Sunday, December 5, 2010

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Sadie and Heather's Collaborative Family Quilts
It seems collaboration runs deep in this family; not only in the making of quilts but also as business partners! Mother and daughter team, Sadie and Heather, run a local sewing business on Change Islands called 'Seabreeze Sewing Solutions'. We went over to visit them where we learned that Grandmother and Great Grandmother also sewed together; making treasured quilts together to keep the family brood warm.

Above: Log Cabin Quilt made from a mix 70's crimp-knit, cotton, satin and shirting fabric
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Above: Heather's brother - Jim's baby blanket made by both Great Grandmother and Grandmother. This crimp-knit quilt has been 'tied' to the back piece by a simple piece of wool 
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Above: Heather's beloved quilt made for her also by Great Grandmother and Grandmother during the 90's. The soft pastel satin fabric is from Heather's Aunt's 70's prom dresses 
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Above: an unusual crazy quilt, framed by one piece of flannelette. How much fabric you have dictates what type of pattern you make; a beautiful logic that embraces and reflects what materials are readily available to you

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Eileen McGrath's Quilts 
We loved the simplicity of Eileen's one-piece quilts; if you have a nice large piece of fabric - why cut it up! The charming mix of curtain, cotton and flannelette gives these quilts a bold and eye catching look.
We also got to see some of Eileen's embroidery work and a snowman inspired hooked wall-hanging - all washed down with some home baking and a cup of tea. Lucky us!




Above: a gorgeous vintage print - showed off by the simple framed pink boarder
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Above: a  hand-embroidered table cloth - a cheery addition to any kitchen
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Above: we loved this picture - tea, scones and a hooked wall-hanging. Thanks again Eileen!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Olga Cull's Family Quilts
We were had heard rumours that Olga Cull of Shoal Bay - Fogo Island,  had some lovely old quilts. We dropped by to see if the rumours were true and indeed they were! We were taken back by not only how beautiful the quilts were but also by how well they had worn. We had a cup of tea with Olga and her family to find out some of the history behind the quilts....


Above: Olga sits and contemplates this beautiful and original quilt made by her mother some time in the 60's. The family suspect that the design was inspired by a painted canvas floor mat within the family home. Its made from cotton pieces, hand-stitched on to flour cloth


Above: Olga and her Granddaughter Keri show us their traditional Crazy Quilt - this quilt is made as one piece - not formed in blocks like more modern Crazy Quilts. We love the mix of fabrics and prints and the handsome mitred corners....it's all in the details!

Above: A Tulip Quilt, made by Olga's mother and given to her as a wedding gift. Each tulip and stem has been folded and slip-stitched onto the flour cloth; it would of taken hours! A true labour of love....and it's 70 years old and looks fantastic. Note the gorgeous scalloped edge in green; it a lovely touch

Monday, November 15, 2010

Quintessential Quilts; Looking Back at The Old....
The following quilts stole our hearts; we just had to share them with you! Like a fine wine, these quilts have aged well and stood the test of time. Loved, used and made to last - what more could ask for in a quilt! The design of them seem to be timeless and ever so appealing, we looked closer at them to admire the skill and craftsmanship gone into them....
  
Above: The quilt on the right belongs to octogenarian Allan Keefe of Tilting, Fogo Island - lovingly made by his Grandmother over 150 years ago. Although it's faded and torn in places this quilt is full of personality. The simple design proves that you don't need fancy material to make a pretty quilt
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Above: the subtle introduction of a pale pink print on the front breaks up the white flour sacking. The edges are a simple decorative embellishment called 'Prairie Points' that effectively use up tiny material scraps that are folded in on themselves to form the points

Above: this traditional strip quilt was made by Mrs Bridgette Kinsella over 100 years ago. Although a little faded it is still a very handsome quilt. We loved the larger strips used in this one....

Above: Ann Marie Newman keeps finding more amazing quilts for us to look at! This is her mother-in-law's handy work and was made in 50's or 60's. It's 100% cotton; look at the beautiful patterns and prints used! The use of the bold orange brings it all together so well. We simple love it and covet it.
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Saturday, November 13, 2010

Joan Godwin's Crazy Quilt and Patterns
Inside Joan's jam-packed sewing room revealed countless patterns for quilts. She kindly lets us have a rummage where we found all kinds of patterns from the 80's and 90's - carefully drawn and cut out on to old cereal boxes. Joan also showed us a delightful work-in-progress crazy quilt - no doubt this will be some lucky person's Christmas present!



Above: this charming teddy bear is an applique pattern for a baby quilt; Joan also had a sizeable collection of quilting magazines from the 80's 
Mary Frances Decker's Hooked Mats and Quilts
We called in on Mary Frances Decker of Joe Batt's Arm - Fogo Island - who pulled out some very old quilts from the attic for us to see. Mrs Decker has hooked mats and quilted since she was a child and is still making things to this day. Her work is wonderfully colourful, vibrant and full of character. Below are some of our favourites....

