Sisters Quilt Show Years

I unearthed some photos of the Sister's Quilt Show, many, many years ago when it was still relatively on the small side before the crowds overtook and it became almost unbearable to attend.  Notice the older location of the store!  Certainly not the first location because that was practically a tiny hole in the wall.  But boy how it's grown in size and notoriety! 

One of my entries for the block contest and I happened to win the top too!

 

That's me in the HUGE bug-eye sunglasses, dressed very appropriately in my stylish quilt show t-shirt!

View of all the entries that year.  Opps, sorry no quilt top photo.  When I find it - I'll post it.  I think I still have the top.  I may have ripped off the binding fabric (I remember thinking about it) because in my opinion, well let's just say I didn't like it.  Never thought of actually finishing it either.  Those were the days when machine quilting was talked about out behind the barn and with a whisper so no one else would know you were one of those kinds of girls!

 

This was another of my block entries one year.

Yikes, it that the same t-shirt?  Must not of been able to afford a new one that year.

You can see there were many more entries than the previous year.

I think this is a photo I received of the winning top, that I didn't win.  Someone must have snitched on me that I didn't do the last one justice, that in fact I down right may have ripped it apart.  Oh my!

Oh, this little quilt was really a favorite of mine.  I've always loved little nine patch quilts.  Here it is hanging inside at the Sisters Show and I can't tell for sure, but I think that's some sort of judging sheet with a ribbon.  How nice.  I also think this was a class sample for Jessie's shop Quiltwork Patches, when I taught machine quilting there.  Boy, that was when I still lived in Springfield and drove up to Corvallis to teach.

OK - here's a workshop I took in Sisters from a woman and I can't think of her name right now.  I'll come back to this when I do.  She did fabulous quilts where she hand painted some of the fabric and made quilts around it and with it.  I absolutely loved her work.  Bought her book too!  It must be in all that stuff I still have stored.  This was what I worked on from a photo of my husband fishing in Alaska.  I recently came across this piece and have it around.  Has it progressed from this point in the photo you ask.  (I just took it out to look)  No, it's still at this point.  Is it something I think I'll finish someday. . . . well, yes.  I still have an interest in it and I know it will be a beautiful wall quilt someday.  Unless I die first.  But I think it would be perfect to hang in our new house, especially since we have that fishing theme going on!

New Directions

Our move from Marcola to Philomath happened around Dec. 1999.  The first photo is of me in my new "quilting room".  It's the first time I didn't have to sew off the dining room table and I didn't have to put my toys away after playing!!!

Another thing just crossed my mind, which I think I'll mention here.  Prior to moving from Marcola, Mike had been commuting to Corvallis for about 2 years.  So we were use to the area, had already changed Dr's because of insurance, knew the area for shopping, etc.  Not only that, Corvallis had a quilt shop.  Quiltwork Patches is where I found my 1st quilt shop teaching gig.  Jessie hired me on to teach machine quilting, and in the photo below you'll see one of my new (then) class samples that hung in the shop to advertise my class.  I loved that little quilt.  I wonder if I still have it around?  (since I drafted this post I've found it safe in storage)

I'll probably find a large number of things when I tackle the huge piles of plasic bins of stored fabric. . .  supplies, half finished projects and so forth,  in the next few weeks.  I'm sensing a renewed energy to go through things, sort, organize and eventually set up my new studio space in the new house once we decide to move in.  Now I'm just waiting for the wood floors and carpet to be installed.  Soon, very, very soon!

This quilt is all machine pieced, machine quilted, fused applique and has button embellishments!  This quilt was set to be made into a pattern and I think it's still worthy - I should put in on my list again!

This quilt was designed with a vision of my imaginary beach cottage, hanging above mantel of the painted white brick fireplace.  Fabrics were chosen based on the theme "sand and sea".  Machine pieced and machine quilted with a few seagull motifs, and real sea shells stitched onto the bottom border.  It remains in my private collection.  I still love this quilt.  Especially those aged antique blue reproduction fabrics.

One of the other cool items that I collect and have an embarrassing number of in my personal stash, is old flour sacks, feed sacks, and sugar sacks, and some misc. cotton sacks with graphics on them.  I pretty much stayed away from the florals, although a have a few of those as well.  I am always attracted to the graphic designs and the text for some reason.  One day I plan to photograph and catalog my entire collection.  One day!  Below on the left is a quilt that I designed for a friend around her favorite feed sack.  I've done a couple of these and called them "kitchen" quilts.  Karren, didn't I make this one for you???  Below on the right is the first one that I made for myself.  It's still in my private collection and as all the others, it's one of my favorites too.  The two photos below these quilts highlight the flour sack panel on the front (one of the keys to finding an approx. age to a sack is that, like this one, there's no zip code and the weight is 98lbs).

 

                    
This quilt was machine pieced and machine and hand quilted.  I chose to hand quilt the sack in the center of the quilt because it was one I really loved for it's graphics and it's aged color.  In the next photo of the back of the quilt, you can see another feed sack that all of the graphics, lettering, all except that red barn shape has dissapeared.  This type of sack often ended up being used as dishtowels or being made into aprons, or even clothing of the unmentionable type!

