Le Challenge: Method. Using Orphan Blocks & Vintage Fabrics

Finding and using vintage fabrics is a bit of an art, and definitely a hobby of mine. When I began quilting, "The Quilting Police" were in their prime and I still hear their voices whispering in my head, "that fabric is sub-par,
it will not last 100 years,
it might bleed,
it might fade.... "

 There is some truth to this, and I look forward to sharing soon the biggest bleeding nightmare I have ever encountered. But not today as it is still a secret, and it's outcome is not yet known. However, the culprit in this case is a NEW, quilt-shop fabric.
Lately, I have been using some of my favorite vintage pieces and these things have been on my mind. You may have seen projects recently with some of these beauties:

Over the years there have been many times I've pulled lighter weight fabrics from my stash, yet there are many I just wont part with. Bottom line, I love them. I also love building my stash, as well as the thrill of the score! When I go fabric hunting at garage sales, estate sales and thrift shops, I seek them out. The rebel in me does not diminish and I continue to find vintage fabrics for my stash, and I find creative ways to use them.

Le Challenge for November is METHOD and I chose to finish up an orphan block that I found at a garage sale. There were six in the bundle, all signed and dated by different quilter's. They were made in the 80's for some sort of swap. Interestingly, most of them were appliqued on a poly/cotton blend background.
Unfortunately, purple is the hardest for me to photograph, especially on a stormy afternoon such as today. This is the best photo I came up with, taken indoors:

I Googled the maker and found that she passed away one year ago. Turns out Ruth was a Past President for her quilt guild. I did find a daughter and plan to mail this out to her once I finish hand-stitching the binding.

I used this method to make the Broken Dishes border:

This is the third orphan block that I have made into a mini, all with the same border.
One for myself:

I was able to find an address for the maker of this one:

She gave me a call after receiving the surprise in her mailbox and we spoke for more than an hour:)
Can you imagine opening this more than 30 years after you made a block and mailed it away for a swap? She was delighted:)

One thing I have learned about using vintage fabrics is that you really never know what you may end up using in the future. It is so nice to shop your own stash successfully when working on a project!

A few tips methods I use for stashing vintage:

1. Keep what you like if you have the space!
2. Avoid storing fabric in plastic bins if you can avoid it; they will acquire a peculiar odor.
3. If you can do this without offending anyone, smell the fabric before purchasing.
4. Wash pre-owned fabric before adding it to your own stash. Sometimes I air it outside for a few hours first. Then pre-soak in water with 1c. vinegar sprinkled with quite a bit of baking soda. Finally, wash with extra-gentle cycle and mild detergent. Dry and lightly press. Any odor remaining will be detected during the pressing, and I donate these to the thrift store.
5. I stick with 100% cotton for quilting. I can usually tell by the feel, however, if it generates static when removing from the dryer it is likely a poly blend. If you are really uncertain, a burn test can also be done. Take a lighter to a small snippet: Cotton will leave an ashy edge and synthetic leaves more of a melted edge, a bit like plastic.
6. I store lighter weight fabrics separate from premiums since I tend to use them together. I have been known to mix various weight fabrics with some quilts, but generally I use them together in scrappier quilts, smaller projects, linings, etc..

How bout these calico's, look familiar?

My Vintage MIX for Le Challenge!

My vintage lightweights have attracted me lately. Many of them I have hoarded for some time now without purpose. I find them so cute.  This month I decided to MIX the new with the old to create fresh, yet traditional patchwork.

I have a few of these in my kitchen. One serves as a dish mat on the counter, but they're also fun under a fruit bowl.
Or, perhaps under a bowl of Trick-or-Treat candy.

This one mixes a couple of my favorite vintage pieces, plus a bit of oop Flea Market Fancy and the Spoons are Lizzy Dish by Andover. Can you see the squirrels and foxes in the white print?
A fun Fall set for my shop, right?

Living in a hot climate, I appreciate quilts made with lightweight fabric!
And light batting too! Prior to desert life, I wondered who would bother making a quilt without ANY batting? Just nutty, right? My current sofa quilt has no batting. I love all the old 'yucky' fabrics in it, and it is backed with a sheet and tied. Ha! I did not make it, but I just might make an empty sandwich of my own someday. Probably won't back it with a sheet, but who's to say...

I do LOVE to use vintage fabrics, however I am quite particular about the projects for which they are suited. Who wants to spend time on intricate patchwork for a quilt that will not last well?

I hope you enjoyed my Patchwork MIX! Check out Le Challenge Linkup, and consider making something for the November X-Challenge!

Linking as well with Leanne's Scraptastic Tuesday!

My BFF & I - Jewelry Roll Finishes!

Have you seen MIXED Bag by STUDIO M for Moda?

Mini-charms are such a great way to sample a new line! I picked this up on impulse when I noticed several prints in it that will go well with my 2.5" charm collections.
When I got them home for an even closer look, I found Mixed bag to be a really cheerful color-way that blends well with much of my stash.
I was inspired to use the blue and greens for a couple jewelry rolls I have been intending to make.

