Children Of The Mountains

Would you like to bring a bit of good will and warmth to a child who is living in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky?

Last week, a new quilting-charity was born. The woman behind this venture is Rachel Cox, and the charity is Mountain Baby Blankets.

Rachel came up with her charitable idea after seeing 20/20 last week. That episode focused on the deep poverty in rural Kentucky and how that poverty has affected the Appalachian people living there.

Once I read Rachel’s idea, I began reading more about the charity. Then I watching the Diane Sawyer episode. After that, I emailed Rachel and decided to get involved. Perhaps you will, too.

According to Rachel, she introduced the idea to a contact at the Christian Appalachian Project. Rachel continued, saying that

the CAP organization goes out into the community to care for many teen moms in Appalachian Kentucky. There is a great need for warm blankets there. They will be the agency putting our handmade blankets directly into the pudgy little hands of those in need.

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For my first effort, I chose to make two simple patchwork baby quilts about 40″ x 52″. I will quilt them side-by-side on the longarm.

On this quilt, I need to add an outer border all around.

The other baby quilt is still in units. It will be stitched into a top tomorrow.

I have volunteered some longarm services, too, just in case Rachel gets tops that are not quilted. If any readers are interested in helping out with this worthy cause, please drop by Rachel’s blog and learn more about this new endeavor!

Scrappy Doll Quilt

This scrappy Jacob’s Ladder doll quilt was finished up the other day. Each block is 4-inches square. The sashing and posts are 3/4-inch.

Finished, it measures 18″ x 22″.

All fabrics except for the solid pale-peach background fabric are vintage scraps. I was surprised that I had enough of the border print to actually make a border.

The backing is part of a feedsack. I appreciate working with a new or barely-used feedsack since the cotton is thick and durable.

Meander quilted on my longarm with ribbons quilted in the border, this doll quilt was loaded and finished in less than an hour. I haven’t made a doll quilt in many years so this was fun.

An Infusion Of Springtime Scraps

Through the cold weather and frozen ground, our early Spring bulbs have begun to stir. Crocus, Iris, Narcissis, Snowdrops…the list of early Spring bulbs is long because I am a gardener as well as a quilter.

The tiny green shoots of life are beginning to emerge now, heralding the start of Springtime with our gardens’ symphony of color. Snowdrops are up but holding tight to their blooms. In a week or two they will open and nod towards the ground as if to say Wait until you see what is next.

So signs of Spring have begun here, and when Spring arrives, our gardens will be filled with blossom-bright colors. Oh, I can barely wait!

Springtime patchwork pillows were stitched last week amidst my continued yearnings for Spring. Each of the pillows I made are 14″ or 16″ with overlapping back panels to insert pillow forms. All were stitched with scraps and leftover strips.

Isn’t the novelty print in the center square cute? “To market, to market, to buy a fat pig….”

The pillow shown below has a remainder bit of feedsack that was trimmed off of a vintage quilt my grandmother made about 70 years ago. (The second fabric from the center with the off-white background and purple Morning Glories.) I discovered a One Patch quilt inside a tied coverlet and decided to uncover and repair it. (Read Untying The Past for more.) Since a few trimmings were necessary to square the quilt, I saved those trimmings. You never know when you need a scrap of this or a bit of that. Now the Morning Glory trimmings are in this pillow:

Making these pillows, I added some of my coveted vintage-era scraps. Some feedsack fabrics, some vintage swatches, and some dressmaker scraps were stitched into these two:

I’ve been using this infusion of cheerful Springtime scraps to cure my Spring Fever!

Iron On Tuesday

Or so it is written….Remembering the vintage Day Of The Week embroideries for household duties.

Those stylish DOW embroideries were made, no doubt, as a reminder for the housewives of yesteryear to stay on schedule. Woe to the independent housewife who might have a different schedule (or mindset)!

It is Tuesday. And so I iron.

But I don’t iron linens or clothing.

I iron vintage scraps.

These scraps will be used in a small quilt.

Those 3 scraps I can clearly remember — from my grandmother’s scrap collection.

I choose these.

To make little Jacob’s Ladder patchwork blocks like this one.

A little doll quilt with little four-inch patchwork blocks.

Maybe I will sew a dozen little blocks.

Maybe more….

Raven’s Walk

Finishing up the 3-inch border on a small string-pieced wall quilt, I think of Raven feathers.

The center of this small quilt is filled with swirling feathers radiating outwards.

Raven’s Walk. On the ground, a raven has a somewhat jagged track. Like these strings.

Finished, this is a 26-inches square wall quilt. I’ll trim and bind it in some of the remaining black strips.