Marking Time

Judith Martin, still my favourite textile artist, marks time by stitching.

This was a pattern I followed but even in those early days
 I changed it!
I was originally making it browns but it got so boring
 so I added a some blue and that gave it some life.

I started quilting almost 25 years ago to do just that. Mark time.

Simple Brick quilt with double boarder.

To show myself that during a day I could accomplish something.

I label my blocks (top left corner)
while I hang them vertically
 on a design wall

I could hold up my tangible quilt block and say, "Today, I did this."

This quilt was put together a few years ago.
Notice the blue square with the shibori circle.
I made that in Verona. The rest of the fabrics
 are blues from my fabric stash.
It is being quilted at this moment.

The other things I was doing were not tangible.

The centre fabric is washable silk.
The outside strips are men's cotton shirts,
Italian, of course.

Every day, I read books to my four children. I made snacks and three meals per day that were gobbled up. I prepared science experiments so we could explore together. I helped button the dress-up clothes and sat as the audience and watched plays. I walked to the park and went down the slide with them. I gave four children a bath every night.

This quilt was also a pattern. I didn't change it.
(that's not usual for me)
I did choose my own fabrics. 

This past holiday the six of us were all together. I was able to see what I had done over time. The four young adults love each other. They are on the path of happiness. They feel good about themselves.

Hearts and friendship stars,
detail of "Baby Earth" quilt
which hangs on our third floor.
The quilt was inspired
by a favourite children's book

I am so happy I marked time that way.

Half a Log Cabin

This isn't a true log cabin quilt but it looks like it!

Machine pieced, machine quilted, cotton scraps, 1992

This was my first log cabin 'look-a-like' quilt.

The true log cabin block has a center square, usually red, and an imaginary diagonal line separating a dark and light side.

A "wonky" log cabin quilt, made crooked on purpose.
A community quilt made by the Spadina library
quilt group.

The block I used for my quilt has a square in the bottom corner of the block instead of in the center. It can be substituted for the log cabin block and subsequently all of its pattern combinations because it still has the light and dark aspect.

This pattern has become one of my favorite ways to use up scraps. I later tweaked and perfected this technique and teach it in Italy and in Toronto.

I put in many surprises in my quilt. If you look very carefully you see butterflies, animal eyes, a light house, a hand, a duck and many more curiosities. There are even a few pieces of a cotton dress I had made while living in Kuching, East Malaysia (Borneo).

The quilt lives in France.

Worth Repairing?

This is an antique piece that my friend, Diane, is debating to repair. As she considers it, it hangs in her studio.

I love the splashes of yellow

The Toronto Public Library, Spadina branch (Spadina/Bloor) program continues to meet on Thursday evenings at 6:30 to 8pm. We are working on a log cabin quilt. Everyone is welcome no matter what their skill level. The finished quilt will be used by the library for one of the children's programs.

Log Cabin Antique

I love log cabin quilts. I purchased this antique last week from Diane Shink's collection. She bought it at a garage sale in Westmount years ago.

log cabin from 4th quarter of 19th century

It is fairly used. The silks are mostly threads. It's made using a foundation which is preventing the batting from showing through the used strips of silk. I think it is beautiful.

I want to hang it at my house on the second floor landing. It is a wall area that is above a window and sees no sunlight, which would further damage the fibres. You would be able to enjoy it from the first floor and the second.

It would be far enough away not to notice the silk fabrics that are in threads and to highlight the furrows of light and dark. It has a great impact from far.

The back is cotton sateen and (shock) it is hand quilted!
Usually log cabin quilts are tied because of the many layers,
(seams and foundation).

The only thing is, it is very heavy and the weight will further damage the stitches. I'll sew two sleeves at the back, one at the top and one along the bottom. That way I will be able to flip it upside down every few months to relieve some stress on the stitches due to the weight pulling it down.

I will bring it to show my students when I talk about fabric values, lights and darks, and when I teach the log cabin block. They will find it inspiring!

Here is another log cabin (quilt published in one of Diane's books), circa 1900, unfinished, in much better shape but was not for sale. It was purchased in Nova Scotia by Diane.

The back, unfinished.
Notice it is machine pieced on foundation

The patchwork side

Toronto Public Library Community Quilt

The log cabin class took place yesterday at the TPL, Spadina branch. Fourteen people signed up.

Wonky log cabin block (Crooked on purpose!)

I gave a short history of the block- the uncertain history; Did the design come from the farmer's fields in Scotland and England or the mummified cats from the discovery of Egyptian artifacts around the time Napoleon conquered that country. It seems that pattern was around before the pioneer's log cabin.

Log cabin quilts were found in Europe in the 1820's and much later in North America.

They sewed...

and talked...

and laughed.

...a nice relaxed get-together... just like quilting was meant to be.