A Simple Little Nine Patch Quilt

You can never go wrong with a nine patch baby quilt, especially a nine patch set on point ... it makes a good case for less is more.  I find the simplicity very comforting.

When I was contemplating starting a blog, I read Pioneer Woman's tips for a successful blog.  The one that keeps sitting on my shoulder is "blog every day".  Every day?  Yikes. This is my 3rd post for the merry month of May.

So I've decided this is a blog-let as opposed to a blog.  With a blog-let you are free from the every day rule when, say, for instance ... you catch hEXiE MaNIa!!

I'll post about my hEXiE MaNIa!! the next few days.  And some of my other distractions that are keeping me at a 3 post per month average.

Dawson Brothers 1906 Fireplace Insert

I recently had to do some restoration work on the firebox of my beautiful 1906 fireplace insert.  When I pulled it away from the fireplace, I found a stamp in the back that it had been made by "Dawson Bros - Chicago, Ill".  I did a wee bit of research and found a picture of the the Dawson Bros building in Chicago which I posted on Pinterest so I'd know right where to find it.



I didn't think anyone but me would be much interested in the Dawson Bros building, but Beth found it.  The Dawson Brothers were her Great Grandfather's brothers.

So Beth, this post is for you ... these photos are a right-click away for your collection of your Great Uncle's work.

The insert in all it's glorious detail.

It is a coal burning fireplace ... the firebox is very small
and with the solid front, designed to burn coal long and slow.

It was made in an era of fine detail.
No surface is left unadorned.

Detail of the 'door' which lifts off to reveal the firebox.
The pastoral scene is done in heavy relief

So sweet ... she is wearing
sabots on her feet.

The makers stamp is in a place that it cannot be seen unless the
insert is removed from the fireplace ... a modesty lost with
today's marketing practices.

And a separate plaque for the grate
Vulcan Series Grate No. 422

The complete fireplace a la 1906.

It's a wonder that after 107 years it is still all
in place as it was in 1906.

Matching Baby Quilt Gift Set ... and the last of my jungle print fabric

This is the last of my cutest ever! jungle print fabric ... which  I made into a set of three quilts ... a crib size toddler quilt,  a small newborn or car seat size quilt and a square 'on-the-go-mom' quilt for laying a wee one down wherever she might end up.

L - R:  Crib size, square mat and for the car seat

This is the kind of fabric you avoid cutting into small pieces ...
different sized squares for each quilt 

The large crib quilt has a modern back.
The small quilts have a simple white dotted swiss back.

There are Monkeys! and
a momma Hippo with a babe on her back

The center of the square quilt ...
Giraffes and a Dino with a cap

And a momma elephant with her
babe ... in a party hat!

The sewn on binding with a white piping strip ...I really like the finished tailored look.

For the quilty girls, I learned to do the flanged sewn binding with the fabulous tutorial by Thirteen in '13.
http://www.52quilts.com/2012/05/tuesday-tutorial-susies-magic-binding.html

I like a narrow binding so I cut my pieces a bit smaller ... 1.5 inches for the flange piece, and 1.25 inches for the yellow binding.

These quilts are for sale in my Etsy shop

https://www.etsy.com/listing/150578817/three-matching-jungle-print-baby-toddler?ref=shop_home_active

A Great Big Voluptuous Dresden Plate Quilt

I broke into my stash o' Kaffe Fassett fabrics for this quilt ... and oh my gosh, is it ever pretty.  I'm quite taken with it ... I love the citrus colors and the significantly over-sized Dresden plate.  Just makes me smile.

The Dresden plate measures 34" across.

The background is a solid white ... the 'stripey effect' is from the sun shining through and showing the back fabrics.

I added a Free Spirit fabric for the back with ...
AQUA! and FLOWERS!
and the combination just sent me over the moon

But what really made my heart sing was the quilting.

I took a lot of time to detail the Dresden plate... outlining the petals
and doing a free motion floral motif.

Oh my gosh again ... I just love it.

The Dresden plate really shows well on the back.

With my favorite little piece of yard art,
a garden fairy with a butterfly on his finger.

This quilt is available for purchase in my Etsy shop.https://www.etsy.com/listing/130911754/spring-summer-lap-quilt-throw-citrus?ref=shop_home_active

Quilting Family Treasures ... A very large Lone Star and unfinished Signature Blocks

I come from a long line of quilters.  Dad knows that three generations worked on this Lone Star quilt ... his mother, grandmother and great grandmother.  He thinks it is very possible that his great great grandmother put her hand to it too, making it a four generations quilt.

Lone Star Quilt c. 1910 - Davenport & Sprague, WA

It is stunning and it is in unused condition.  And it's huge.  It generously fits on a queen size bed which is why I think maybe it was never used ... it ended up too big for on anyone's bed at the time.

The diamonds are thumb size.  It is a marvel to contemplate the hours that went into the piecing.

Unfinished Signature Quilt Blocks c. 1930 - Davenport, WA

And then there are the signature blocks ... there are nine of them.  I'm trying to figure out who they may have been intended for and why the quilt was never finished.

Many of them are signed 'Aunt' ... Aunt Sarah in the bottom right corner is my great grandmother.  And three of the other blocks are signed by her sisters.

Their generation was gone by the early 40's but grandma kept the signed blocks neatly packed away until she passed away.  And then I became the caretaker of all her quilty things.

I hope to figure out who they signed these blocks for, but I fear the quilt was unfinished because of some sadness which I don't even really want to contemplate.

But one of these days, I will piece the signature blocks together and finish the little quilt.

Oh that I could time travel, I would surely love to meet my great grandmother and her sisters.

Yiayia's Sunbonnet Sue Quilt ... A Christmas Present

When I was 12 the girls all received Sunbonnet Sue quilts from Papou and Yiayia for Christmas.  Papou didn't have much to do with the quilts of course, except maybe taking Yiayia to Newberry's to get batting or more thread.  Yiayia never did learn how to drive.

Papou was 16 when he immigrated by himself to the US from Greece.  He worked laying railroad tracks in Idaho, got 2 nickels to rub together and opened a shoe shine stand, then got a couple more nickels and bought a small hotel and tavern.

Yiayia's family made the trip west by covered wagon in the late 1800's to homestead in Davenport, WA where they raised wheat.

They met when Yiayia stopped to have her shoes shined at Papou's shoe shine stand during one of her infrequent trips to the city.  I love their story.

Papou and Yiayia and The Cousins

I am top row middle ... the little devil child
who didn't want her picture taken

I love that each Sue is set a wee bit different ...

Some Sue's wear their hats brim up ...

... and some brim down

Some Sue's slouch ...

... and some Sue's have
I-practice-with-books-on-my-head posture

I love the old fabrics ... many are much older than the quilt.
The quilts were made in the early 60's but this bird fabric
I will guess is 30's or 40's.

But most of all, I love the little free hand embroideries on the bonnets.

Daisy ...

And how sweet is this?

A bouquet of violets ...

And a blue butterfly ... on chartreuse!

I would give anything to see Papou and Yiayia gain ... just one more day.