Postage Stamp Trip

Mama Net's Trip

This is Mama Net's Postage Stamp Trip Around The World quilt. I am so in love with the look of this quilt. She was in the process of quilting it so there is a small hoop in it. The quilt is a queen size and it is so much prettier in life than in the photo. We put it on her bed so I could take a photo of it. I am making a Postage Stamp quilt too but I am not progressing very quickly on mine. I will sew some strips together every now and then so it is going to take awhile.

On another note, today is our 39th Anniversary. We were actually married on a Tuesday. We eloped and got married in Reno, Nevada. My husband was in the Marine Corps and had just gotten back to the States from Viet Nam the second time. He wasn't due to be home until August but was in the early pull outs that the President ordered. I happened to be in Sacramento visiting relatives and he was in southern Calif. so he called me and came up to Sacramento and my cousin took us to Reno and we got married. We were then going to meet back in NY and gather things to go to his next duty station, Oak Harbor, Washington but I ended up going back to Santa Anna, Calif. with him and we spent 3 months there having the time of our lives. We always said we never had a honeymoon but I think the 3 months such a great time that I like to think that was a honeymoon. And here we are 39 years later. Now I had better get back to quilting.

Mama Net did it again!

Last week I got a package from Mama Net, she did it again. She sent me some "goodies". I just wonder how much more she had hidden in her little treasure chest of goodies. She said she was starting another box. Oh boy I can hardly wait to see this next one. I hope that you can see some of the price tags on these templates. Sure wish those were today's prices.

Kitties and Puppies

A second set of blocks that Mama Net gave me to embroider. There are only 7 of these but I have some other animal ones I could mix in with them but they are a bit different than these. Those have a lion, a tiger, a hippo and an elephant, I have a couple of each of those. I like these by themselves so I thought I could set the 7 of them with a pieced block or two to make it come out a bit more even. I haven't thought about it too much yet because I still have other projects I am working on and more embroidery to do yet.

As I had mentioned earlier all the blocks that Mama Net gave me are older ones. They are all stamped, these even had the different colors stamped. They are on 100% cotton which you can not get today. It will be nice to get all the blocks embroidered and then make quilts from them. I am sure that I will have at least one if not two more sets for quilts.

Embroidered Blocks

Dear sweet Mama Net has given me so many things quilt related. These are just a few of the blocks that she gave me. Last winter when I had to go and take care of my mom, Mama Net called me and told me not to bring anything to work on because she had some things that I could do. When I got there and went to see her I couldn't believe that she had these. Although she does have a lot of stuff and I mean a lot, hidden away. I was very excited about doing these so I started right away. She also has a 12 year supply of embroidery floss,LOL. I exaggerated there but she does have a lot of floss. Mama Net did start to embroider a couple of the blocks so they will be very special.

I have worked on these blocks on and off since she gave them to me. I think I had half of them done when I got back in March. I have the blocks soaking in some textile soap to soak all the excess grime off from handling them, then I will press them and think about the fabric I will use to put them together for one of my grandchildren.

And the whole set of blocks....... These blocks have got to be about 30 years old, Guess it was time they were done and put into a quilt.

A Sea of Bow Ties

Cheryl, over at MO, Broker, My Creative Side posted her bow

tie quilts and wanted to see other peoples. I don't have

a bow tie quilt, not yet, but I sure have a ton of bow ties.

I left a comment on Cheryl's blog and she got back in touch with me and she said she would like to see them.

These were given to me by Mamma Net while I was back East this winter taking care of my Mom.

Some of them are big ones, most of them are big ones. There are several of each, some have 4 and some more and some less. The same with the little ones. Two blocks of the blue are hand sewn and the black with the purple are hand sewn as well, I think there are 4 of those. I have a lot of little pieces but not all the pieces are there. That is OK because by the time I would finish with what is there I would be tired of doing them. They should make a nice quilt and I hope to finish them up one day...courage first though.

So there you have it Cheryl. Looks like a lot of work to me. What do you think? Can I do it?

1930 Era Blocks

Here are some old quilt blocks that Mamma Net gave to me, she also gave me the old crazy quilt. I am not sure who sewed them, I think her Mom did. Mamma Net is in her late 70's so you know it has been a while since the blocks were put together. I know some of the fabric is original 30's fabric so that is at least some sort of a date on them. I don't think Net knew the name of the block or she couldn't remember or I can't remember if she told me......old age I guess....anyway I would like to put them together at some point in time. I have 10 of them. I am not sure if that was all that was made at the time or if some got lost but that is all I have. Any one have any suggestions as to how I should set them???

Here is a picture of the back of one of the blocks. The seams are pressed open and they are machine sewn. One piece of fabric was pieced in order to make it large enough for the block.

I love this fabric!

Here is yet another old quilt block that Mamma Net gave me. I have no idea who made it or how old it is. I am not sure that she did either. I just love this red fabric, wish I had a bolt of it, well ok maybe even a yard or two. I like the black and white check that she put with it really makes the red stand out.

and here is the back of the block. It is all hand sew and very neatly too. The outside edges aren't squared and not much room to do that in. I am not sure what I will do with it. Like all the other old pieces that she gave me but I will eventually figure something out, I hope! If you click on the photo to make it bigger you will be able to see the hand stitching.

Antique Crazy Quilt Blocks

The 2 backings

2 unfinished blocks

I love the round part in this one. and the stripe fabric and the floral in the other one.

Some time ago I posted a photo of an antique crazy quilt that a dear friend of mine gave me. They were done by her grandmother and she died in 1927. My friend is in her 70's. I had always wanted to post the rest of the quilt but never did. The blocks are not done and most of them don't have any embroidery on them. Some pieces of the fabric and not in the best of shape but I am glad to have it. I am not sure what I will do with it but I sure would like to try and do something with it.

I also took a photo of the back of two of the blocks. The brown flower is my favorite. The small brown print was on one other block and the rest had just plain brown on the back.

I am seriously considering giving up that old blog that I mentioned. I don't think I am going where all the other gals went because the site just didn't look as user friendly as the other one or this one but thought I would revive this one and wait awhile and then make up my mind. I found a nice group here on blogspot that I could join but I will have to check it out some more. Every ones quilts on that site look so very nice. It is a huge group.

I had some problems posting these photos, I could not get them to be inserted where I wanted them. I will have to figure that one out I guess. In the mean time I have unpacked some more treasures and will be posting some of them soon. I am working at organizing my fabric stash to make room for my other treasures. Plus the whole house needs it as I was gone for almost 3 months but that is another story.

Another Treasure!

Along with the crazy quilt that my friend sent to me and all the other little bits of fabric that was in the box was some Embroidery Floss. I was amazed to find it. There were two colors this deep red and a gold color. Most of it was just loose skeins but this one bundle of red was all wrapped together. I almost hate to unwrap the bundle. I would like to see if I can wash them out but I am not sure how to go about doing it yet.

I took a photo of the back of the tag but you couldn't read what it said for the Instructions for washing. "Avoid Scalding Water, Cheap Washing Powders and Hard Wringing. Do not fold or roll up the article while wet.

THE RIGHT WAY- Use Warm Suds made with IVORY SOAP (or any other Pure Soap.) Rub Lightly, Rinse Thoroughly, Dry Quickly.

I thought that was so cute.