Saturday, March 26, 2016

Happy Easter!

I love all animals but am especially fond of bunnies (I even named my son Peter) so in honor of the holiday I thought I would post some photos of bunnies on my quilts and coverlets:




Have a safe and happy Easter!

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

March 23: Puppy Day!

I don't know who determines what day should be what but I'm always ready to celebrate dogs!


 Dogs on Coverlets, Cats are good too (have to say that because of my grandkitten).

Dogs on hankies are good too:


Sometimes patterns crossover.  These dogs were part of a set that was produced for tablecloths but were incorporated in a quilt instead:



Happy Puppy Day from Seamus and me!

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Sunbonnet Sunday: First Day of Spring!


It's the first day of Spring and we are ever so grateful that the talk of a snowstorm has subsided.  It may be cold and damp today in the Lehigh Valley but it is much preferable over any kind of wintry precipitation!    Stay warm and get some sewing in today!  There will be much gardening when the weather warms up in a few days!

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Happy St. Patrick's Day!


Time for the wearing of the green (unless you are a traditionalist, and then you might wear sky blue, the original color of St. Patrick).  I thought I would feature a few shots of some green textiles:
Above: A wall hanging I made in honor of my Irish-American grandparents years ago.




Monday, March 7, 2016

McKim Monday

One of the many things I like about Ruby Short McKim's patterns is that she designed quilts that could be used for boys' rooms.  The American Ships pattern is a great example of a quilt that I know my son would have liked when he was young.  I have a quilt top that strays from the original pattern but when I browse through the internet, I see many quilters arranged the blocks in a variety of ways.  This was the original pattern:

The quilter who made my top, decided to just showcase the blocks with out the Clipper ship in the middle:
An old photo of my quilt, with my late dog, Ted.

This would still make a wonderful quilt for a boy and with the resurgence of interest in sailing (pirate movies and the Jake cartoon), there might be some young boys who would appreciate a quilt like this.  The pattern is available at McKim Studios here.

The lady who embroidered the blocks was elderly and disabled and I have to admire that she finished all the blocks, here are some close-ups from my top:




The weather is about to get better here in Pennsylvania and we are expecting higher temps.  I hope we all experience smooth sailing into a delightful Spring!  Have a great day!




Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Paws Day...


18 days until Spring!!!  During my morning jaunts with my dog I am now seeing more and more evidence that spring approaches!  It seems almost fitting to celebrate rabbits this month.  Especially since Easter is around the corner.

This coverlet is a kit offered by Paragon in the 1950s.  Called "Playtime", it features a variety of animals with two rabbits in the center.  

Tonight I will be speaking at the Crazy Quilters Guild in Emmaus, PA and presenting quilts with a garden theme which seems perfect for this time of year.  

THINK SPRING!