New Quilt

This is for the new GREAT granddaughter we're expecting in the spring. She will be the daughter of Destiny, Bobby's granddaughter.

I Finally Have Started A...

...STASH!!!

I think probably only Amy will appreciate this, and you can believe me, it is a very big deal.

I have thought lately how interesting the vocabulary is for my new hobby. We have "stashes" and I am now substitute teaching to support my expensive "habit". hmmmm

OK as to my inchoate stash, it includes three light white or off-white prints, one light green, one medium lavender and one dark lavender. So, four lights, one medium and one dark.

I love them. My local quilt shop had a inventory reduction sale this week and it includes fabrics 30% off the regular price unless you buy the rest of the bolt, then it's 40% off. I bought four "rest of the bolts", and two yardage pieces.

So, now I am officially "in" the hobby. hum hum hum

Brothers and Sisters

Since my last post was rather negative, I thought I'd leave this positive thought before Christmas (today is Christmas Eve). I am in the process of re-meeting brothers and a sister I haven't known or seen for -- ok now, how long is it? Maybe since 1958 -- so that makes, uh... (not good at this) about what? 52 years? Something like that. Now that I have done math, I'm ready for a nap. Here's the good news. These are wonderful people! I know I'm going to love them.

Fathers

My "biological" father, Bob Brown, died last week. That term always seems a little strange to me because, what else would a father be, but biological? Fast on the heels of that thought always comes the answer: the kind who takes care of you, supports you, stays there for you and never betrays you, that's what else a father would be. My "first" father did none of those things. My "real" father--the one who married my mother with two little children--did. I'm thankful for my dad, he's the one who sits at the head of a rather large collection of children, grandchildren and one tiny but darling great grandchild.--his GREAT GREAT granddaughter. I have spotty memories of Bob Brown before the divorce from my mother. One of my strongest memories, however, is of my mother the night before their divorce was final. She was very upset and crying and we were at my aunt Shirley's home (Bob Brown's sister). I was about 5 at the time. Bob was going to get married the next day--the minute the divorce was final. Bob's sister, Shirley, had told him if there was ever a choice to be made, she would choose my brother and me over him, she stuck to her word over the years. We scarcely saw him after that. Oh, we'd see him occasionally, but visits were sporadic. When I was 15 and Bobby (my brother) was 12, we were visiting our Martin grandparents in Mesa, AZ, and he called and wanted to see us. He took us to lunch. He was expecting a really big deal "reunion" event, but it just didn't happen that way. We ate, he took us back to our parents, and that was that. I spent a part of a summer with him and his second wife and met their children. I remember I studied them and couldn't figure out what made them better than us... ...and eventually I got my answer, nothing. He left his second wife after finding a third. I remember my grandmother Amy Brown (Bob's mother) told me that Bob's second wife was, of course, broken hearted that her husband would leave her for another woman and said something like she couldn't believe he would do that to her. Grandma just told her, of course you knew he would. As she related that story to me, I was thinking that I'd like to be able to connect with my siblings from that marriage, and Grandma said that she thought that would be a good thing. Bob's oldest son by his second wife, was resistant to my overtures of friendship, and I never tried again. I recently reconnected with Margaret, my sister. She's a little older (less than a year) than my sister Michele. I hope we stay in touch. I don't know whether or not the boys even remember me. Maybe if Margaret and I continue to communicate, maybe even visit, I can eventually meet her brothers again. Bob was always glad to see me if I happened to be in his neighborhood and visited--an occurrence that didn't happen often--maybe three or four times over the years. It seemed that he knew he had abdicated his title didn't expect anything from me. His wife, however, always seemed a little peeved that we didn't call, write, visit, etc. more frequently--after all he was our "dad". He was not my "dad". He was the biological father. Bob's second wife, Dorothy, was -- well, I got on with her pretty well. As I grew older, I realized that we pay our whole lives for some of our mistakes as young people. Not all mistakes have such permanent and negative consequences, but some do. She must have been a really good lady because I liked her despite everything (maybe I was the really good lady because I liked her despite everything). I don't know. My grandmother Amy Brown always tried to stay close to us, and my mother tried over the years to encourage us to be close with her. I think it was the right thing, and even then I realized it must be difficult for my mother and I was glad she did it. I believe a child can never have too many grandparents! Just before my first marriage, Bob took me to lunch one afternoon in Mesa (I was staying with Grandma Brown prior to my wedding). He attempted to explain why he left our family for his second wife. After listening for a few minutes, all I could see was that none of it was his fault and he was the victim of a young marriage to a woman he didn't get along with, so he followed his heart--right out of his family. I interrupted him and told him that whatever happened to him and my mother and his wife was in the past and should stay there, and I didn't care to hear any more excuses. What is the adequate excuse for leaving your family? for years of non-communication with your children? for complete estrangement from them? So, when Marilyn called last week and told me my "dad" had died, my only response was, "oh." She continued to talk and let me know he would really want me to be there, and she really thought I should come--I just said I couldn't get away. I would have loved to see the four children from his second marriage, though (actually, I'm not positive they were all there, come to think of it.) His legacy is that he made two families and left them both. He then married a woman with five children and chose to adopt them. That just seems a little scummy to me.

Grampy's Argyle Quilt

I really like how this came out. He liked it, too.

The pillowcase that goes with it is hanging over my shoulder. The main fabric of the pillowcase is what I used for quilt backing. It has words about traveling and Route 66. The black occasional blocks are of scenes along Route 66, including 40s-50s cars. The diagonal line is gold rope.

