for joining me!

A trip to the Mingei

We made a quick trip to San Diego this past weekend to see family and say 'good-bye' to my dearly loved Aunt Kay.  Between family events, the unusually rainy weather had us looking for some indoor activities.  The Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park was the perfect place for this quilter to spend an hour or two.

After requesting permission, I was able to take photos of many of the quilts on display and would love to share them with you.  So, lets take a walk together through the museum!

Signature quilt top with applique
Rochester, New York, 1911 

At the entry we're greeted with this beautiful applique red and white quilt.  The sign indicated it was a gift to the Mingei Museum from Pat L. Nickols in 2012.  I did not notice any signatures on the quilt, so am a bit puzzled by it's designation as a signature quilt top rather than a sampler quilt top.

Do you ever wonder what stories these tell?  What did each of these blocks represent to the quiltmaker?  Some might be easy to identify: a tulip, an oak leaf, a basket, a music lyre, snowflakes.   Several blocks have a five-pointed star.  Others are more puzzling - is that a cemetery monument in the lower left corner?

Don't you think the center medallion block opens up the quilt and helps your eye see each of the other blocks as individuals?

Child's quilt - ocean waves variation
1890's - 1920's

As we walk farther into the museum there is a room dedicated to red and white quilts, all collected by Pat L. Nickols.  Though other quilts were simply hung on the walls, this baby quilt had Plexiglas protecting it from curious hands.

We are lucky to have stopped in, because the red and white quilt display was only going to be there one more day and taken down January 10, 2016.   The book Red and White Quilts: Infinite Variety, about the popular New York exhibition of quilts in 2011, is on sale in the museum gift shop but the $60 price tag is too steep for me.

Unique quilt with Redwork Embroidery c.1900s

This beautiful redwork quilt is our next stop. Such a delightful collection of embroideries.  Farm animals, swans, beavers, kittens, dogs, birds and flowers as well as several children.  I wonder if the portrait of the girl near the center represents the quilt maker, or perhaps the recipient of the quilt?  Did she embroider her own drawings?  or copy patterns from magazines or books?

Signature quilt - drunkards path
Mary C. Downing  c. 1896

Our next quilt is Drunkard's Path.  Look at that cute prairie-point edging!  It appears that several different solid red fabrics were used to make this quilt.  Some have held up better than others, with some shredding, and others fading to various degrees.  You can see there isn't any quilting through the alternate blocks, and I wonder if this was a summer coverlet.

This quilt is also identified as a signature quilt, though I see no names on it.  Are they using the term 'signature' to mean 'significant?' or is there a quilt label on the back that has a signature? So many things yet to learn.

Finally, a quilt not made by 'Anonymous' -- though there are way too many Mary C. Downings listed in US Census records on Ancestry to figure out which one is our quilter without more information.

On to Baskets!

The next two quilts are basket quilts.  The first is called Cherry Baskets, and each has an applique handle.  How interesting that the blocks are set asymmetrically.  Two rows to the left, two rows upright and three rows to the right.  If quilts could talk, I would ask why the quilt maker decided to use that arrangement.  Today we're so trained to make our quilts symmetrical.  I'm sure I would have felt I had to put three rows upright in the center, or more likely, have all the baskets facing the same direction. No such compulsion for quilters of a century ago! This quilt is heavily quilted throughout, with echo quilting inside the basket handles and parallel lines in the alternate blocks.

Unique quilt- cherry basket variation
c. 1880-1910

 

Unique quilt - grape baskets
Illinois - c.1890s

The pieced Grape Baskets are also heavily quilted, with feather wreaths in the alternate blocks and feather and cross-hatching on the borders.  Don't you love the sawtooth border?

Finally we come to two pinwheel quilts.

Unique quilt top - pinwheel or flutterwheel
c. 1890-1910

Flutterwheel, an unquilted top, is actually made up of nine-patch blocks (5 pinwheels and 4 solids) put together with sashing of the same dimension and  pinwheel cornerstones.  It has so much motion and looks so crisp!

Unique quilt - pinwheel
c. 1890-1910

The last quilt in the red and white quilt room is this adorable pinwheel quilt.  Can you see that the quilt maker joined the red and white border strips first, and then added them to the quilt?  The borders are quilted in a simple cable design which gives a nice soft contrast to all the angles and points in the pattern.

