Bittersweet Needle and Thread: Christmas Decoration

SPIRAL TABLE RUNNER

I saw the pattern, Spicy Spiral Table Runner, and really like it. I bought a wedge ruler, then sent off for the pattern. Of course, as my luck goes, I didn't get the right ruler! Oh well, I just recalculated the measurements, (that took a while and lots of figuring, I'm far from a math genius!) and winged it. My table runner is not quite as spirally as the pattern, but I really like it. The Christmas fabric was my grandmother's, left over from making Christmas tree skirts. The white fabric I had and reminded me of snow falling.

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CURRENT PROJECT

Recently I received 2 envelopes full of quilt pattern's from my friend Sherri, which belonged to her mother. Many are photocopies of patterns from the 1930's Kansas City Star. The Kansas City Star published free quilt patterns from designers and readers from 1928 to 1961 in the hopes of increasing female readership. This one is an Eveline Foland design called Ducklings.

The caption reads: This rather simple block which is thirteen inches square, may be developed in many ways, using plain or figured materials. The blocks may be alternated with plain ones of the same size. Allow for seams.
(copyright 1932. by the Kansas City Star.)

I chose a mixture of vintage and modern fabrics and it's coming together really well.

I'm researching this pattern to see if it's call by another name. Does anyone recognize it? In my McCall's 1973 Learn To Quilt book, it's called Duck and Ducklings.

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My cactus really bloomed this year. Isn't nature amazing!

Hope your Holiday preparations are going well.
Thanks for visiting,

Cinder

Thank you all very much for the warm welcome and nice comments. What a pleasure this is going to be, to share a common interest with others like me. Confession time: sometimes when life gets chaotic, I will go to my fabric stash and mellow out by sorting fabric, looking at patterns or even make a run to the fabric store. Ahhh, life is good!

SMALL WILLOW BASKET

I had the opportunity to learn basket making in 1990 from a lovely lady, Teresa, who is still my friend. We went out into the woods to gather everything we needed to make a basket: creek bank willow, scrapped willow bark, cattails, and grapevine. Then we could add basket reed, fabric, leather, lace or anything that was flexible. The basket reed was dyed by soaking it in walnut hulls to give it a great brown color. The longer the reed was kept in the smelly "solution", the darker the color.

I made this basket with a grapevine handle and willow ribs and rim. Then it was woven with some reed and scrapped willow bark. This is one of my favorites because I like the curlicue!

SMALL SQUARE QUILT

My sister-in-law Ann purchased several bags and boxes of old fabric, batting and miscellaneous quilt blocks at a sale. In the box was 5 sets of 10 block by 4 blocks, each small block measuring 1 3/4 inches. My guess is the fabrics are from the 1950's and 1960's.

Well, I love a challenge and pondered what to do. I laid them out on my white work table and WOW. I LOVED the look of each block being separated by white, so that is how I put it together.

Half of the blocks are the original vintage fabric. I added some vintage and modern to make it a twin size quilt. I added a border of the same squares and hand quilted it. This quilt was given to my niece as a graduation present.

MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS DECORATION

Santa's laundry - a decoration? My grandmother made this many years ago. It is the first decoration that I like to get out and hang up.

Even Mrs. Claus gets clean bloomers and an apron and check out Santa's red long underwear!

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Well its time to start thinking about presents for the grandchildren. Happy shopping to all...

Thanks for visiting,

Cinder

Bittersweet Needle and Thread