Personality

I wasn't sure what to call this post but PERSONALITY I think is right.

When you make a quilt where does your personality come through? (No where if you are making a quilt from a kit!)

If you are expressing yourself your person is everywhere- in your colour choice, in your placement of blocks and shapes, in your fabric selection (which I hope is yours and not the lady's from the quilt shop!)

Even in this traditional red and white pattern made by hand, the personality of the maker can come through! In this case I'd say it is in the back fabric choice.

I see a sense of humour in the person who made this cotton quilt. The back is playful. I have several antique quilts in my collection that have a plain white backing which would have worked perfectly fine for this quilt... but not as fun!

It is an antique quilt from a friend's cottage in Nova Scotia.

Sadly there is no label. No one in her family knows who made it and when. She has a complete cupboard full ...all anonymous.

I see those unlabelled quilts without an anchor, without a place in the past. I see them floating and  hovering not attached to anyone.

A name and a date is all you need to write. It's so important.

A Lesson in Hand Quilting

I am not very good at hand quilting. I am a fast person and hand work slows me! But I do love the look…so I am trying again. I never give up.

You may remember from past posts that I pieced a hexagon quilt (crib size) by hand. I started it 8 years ago as I travelled by train in Italy.

This top stayed rolled up for many months and I am now ready to "be slow" and quilt it by hand- an excellent activity to be done during the Canadian winter.

My friend Gail gave me a refresher lesson. She does not quilt using a frame. Maybe that is another reason I have not taken to the technique. I do find the frame limits my movement.

This is my back fabric choice.
I used two pieces from my stash.
It isn't something one might think of putting together
but I think it really works well. Both fabrics were
 difficult to use in a traditional quilt
so this was a perfect way to use them up.

We had a nice afternoon together sitting in her sun-filled room…sipping red wine and eating crackers and goat cheese spread. That's what quilting should be like -a "together" activity. Thanks Gail.

Love Those Hexagons

What a find!

A double-bed size quilt, vintage, from Kentucky, USA, all hand pieced and hand quilted.

The quilting is so fine that even I had trouble deciding if it was machine done or not. The stitches are so small and pretty even. The person who made this had great skill.

Too bad it has no provenance. There is no label. The little I know was told to me by the person who bought it in the States.

It is being packed in my suitcase because I am giving it to my italian "sister". She'll love it, I know. She told me she loves it...I had to send her a picture because it will take up half my suitcase and I didn't want to bring it if she didn't like it!