Unique Christmas Quilts

 

Happy Wednesday!

Well I've got another shelf of Christmas quilts to deliver; I've already delivered or mailed a few.  It's no secret I love Christmas quilts, I've made a ton of them.  But the thing that bothers me is the brief window when the quilt is appropriate.  This is why I tend to do seasonal quilts more than specific holidays.

I think our foremothers had this problem as well.  I've certainly done a lot of articles on Christmas quilts and even vintage patterns of the themed quilts.  

1929

1939

Quilters of the past were practical.  Although some of these patterns were made, it is more likely that women made quilts as gifts--just not quilts that were holiday themed.

In 1924, The Detroit Free Press encouraged young women to make a circus quilt as a gift:

Another good theme was the Noah's Ark quilt that the Herald and Review in Decatur, Illinois promoted.  I'm pretty certain it wasn't made for the 1932 Christmas season.  The first ad for this mail order pattern (below) wasn't published until November 23.  

I'm still going to make some Christmas quilts--until I use up the last of the Christmas fabric.  I used a lot this past year and am down to one drawer.  

Have you made a lot of Christmas quilts?

Have a safe and happy day!

Tuesday's This and That: December 12, 2023

 

Happy Tuesday!

We are well into Hanukkah and I would be remiss if I didn't wish everyone a Happy Hanukkah!

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Less than 4 weeks until we are in 2024.  Do you have any resolutions for quilt making? Intend on doing a Quilt Along or a Mystery Quilt?  I'm just wondering what goals--if any--you have set.  The Fat Quarter shop has a list of projects available for the coming year here.

I don't do Mystery Quilts because I need to see the quilt before I make it...especially with the price of fabric these days. 

So far on my list for 2024 are: some Phillies baseball quilts for Justin's boys; a lap quilt featuring dogs for Jeannette (who made Scout's coat); and a tree quilt (I got the pattern at the Seasoned Homemaker).

Beth and I have a special project we are going to start working on in 2024.  She is busily painting and redoing her sewing room until then.  

The woman above looks enamored with something.  I can't tell if she is charmed by the flowers or sewing machine or maybe something else?

Right before we all got sick, my niece Christina picked up my Mom's 1954 Singer Sewing machine.  We had a long talk about sewing machines and she promised to get the machine cleaned and serviced before she uses it in 2024.  Christina knits and crochets but would love to learn to sew.  This next generation is sure enterprising.    She's confident she'll learn everything she needs from utube videos.

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Lastly, please be sure to be careful these days.  My brother and SIL have covid (again) and now are going into week 2.  They are still pretty sick and the  doctor said they just have to wait for the covid to finish up.  Do you wear a mask these days?  My husband and I both do.

***

Have a safe and happy day!

  

Santa Poodle

 

Happy Monday!

Well another week begins and I'm hoping it will be better than last week when a few members of the family tested positive for covid and one ended up in the hospital.  Everyone is home and recovering again (I tested negative twice).  I sure would like one quiet week.

But the week may be looking up.  On Saturday, my friend Jeannette sent a package to Lucky all the way from Maine.  She had us measure Lucky and made him a special tailored to him coat.  

I LOVE IT!

And Lucky loved it too!  He poised and preened for the camera.  He also fought Brad when we returned inside and Brad took it off him!

There's just enough room for him to grow (we have 3.2 pounds to go yet to get him to regular weight) and his hair to grow in.  

Lucky's been having a good time chasing the rabbits from our yard and many futile attempts to catch squirrels.  

He's found his voice and now barks often when the restaurant down the street has customers.  The little restaurant gets busy this time of year so it's going to be a long three weeks.

Wishing you a safe and happy Monday!

Better Done Than Perfect

Happy Thursday!

Well yesterday we had our first snow.  It was pretty but quickly faded.  Lucky does not like the snow; this may have more to do with his lack of a thick fur coat.