Above: A lovely quilt made recently; we thought it resembled a hooked mat!

Above: Mary's hooked mat- proudly placed at the sink where she does the washing up

Above: a 1940's 'Brick Pattern' quilt made by Mrs Decker's mother , Mini Penton, as a wedding gift. The material is dyed flour sack and still looks as colourful as the day it was made!

Above: a 'Strip Quilt'  hand-stippled by Mrs Decker; made some time during the late 1940's early 50's. It's extremely heavy and warm, even after all these years. The colours make it a beautiful and subtle quilt.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Diana Leyte - A lifetime Quilter
Mrs Leyte of Deep Bay - Fogo Island, has been hooking mats and making quilts since she was 8 years old. Still an avid maker she likes to burn the midnight oil making quilts and hooked mats for family and friends. Were were lucky enough to see one of her current projects  before she gave it away as a gift

 Above: a cheerful little quilt, the pattern is called Card Trick. Made from sheeting material and broadcloth


Above: on the way out we spotted this beauty on the washing line. A traditional Scrap Quilt - if larger pieces were good enough they were pieced together to form one big quilt. The material used is a mix of old curtains, flannelette and cotton bed sheets. What a treat to see!



Above: the hand that has hooked a thousand hooked mats! This tool is so worn, you can feel the indent in the wood were her fingers have worn it smooth. Image above: one of Mrs Leyte lovely hooked stamp mats, made with old t-shirts and worn clothes                                         

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Margaret Freake shows us her Quilts of many colours
Margaret's quilt collection are a mix of the traditional Crazy Quilts and designs of her own making. They clearly all show her love and  appreciation of colour; each and every one is unique in it's  own way. She had so many for us to see, so here is a pick of the best and most colourful...

Above: a lovely Crazy Quilt complete with hand-stitching. This particular quilt is a mix of cotton and polyester made some time in the 80's


Above: a beautifully simple quilt with blue hues. Margaret makes it up as she goes along; I love the darker blue she has used to 'frame' the blocks 

 Above: a red Strip Quilt, again oh so simple, but oh so striking!


Above: a delightful Strip Quilt; no scrap is too small to be used - see the larger and smaller strips Margaret has incorporated
Ann Marie Newman's Family Treasures
These beauties are the family quilts of Ann Marie Newman - a quilter and mat hooker extraordinaire. When Ann Marie isn't  hooking her beautiful mats inspired by older mats pasted down through generations of her family, she is making quilts as gifts for her family and friends. These old quilts are so simple and lovely - you can see the love and care that went into them in every stitch...


Above: A traditional Dresden Plate Quilt - made with a mix of cotton and flour sacks. The maker of this quilt is unknown, but I feel it may of been made in 40's or 50's. 

Above: a Strip Quilt, not ordinary by any means! These two delightful creations were made by Ann Marie's Grandmother Lucy Hewitt. They bring tears to my eyes they are so playful - l love the colour combinations in them. They are a mix of cotton, crimp knit (a popular material in used in the 60's and 70's) polyester and silk. If you look closely you can see the repairs done to them, where larger fabric pieces have used to patch up worn places.


Above: Beauty in the imperfection.....it doesn't matter that it's not perfect; if anything this makes them even more charming because you get a sense of who made them
Millicent Dwyer's Magnificent Quilts
Millicent has an entire cupboard stuffed full with quilts - from her first project made as a girl to her more recent creations. She showed us a small selection dating from the 80's and 90's


Above: a quilt with a difference: Millicent likes to put her own spin on traditional patterns, adapted them to suit the materials available to her. This is a cotton mix, using scraps from clothes and curtains

Above: this Scrap Quilt is a riot of colour and texture. This quilt was hidden underneath another quilt; I suspect it was made sometime during the 90's

Above: a sneaky peek in to Millicent's sewing room, where all the magic happens. This lovely vintage piece caught my eye, no doubt it will soon be incorporated into one of her quilts soon!

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Donna Rowe's Quilts 
The following collection of quilts are the beloved property of Fogo Island resident Donna Rowe and they are beautiful in every way. We gave them an airing on the washing line to see them in their their full glory.





Above: This decorative bedspread is a family heirloom - all hand embroidered with the most exquisite designs on to flour cloth; a material commonly found in the older quilts - it's an ingenious way of recycling this sturdy and versatile material. Note how the pieces are put together using the blue cotton strips, to form one big striking bedspread


Above: These three Crazy Quilts were all made by a family friend during the 1970's. It's really apparent that they are made by the same person, there is a 'signature' to them that unites them all. It is interesting too how the the decorative hand-stitching has only one colour; most Crazy Quilts use a mix of coloured embroidery threads