Sarah's Circle Sewing Club Pictures

Hello Pieceful Quilters,

This week we will be winding up the first session of our newest club, Sarah's Sewing Circle. We have done quite a lot in one session, so I thought I would review a little, and share some pictures and memories about how it all started.

First, if you look at our logo, you will see a picture of my GG Grandmother, Sarah Atkins Phillips. Quilting and sewing run deep in my family, and I have been fortunate enough to inherit some beautiful and historic quilts, along with "the sickness." Don't you sometimes think that the need to touch and collect textiles is something you are born with?

Collect.. Yes, that is a nice way to put it. In addition to the quilts I have inherited, I seem to be unable to pass up an antique quilt or top if it has a lot of fabrics in it. I can't seem to stop staring at them! The fabrics from the 1800's and earlier really draw me in. Do you suppose I am a reincarnated fabric manufacturer? Ha-ha.

So now, we come to the quilt that started it all. This wonderful six-pointed star quilt that I purchased in Paducah a couple of years ago from Cindy Rennels. Cindy can usually be found at quilt shows with lots of beautiful quilts, tops and other antique textiles. As a matter of fact, she sucked me in again at Rosemont. I've got it bad!

So here are some pictures I took of the quilt when I bought it. I think that is Cindy's hand on the right. Here are a couple of close-ups. The quilt is not in perfect condition, but the double pink screamed at me, and I had to have it! I was going to reproduce it the original size, which I still am, but it seemed like a perfect project for Sarah's Circle, so I photoshopped up a little version of it for our Club Poster. Don't you just love the secondary star pattern that is formed by the pink triangles? Here is my version before it was quilted. I had been doing some English Paper Piecing with hexagons - see some of my previous posts for pictures of those. I much prefer the smaller hexagons that were typical in England in the 1800's to the more commonly known Grandmother's Flower Garden quilts that were so popular here in the 1930's.

Anyway, I digress....
The first quilt we actually did in Sarah's Club was based on an actual Doll Quilt owned by Sandy Schweitzer, our local AQS Appraiser and quilt historian:

Sandy's Doll Quilt is well-loved, and rather crudely assembled, but it is wonderful in all the great madder reds and browns that were so typical in the 180o's. What is also very neat is the "back art." Part of the back is pieced from the scraps. The pattern is simple, so it was a great kick-off quilt for Sarah Club. We put together kits, and no two were the same. I even included a few of my treasured stash fabrics in the kits to add some authenticity, since I had a few great madders in my "collection."

I was pretty pleased with the resulting quilt, which, although much brighter and cleaner than the original, seems to capture the essence rather well:

Of course, "back art" was in order, and I was able to piece most of the back from the scraps in the kit. I think we may have put a few too many fabrics in the kits (is that possible?), but I wanted everyone to be able to pick and choose from a nice variety. We do still have some of these kits in the shop. Call if you want one (847) 516-7911.

The final project for the session you can see below, hanging next to my star quilt. Deb Walker, my co-leader designed this wonderful medallion quilt based on an antique one we found online at

http://www.womenfolk.com/. This is a great site for those of us that are interested in quilt history.

We do have patterns available for this one. We never did make up kits, hoping to encourage the club members to use their stashes and/or to purchase snippet bundles in pink, brown and cream. I know that Deb used Triangulations to do her half-square triangles. If you have never used this great software, you are really missing out!

In addition to the quilt projects, we are turning in blocks for a signature block swap this week. As you can imagine, I haven't started. What's new? I did finish (mostly) Kathleen Tracy's Little Nine Patch quilt:

Kathy gave us permission to kit this quilt using the free pattern she has on the Fairfield Website.
The kit includes a print-out of Kathy's pattern, backing and binding. We will be introducing it at the Seasonal Samplings Free Demo right before Sarah Club tomorrow. Be sure to attend to see the latest seasonal projects along with this cute little quilt.

That's it for now. I need to get going and finish this week's email newsletter. I don't know where today went!

Hope to see you all in the shop this week. (Or call us to order anything by mail)

Carrie

Quilt Festival Pix

Hello Pteceful Quilters,

I know that not all of you were able to come and visit us at Quilt Festival, so I thought I would share a few pictures and some of the fun! We really had a fabulous time this year - getting a double booth was definitely worth it. It was so great to see so many familiar faces and meet a lot of new friends. It was a wonderful show, and we are really going to miss it when it moves to Cincinati next year. What a bummer! At least we will still have Madison!

Anyway, here are a few pictures of our booth. Demi and Katie did a super job putting it together in record time. I tried to help, but they never like my ideas, so I just let them have at it. Obviously, their ideas worked!

Yes, this is me, with a FAMOUS Person - Kay Capps Cross, the one who wrote those Black & White books. We don't always agree on fabric choices, but I have brought her to the dark side for at least one quilt. She said she has a "Dark & Dirty" quilt in her next book. I can't wait!
One of her books: A couple of local quilters had quilts in the show:

Madelyn Anderson's Civil War Sampler

Shar Snellman's Dear Jane Quilt

I am sure there were some others, I just didn't have time to see the entire show. As you may have guessed, I had to see the Antique and Traditional style quilts first. Here are a few of my favorites.

This was a one made with a hankerchief in the center. What a amazing historical quilt!

Here is a close up of the center:This beauty is made entirely of hexagons:

This wonderful antique quilt has some pieced parts and some applique. It is one of those quilts that you can sit and stare at for hours.

What is it about a quilt with an Eagle on it that attracts us?

Coxcomb quilts are so appealing, too.

Watch for a variation on this one coming soon to your favorite quilt shop!

The vendors at the show had some really wonderful stuff, too. I bought a few things, and got a lot of ideas for things to do in the shop. I can't wait to get started on some of the new projects I have been thinking about!

I hope to see you all soon!

Carrie

Hello Pieceful Quilters,

Just a quick reminder and teaser about our registration this weekend. Our wonderful teachers have been bringing in their samples to hang in the classroom, and I have taken pictures of a couple of our new class offerings that I thought might interest you. Be sure to come in this Saturday, April 10th, to receive a 10% Discount on classes!

We will also be having a BIG SALE - Saturday only. Since it is our 4th Spring Open House, we are having a 4 Sale - Buy 4 Pre-Cut Fat Quarters, Get 1 FREE - Buy 4 Pre-Cut Snippets, Get 1 FREE, All Sale Fabric in the classroom will be $4.00 per yard - one yard minimum.

Here are a few of our new class projects:

Twisted Spools Tube Quilt with Jean

Tulip Bag embellished with Texture Magic taught by Jean

Paper Pieced Mariner's Compass with Deb

Holiday Projects - Monthly classes with Diane

American Summer Block-of-the-Month with Diane

54-40 or Fight Advanced Beginner Quilt with Theresa

We also have many of our old favorites this summer, and all of our continueing Clubs, such as Sarah's Circle Sewing Club, Featherweight Club, Civil War Diary & Love Letters Club and MORE!

Be sure to stop by on Saturday to see everything, sign up and take advantage of our sale!

Carrie