Jack and Jill

The photos were adjusted so that you could see the pattern.

My friend Carol brought over this crib quilt she found in her attic.  She isn't sure which over her parents this was made for but knowing the history of the family, she knows it had to be either for her mother or father.  Both parents had been born in the mid to late 1920s.  I haven't been able to trace the pattern or kit yet.

The kids do resemble others I have seen from the 1920s, I nicknamed them "the calamity kids."

It always seemed to me that the kids depicted in these pieces seemed about to have some kind of accident and that is why their mouth is open (in alarm).  On both of these pieces, I imagined the calamity was caused by the dogs.  I may be way off base on this assumption but it is the only thing I could create.  Jack and Jill fit into this genre pretty well:

There are many things I like about this piece.  First of all, it has a satin binding which was always my grandmother's choice for babies.  She often said "babies like to play with the satin."  

I also love the embroidery on the script and am going to implement this in another piece I am doing:

I hope you enjoy Carol's wonderful quilt!  I know I am :)  Thanks Carol!

McKim Monday: Fruit Basket

Summertime is the time of enjoying and preserving fresh fruit!

Ruby Short McKim's "Fruit Basket Quilt" was a series quilt published in 1932.  A few years ago, I found this top:

The pattern was meant to be appliqued and embroidered but this one was drawn and colored with crayon.

I've now seen a few quilts with various colored baskets that had fruit colored with crayons.  Because it was a top, I knew I could make a point that I often make in my embroidery program: embroidery can make a quilt better.  

I've done some outline work on a few of the baskets to make my point.

I like to see how well people did with crayon, partially because it's not as easy as it looks and also because the Lehigh Valley is the home of Crayola Crayons factory.

Ad from Needlecraft The Home Arts Magazine, May 1933

Most of the quilts done in this pattern were appliqued and embroidered.  Probably the best example is on the McKim website, here.

Enjoy the opportunity to eat fresh local fruit and happy quilting!