Argyle

I just finished a quilt top for Grampy. The fabrics are brown/beige/ecru and blue, and the diagonal lines (that's the thing that makes it argyle) are gold rope. The reason I chose argyle is that when Grammy started kntting (yep, I was there) she knitted socks. At first, she tried knitting the whole thing as a flat piece and sewing a seam to join the sides. She didn't like that at all; I think she only made one pair like that and didn't give them to anyone. Then she tried using three needles and was able to knit the sock as a whole (like a tube) as she went. She was very proud when she "got" the heel part--it was pretty cool. She made many pairs of argyle socks for Grampy. So, that's why I decided to make his quilt as an argyle-type. I really think it turned out nicely, and is just the right size to use while he's sleeping on his recliner. I bought enough backing fabric so I can make a pillow case also. I used occasional blocks cut from a Route 66 fabric with old 40s and 50s cars and Route 66 signs. I'm hoping to get it quilted next week so I can give it to him while I'm on my way to Austin to the tiny girl's first birthday party next Saturday. We're going down on Friday; I'd better get busy!

Better Landmark Quilt for Me

OK, I know I published a picture of a quilt I made recently--one based on Baltimore blocks. However, I wasn't happy with the way it looked and wasn't really looking forward to showing it to my group at the local quilt shop. I took it to the Houston International Quilt Festival with me to show Amy and she didn't like the look of it either. She told me what was the matter with it--the blocks between the Baltimore blocks detracted from the handwork I had done on the Baltimore blocks. Yep, that's what was wrong with it--but it was already completely sewn--everything was done except for the quilting. She said I could rip it apart and redo it. Say what? Yep, that's what she said. She said it again--and reminded me that I didn't really like how it looked either. I said I probably would give it to the Goodwill or some such, and she said it would be a real shame because of all the months I worked on the appliques. She said I SHOULD rip it apart and redo it. Mercy! Well, I sat down very early on Sunday morning at her house and started unpinning, folding the backing and the batting, then I started on the outer border--ripping one stitch at a time... Torture, for sure. I can't believe it, but I actually did some other things that day. I did some things in the kitchen with Karie, played with Buttercup, loaded and unloaded the dishwasher--but still by about 10:00 pm I unstitched the last stitch. My poor aching hands, back, arms, eyes, everything! Really...

Amy had a good idea of what would look great, and I had to admit it sounded wonderful. So, on Monday, Amy and I went to her local quilt shop and shopped. I found some great fabrics and spent the rest of the day designing, laying it out on graph paper, cutting the new fabrics, and doubting the process mightily.

Impossible! On Tuesday I sewed the new blocks together, then laid the whole thing out on the floor--with Buttercup's help, of course--she had many suggestions for improvements (smile), and then I started sewing. By the end of the day, it was completely re-made and I LOVED it. Everything I didn't like before was remedied--Amy was absolutely right about the whole thing. Now this is my Landmark quilt top--my Baltimore. You can compare it to the picture in the previous "Landmark Quilt" post. I love this!!!

Kitty Cat Quilt for Cheli

I finished my sister, Cheli's., quilt. I chose a cat pattern because Cheli is a cat person, and has always had numerous. I also made a fairly small quilt because she doesn't get cold much--but sometimes her legs do. So basically it's a lap quilt. I love it.

The pattern is called "Arnie" and it's from Bunny Hill Designs.

The Handwork Gene

I have been trying to think where my handwork gene came from. Grammy knitted and her mother, Nana (Reta Rasmussen Beaman) made all her own clothes during the Great Depression--including her underwear. She also made fitted sheets long before they were available commercially. I remember seeing her mother, Ma (Martha Jensen Rasmussen) doing handwork, but I don't remember what she was making.

My other grandmother, Amy Slade Brown, made quilts--she cut the pieces with scissors and sewed them together by hand, as everyone did then--also her sister, Waitie (we called her Nantie). Grandma Amy also crocheted--she taught me how--and she also embroidered beautiful cut work. I wish I had a set of one of her pillow cases.

So, I guess the question is not where my handwork gene came from, but rather, what took me so long. Actually, I have been making things by hand for a long time--I sewed for my kids, made quilts when we lived in Utah (br-r-r-r-r), and crocheted an afghan one year (I had seen something I liked and thought I might be able to figure out how to make it--and I did.)

In retrospect, I see that I have always done this, but didn't have the freedom, time or patience to do it day after day. One thing I am really looking forward to is going to the International Quilt Show in Houston next month with my daughter and one of Bobby's cousins. My daughter Amy clearly got the handwork gene. I guess I always thought I just didn't get this trait, but only did handwork out of necessity. Since it seems to have been all over our family tree prior to me, I have to assume many of my progeny will inherit it, too. Probably many of Bob's too.

If you think you don't have it, you might be wrong. :)

A Real Milestone Quilt-top

I just finished a quilt top that was quite difficult to make. The patterns came from a group of quilts made in Baltimore a couple of hundred years ago--they're called "Baltimore Quilts." The particular ones I made were from a pattern book called "Baltimore Basics" and consist of 12 different designs. They're traditionally made of dark greens and reds--I used more vivid reds and greens as well as some golds and blues--it is my quilt, after all. The technique used is hand applique--and the particular applique I did mostly was "needle-turn." I learned how to make two different types of flowers as well as a few other methods of actually getting the patterns on the fabric. Initially I had planned to use 13 blocks so I used one pattern twice--putting cherries on one and flowers on the other, so they don't really look the same. I ended up using 12 blocks so I put my least favorite on a pillow. Now that I have the quilt top done and the "sandwich" completed, I'll quilt it. I'm not sure what I'll do with it yet. Here it is:

As you can see, the appliqued blocks are interspersed with a plain fabric block.