Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Perfect!

Pieced and appliqued quilt, c. 1870, Kentucky

This morning I gave a talk for the Umpqua Valley Quilters' Guild in Roseburg. It was my first time visiting the group, and the topic was "Beauty Secrets: 150 Years of History in One Quilt Pattern" - a lecture I'm very comfortable giving at this point. I shared a dozen quilts made between 1850 and 2010, and it was just one of those days when everything clicked. It was as close to perfect as could be. I stuck to the schedule, it was interactive, people were laughing with the jokes, there were lots of great questions at the end, and I think everyone left with smiles on their faces.

Pieced quilt, c. 1860, Kentucky
I have to thank Pat Sloan, and also Suzanne Swenson. Both lectured in Paducah, and I was watching all the webcasts. It was great to see so many lectures leading up to one of my own, because I was able to pick and choose what would work, and even avoid what wouldn't work. Suzanne's lecture was wonderful, and highly informative. Pat's was super dynamic, and if her ears were burning today, it's because I shamelessly stole a couple lines from her lecture, such as "Anyone here collect fabric?" Quilters will laugh every time you say that, guaranteed. I also modified her Grandmother's Flower Garden bit, "Anyone here ever made a New York Beauty?"

Pieced quilt, c. 1850, Kentucky
So, here are the quilts I showed today. What could be more perfect than a dozen drop-dead gorgeous quilts? It was a perfect day. Thank you to Kathy Knapp and the Umpqua Valley Quilters for inviting me. I look forward to visiting again. Enjoy the pictures!!

c. 1870, Florence Caldonia Corley Shealy, Saluda County, SC
detail: MacMillan Family Quilt, 1868, Monroe County, Kentucky
Pieced Quilt, c. 1870, Texas
Pieced quilt, c. 1880, Kentucky, formerly Phyllis George Collection
c. 1910, a variation called Suspension Bridge and Broken Circle
Mountain Mist New York Beauty, c. 1930
New York Beauty, c. 1940
"Oriental Express" by Debra Kerns, Lafayette, Indiana, 1995
New York Beauty, Nancy Tanguay, Warren, Connecticut, 2010
For anyone who is interested in the "Beauty Secrets" catalog, you can find it on Blurb. Click here.

7 comments:

  1. Wonderful quilts as usual. Particularly like the quilting on the Macmillian quilt.
    You might like to know I collect fabric. Lol

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  2. Great pics, never get tired of seeing them. Wish you lived closer, would love to have you lecture for us (NWPA Quilt Study Group).
    I found a Quilter's Newsletter Magazine from April 1981 with the Mountain Mist NYB quilt on the front cover and a nice article inside on the NYB pattern...quilt is orange and yellow....pattern almost identical to your quilt...minor differences in border. Do you have the magazine, will gladly send it.

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  3. WOW...thank you for sharing these wonderful quilts! So glad your day went perfect!!! ♥♥♥

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  4. Doesn't it feel great when you finish a lecture and the audience looks like they want you to keep talking! The quilts look wonderful...love the quilts and the photographs!

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  5. The Macmillian quilt looks like it could have been made yesterday. Amazing!!Thanks for the great choices.

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  6. Wish I could have been in the crowd to see these "beauties"--sorry, could not resist the pun!! It is fun to see how different they look from quilt to quilt in design & color selection. Thanks for the picture show.

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  7. sounds like another successful lectures and showing of quilts from your amazing quilt collection. Some day I hope to be in the audience and see these quilts in person.
    Kathie

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