Peripheral Polyester Prairie Points

Peripheral polyester prairie points. Say that, ten times, fast! This powerful polyester piece would be perfectly pleasant without the edge finish and ties, but those elements really make this quilt special. It's something you don't see every day, especially in polyester double knit. c. 1970s, 83" x 100", from Texas. Enjoy the pictures!!

She Could Stand to Have Some Ham

Lulu is like my little Royal Taster. She loves to hang around the kitchen when I'm cooking, and she always has a lot to say about what I'm doing. Whenever she seems interested in my food, I let her sniff it and sometimes she'll have a little taste.

Today I was making a Monte Cristo for lunch, and there she was, meowing her head off. I let her sniff a little snippet of ham, and at first she wasn't so sure about it. As soon as I told her ham was like bacon, she stood up on her hind legs and started to beg. What a riot!! I just adore this cat.

By the way, caption contest winner was another longtime cat lover, Pepper Cory! Congratulations, Pepper. Your prize will arrive next week.

Caption Contest: What did she say?

Lulu has a lot to say. What did she say? You tell me! The person who makes me guffaw the loudest is the winner. Contest ends Friday 12 noon Pacific. There will be some kind of quilt related prize. Leave a comment to enter, and have fun!

Happy Together

"After"

If people are friends, are their quilts friends, too? I say yes. When I was preparing for Sunday's visit with Carol and Guy, I finally got some of the clutter out the office. Check out the "before" picture.

"Before"

Now, my 2013 NW Quilters Challenge quilt "Wild Eyed Susans" is over the desk, and Andrea Balosky's "Cross Currents Study #2" from 1994 is on the big wall. They keep each other company in the quiet corner.

Across the way is a beautiful little star quilt made by Robin Carter, a friend of the family from Maine. All three quilts seem to like each other, and I think Andrea, Robin and I would have a great time if we were ever all together in the same place at the same time. They haven't met each other, but their quilts are happy together. Oh yes, Happy Together! Remember that song?

"j'adore!"

What a day! The fine folks from Quiltmania Magazine paid me a visit yesterday, and we looked at piles of quilts. I heard Carol say "j'adore" a lot. Here are a few of the "j'adores" from show and tell.

this quilt was on my bed

This one was on the wall in my great room

We saw 40 or 50 quilts, maybe more, and at one point I opened the lower hall linen cabinets to reveal another huge stash of quilts. It was fun, and I thoroughly enjoyed our visit. We're going to be doing some projects together, so Bill's going to be a busy boy the next couple years. Merci beaucoup, Quiltmania!

Speechless Sunday

The Double Knit Twins in Generation Q

The latest Generation Q Magazine is out, and there's an article about Victoria Findlay Wolfe and me. We are dubbed the "double knit twins" and "modern poly-philes" in an article by Tracy Mooney. What a hoot! I'm so glad they put Victoria on the cover. She's simply gorgeous, and really stands out against the cityscape.

I still haven't seen the whole article, just what you see here. If you're interested, you can find more information about the magazine at the Generation Q website. 

"That's hot"

At the risk of looking a bit shallow for using a Paris Hilton catchphrase, I have to admit when I saw this quilt I said, "That's hot." Paris Hilton was known to use the catchphrase when she didn't know what else to say, and yes, I was pretty speechless when I saw the quilt.

The quilt came from an Etsy seller in Texas, and the day-glo colors would place it sometime after the mid-1960s. The combination of day-glo and black makes it seem almost 80s. The construction seems like the 70s. 

But really, who cares when it was made? It's wild, and unusual, and it taught me a thing or two about color, which is really hard to do. Who knew mustard and day-glo pink could work so well together? Not me. I don't know if I ever would've thought to marry those two.

The seller told me the quilt came from Tyler, Texas, but there was no information about the maker. It is 76" x 84" and is mostly polyester knits with a plain muslin backing rolled from back to front for binding. The technique is crude, at best, but it all works. Yes, "that's hot".

Sold!

I've been trying to get some spring cleaning done, and sold nine quilts and a coverlet this week. Here are the items that have found new homes.

1830s coverlet, possibly Delaware or Maryland, consignment

c. 1890 Applique Sampler with American Flag, PA

Wool Crazy Block Top with great border!

c. 1950 Bowties

graphic wool and corduroy Housetop

Wild Goose Chase, c. 1840

Raffle Quilt, California 1980s

two-color bricks with triangles border

strippy vintage string block top

It was nice to clear some space off the shelves, but there will be more. Some will go on eBay, others will be privately sold. Stay tuned!

Lulu always stays out of trouble...

Lulu is the perfect little angel. She always stays out of trouble and never gets into any mischief.

 

Child's Quilt, a Jean Ray Laury design

When I saw this quilt on eBay, I thought it was reminiscent of a Jean Ray Laury design. As it turned out, it was her design. I found the original, called "Child's Quilt" in her book, Quilts and Coverlets, A Contemporary Approach".

plate from "Quilts and Coverlets, A Contemporary Approach"

The quilt I found was signed and dated, Carol Simpelaar, 1970. It is 37" x 47", and the colors are not exactly the same as Laury's original. It's fun to see a signature and date on the front. Simpelaar must've been proud to create such a charming quilt, and kudos to Jean Ray Laury for inspiring the project.

Sadly, I never met Jean Ray Laury- but I do know a few people who knew her well. Whenever I hear people talking about her, I hang on to every word. Last year, Nancy Bavor did an outstanding podcast called "Jean Ray Laury, Threads of Feminism" to accompany the exhibit she guest curated at the International Quilt Study Center and Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska. Highly recommended!! To view the podcast, click here.