Book digitized by Google from the library of Oxford University and uploaded to the Internet Archive by user tpb.

Quilted bedcover with scenes from the legend of Tristan, Sicily, about 1390

I am FINALLY able to post a progress report on my newest star quilt. I work best on a tight deadline and I desperately want this piece done before my engagement at Quilting in the Desert in less than two weeks. I also want it to accompany me to Dubai next month. I'm actually going to make that deadline! I was working on it for a couple hours this morning, took a break and came back to my room and was captivated by how pretty it looked sitting in my machine so I took photos from my point of view. I love the little circles. I put in some baby clamshells and have beaded them with little gold beads. There are four of these corners and I am filling them with tight echoing and baby feathers. I am just starting a round feather wreath that will go around the entire outside of the piece tucking underneath the linen corners. This is being done with a very heavy silk thread. Obviously this piece is still in it's awkward "puberty stage" but I am VERY happy with how she is turning out. When I was going thru the photo folder I came across these beginning pictures and wanted to share. This is when I was just getting The Ultimate Stencil project going and learning what it could do. I laid the stencil down in the middle of my piece.. marked the lines that I needed and drafted the center star pattern... and quilted the main outline. Very cool! By the way, the huge star going around is actually a commercially cut stencil thru Quilting Creations...It's NH131 and NH132. When I originally designed this large stencil medallion a few years ago, I used the very same grid system on my drafting table that has since become The Ultimate Stencil. Funny how things come around. And now you know why I've named this quilt "The Ultimate Star". Hugs, Cindy :)

1899 Lydia FinnellShow QuiltCollection of the Smithsonian Institution Our National Museum, the Smithsonian, has many of their quilts and textiles accessible in an online catalog. http://collections.si

The day you have all been waiting for (or at least some of you). I am posting Cheddar Jack and the step out photos of how to make the ...

Looking for a cute little Valentine DIY! Well you came to the right place.

Introducing my newest pattern in the Tokens of the Past series, called Attic Treasures! Once again, the units and blocks for all three of these cutie quilts were made from just one 10 inch precut of my new Antique Cotton fabrics (for Marcus Fabrics)!! Add some yummy sashing, border and binding fabrics and you're all set. I thought you'd like to see some up-close pictures of the quilts, and the wonderful quilting by my friend, Ronda. Back In Time from Tokens of the Past: Attic Treasures The first quilt is called Back In Time. It was inspired by a nineteenth century doll quilt I saw recently and fell madly for. So unusual, so simple, so stunning! All of the quilts in this pattern were inspired by very simple patchwork. Lovely colors, great fabric prints, and simple patchwork make for classic quilts! Quilt size is 21 x 21. Remembering Mama from Tokens of the Past ~ Attic Treasures The second quilt is called Remembering Mama. Sixteen Patches and Sawtooth Star blocks make for a simply beautiful combination. I knew those alternate blocks would be a place for gorgeous quilting, and the design really makes this quilt come alive, don't you think?! Classic patchwork and great colors and prints really make for another classic, sweet little quilt. Love, Love!! Quilt size is 20 x 24. Forever Memories from Tokens of the Past ~ Attic Treasures The third quilt, called Forever Memories, is actually just one large block. I have always loved this block, called Birds on the Tracks, and thought it was a great choice for an eye-catching small quilt. Again, simple patchwork triangles and the sashing X are the only thing needed for a center that really pops in this classic quilt. It was fun and super easy piecing these three small quilts, and I hope you'll have fun making them, too!! Quilt size is 27 x 27. The Tokens: Attic Treasures patterns are available now!! To order the pattern, click here. PRE~ORDER the Tokens: Attic Treasures Quilt Trio ~ Complete Kit The Antique Cotton 10 inch precuts will be available in early October!! As I so often like to do, I'm inviting you to pre-order the complete Tokens: Attic Treasures Quilt Trio complete kit, which includes the pattern, the 10 inch precut, and all borders and binding to make all three quilts. Regular price for the kit is $111.00. Your special pre-order price is just $96.00!! A $15 savings!! Offer ends October 2nd. To pre-order your Tokens: Attic Treasures complete kit, click here. Your kit will ship in October, as soon as the fabrics arrive!

In Colonial times, quilts were more utilitarian than decorative for the common family. The wealthy were able to obtain elaborate fabrics and the colonial lady could stitch beautiful bedcovers, whereas the lower classes made quilts from the scrap-bag. The earliest Colonial quilts were made of Indian chintz and palampores. Colonial era chintz was an expensive fabric and threatened the mills of France and England as the upper classes were buying this gorgeous fabric over the plainer linens and cottons of Europe. Thus chintz was banned by Parliament in 1720. However the ban was lifted in 1759 once the mills had acquired the necessary skills to make chintz, ending much of the import from India. One pattern still popular today is toil de jouy, which originated in France and was a popular design in Colonial America. Most likely you have seen it as wallpaper and fabric. A relative of mine once papered her bedroom in blue toil and it was beautiful. I find it 'a joy' that toil de jouy is still popular after more than 200 years. Palampores were cotton or linen panels that were hand-painted or dyed. Only the wealthiest of Americans could afford this fabric and you would find it in plantation and estate houses throughout the Thirteen. The designs were colorful and elaborate, made up of ivy, flowers, horses and peacocks. Each design was one of a kind. One thing of interest is how the quilts were made at the end to slip between the bedposts. Some Colonial quilts were made of whole cloth. Fine stitches were made in ivy and floral patterns. In time, the Colonial housewife used quilts that were utilitarian, to keep her family warm and comforted. Slave women made quilts from scraps and you can find some in museums that tell a story of family and culture. Block designs have been handed down through the generations. Here is a quilt I made in between writing historical novels. I've made several, but this is one of my favorites. I change the wall hangings in my foyer with the seasons. I have a leaf quilt for autumn, a snowman quilt for Christmas, and this floral basket quilt for spring and summer. In closing, if you were living in Colonial times, what kind of quilt would you have made? Would it have been practical, or decorative?

