The Plain Truth!

First cab off the rank today is the latest Barbara Brackman BOW.   The jury is out about my fabric choices this week,  you wouldn't believe the mess I make when I have all my fabric strewn about trying to put a pleasing selection together!   I don't usually have too many problems, maybe I have too many choices!!!  That's probably it LOL!!!

Except for the shirting, the fabric is from B.Brackman's Civil War Chronicles range.

Another UFO sees completion.  Whoo-hoo!  Fortunately it wasn't a UFO for too long, I started it in January and finished it on 30 April.

I haven't worked out if it is a 'Trip Around the World' (my first thought!) or a 'Sunshine & Shadow'.   I have asked the ladies on my SmallQuiltTalk (Kathy Tracy's) yahoo group and there seems to be some difference in interpretation, I also checked a website http://www.squidoo.com/amishquiltdesigns, and I am none the wiser!!!, much of a muchness it seems, so I will stick to my first description of TATW! 

I machine quilted the centre of the quilt as there were too many seams with such small pieces and handquilted the borders.   I just used scraps and small pieces that were left overs from other projects!  It measures 20"x 20".

I happen to love Amish quilts, love the solid colours and how they blend in so well together, you don't really have to try to hard to get a great look!!!   They really are timeless in their appeal and live comfortably in a modern or character/vintage home.

Another one I made earlier this year as one of Kathy's challenges also contains an assortment of scraps!

For this pinwheel quilt I did handquilting all over.   Finished size 17"x 23".

Several years ago I was inspired by an exhibition of Amish quilts to make this Double-nine patch.

I only machine quilted the double-nine-patch blocks, all the rest is hand quilted.   It was my first major handquilting project, I used a hoop and I managed to knock it over in one month, March 2003.  It measures around 42"x 42".  I tried to use traditional quilting motifs as much as possible.   It hangs in my lounge on a fairly rudimentary hanging device hooked onto the picture rail, the length of dowel purchased from the local hardware shop!!!  I'm ok with it LOL!!!

As I mentioned I visited a wonderful exhibition of 34 quilts several years ago of Amish quilts of Lancaster County (July 1997).   I still have the guide book from the exhibition and the newspaper cutting.   It was held at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. The exhibition was called 'Lit from Within'.

The booklet calls this quilt Sunshine & Shadow.  Here are some of quilts that were featured in the exhibition.

This one in particular really caught my imagination.   I had done no quilting at all prior to seeing this exhibition and had always been fascinated, but didn't like the flowery 70's looking quilts, which were the only ones I'd seen around, until I saw these magical pieces of practical art work.  I was completely mesmerised and spent the entire day at the gallery finding it difficult to drag myself away at closing time!!!  

I bought a couple of quilt books and sought out a shop in Brisbane where I bought fabric for this quilt.   The lady in the shop was a little dismayed that a beginner would want to start with this one, and no pattern either LOL! She was very gracious and helped me select the fabric and supplies I needed. She gave me the dimensions for the d-9-p block and I was off.  But sometimes being naive is a good thing, there are no limits and no holds barred.   To cut a long story short I did make the quilt top, but as yet it remains a UFO, it has lain in wait for years now, I had some weird idea I would handquilt the entire thing, but I think that is a bit 'pie in the sky' LOL!   Still it waits........

Late last week I received this first issue of a new magazine from the US.

It contains some lovely projects and quilts.  Here is a peek!

This is one seriously cute bear!!!!

My thoughts go to all the people who have been displaced recently in the horrendous tornadoes that have swept through some US States.  I couldn't believe my eyes at the destruction I saw on the news, and the number of lives lost is incomprehensible.   Our planet has experienced some devastating weather events this year, I hope it settles down soon.....

Have a great week everyone and stay safe,

Keep your sewing fingers busy

Merilyn