Wednesday 2 January 2013

Sunshine and Antique Quilts

Happy New Year everyone!

Here’s hoping that 2013 will be filled with awesome new fabric and tons more quilting time!  I also wish everyone a very happy, stress-free, healthy and prosperous year that is filled with laughter and sunshine.

And speaking of sunshine . . .

whiskey5

Here is little Whiskey on New Year’s Day soaking up some lovely afternoon sunshine.

whiskey6 copy

She really isn’t all that little anymore . . . she’s been growing up so quick.  January 9th will see her 11 month old birthday – wonder what she wants for her BIG birthday on February 9th?  Santa was super good to her so I’m not sure what could possibly top those gifts.  Any ideas out there?

antique quilts1 copy

I received a call a few weeks ago from a lady that lives in the area and she was cleaning out cupboards.  She said she had some old quilts and wondered if I would be interested in them.

antique quilts3

Visions of Fortrel and denim came immediately to mind, but I politely said “Sure I would have a look at them” and she sent me some photos.

antique quilts4

I offered her $40.00 for the lot and she accepted!

Unfortunately she had washed everything before bringing it to me – might be a good thing :0) but on the other hand it has created HUGE wrinkles in everything and a bit of fraying.  I’m hoping that everything presses out and will return to an un-wonky state so that I can make a quilt top or two.

antique quilts2

I need to find a book on dating fabric though . . . the lady was around 60 and she said the quilts belonged to her partner’s mother or grandmother – she wasn’t sure which.  Also in the box was an old 100 lb. sugar sack that I have researched and the only reference I can find to it is on a museum’s website that dates the bag to circa 1920.  Most the cream color in the quilts is muslin/sugar sack weight - not sure if the fabrics are that old as well.

If anyone has some ideas as to how to research the age of fabrics, please let me know.

Have a fabulous W.T.F. – Saturday is just around the corner!

3 comments:

Tina said...

Love those blocks! I also just have to tell you that I have never seen such a beautiful kitty as your Whiskey! She is stunning!

Agnes said...

Hi Marlene, Fabric sugar and flour sacks were still being used in the 1950s, I believe even in the early 1960s. I remember the sugar and flour coming into the house in fabric sacks and helping Mom unpick the closure. I then had to wind the string onto the string ball. Sugar sacks were denser than flour sacks. Hershners is currently still offering flour sacks, pre-washed, pre-shrunk and hemmed for tea towels.

Jennifer said...

Whiskey has grown into a beautiful cat......is she really almost a year old? She can't be.......what an interesting collection of blocks!