One is for myself! It is the one with the button closure because I forgot to sew the straps into the binding. All is well though, that button is from my grandmother's sewing box and I found pleasure attaching it!
For the 1st jewelry roll, I fussy cut a sewer-girl like myself from a very retro piece I've been hoarding. I added seven charms from the Mixed Bag mini-charm packet. I love the Comment print! :

The next one is for my BFF! I added six from prints from Mixed Bag to this one. And quite a bit of Amy Butler to help the modern prints mix well with the retro/vintage prints. Dragonflies for Terri as well, & some books & a heart:-)

Terri and I have been friends 25 years, since we were 13!
Lucky me, she befriended me on my first day as a new student in her school.
I've learned a lot about friendship (and relationships in general!) from Terri. She practices unconditional love, faith, forgiveness, compassion, empathy.
Terri doesn't sew, but I still like her a lot.
We make each other laugh and we make each other cry in all the ways good friends should:-)

For the most part, I followed the tutorial at Haberdashery Fun. Since I wanted to make quilted rolls, I did not use interfacing, and I kept square corners. I did not have the same length zippers, so I used short ones for mine, and longer ones for Terri's. I haven't used that plastic stuff much, and I did not want to sew it on the topside of the zippers, so I topstitched along the outside edge of the zipper to attach the plastic, then I flipped it over and stitched along the edge of the plastic to stabilize it...

I rushed to finish these in time to link up with TGIFF, held at Quilty Habit this week, and with Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

Of course, I had to pick up a couple more mini-charms of Mixed Bag next time I was out!
One is a replacement, with it's original intent, and one to share with a lucky reader!

A name will be drawn for this sneaky little giveaway January 31st, 2014 at 5PM PST.

A fun token gift in appreciation of the great opportunity we have to connect as quilter's, online, to celebrate finishes, and to SHARE!
And simply because I enjoy giving and receiving fabric,
Please leave a comment to enter, if you like you can answer me this:

Does your best friend sew?

Sunday Stash - Vintage Scores

I have two fabric giveaways ending today, Sunday the 17th at midnight, PST! See post here!

 



I picked up quite a few fabrics yesterday while garage sale hopping with Ty, and  I thought I would share photos with the enthusiasts at Sunday Stash, hosted this week by Lisa at Port Hope.

I know not everyone is into vintage fabric, but I love the thrill of a thrifty and unique find - especially when it relates to quilting of course!
My favorite vintage find is this large scale floral.
Pretty, but it is a poly blend, so I am unsure yet what I will do with it.

Here is another fun & very retro find,

I found two never-used sheet sets from the 70's.

I have never used sheets for quilting, but I know a lot of quilters are doing it and thought these may sell well:-)
And I found some juvenile cottons that will definitely sell well:

And some quilt fabric from two local quilter's I really enjoyed meeting, at separate sales:

Usually I avoid scrap size pieces, as they are a nuisance to launder, but several of these caught my eye, and they are of great quality, so I picked them all up;

Today I am in the mood to sew, and not up to going through my washing process with these , so they are all queued up in the laundry room. I treat vintage fabrics with one cup vinegar and 1/2 cup backing soda in the pre-soak & wash cycle, then run them through a normal cycle when that is complete. This usually works like a charm, but if they have any odor at all after this process, it is off to the thrift store they go!

Linking up with Sunday Stash, and as Molli Sparkles says,  'You should too!'
BTW, he is offering an amazing Echino giveaway today!

Happy Sunday!

Hearts and Flowers BOM

Much as I am enjoying all this time off work, it looks as though I have landed a full-time job (still not an easy task in Las Vegas!). Since it is salaried, and on the busy Strip, I do not anticipate a lot of free time this summer. So, I have been really trying to wrap some things up around the house. Rather than finish painting the house, or even cleaning the house, I have been lining up some of my in-progress quilting projects.

This morning I completed the last Hearts and Flowers Block. Since I do not have a recipient in mind for this quilt, I may or may not finish the top in the next couple weeks.

All 12 blocks are pictured here

 

 And I have almost knocked out the blocks for Terry's quilt. A man quilt was requested, and I was inspired by a masculine quilt I pinned a while ago (originally at  Keepsake Quilting ). I pulled some vintage fabrics, and have one more row to add to these blocks before joining them. I was considering using this quilt to try my hand at Big-Stitch utility quilting, but time may be an issue...

 

 In the midst of knocking those out a couple days ago, I received a request for a toddler boy quilt for a birthday present by May 25th. Of course, it doesn't really seem like a good time for yet another new project, however this request came from the friend who has basically landed me the new job. I really could not say no, so I picked up my first cheater fabric, Vroom Vroom by Kaufman. It is sooo cute! I pieced the borders around it yesterday, and basted it. Even though I try to avoid FMQ when sleepy, I went to quilt it last night, and noticed that, in my rush to complete it, I had pinned the back panel upside down. I was tired, and actually considered just quilting it anyway, telling my husband it looks cute when the top is folded down (the cars were then right side up). But, of course, I pulled the pins and re-basted it this morning. I will post the completed quilt this week, I think it is going to be so cute:-)

 

 

Linking up to What a Hoot's BOM's Away