Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  I wish you all a safe and happy holiday and healthy and successful new year!

Looking back...

Before I collected quilts, I collected old books and patterns. Some were given to me by family and friends, others came to me via paper shows or auctions.  Back in the 1970s, most people (except my Dad) perceived these things as trash;  others simply couldn't discard things saved by a family member.  

Modern Priscilla magazine, February 1917, illustration by Harold Cue.

I am enchanted by the many things that quilters saved as inspiration.  Many of them kept stacks of newspaper clippings like this one:

I can't tell you anything about the lady who saved this pattern, except that it was in a plastic bag with other clippings I purchased at an auction.  I once drafted a pattern for this block but it is "somewhere safe."  

Looking forward...

For 2016, my quilting goal is to use up as much of my fabric as possible.  I know I'll be doing some scrap quilts and here are two local pieces that I love.  I categorize them as "good to the last drop" quilts.  It's as if the quilters had to use every scrap possible.  

  

The piece to the left is a quit top and has 5 inch blocks made up four 2.5 inch blocks.  The second is a tied comfort that I purchased from Sharon and Bill (of rickrack.com) and is featured in my program, "A Perfect Match: Embroidery and Quilts".  Do you have a quilting goal for 2016?  If so, I'd love to hear about it!  Happy New Year!