The first posting of 2018

Happy New Year! After a lovely holiday in Canberra and Girraween (pics on my photo blog) we have touched down on the Gold Coast. Our possessions had been in boxes for almost two weeks and the quilts were a bit musty smelling, so I hung them out in the yard to freshen up:

My sewing room is ready for action, but I haven't had time to use it yet... However, today I have unpacked the last box, tomorrow the boxes will be picked up by the movers, and on Monday the boys go back to school, so I hope to start creating again soon! I did a little bit of crochet while we were camping, but not as much as I had hoped to do. I did read seven books though ;-).



I've found a yoga studio just around the corner from our new house and discovered that my Pineapple Bag is perfect for carrying my yoga mat!



And last but not least, after 11 years we finally have a pet! (until now we were never allowed to have one in our rental houses). This is Barney, an adorable 9-year-old part Long-haired Dachshund, part Blue Heeler, that we found at the local animal shelter and adopted.



We've all fallen completely in love with him, and he has taken possession of the Rainbow Floor Cushion:



Did anyone say dog portrait quilt?...

Vintage Lone Star quilt

As you know, I love Lone Star quilts, so I couldn't resist this beauty when I saw it on Etsy a while ago. Luckily it wasn't too expensive - probably because it has a few stains. It's from Ohio and thought to have been made in the 1940s. It is hand-pieced and hand-quilted.



Isn't it gorgeous?!

Another vintage quilt

Another vintage quilt arrived from the US yesterday. I bought it on eBay a while ago for a very reasonable price - probably because of the two holes in the top of the quilt. Apart from those and a few stains on the back it is in a very good condition. It is hand-pieced and hand-quilted, a lovely scrappy Lone Star.



The person who sold it found it in a trunk she bought in a garage sale in Waco, Texas, in the 1990s. She has no idea who made it and how old it is. The holes look as if someone just put it up on a wall by hammering two nails through the quilt!



This will be the last vintage quilt for a while as my PayPal account is now empty! I buy these quilts with the money I make with my Blue Jacaranda shop on Etsy and my Spoonflower fabric sales. Hubby doesn't really understand what I want with these old quilts. It is hard to explain... ;-)

Another antique quilt

A few weeks ago I saw this delightful vintage quilt on eBay. I was lucky and got it for a very reasonable price, and yesterday it arrived. Isn't it cute? I've never seen this block before - tumbling blocks with bows tied around them, how original!



The quilt was advertised as pre-1930s. I'm not sure if it is that old as that hearts fabric looks more recent to me - I think it was probably made in the 1950s. But I love the design and am very happy to have acquired this quilt. It's completely hand-pieced and hand-quilted. The seller told me that it was made in Pennsylvania, US.



There's some damage to a few blocks and some running of the red dyes, but overall it's in a pretty good condition. It has joined the other antique quilts on my antique sewing machine :-)



Stay tuned for an update about the Wild Fabrications quilt this weekend!

Moo

Remember the cow fabric I bought in Holland in 2012? I finally used it - to re-upholster an ottoman I bought at the op shop a while ago.



We have just redecorated the boys' room - I used blackboard paint for the new but boring white wardrobe, and the cow ottoman (or Minecraft cow) goes very well with it:



The antique sewing machine I bought last year now has a good spot under the MAGnificence quilt. My antique quilts are showcased on the table.

Antique quilts

The two antique quilts I bought online a while ago both arrived today - very exciting!



This Kite Quilt is so pretty - in a very good condition and so beautifully hand-quilted. My 8-year-old son just admired it and I told him that he can have it when he is grown up and has a baby - it will be a hundred years old then! (he was very impressed)



This one is also very beautiful.



It is machine quilted:



I'm very happy with my purchases and will keep my eye out for other small antique quilts. Have you ever bought an antique quilt?

Vintage Quilts

Working as the editor of a quilting magazine has definitely rekindled my love of quilts. In the last few weeks I have found myself looking for affordable vintage quilts on Etsy and Ebay - and after the initial hesitation I decided to take the plunge and just buy one! Or two, actually - the first one was the lovely red and white quilt above, in a pattern known as Glorified Nine Patch. I found it on Etsy and kept going back to it. It's now on its way here - can't wait to see it IRL!



And today I managed to snap up this lovely baby quilt from the 1930s on Ebay. This pattern is known as the Kite or Arkansas Star. Very sweet, isn't it?



And no, I'm not just looking at and buying quilts, I also made one (but can't show it here yet, sorry) and bought fabric for the next one. Yes, I am going to make a traditional quilt in red and white!



What kind of quilt? I'm not saying yet, but I will share my progress here. I did some cutting: these are 2.5in strips. Any guesses?

I'm afraid I won't have much time to do more in the next two weeks, as tomorrow my sister-in-law and her family arrive in Brisbane and on Friday we are going to Cairns for a holiday in the tropics!