Rotary Star Sampler Successes

To all of those who just finished my Rotary Star Sampler beginning class congratulations! The class did a fabulous job on their quilts. Most of them finished their quilt tops and basted them last night. What fun it is to see the fabrics become quilts! I hope all will continue to be involved with quilt making and enjoy the process. Good luck and maybe we will see each other in a class again soon.

I love learning new quilting tips. This one came from one of my students last night. While on the way to quilt class it is not a good idea to open your basting safety pins as you drive. Good to know!!!

Happy Quilting,

Annemarie

Love Those Antique Quilts!

I thought I'd post a picture of some of my antique quilts. I love to decorate with quilts. Old or new it really doesn't matter. The 7' ladder in my dining room displays some of my antique quilts. When I had the ladder made I barely had enough quilts to cover the rungs. Now I can cover the ladder for each season. This is my fall display. The quilt on the top is a snowflake kit quilt from the 1940s. It came from Stillwater, MN. The next quilt is a Redwork in yellow quilt that was so brown (dirty) when I bought it I thought it would never come clean, but it did. It is very large and each block has the same lily pad embroidery. The middle quilt I bought from a dealer on Ebay. It was probably made in the late 1930s and each basket is the same. The yellow background is made up entirely of hexagons. The next quilt on the ladder is maybe called rolling rock, but I'm not sure. I found this quilt close to home in Burnsville. It is probably the oldest of the group. The last quilt was just a top when I purchased it in Paducah, KY for $35.00 in 1991. I had it quilted by an Amish women in southern Minnesota. I love this quilt. The fabric dates from 1950 and has Hispanic motifs.

Here's one more decorating picture for you. This pumpkin quilt hangs in my family room in fall. The pattern is from an old Redwagon book. I call it 'Cats in the Pumpkin Patch'.

I have to fess up to the rest of my dining room. As you can see it would be very difficult to have a meal on this table. Maybe a bite of chocolate and a Coke but not a Thanksgiving dinner. I really hate cleaning off the table. Putting everything away is the kiss of death to ever finding things again. I really would rather be sewing! Occasionally, I do have to clean-up my act and the table just to be civilized. But I ask you, what fun is that?

Everything Redwork

This has been another fast and furious week. Last Wednesday I gave a lecture named, Past, Present and Future of Redwork. The lecture was in a small Wisconsin town by the name of Prairie Farm. It was a very pretty drive off of Hwy. 94. The route took me past some of the most beautiful heartland areas of Wisconsin. I drove past cows (of all colors), sheep, donkeys, deer and horses all through the hills and valleys of this country side. I felt very lost. What was a city girl doing in this part of the world? But, all of a sudden, there was Prairie Farm and the school I was to lecture at.

The quilt group I spoke to went by the name Hay River Quilters. There were about 30 to 40 women gathered for the lecture. They brought very nice show & tell. They listen intently to what I had to say about the 100 or so Redwork pieces I had bought. At the conclusion of the evening we all enjoyed yummy apple and pumpkin pie.

The star quilt pictured was made by Lillian T. one of the Hay River Quilters. The other picture is a close up of a Kate Greenaway design, "Children at the Stream" maker unknown.

I had a very nice time with the Hay River Quilters and hope to see them again, maybe at a future quilt show.