I bought this Kentucky in the 1980’s
Vintage Crazy Quilt Question in Stitches
Tag: quilt
Born Feb. 7, 1892
Mary Alta Kerr Hendricks, my paternal grandmother, was born 130 years ago. She went by the name Alta. When my father was born they lived in Farmersville, Illinois. One summer my brother and I stayed with our grandparents and she taught me to knit. I was four years old.
Written inside the cover of her copy of The Book of Common Prayer.
Heritage from a post. May 2017. Ben H at WordPress says “This week, share a photo of something that says “heritage” to you. It can be from your own family or culture — a library, a work of public art, a place of worship, an object passed down to you from previous generations.”
She knit the blue Afghan and handstitched the quilt. She could tat and crochet, too. Made egg noodles and hung to dry on a broom stick.
Here’s another post for Throwback Thursday
My paternal grandmother, Mary Alta Kerr, born February 7, 1892 and her brother and sister. I need to do more research, dig around in a box, to get info on her siblings details. I know she called her sister “Sis”.
This is the grandmother who taught me to knit when I was little. No date on the photo. She looks to be 5 or 6? Maybe 1900-1901?
Mary Alta Kerr Hendricks passed March 13,1979 and is buried in Morrisonville, Illinois.
Great grandson Shawn Hendricks posted a photo of this tag found on his father’s (John)Afghan
Morrisonville, Illinois
Birthday T-Shirt Quilt a Hit!
Thanks to FedEx, the Pittsburgh themed T-shirt quilt arrived this afternoon. Right in time to celebrate my son Mark’s birthday on the 26th. Happy Birthday Mark.
I knew you’d love it! I was excited when you FaceTimed me as you opened it up. And of course your second call, showing me how Henry the Airedale was sniffing the quilt, looking for grandma.
My granddaughter Maura took the photo of her Dad with his birthday gift. Thanks for sending it Maura.
I took the shirts Mark gave to me and added a few so it was a row longer, scouting a thrift-shop, the closet here in my home, and ebay for the vintage Gateway Clipper T-shirt, where Mark worked when he was in high school.
Airedale approved.
I learned how to back the shirts with interfacing so they were flat and stable when they were sewed together. Thanks to Lisa S of Storm Sew for her tutorial and for her professional long-arm quilting services. Lisa can create a t-shirt quilt from start to finish, or complete your own sewing efforts like she did for mine. The quilting pattern was called Broken Glass. As soon as I finished handstitching the binding, I boxed it and drove to the main FedEx shipping center. He received it less than 24 hours later.
Colleen’s Day in Nova Scotia -Guest Blog
Colleen sent a few photos of what she is doing at her home in Nova Scotia. Our friend Joanne in Florida thought it would be interesting to see what people are doing as they “shelter in place.” if you’ve followed this blog for six years you might remember Colleen’s cookbook collection post. Thanks Colleen what a colorful and beautiful quilt.
What are you doing today? Send photos.
1984 Quilt Started With a National Geographic Map
We lived in Clarion PA in 1981 and I created this State Capitals Quilt for my 5 year old son Mark ( he’ll turn 43 next month). Bicentennial baby. My grandmother actually knit a red white and blue Afghan to match. Anyway, Mark learned all the capitals of the states at an early age thanks to my dad. It’s fun to hear a two year old say “Sacramento.”
I’ve seen the quilt in grandson Michael’s and also in Jack’s room but today it was hanging over the banister here in Ohio so thought I’d post it.
I used a National Geographic map as the template for the states, machine appliquéing them onto the squares in the order they entered the union. Delaware and Maryland State the First square. I embroidered the capital on each. Texas and Alaska are on a different Scale so they’d fit onto the their square. I wish I knew how many miles to the inch The last square I embroidered a bit of the Nation’s Capital.
Then my Aunt Rhea and my cousin Beth (both whom have passed) took it to their church quilting group in Illinois and the group hand quilted it, completing in 1984. We were living in Germany that year. I can’t remember having it there but must have been reunited with it in 1986 when we moved stateside to Kentucky.
I’m always looking for signs
As I got into my car at The Lakes parking lot, I saw this card by my foot.
The late afternoon light made the pavement and painted line come alive. The business card appeared to float.
Do I put the knitting down and begin to quilt?
Thought I should identify whose card I found…
Meet Malka- A Stitch in Dye
Austin, Texas is noted for live music and creative artists.
And stunning hand-dyed, uniquely-patterned fabrics, by Malka Dubrawsky. Touring her studio, I was reminded of my color theory class, studying Josef Albers.
In between wedding and celebrations, Colleen, who hails from Nova Scotia, made arrangements to meet Malka at her studio, A Stitch in Dye.
Colleen is an avid quilter and follows Malka’s blog.
The four of us piled in Joanne’s car and her son Chris, ferried us to A Stitch in Dye where Malka welcomed us and generously gave a tour of her studio.
Malka Dubrawsky – Fiber Artist
Malka explained the dye process. We learned about the addition of soda ash.
Lengths of fabric soak in dye. Wax in electric frying pans for making the designs on the fabric
Wax design drying, ready for a dye bath
Button jar
Joanne spotted these gloves on a shelf. Thanks J.
Custom designs available and international shipping! Click for her Etsy Store to see samples of her vibrant hand dyed fabrics. She has written two books.
Color Your Cloth: A Quilter’s Guide to Dyeing and Patterning Fabric and Fresh Quilting: Fearless Color, Design, and Inspiration.
Left Handed Appliqué Scissors.
Stacks of fabric to be sewn into quilt designs
Thanks for a wonderful tour. Malka saw us out to the parking lot.
Glad Colleen had such a cool connection in Austin. The fabrics she bought were richly colored and fabulous designs. Can’t wait to see your quilt creation, Colleen. Send photos for upcoming blog post!
My Grandmother’s Quilt and About to Jump in Monday
A verb.
A noun.
Hopefully not my nerves or the rope
I hang onto with my best grip.
I sleep with the comfort of the worn red calico and
yellowed muslin quilt my grandmother stitched decades ago.
Farmersville, Illinois She’s the one who taught me to knit when I was four.
. I told my friend V what the photo challenge word of the week was and she said,
“Fray? That’s an easy one. You start school Monday.”
After a Day of Football Watching
My son-in-law James and Penny the Golden Doodle, exhausted! James was happy with the results of two games (Ohio State and Auburn winning) and said he didn’t care much about the last one- USC and UCLA. He gave me permission to blog the two of them resting on the couch. Laura had already headed to bed.
I went down the street to photograph a crazy Christmasy house lit up full force but they’d flipped the off switch early and gone to bed. Thought that would have been good for the Let There Be Light challenge part two.
The pink afghan covering James has a label in it from my father’s mother Mary Alta Hendricks, who knit it in 1976 at age 84.
Born in 1892. That was a long time ago.
I’d been knitting all evening while the games were on. Earlier in the day, my granddaughter Anna and my daughter Laura had been knitting as we all sat on the same couch. Passed down four generations. There’s another afghan my grandmother knit from Bobbie, she sent it to Laura and James.
Tonight I am in the guest room at Laura and James’ sleeping under a quilt my grandmother stitched.
Thinking of family as the holiday weekend comes to a close. Grateful for all the love passed down.
Thinking of those nearby and those no longer with us on earth, just in our hearts.
James and Penny are exhausted
Quilt stitched by my grandmother Mary Alta Hendricks