Yesterday I also found out I won the "Better Done Than Perfect" challenge at my guild.  I was unable to go to the dinner we had on Tuesday but Lorraine, the challenge coordinator emailed me.  We had all pitched in 50 cents per UFO we wanted to finish.  Each time we finished a piece, we got to put a ticket in the kitty.  I somehow won!  

Although the prize is wonderful ($49), I'm really happy to have finished so many projects this year.  Some of the UFOs I finished included:

I have two more quilts to bind for the year and another crib quilt at the machine quilter's.  All in all, it was a good and productive year!

Have you been able to finish any of your goals for 2023?  

Wishing you a safe and happy day!

Wife Preservers: Laundry Edition

 

Happy Wednesday!

Okay maybe I don't feel like dancing with gravy but sometimes when I'm under the weather, I read old newspapers.  Lately I've been reading blurbs called "Wife Preservers" which appeared in newspapers between 1926 and 1976.  

My husband says they are called "hacks" now.  Throughout my of my adulthood, a hack was someone who wrote substandard pieces.  Or it meant that you slashed (hacked) something like a tree branch.  Later the word took on the meaning of someone who illegally accessed someone's computer.  It's beyond me how the word got to mean tips or "a strategy to manage one's time more efficiently" (thank you dictionary).

Anyway...my husband loves hacks.  I think in some secret part of his heart, he wishes I would be a 50s housewife and wait on him more.  Unfortunately for him, my Dad wanted his only daughter to ponder intellectually and not worry about housekeeping. 

Anyway...

I do like to read these blurbs.  Sometimes they make me laugh but most of the time they provide an interesting insight into life before everything became disposable and commercial.  Today I thought I would share some with you.  I'm wondering if any of these resonate with you and bring back memories...

Remember when gasoline was a household product?  I don't--but then I do know that my mother got lice at school and the solution was to wash her hair in kerosene...

Here's a tip I wish I had known as a child.  It was my job to hang up the clothes and remove them, even when the temps were freezing.  The clothes usually were frozen solid and did stick to the line.

My grandparents didn't throw anything out, not even discarded irons.  I could almost hear my Pop-pop say, "see, I told you this would be good for something..."

Mostly, these tips remind me of how grateful I am to have the modern conveniences we have now.  Do you agree?

Have a safe and happy day!

Tuesday's This and That: December 5, 2023

 

Happy Tuesday!

Sorry I didn't post yesterday.  A bunch of us in the family are sick with sore throats and colds.  It stinks but at least it isn't covid.

***

I've posted about the 6 Know-it-Alls who have different quilt history zoom lectures at times.  You can also find them at facebook under 6KnowItAllsShowUsYourQuilts.  This month they are featuring quilts from Pennsylvania and also red and green quilts.

Speaking of red and green quilts, thanks for all your insights regarding which antique quilt to pull out for the season.  Unfortunately, we won't be putting either out.  My husband said, "I wouldn't do that if I were you..."  I hate to admit it, but he was right.  

Lucky, the Fabric-Slayer is too intent on playing tug of war/wrestle with quilts and fabric.  We are concerned that one of the quilts will get damaged.  

For now, I've hung a small wall hanging and an embroidered Christmas quilt made years ago.  Lucky can't get to them because they are too high (so I think...let you know more in at the end of the month).

 

As soon as Lucky is through this phase (please God, make it pass quickly), I'm going to start going through my quilts to determine which ones I want to keep and which to sell.  

I've retired from giving lectures on quilt history and I don't need all these quilts at this point.  I am just going to keep the ones I really love.  Beth has retired from lecturing as well so she is going to be going through textiles during the next year as well.

Wishing you a safe and happy Tuesday!   

Flower Friday: December 1, 2023

 

Well it's the first day of December and although the flowers have faded for most of us, it's springtime in the Southern Hemisphere!

Louise kindly shared some photos of flowers in New Zealand and these images just made me happy to see.  It's only 109 days until springtime for us!

Thank you Louise for sharing these wonderful photos!

Have a safe and happy weekend!