New find- but what pattern?

 On a picking trip out in the middle of Nowhere, Ga. my husband and I stopped a little shop- did I mention we were lost? I'm not sure I will look at missing a turn the same way again....
But I digress, we stopped in and I saw it from across the room. I casually passed by, looked at the hem for a tag, didn't see one. I went on. I came back. "Husband, can you unfold this with me?". I touched it and it was cool- only a 30s-50s era quilt feels cold like that.....oooooohhhhh aaaahhhhhh....
Still no tag. "Ask at the counter." He says. Shoot I know what it will be, prices have gone down to basement levels but I would need deep mine shaft low.
I found some milk bottles...$3 but you had to wash the dirt off. I'm good with that. "How much for the quilt over there?"

The young guy at the counter said there should be a tag. This is not my first rodeo young man. I know to look for the tag! We unfolded it completely, looked top to backing (which was feed sack pieced I might add and in perfect shape).

"I call the little old lady." Now the term "Little Ol' Lady" could mean anything from a savvy 50 year old collector who's gonna jack the price up just because she has a fish on the line ...and we interupted her Antique Road Show on PBS- or it could mean an 80-something year old half-deaf great-grandma who says, "What, that old thing." Or anything in between.
He dialed, I busied myself... I mean I know what the answer is gonna be. I folded it back and set it on the rack, walked towards the door.
"How about $45?" the 20-something guy calls out.
"I"LL TAKE IT!" Poker face shot all to blazes-

probably could have said $35 and he would have taken it. But I was too happy. It is hand pieced, hand appliqued and has a stitch count of about 10-stitches to the inch. It has no holes, just a few worn places but no batting showing....
Sadly, I can't identify the pattern or even come close. The image above is just 1/2 of it. It's a double/full with added length. And she is mine :)

Happy Yellow

At one time I really detested yellow. As unbelievable as it sounds that I would "not like" any color, yellow was seldom if ever bought, traded or hoarded. If gifted it quickly was re-gifted. Then I began a journey from dark to light. Over time I became enamoured with bright happy colors, so long days of dull calico prints- HELLO bold and energetic pinks, tourquoise, oranges and yes yellow.
Embracing yellow is like embracing sunshine, honey, daffodils and lemons. So here's to my new friend, yellow- a cheery color, suitable for most occasions.

Baskets are filled with stitches

Well the quilting is done and I must say, I like this one very much. It's happy. Not sure where it will find a home, I'm thinking maybe my Aunt Maisey who has never recieved a quilt from me.

I still have not purged the basketry out of my system; perhaps it's the craziness I'm trying to find a treatment for- and this is the next best thing to basket weaving. Regardless, I think my next adventure will be another improve basket, maybe in pink or a nice sunny orange.

I love baskets

Maybe it comes from being a former floral designer, or perhaps that baskets are "hand-made". Whatever the reason is, I simply love baskets. Wire ones, wicker ones, kudzu, grapevine or wood- I appreciate them all. I guess it's not so surprising then, that they have become one of my favorite inspirations for my quilting.
Several years ago I saw a basket quilt displayed in a store. The pattern was easy enough to grasp, but the time to do it never was. I must have started these blocks a year ago and just finished them after a weekend trip.

Realizing I didn't have enough of the white on white fabric to do sashings, I made a trip to Hobby Lobby and was lucky to find they still had a bolt. Sashings and borders completed, now all that's left to do on this happy little quilt is the quilting. Meandering squiggles, happy circles or free-form flowers, I'm not sure about the designs I'll use for the stitching- Let's just hope that doesn't take near as long as the top did.

Free Pieced Christmas Baskets

I always wonder if my friends who aren't familiar with quilting or folk art think that I don't know how to make seams match or points be pointy. I have always LOVED folk art, and when I was introduced to the free-piecing technique a few years ago, I was smitten completely. Inspired by Gwen Marston's baskets, I decided to make a Christmas version. It's got to be one of my favs for Christmas. As you can see it's just in the basting stages. I'll post more upon it's completion.

Missing, but still in action~

After a very busy sabatical, is that an oxymoron~ where I learned how to make jams, pickles and hot sauces (including canning them), I am now back to sewing and quilting. Actually I have been doing lots of projects, but all the pics are currently located on a computer existing on life support. I'll try an revive my old friend long enough to transfer them this week.
For now the above will have to do. It's the result of a image posted on Pinterest, a new found inspiration factory. The quilting doesn't show up very well, but the background is filled with swirls. I enjoyed making it so much that I did another and still another is awaiting quilting... and my mother said I had attention problems. Truthfully I can become quite fixated when something simple and quick works well :)

Some of you might be wondering where I have been. I mean certainly willy Wonka is over, shouldn't she be sewing by now? Sadly in the late night hours of April 27th tornadoes ripped thru the deep south killing hundreds. My small town of Cartersville was hit by 2 of those beasts, an F-4 and an F-5. We suffered no loss of life but 400 homes were damages and 50 were totally destroyed, a church that has stood since 1880 has nothing left but 1 stain glass window unbroken laying on its side and it's front steps and I can't count the number of trees. Our church was untouched and so very early the next morning we began a relief effort that has become more than we could imagine.

Working every day all day we have organized food and water crews to go door to door, crews of people with everything from chain saws to cranes to pull trees and debris away from peoples homes or what once was their home. We also opened up our newly completed family building (which when planned someone came up with the idea to build it so it could be used as a shelter and a disaster relief station... that was 2 years ago.

The work is hard, and the stories are heartbreaking, but our small community has really pulled together for these hurting families. Different churches, different denominations- people who don't trust church at all, banning together to make a difference. I don't know when I'll get back to sewing, but would appreciate your prayers and thoughts for our community.