Thanks for joining me on the museum tour.  Don't you just want to dig through your stash and find some red and white fabrics to play with?  Soooo tempting!

Next time we'll go upstairs and see what quilts await us there!

Starting with two

So excited to see the reveal of Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Quilt "Allietare" before we headed up north to celebrate New Year's Day!  While the men were ice fishing, I put together the first two blocks.  I LOVE how they look!  I knew I couldn't make a large quilt, but I'll be making it as large as I can.  I just shopped my stash, and whenever I run out of one of the fabrics, that's where I'll have to stop.  Since I'm using a directional fabric for my center red block, I think that my quilt will be straight-set rather than on-point.  After I get a few more blocks done I'll make that decision.  It might depend upon whether it looks too strange to have those little people walking down (or up) a 45 degree hill!

Allietare blocks in the snow.

I also discovered that I didn't pay enough attention to 'pressing issues' when I was working on these.  Thought I had read and followed directions, but half of the blocks didn't play nicely together when I joined them all together.  Time to go back and re-read.  Sometimes I can be just as bad as Hubby - not reading directions!

Not much quilting will be done here in January.  We have a busy travel month including quick visits to San Diego, CA and San Antonio, TX.  Just carry-on luggage, so no extra room for sewing projects.  I'll just have to bring a camera & sketch book and see what inspiration I can bring back to share with you.

Linking up Monday with Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville.  Stop in and see what some of those amazing quilters have made!

Super Sunday

A one-yard piece of a darling copyrighted print that I received from my sister-in-law while she was clearing out her sewing area to move to a new house inspired this generous lap quilt.  The conversation print is adorable children dressed in various NFL team shirts.  (I'm not taking a close-up because of the copyright.)  It had been in her stash for years, and was leftover from something she made her son who is 26 years old now!

I wanted to feature the print, so a snowball block was just the ticket.  Alternate blocks are four-patches, but each one features the team colors of a different NFL team.  Well, almost. There is one more block than there are teams, so my hometown Vikings got two blocks.  Vikings purple for the border, and bright gold for cornerstones, binding and fleece backing finish it off.

Should be a cozy cuddle quilt to use while watching the game on Sundays.  Can you find the block with your favorite team's colors?

This quilt might go down as the last finish for the year for me.  From now until the New Year the schedule looks pretty packed. Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Allietare 1, 2, 3

I just don't have time to start another of Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilts.  No matter how much I love them.

And I cant justify making another bed-size quilt top when I have several tops still in the pile to be quilted.

Hmm.... I might have some of that color in my stash..  that one too...  and here's a great print that has all the colors in it and would make a nice border...

Maybe if I just cut two strips of each of the clues and make a small quilt?  And less scrappy for a change?

And so it begins.....

Allietare steps 1, 2 and 3

If you can have Christmas in July...

Last week I was zipping through the local Salvation Army thrift store and, low & behold, they had a new small section of fabric!  This sweet little patriotic stripe that had been in someone's stash since 1995 or so, found a new home at my house.  And about 3/4 yard of navy with tan stars came home too.

I could hardly wait to start making a table runner with a 4th of July patriotic theme, and here it is, December in Minnesota.  Well, if they can have a "Christmas in July" sale at the fabric store, I can have "July at Christmas" can't I?

Finished table runner
41-1/2 x 17 inches

This was so easy to make!  Two seams plus a border.  Seriously!

Here's a quick tutorial if you come across a fabric with wide stripes and want to make your own table runner.

The stripes in this fabric are exactly 1-inch wide, so the math to figure out the proportion for the blue star field was pretty easy:  A rectangle cut 6-1/2 x 10-inches worked out perfectly.

The fabric was 66-inches long and I cut a 7 1/2 inch strip for each runner:  four full red stripes, with a 1/4 inch seam allowance on each side for a total of 7 1/2 inches.

I was able to cut 5 table runners out of this one 66-inch length of fabric, so I'll have a few on hand for hostess gifts and door prize donations.  Sweet!

Next, I measured down 9 1/2 inches from one end of the strip
and folded the fabric back on itself to that line. 

 Cut along the fold.

