::the oldest daughter:: shhh, it's a gift...

Just kidding. I know that only the four of us look at this blog!

I finally finished the little baby quilt that I started way back when I first showed my turquoise and orange quilt. Chad started harassing me last week about unfinished gifts, namely a baby quilt I started when another sister-in-law was pregnant. The baby was walking and talking before Mom took the quilt home to finish for me! So, his teasing got me in gear and last week, I finished it up.

I tried to do some machine quilting, wonky style. It was definitely wonky. I made squares like snail shells, does that make sense? One inside of each of the blocks in the strip down the middle, three down the narrow side, and two huge ones on the wide side. There was nothing quilted in the solid brown, and though I didn't notice it before, this picture tells me that was NOT a good idea! I also still don't know how to do a binding, so I did a cheater binder with the back of the quilt. Soooooo many flaws that I was tempted to point out in a letter, but I refrained.

I finished it just as our nephews were coming to visit, so I washed it up, hung it out to dry, and enlisted their help for holding it in the picture. Not as good as I would have liked, but still pretty cute. (The back is a pink with brown polka dots, just like the front).

-Alison

::the gramma:: feedsack quilt finished!

Failed to tell you all that the prints are feedsacks. The solid colors are "thirties fabric". As far as I remember, I never saw a solid color feedsack. There were white flour sacks and sugar sacks. I auditioned one of my sugar sacks for the pillowcase but it did not suit my taste - it seemed a little on the flimsy side. This quilt covers the top of a standard mattress - in those days I never saw anyone with a queen or king size bed.

I decided to go one step further and make a pillowcase, too. Enjoy!

-The Gramma

::the gramma:: feedsack quilt sneak peak

These are patterned feedsacks from the 1930's and 40's which was the depression era. The ones we used came with chicken feed. The fabric is 100% cotton and a little bit thicker and courser-looking than the 100% cotton we get today. It is very durable and was used for dresses (if you were lucky enough to get the amount needed), aprons, bonnets, backings for quilts (with four sewn together and un-matched) as well as pieced quilt tops. The quilts were usually "tied" rather than hand quilted. In working on my feedsack quilt I am surprised how easily the needle glides through the fabric.

You will notice a dark strip across the top sack in the stash pic. That is a strip of the brown fabric which I was "auditioning" for the sashing. When I complete the quilting for the row of the shown block, the quilting will be half done! Watch for the finished project.

-The Gramma

::the mom:: spotlighting my grandaughter!

Since this week is my grandaughters' birthday, I wanted to star a quilt she made this summer while she was 11 years old. She did a great job and was intent on making a quilt for her stuffed bear who she calls "Beary Bear". She stuck with the project which took a little over a month, while she also enjoyed swimming, reading, hoseback riding, painting her fingernails, doing lots of other crafty projects and making new friends. It was such a fun time having her and her family so close for the summer. I put off getting the photo till I finally realized outside the airport was my last chance!

She named her quilt "Friends for Beary Bear" which is written on a label on the back of the quilt with her name, age, and year. She embroidered each little 5 inch white square with a simple animal from Anne's free pattern called "A Tisket, A Tasket". You can find it here.

I think she inherited some quilting genes! ...maybe from me, but probably from many grandmothers going back many generations on both sides of the family because she is a natural! (Her mother is also a quilter! She made a quilt in high school!) Happy Birthday!

~Vickie

::the oldest daughter:: star quilt in progress

Well, here's the latest... which doesn't feel like a whole lot of progress. I do have all of my star blocks complete. I have all my four patches complete. I almost have all of my sashing cut out. The best news is that I still love how the quilt looks... it will be fun to see it actually come together. You can also see over there on the side, I started working on a quilt for my sister-in-law, Lindsey, who's having her first baby this fall. It'll be more of a modern design... translation: no pattern. I had Chad call her sister and found out that the baby's room is going to be pink and brown, so hopefully this fits in all right.

I ran out of white (I'm using Kona cotton in Snow...) so I went to the hardware store to get some more... (??? I know, funny, huh?) and I bought 2 more yards of Kona Snow... when I got it home, it looks different, darker! I was so bummed because I was afraid I'd never get to match it, but I think I'm kind of over it. I'll probably be the only one who ever even notices it.

~Alison