Here's a close up of one favorite graphic that has been replicated on many, many signs and other such memorabilia.  That pointing hand!  I love it.

The next quilt below was made as a dining room quilt for our Philomath house when we first moved in.  Somehow this quilt and myself ended up getting an interview and front page photo in the Benton Bulletin.

I think it also won a couple of ribbons, one at the Benton County Fair and one at the State Fair.

This quilt and the next quilt were both machine pieced and machine quilted.  The challenge with the one below was piecing all those little blocks and it really felt like quite the accomplishment when I'd finished that one!

The next quilt down also won some ribbons, but I can't for the life of me remember which one won what.  The joys of getting older I guess.

I think in these days I had little idea of what an "art quilt" might mean or maybe I hadn't even learned the term yet.  Probably I had admired some artistic types of quilts, but was so intimidated by my lack of artistic expression that there'd be no way that I'd ever dreamed I'd be doing and loving the stuff I drool over now.  No way.

The little quilts below measure about 12x12 or 14x14 - they're small and they were made for class samples at Jannilou's Quilt Shop in Philomath.  I had many happy years there teaching small quilt design, but mostly teaching free motion machine quilting!

Here are some happy little Christmas themed quilts.  I believe they were also class samples - - but on second thought they may have been made to sell.

Now this quilt. . . . I don't believe it's ever made it past this design board.  I think this was from a Roberta Horton Workshop at the Old Mill School but I may have to edit this once my memory comes back.

My, my - what a journey back in time this was for me.  I think this could take quiet awhile for me to journal all my past quilting memories and projects.  It's kinda like an archeological dig, unearthing little bits and pieces.  What a slow tedious process.

My Birthday Present This Year!

My husband surprised me with this sweet little gift last Friday.  What a treasure!  I had never heard of Singer Featherweights in "celery" color.  It was cool looking it up on the Internet and I can tell you it was a rare find, especially in the shape it's in. . . (well, I guess I should say after he oiled the heck out of it and worked on it).

I have to mention that when he first got it, he took it in to Jannilou's and Jan and Lou both gave him lot's of information, advise and encouragement that all it really just needed was some loving care and a good oiling!  Jan told me later that as they stood there talking about it, Mike wondering if it would ever really run again, she kept at the hand wheel, encouraging it to move and slowly it did start to budge.  That's all most of us need most of the time. . a nice gentle hand and an encuraging budge!!!  Thanks again Jan and Lou!

So as he gave it to me he told me the story about bringing it home and how at first it wouldn't work and how he had his doubts about it running at all.  But the good news was that it had been in storage for many, many years and wasn't hardly used by it's previous owner.  The case is in great shape (but lacking the key) and the accessory box with it's parts, is in great condition too.  The owners manual is in perfect condition!  Take a look. . . and might I add what a lucky woman I am to have such a wonderful husband (who also happens to collect a few of the black Featherweights along with me)!

Bad News - Good News

Well, the bad news is that the carpet layer came yesterday and talked Mike out of laying the old carpet in my room.  Berber is harder to seam and this would have needed multiple seams to make it work.  More seams, more time, more $$ and he said if it were him he wouldn't use that carpet piece because of the wear.

And Mike and I were both so excited to have me move in and have a special place to start creating in.  But the good news is that all along I resisted the idea of installing the old carpet then later having new carpet in the hall butt up against the old.  I wanted all one carpet so that it would all flowwwwwww and look like a new house should look.  Another kink in the (carpet at all in that room) thought process, is that I do plan on painting in that room.  Painting on fabric, painting on paper and whatever else strikes my creative urges.  I was wondering if linoleum wouldn't be better with an area rug over by the guest bed.  Guess I'll just have to be really careful or take the dye paints out in the garage with a large tarp.  I'm sure I'll work it out somehow.

So, for now I have to wait to move in and will continue to daydream about what it will be like to finally be all set up and working down there.

This is the view out of the South window, looking out over the Alsea River at the bend.  The day I took this photos it was busy with fishing boats passing by, lingering in the favorite hole at the beginning of the bend.  Through the double windows I have a panoramic view to the West, East & South East.  I love looking across the river at the pastures and the hills.

A Dream Come True

It's way past time to update this blog and I have big news!  After over 6 years building on our new house my husband is installing the temp. kitchen cabinets (old ones taken out of the old MH we tore down), installing the new appliances that we bought about 4 yrs ago, and soon we'll get the county to sign off on the building permit!!!  We think we'll be moved in by the end of March. . . but the other big news is that tomorrow a carpet layer is coming to install the newish Berber carpet (that we also salvaged from the old place) upstairs in the second bedroom (aka my new studio - playroom - whatever) and I'll be setting up shop this week.  It's an approx. 19' x 15' room that will have a guest bed in one corner, but the rest is mind to set up tables, a desk, book cases, storage cupboards, and too many tubs of fabric.
I plan on having a dedicated spot for my sewing machine, a painting area, and plenty of room to invite a few friend over to be creative!  A dream come true - it really, really is.