Quilts

Quilts in Canada

Elizabeth E.3 Comments

I just returned from a trip to eastern Canada and I was interested in the amount of quilts and quilting that I noticed in Nova Scotia.

On our way to the Anne of Green Gables House, we stopped for lunch at the Prince Edward Island Preserve Company and there were quilts hanging from the ceiling.  I was pretty amazed because around here, nobody does this.  It was the first taste of the frequency with which I would see quilts advertised, either in quilt shops, or in gift shops, or just a lone sign tacked to a front porch: Quilts.

While it is traditional to use quilts in turn of the century houses, I enjoyed seeing what the curators of the Green Gable House had used.  One little girl, upon seeing this, said “Oh, this is Matthew’s bedroom.”  Her fusion of the fictional with the real was a theme I heard from other visitors to this home.

Another bedroom in the house, complete with chamber pot.

Even though everything about this home is fictional (Anne never lived here, nor did the author of the series–it belonged to her grandfather’s cousin and she only visited the house) I still enjoyed seeing the “sewing” room.  A hand-hooked rug is on the floor in front of the machine.  I saw these rugs all over this area–it’s a traditional craft–and to me it’s the quiltiest thing about this room.

On our way out to the outer edge of Prince Edward Island, we saw this sign.  As usual, we were pressing on to our Bed and Breakfast and didn’t stop, but this place didn’t look like it was open, either.  Quilts and sweaters seem to be popular items for sale in this area, a natural considering the weather.

Quilt shops kept popping up everywhere (as well as quilt stores–where they would sell finished quilts).  I’m not much interested in the completed quilts as I prefer to make my own, but was happy that there was such a thriving business here. (Click to enlarge and see the QUILTS business in the background.)

When I mentioned that to the proprietor of Fiddle Stitches, a shop in Mabou (photo above) she nodded.  “Oh yes, we’re doing quite well.”  Click on this link to go to a listing of shops in Nova Scotia.  I found it interesting that there isn’t one in Halifax, the main city on the island.

Since available space in my luggage space was tight, I didn’t intend on buying anything–but I did anyway.  She was so genial and I found a couple of cottons I liked (of course).  Mabou is known for its style of music played with piano and fiddle, hence the fitting name for this quilt shop.

While this wasn’t our bedroom in the Glendyer Inn (a bed and breakfast in Mabou) I snapped a photo of the quilt.

Here’s your kitschy quilt-related photo.  Hanging in our next B & B on the wall.

Mahone Bay had a shop that sold quilts, right next to another gift shop (below) that also hawked these wares.

Even when I wasn’t seeing quilts, or shops, or places to buy quilts, as a quilter, we always see the pattern in places around us.  This pattern was the floor of the “Sailor’s Church” in Old Town Montreal.  I see a grid and I either start sketching (like I did when I sat in the Anglican Church) or snap a photo.  My travel notebooks are full of little gridded out pictures, ideas for future quilts.

100 Quilts · Family Quilts

Baby Anselmo #4 Quilt

Elizabeth E.

My son and his wife are having their fourth child this October, and she just announced that it was a girl.  So, I put together this quilt for them, just as I have for all my grandchildren.  I liked this one because of the printed panels that show sweet little animals.  Awwww.  Yep.  That’s just how I felt about it.  I feel the same way about new babies so it’s a good fit, I think.

Here’s a bigger picture of the Sneak Peek detail I showed last week.

This is also unique because of the giant rick-rack around the edge of the border.

I had originally chosen a cute little print with paper dolls for the backing (see below) but the colors were too strong for this sweet little quilt, so I went with rosebuds instead–a favorite piece of fabric that I’m gladly donating to my newest granddaughter.

 

Quilts · Textiles & Fabric

Mini-quilts

Elizabeth E.1 Comment

I love this photo of the wall of mini-quilts from the book just out from Whip-Up, apparently full of great ideas for mini-quilts.

I have my own mini-quilt wall, but not all mine are up (add another thing to the list).  I pushed them up with thumbtacks in a little unused corner of our hallway cupboards (hence, the crookedness) but I enjoy looking at them as I pass by. The one on the left is from a fractured landscapes class I took from Katie Pasquini Masopust some years ago in Houston, and the one in the center is from a Laura Waskilowski fusing class.  When I used to take classes from the pros I felt the need to make large–BIG–quilts incorporating their techniques. Then at some point I wised up, and made mini-quilts.  I learned what they were teaching, and had a “sample” of the technique.  I could then decide if I wanted to go on to a bigger quilt, or if the small one was enough.  Less fabric to carry to class, and I usually finished the sample that day, instead of adding another UFO to the stack in my sewing closet.  Win-win, in my book.

The mini quilt on the right is from Peru and is called an arpillera.  We almost bought one in a shop in San Francisco (I had to look through all of them!) but the prices were a bit dear, so my husband found some online for me to choose from and I got it there.

And on a somewhat related note. . . Candy Bars!

I bit, and bought.

They have a little booklet of ideas in the bottom of the box–I see another possible mini-quilt for my wall.

100 Quilts · Something to Think About

Hooray! Blues Top Completed

Elizabeth E.1 Comment

Here it is, hanging over our stair banister, all complete.  Today’s task is to sew the backing (it’s the same fabric as the “fans” just up from the bottom on the very right) and take it over to Cathy, my quilter.

There’s a nice rhythm to piecing a quilt like this: rows and rows and stacks and stacks of squares slide under the presser foot to become a bed covering.  I like the complex quilts, like the Christmas Star.  I also like more artsy quilts like Provence (Lyon Carolings is the real name), where the play of fabric becomes the focal point.

Piecing a one-patch is kind of like vacuuming the house, I think, but certainly in a more enjoyable way.  It’s not fancy, nor particularly noticeable, but when the whole house has been vacuumed it gives off a certain pleasure of being clean, ship-shape if you will, or perhaps even just being done for another few days.  My life has lots of corners like that.  Getting the make-up on when only running a few errands outside the house.  Cleaning off the computer desk.  Finishing a good book. Writing daily in the journal.

It’s the acculumation of patches that makes this quilt, just like it’s the accumulation of tiny tasks that make up a life.  None seem particularly noteworthy on their own, but the bits, pieces, squares, and patterns make the whole.  Make it complete.