More Antique Quilt Tops

As promised, here are some more of my eBay purchases from a few years ago. This Improved Nine Patch is in lovely soft colors. I think it will look lovely hand-quilted, don't you? Here's the entire top. It's double-bed sized now. I'm thinking I might add a couple of borders to bring it up to at least queen-size, but I'm worried about finding something that will have the right look. Not to worry, by the time I've actually learned to hand-quilt who knows WHAT wonderful fabrics will be available!
This old top looks nicer in person than in the photo. I like the simple geometric shapes and the old fabrics are lovely and crisp.
And I've always been a sucker for Shoo-Fly, so how could I resist this old one? Again, it's wrinkled because I'm afraid to iron it until I'm ready to work on it. The fabric is in good shape but it is very old.
So, do you think I have enough old quilt tops to keep me busy learning to hand-quilt...hah! Wretched Excess is my middle name...

Only four days left till I go up to Sydney to get my new sewing machine...can't wait! Hope I can still remember how to piece quilt blocks...

Yesterday's visit to the cats at the quarantine place was really disgusting...41 degrees C. on the drive home. That's 105.8 F., for those in the U.S. Really horrible, but fortunately we'd left the little room air conditioner going in the living room, so the house was pleasant when we got home. Felt SO sorry for the furry felines, though...they just lay around looking long-suffering in this kind of heat. Two weeks from today we can go collect them and bring them home, at long last. REALLY looking forward to that!

And Another Thing...

Does anybody know why my photos aren't enlargeable when I post them? I'm saving them as ordinary jpeg files, but for some reason they don't get bigger when you click on them. They used to do it, not sure why they won't now.

Also, a big THANK YOU to everybody who responded about the Lady of the Lake quilt...I'm definitely going to go for the king size. Appreciate the little nudge I needed to make this decision.

Tuesday Already...Where Does the Time Go?

Well, after reading Rian's post about purse sizes, I had to post a pic of my new purse. I agree that it's good to pare down, and after I had major problems with my left shoulder that ultimately required a cortisone shot (UGH!) to fix, I decided to use a smaller, lighter purse. Yes, I occasionally don't have room for everything, but I just chuck whatever won't fit into the center console of the car, and away I go! I'm definitely a convert. This little number has room for cash, ID, a couple of credit cards and an ATM card, one lipstick, one chapstick, a comb and tiny mirror, keys, and an open slot for either the cell phone or my little digital camera. Neat, huh?And, as promised, here are a couple of the antique quilt tops I bought on eBay several years ago. This one was from the estate of Tony Duquette, who was a production designer for Broadway and the movies. I love to think this quilt might have been onstage or onscreen in some production or other! It's all hand pieced and double-bed sized. I'm thinking I may ultimately make it a little larger by adding another border or two. Don't you love the antique double pinks? This is one of the ones I hope to hand quilt, when/if I ever learn how to do that.And here's a close-up. BTW, I'm sorry these are all sort of wrinkly. I'm trying not to handle them too much as they're very old. A couple are from the 1880s, and I think this one is more likely 20s or 30s, don't you? Anyway, I thought I'd leave them folded up and in a dark cupboard until I'm ready to work on them.This old basket quilt top is supposed to be from the 1880s, judging by the fabrics in the blocks. They are all hand pieced, but the top was put together by machine, so I'm thinking the top is newer than the blocks. Here is a close-up of the blocks...aren't the fabrics wonderful?

Don't want to press my luck with uploading more photos, so I'll save the other antique quilt tops for another day.

Lady of the Lake

As promised, I've been ratting through boxes and tubs to find the blocks I wanted to show you. This is a Lady of the Lake quilt I designed in EQ5 to fit my California King bed. However, as you'll see, there are eight zillion little HSTs in each block, and as I go forward, I keep thinking maybe I should scale back and just make it to fit the Queen bed we have now in Australia. But if we get a King again, I'll want to have the quilt on THAT bed...decisions, decisions. Hope I have the intestinal fortitude to keep on keepin' on with it!

I started this quilt a few years ago, when we lived in the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. I'd been collecting those indigo blues and some Civil War blues and butternuts for a little while, and then one day found the great white windowpane plaid fabric, which I thought gave a nice crispness to the design. Discovered as I went along that with all those HSTs around the edge of each block, it helped to press the seams open, rather than to one side...less thickness when you join the blocks and rows.

Anyway, here's how it looks with the few blocks I've completed, spread out on our bed. What do you think? Queen or King?And here are some of the fabrics I'm using...so fun to collect these!

Ooops, Did I Forget to Allow My E-Address?

Hi, All,

Hmmm, when I set myself up on Beta Blogger, apparently I didn't tick the box to allow my e-mail to show. Hopefully that's corrected now. Mysterious. I thought it would just transfer my settings as they were in regular Blogger. Could someone let me know if it's working correctly now?

Thanks!

Resurfacing...AND, I'm Now A Beta Blogger

Well, Tanya rattled my cage (thanks, Tanya!) and got me off my duff long enough to post...sorry to be so quiet for so long. I'm settling in to Australia very well now and am beginning to feel human again. And best news of all...my DH arrived on Saturday, a full week ahead of schedule.

Since I was posting, I decided to take the leap and move to Beta Blogger, too...seems to have worked.

Now all I need is my sewing machine (Dec. 4th) and all will be well. There's so much to do to set my sewing room up, but I've been so lethargic I haven't done much yet. I think after the monumental push to get us this far, I've just needed some down time. Anyway, I've felt a little blue, but now I'm much better. Next post, I want to show you some other quilts that are in various stages of non-completion, and also a couple of antique quilt tops I got on eBay years ago that I plan to hand quilt at some stage (once I learn how to do it, that is...).

Other bit of good news is that the cats are settling in much better at the quarantine facility, and seem a lot friendlier when I visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I take them each a little can of Fancy Feast tuna, which may have SOMETHING to do with it! DH and I are so anxious for Dec. 13 to arrive, so we can bring them home. We're both very anxious to introduce them to the donkeys, who are really amusing.

Happy to report that I'm now driving on the left side of the road quite comfortably, and feel that I'm not a danger on the road any longer!

Anyway, I apologize for my long silence, but I'm back now...