A quilt block from my great grandmother's hand!

Found In a visit to Cimarron Heritage Center Museum in Boise City, OK.

The most western county in "No Man's Land", the Oklahoma panhandle is Cimarron County.

My family has lived there since the early 1900's when they migrated up from Texas! My great grandmother, Laura May Lightfoot and her husband Alonzo Ellis Parsley built an adobe home,which is still occupied, on the old homestead.

 

The adobe...this photo was from a time when it had been vacant for years.....

Now to the quilts....these hang in the Cimarron Heritage Center Museum.

 

I LOVE this indigo with red tied quilt! Especially the little sunburst block below!

This scrap/string quilt is hand quilted. It was a friendship quilt with embroidered signatures on the blocks....wait, that signature on pink in the upper left...."L. M. Parsley" ! That's our great grandmother, my sister tells me!

Laura May (Lightfoot) Parsley! It is hanging pretty high...I hold my cell phone up, straining....so of course, I am not steady....to get a blurry close up!

These were frugal times, most of the quilts here are scrap quilts!

Some cotton dresses are also displayed.

This black and white gingham dress was worn at the turn of the century!

This 1930's frock was worn by a school teacher....very small in waist and ribcage! No super-sizing back then!

The yoke and cap sleeves of this dress were constructed from packaged bias tape with a zigzag stitch! Someone had a nice sewing machine! The fabric of the dress is feedsack!

 

Love the blue buttons!

My sister near an antique stove and vintage aprons..

 

The Heritage center has lots to see....a dugout, a depot, farm machinery, antique cars....

A local stitcher made this excellent reproduction of Dorothea Lange's famous photo, "Migrant Mother"! Herd to believe it is thread on canvas!

A one room school house and a dust bowl exhibit....

The main office is a very modern style architecture ....former home of congressman Cox. Designed by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright. Inside is Mrs. cox's fabulous button collection...

 

AND you can't miss "Cimmy", the dinosaur! Here with my friend, Sally!

 

 

Scrappy wacky pink log cabin a gift to my godson's daughter

Finished and off to a good home! Perfect for a little girl!

Kathleen is 4 and visiting her grandparents nearby.....the perfect time to give it to them!

This was so much fun! I know I will make more!

I have started to list them on ETSY but hit technical difficulties. I quilt for pleasure, so even though getting a little cash flow going would be good.....I don't see a good market.

However, if anyone reading this would like to buy a quilt, please leave me a comment! I do make more than I need!

 

Using up scraps? Is it possible? Order out of chaos?

 

I love scrappy quilts! So when Amanda at Crazy Mom Quilts blog started a quilt along a couple of weeks ago, I jumped in!

 

 

--First sew scraps which have a side the same length together in pairs....week one!I found myself using 2 or 3 color palettes, even with scraps! My light bright pastels...

Brighter primararies with darks mixed in....

 

Earth colors...using lots from past family sewing projects....way back over 50 years! Or more....plus new pieces.

 

 

While waiting for more weekly instructions from Amanda, I used some 2.5 inch strips, which I keep in a plastic bin....sort of a scrapper jelly roll! I pieced these "25 squares" blocks, made a small top, and got it pin basted together now ready to quilt with my sewing machine.

 

Then I made this wacky corner log cabin quilt top. Inspired by this post from Quilt Dad . Here is his photo of his block. Charming!

Following his general instructions....here is my quilt top using light bright pastel scraps! Can't decide if I need to add one more row...????

 

 

Once i got home from visiting the new grandson, I worked some more on the quilt along with Amanda....

 

This week, 3 weeks into the sew along, Amanda has given us more direction....and I am pulling this quilt top together.

[here is the finished quilt top....June 29.....I think I am ready to stop. A large throw, or nap size quilt top.]

I had an extra log cabin block so that went in too! This is about 1/4 of what I should end up making.....now back down to the sewing room, to pair up more pieces for this...then the bright primary scrap top and the Earthy top.....lots to do...AND the scrap pile and chaos just seem to grow!

 

 

Strings and selvedges

This is a top from last year...pale and feminine. Selvedges with words like "fleur", and "garden"...with pastel string pieces. The one pale beige block in the center features the Eiffel Tower . The border fabric (and backing) has roses, post marks and cursive script and the word, "Paris"!

I had to use my Singer Featherweight on the kitchen counter to piece the back. Because MY back has flared up, and sitting at the machine is part of the problem!

Voila! The back is ready for the batting and quilting!

This will be a gift for my first granddaughter, I think!

 

String-pieced 60 degree star quilt

Pieced on light weight (tissue paper or newprint) paper using thin strips of fabrics (some sewing scraps!) these are not fast to make!

I finally have all the stars finished and it is coming together with a tradtional (and modern) white muslin setting.

I left my toe in there for a bit of humor.....I'm also thinking of polka dot border....what ever color is still on sale tomorrow at Hancock's! [when I am back at work....or back at shopping! LOL!]