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I was the June instructor for the Sew Cal Gal's Free Motion Quilting Challenge in June and a large part of my lesson including dividing and conquering a space and then filling it in. It's less intimidating and more manageable that way. Well, that applies to life in general...not just quilting! Before I share my recent projects I want to send out a heart-felt THANK YOU to Sew Cal Gal for inviting me to be a part of this very amazing project and send out a huge congratulations to all the participants. Wow...I was completely blown away by the work that was created this past month. I had planned on doing a feature and picking out several pieces to share with all of you but that proved to be impossible. I loved every single piece...I couldn't choose. I loved spending a little time each evening perusing thru all the Facebook projects that were posted by the participants and was very impressed with the group enthusiasm and support for each other. Thank you all for such an amazing experience that I will never forget. I've been over-the-top busy prepping for my next upcoming 5-day Design Workshop in Rancho Cordova as well as getting ready to film for some upcoming on-line classes. It all seems overwhelming and too much to handle sometimes. While monitoring the FMQ challenge this past month I was reminding myself to "Divide and Conquer"...isn't that what I was telling everyone else to do? So I did. Baby Steps...divide it up...conquer that small space...and then move on. So I am and it's slowly working. All of the binders/handbooks have been loaded and are ready to go...huge project. Not only has my sewing room, the guest room, part of the living room but the kitchen/dining area have been impacted with all the prep work. I have a VERY patient husband...thank you Kent! If one is good, twice is better...so why not make several more teaching samples for the workshop too? Sure, why not??? I teach my students how to take a main focus design and then create dimension, movement and sunshine and shadow around it. These samples are to help them visualize that and give them the confidence to do it themselves. These samples are also showing how to take a basic stencil design, use just the "parts" that you want, and then make it your own. I had loads of fun while doing these. By the way, these were all started in my hotel room in Santa Fe...I was given a loaner machine, (Janome 6600), to use during my stay and put in very long hours getting these going. Thank you Santa Fe! While on the airplane and in the airports back and forth from Santa Fe I was able to get the beadwork started on the Battenburg piece...I'm very happy with how this is looking! There probably won't be any more blog posts until after the design workshop so I loaded up this particular blog with enough pictures to keep you going. Cindy is alive and well in Chico...still breathing...and am following my own advice of Dividing and Conquering! Hugs, Cindy :)

Ok...so I do buy a few 20th century quilts...could you pass this one by? DD likes it, so someday soon it will be hers. Those of you who sew know how much time this hand piecing and hand quilting would have taken the maker (artist). Maybe it's the dreary cool rain we're having here - this quilt lights up a room! Checkout the beach ball and umbrella print. Maybe I'll tell DD she can have it when she counts the petals and makes an inventory of the fabrics used...there are repeats. The prints include stripes, checks, large florals, tight florals, solids including navy, geometrics etc. all on the white ground. The reds really pop in this photo. What a variety of print and color! The edge follows the 'melon' of the piece - or at least it did at one time.... The corners are rounded It is hand quilted around each petal or melon shape. The batting is very thin in places, a little bunchy in others. Pretty good condition. More on the blocks at the bottom of the post....let's look at some colorful sewing accessories first... This is a colorful variegated bunch. The little purple pineapple crochet sachet or pin cushion is about 2" - I've seen several sizes and styles of these, they are so sweet I'd like them all... Thimble Pattern - click here I have several of these little sewing kits - I'll do a post with all of them later. DH and I had a discussion on whether this one should have a thimble in it....What do you think? I have some with advertising, some with a decorative tassel, more enamel, wooden...all in some shape or form intended for mending. See the red petal from the quilt front in the background? The little crochet thimble holder is multi functional! Who'd of thunk? The previous owner added a little gold frog pin that is not only decorative (VBG) on the little floral hat, but it closes a small compartment where the needle holder can slide in and out - check out the 'circle' and hand sewn buttonhole edge! The thimble portion is stuffed and the thimble sits on top (see the group photo). The tiny pink crochet flowers on the brim are 1/4". This colorful beauty is hinged. The thimble is stored inside the hat. The inside felt is hinged with the hat layers for pins and needles. Why not use red every chance you can?? While I'm at it how about another child's sewing machine? This is a Singer Touch & Sew, maybe about 1970's? I had one like this at age 8 ish, so when I saw this one I had to bring it home - what fun!! Never made a quilt at that point of my life but do recall many doll 'fashions'. Maybe it's where the seeds were planted for my love of travel. Look at the lid - Camp Shawnee or Paris - I'm a Paris girl! There is no camping in this girl... I think I had a large clear plastic 'sewing box' for my pins, fabric scraps (I mean fashion fabrics...) and Dual Duty Poly Threads! Here's the beauty, that made a little girl feel like she could set the fashion world (fashion doll world?) on its ear...but I don't remember any contest. Maybe mine was an older model. 1976 was the USA bicentennial and I was not sewing at that time. For those of you who want to see more of the quilt fabrics: Click here for the hand piecing pattern. Click here for a modern option. Thanks for stopping by today. What was your first sewing machine? Have a happy and colorful week!

Heeresgeschichtliches Museum, Vienna, Austria

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