Hooray for 20 completed blocks! My intent when I first got the pile of partially completed and hand pieced blocks was to finish it according to the pattern. That didn't happen and I opted for finished is better than perfect. This time, starting from scratch, I was able to break down the project into palatable … Continue reading Homespun: Putting it all together and then some
Now that the corner units are done I do a little happy dance because I feel the most tedious part of this quilt is over and everything else is downhill. Part of the work for these units are already done since the 1 1/2" red and white strips are sewn, it is simply a matter … Continue reading Homespun: Cross Arm Unit
Does one do with vintage handkerchiefs? My aunt asked if I could make a quilt with them. I was excited about the project when she first sent the hankies that belonged to my grandmother. They were from an era when every woman cared one in her, and they had a multitude of uses that included … Continue reading Grandma’s Hankies
Set up to photograph a completed block. I tucked the sewing machine under the table. I began the WPA project a couple of years ago and finished 26 of the 30 blocks in the reproduction colors. Sure, I started with a goal and created a straightforward plan. I'm sure if I stuck with the plan … Continue reading Welcome to my studio
A couple of years ago I noticed the poster-sized prints of three quilt patterns hanging in my sewing room said “WPA Museum Extension.” I knew the WPA provided work during the Depression and had seen some WPA projects, most of which were dams. I also learned of artists and photographers who worked for the WPA … Continue reading WPA Project
"But it is so beautiful." My grandmother used those words to describe the block patterns she admired the most; a six-pointed star made of diamonds, and hexagons used to construct the Grandmother's Flower Garden. She said this to me when I first started quilting and looked up at her. "Yes, they are," I said, "but … Continue reading Pins are my friend. Star and Crescent
I've lived in eastern Pennsylvania long enough to know the miserableness of "hazy, hot, and humid" summers. Air conditioning helps, but a 90-year-old house with radiators does not provide easy installation of central air, so we get through the summers with room air conditioners where it counts the most for us, the bedrooms, one of … Continue reading Someone’s in the kitchen…and garden
Snippets from the Attic 