Final Finish of 2018 - 3 vintage beauties

What a perfect end to the year.  When I was quilting these, I looked at the fabrics and would love to know their story.  Did she have a stash of fabrics waiting to be cut up.  Did she have a scrap plan and storage?  What tricks did she have for cutting all those pieces with scissors.  What we should think about the stashes that people have these days and the quilt stores with all the different fabric lines.  What would she think about a rotary cutter?  And then as I was quilting, more the endless chain quilt, I wondered what she would think about the machine quilting, the longarm quilting that is done these days.  These quilts transported me to a different time where quilting was done in a much different way.  I bet they never even thought about completing a quilt in a day! These are Mary Ann's quilts, I" was so honored to be able to quilt them.  Her grandmother left these in her hope chest.  Mary Ann remembers sitting by her grandmother while she was cutting all the pieces and asked her what she was making.  Her grand mother responded with "oh something special".  Well these are special indeed!!  She had these three finished for her children, each gets one.   She has two more tops that we are hoping at least a part of them can be salvaged.  She donated a few tops to the Palmer House here in Crystal Lake as she didn't know what to do with the tops.  I will definitely stop by to take a look  at those beauties.  I think now she wishes should would have saved them.  They are all treasures and she was very generous to donate them.  At one time she said she tried to sell them at a garage sale.  I told her she needs to call me first before she does that again!! She said she definitely would.  Now she knows what to with them,  and they hold a special place in her heart.  I'm certain they will hold a special place in the hearts of her children as well.

Now what do we know about these quilts...The first one is an endless chain, just gorgeous with the yellow centers and the red fabrics just pop right off the quilt.  There are a couple of fabrics that are the same but different colors and it did made me wonder what the fabric lines were like back then and  how quilters stored the extra scraps.   I didn't do any marking on this, I just didn't even want to take a chance on the marker not coming out.  I used one ruler, Linda Hrcka's #15 curve.  Just did point to point no marking, free motion fills in the triangle.  It looks like big flowers after quilting.  I was hoping there would be more of a circular secondary pattern, but I'm pleased with how it turned out.  Batting is Hobbs 80/20.  Thread was king tut on top, bottom line in the bobbin

hobbs 80/20 batting

Linda Hrcka's #15 curve for everything, just point to point didn't want to take a chance on marking

King Tut ivory on top

The pink and blue postage stamps quilts are wonderful. That pink has just a tiny hint of purple to it, I am quite smitten with that sweet little thing. On this I used a digital edge to edge.  Baptist Fan from Three Sisters Quilting.  I love a baptist fan on a vintage quilt.  I have got to make my own quilt (or find one of those great deals at second hand/antique shop) and quilt a baptist fan on it.  Batting is hobbs 80/20 thread is permacore quilters on top, bottom line in the bobbin.  Cotton sateen on the back is so soft!

Hobbs 80/20 batting on all three

Permacore med grey thread on top

oh the different fabrics!!

All of these are hand pieced.  In a previous post I gave the link for a video by Jamie Wallen on machine quilting hand pieced tops.  Definitely worth a watch.  After laying down the batting, place a layer of muslin on the batting, baste it down, then place your top on the muslin and quilt as normal.  This not only gives the quilt a bit of sturdiness, but if anything happens with the seams, the batting is in tact and you can simply hand sew any areas of concern.  It made a world of difference doing this.

all three have a layer of muslin between the top and the batting

Donna Tyra on the Quilting Facebook group posted these picks, she let me repost them here as well.   She found hers at an Antique Fair.  Oh how I wish I could find one of these!!

Well as you can tell I thoroughly enjoyed these sweet little quilts and haven't made much progress on Good Fortune quilt, but I may be able to get some time in tomorrow, strings will go fast and I'll catch up before you know it.

good fotune moving slowly

I wish everyone a very Happy New Year and all the quilty goodness your heart can hold in 2019!  Don't for get to check out the linky parties on the side bar.  See you in 2019!