Mountain Mist Bicentennial Quilt Pattern

Remember that Bicentennial quilt I just bought? Well, there's a pattern, and here it is. I found this vintage Mountain Mist pattern on eBay, and it's in perfect condition. Makes me wonder if the person who originally bought it decided it wouldn't be such a good idea to make this quilt. As I've said before, it must've been torture to make the quilt. It's all applique! Even the triangles!!

Nice piece of ephemera, and I can't wait to sit down and read it. There's usually something amusing to be found in the description, perhaps a reference to the difficulty level of the quilt. There were other items in this line, so I'll be keeping an eye out for them. 

Does this quilt look familiar?

My August Quilt of the Month is a quilt that's been popping up in a lot of places lately, from Quilters Newsletter to the Whatcom Museum in Bellingham, Washington. To read more about it, click here.

Faces of the Olympics

2008 US Olympic Gold Medalist Gymnast Shawn Johnson is happy
about the Fab Five winning the team gold

I just love watching the Olympics. Back in the day, I mostly watched the swimming. These days I enjoy all the sports, even the ones I don't understand as well as swimming. I also love the faces of the Olympics. We always remember the faces. Here are a few of my favorites from Week One of the London Olympics.

Nathan Adrian shocked the world, and himself, winning gold in the 100 free

McKayla Maroney moments before sticking a jaw-dropping vault

Michael Phelps has a shaky start, but goes out in style

Allison Schmitt dominates the women's 200 freestyle

It's funny seeing Ryan Seacrest broadcasting from the Olympics 

Gabby Douglas - Uh-may-zing!

Missy Franklin - a star is born.

So, who were your favorites from Week One of the London Olympics?

Vintage Calendars Quilt Top

Look what arrived yesterday- it's a quilt top I found last week on eBay. There are 12 panels, and each one is a vintage calendar printed on fabric. The oldest one is from 1967, and the youngest from 1982, so this top was assembled no earlier than 1982. Probably a bit later, though.

Several calendars from 1976, and a majority are from the 70s. Those kitschy colors bring me right back to the 70s. I remember seeing these calendars in friends' homes in North Caldwell, New Jersey. One of the calendars is a repeat - 1973. Looks like my birthday was on a Friday in '73. I was seven. 

...and the winner is...

Our winner - Siobhan!

Thank you to everyone who stopped by Wonkyworld yesterday for the third stop on the "Small Pieces, Spectacular Quilts" Blog Book Tour. Everyone who commented on yesterday's blog was entered into a random drawing for the giveaway, and the winner will receive one copy of the new book by Mary Elizabeth Kinch and Biz Storms.

...and the winner is...

Siobhan Furgurson, aka Yankee Quilter of the "Scraps and Threadtales" blog. Siobhan lives in Georgia, and we actually met each other in Paducah in 2011. I didn't expect the winner to be someone I'd met. Congratulations, Siobhan. Special thanks to Mary Elizabeth Kinch for inviting me to be part of the Blog Book Tour.

So, if you didn't win, you've got seven more chances. Here's the schedule for the remaining dates on the Blog Book Tour:

August 10 ~  See How We Sew
Aug 13 ~   Quiltsalott
Aug 20 ~  Amy's Creative Side
Aug 29 ~ Supergoof
Sept 3 ~ Quilts in the Barn
Sept 11 ~  Stitch This/Martingale
Sept 17 ~ Quilting with the Past

Book Review & GIVEAWAY: "Small Pieces, Spectacular Quilts" by Mary Elizabeth Kinch and Biz Storms

"Across the Pond" © by Mary Elizabeth Kinch and Biz Storms 2012
photo by Brent Kane

I'm a big fan of quilts with small pieces, so I was very happy to be invited to participate in this Blog Book Tour to announce the arrival of this wonderful book, "Small Pieces, Spectacular Quilts" by Mary Elizabeth Kinch and Biz Storms. 

We will be doing a GIVEAWAY today. Just leave a comment on this blog, only one comment per reader, and the winner will be selected by random drawing and announced tomorrow.

The Blog Book Tour is making ten stops, and Wonkyworld is the third stop. Sew, Mama, Sew! hosted the first stop on July 18th, and last week Be*mused was host. Here's the schedule for the rest of the tour:

August 10 ~  See How We Sew
Aug 13 ~   Quiltsalott
Aug 20 ~  Amy's Creative Side
Aug 29 ~ Supergoof
Sept 3 ~ Quilts in the Barn
Sept 11 ~  Stitch This/Martingale
Sept 17 ~ Quilting with the Past

So, I've literally been carrying this book around all summer, and it's something I know quiltmakers will love. I've also learned, since I'm mostly a collector and haven't made a lot of quilts, that this book is the second of two. The first one is a bestseller- "Small Blocks, Stunning Quilts" and is also available online.

"Pumpkin Peel" © by Mary Elizabeth Kinch and Biz Storms 2012
photo by Brent Kane

Continuing on from their love of small block quilts as seen in their previous book, Mary Elizabeth Kinch and Biz Storms now share their passion for antique inspired, full-size bed quilts made with many, many small pieces. Included are ten projects using a wide variety of construction techniques: from traditional machine piecing to string piecing and paper foundation piecing with a range of complexity to appeal to both the beginner and the small piece devotee. Featuring reproduction fabrics, these quilts projects are colorful, distinctive and dazzling.

Mary Elizabeth Kinch

In Small Pieces, Spectacular Quilts Mary Elizabeth and Biz incorporate several additional features that are exceedingly informative. A thorough listing of tips for success covers such topics as new quilting technologies and sewing accessories and strategies that range from the tried and true to the unusual. Design notes reveal the creative evolution of many of these amazing quilts, and, insightful commentary accompanies the ten antique quilts highlighted in the inspiration gallery, many from private collections and never seen before.

The authors have once again produced another quilt book that will, as Small Blocks, Stunning Quilts did, become a "must-have" on quilter's bookshelves around the world. So, since this new book is a must-have, we're doing a giveaway today. One copy of the book will go to a lucky winner. To enter, just leave a comment on this blog post. A random drawing will be held after midnight Pacific Time, and the winner will be announced tomorrow. Good Luck!!

Mountain Mist Bicentennial Logo Quilt

Today I had breakfast with Andrea Balosky, who is visiting from India, and we went back to my place to look at quilts. Just as we were getting ready to leave, I noticed a package on my doorstep. We raced back inside to open the package, and it was the Bicentennial Quilt from Massachusetts. Andrea and I marveled at all the applique work. All the color you see on this quilt was appliqued.

Some of the patches had lost their stitching on a side, and we could peek underneath. There was a letter "B" printed in blue under a blue patch. Hmmm! There were blue lines under the lines of quilting. Hmmmmm!!! We looked at each other and exclained, "It's a KIT!"

Later in the day, I was curious to know if I could find any information online.  All it took was a google search to figure out the source of this quilt, and I should've known. It's a Mountain Mist Bicentennial Logo Quilt. I found the information on Jean Carlton's blog about Patriotic Quilts from over a year ago. To read Jean's blog, click here. Jean got her information from Rosie Werner and her Quilt Kit Identification website. Again, I should've known!

It's kind of hilarious that Mountain Mist made this quilt the way they did, with applique taking the place of a traditionally pieced design. Sure, the actual Bicentennial logo needed to be appliqued, but the stars and boxes? Applique doesn't come easily for a lot of people. What torture it must've been to applique all those pieces to the printed ground. Andrea made a funny face, and we giggled about the idea.