Trim the most of one red stripe off the shorter piece,
leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance.
This gives you 13 stripes total.  Perfect!

Lay out your three pieces as shown.
Sew the blue stars to the shorter stripe piece.
Then, join that piece to the longer stripe piece.

Cut three 2 1/2-inch WOF (width of fabric) strips of a border fabric.  Add to the long sides first, then the short ends.  Cut three 2 1/2-inch WOF (width of fabric) strips of a binding fabric.  Cut one piece of backing fabric 18 inches by WOF.  I used two layers of flannel for the batting (1 yard).  

Quilt a triple zig-zag stitch at longest and widest setting on your machine along each of the stripes.  Quilt the field of stars in a diagonal straight stitch.  Quilt the border with a simple meander or stipple.

Tips: 

When stitching your stripe fabrics together, pay attention that you stitch right on the color line so it looks like seamless fabric when you're done.  If the seam is a hair too deep it's not a problem, but too shallow will give you a teeny extra stripe in there that you don't want.

Use a natural fiber batting in case someone sets a hot casserole or something on the table runner. Polyester batting could melt or get a 'flat spot' from excessive heat.

The Sheep and the Doves

File this one under "How did I ever get myself into this?"

The two local Churches where I am involved in music ministry have a joint Theater group.  It started out at choir rehearsal.  The woman purchasing fabric for costumes does not sew, and had some questions about what type of fabrics to buy.  I offered to go shopping with her, and somehow I ended up sewing costumes for the Christmas program! A far cry from all the quilting I had wanted to be doing this month.

Sheep: This looks much cuter on the kids than on the table!

But, it's been an enjoyable and challenging adventure.  My job was drafting patterns and making a dozen sheep and two dove costumes for some of the children in the children's choir.  They will be singing "The Friendly Beasts," and be surrounding the Shepherds during other parts of the performance.

"I," said the sheep, with the curly horn,
"I gave Him my wool for a blanket warm;
He wore my coat on Christmas morn."
"I," said the sheep, with the curly horn.

"I," said the dove from the rafters high,
"Cooed Him to sleep that He should not cry;
We cooed Him to sleep, my mate and I."
"I," said the dove from the rafters high.

The sheep were pretty easy.  We just tore 18-21-inch WOF strips of curly fake fur, and folded them in half.  The selvage edges became the bottom of the vest.  We stitched up side seams leaving 10 inches open top and bottom on each side.  Then, using a sweatshirt pattern to get the right shape/size, we cut a neck hole in the fold.  The children will be wearing purchased black long-sleeve t-shirts and black pants.  They just pop one of these little vests over their heads, put on a white felt hood with ears, and TA-DA!  Sheep, as cute as can be.

Dove front

An old 1970's cape pattern was used to get the shape for the dove wings.  Drafting this pattern idea was a little trickier than the sheep, but I think it will do.  The fabric is some type of chiffon with swirls and rosettes stitched on top from the 'bridal fabrics' department.  I do think it gives a lot of texture to the wings.

Some stitch-and-cut made partial sleeves to help carry the weight of the cape, and, those doves can flap their wings!   A feathered mask and sparkly white t-shirt finish up the costume.  Good thing I took a photo of one for you!  When I put it on a hanger I discovered the weight of the cape was a bit much for the t-shirt, and decided to tack the cape at the shoulder seam as well as the neckline.  

Dove back

I'm excited to see the whole performance come together.  (As the guitarist, I've only seen the songs which I will be playing so far.)  There are over 20 children, and 35 adults taking part.  They will tell the Christmas Story through acting, choral and congregational singing.  There will be a fair amount of humor, if I know this group.  Can't wait to hear what the Wise Men's Wives have to say about their husbands taking off to follow a Star!  (By the way, we bought some lovely brocade fabrics for their gowns!)

I'd better get going....rehearsal at 8 PM tonight!

"Fear Not!  Reflections at the Manger"

an original performance by the Heaven Help Us Players

Friday, December 18, 2015  6 PM

Nativity of Mary Church

9900 Lyndale Ave. S.

Bloomington, MN

and

Saturday, December 19, 2015   6 PM

St. Bonaventure Church

901 East 90th Street

Bloomington, MN