I love when this happens....someone from the past resurfaces in the present in a most unusual way. When I first came to Austin, TX, in the 1970s, I took a community school class that was offered in quilting for beginners. I'd always been a stitcher but never did any quilting. Connie, a very accomplished quilter, taught me the basics and then I was on my own. I never did come in contact with Connie again. Some 25 or 30 years later, I joined a quilting bee and met Barbara and Margaret who talked about Connie as they were all members of the Austin Area Quilt Guild. Connie had passed away in the early 90s and Barbara had quite a few of Connie's pieced blocks that had never been quilted. About two weeks ago, Barbara showed some of those blocks at quilt bee and there was one that I admired because it looked like an old cotton hanky. Barbara generously offered it to me and I said I would make a pillow. Well, I so enjoyed hand quilting that block that I did nothing else for a couple of days. I put an edge on it with some fabric from my stash and made it into a pillow. I just love it....especially the connection that this is Connie's pieced block and she was the one who taught me the basics of quilting. I will gift the pillow back to Barbara if she likes it.
click on the images for close-ups...
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| hand quilted and edged |
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| the backside showing the quilting |
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| the finished pillow measures about 12" x 12" |
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I was also given this small patchwork piece that I hand quilted and edged with piping. It will become an outside pocket on a future pouch.
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| measures 4½" x 9½" |
I stopped at the thrift store this week looking for something specific and couldn't pass up this beautiful white tablecloth, in pristine condition, that measures about 36" x 60". It was $4. It looks like Indian Chikan Embroidery. Hoping Anita from India will weigh in on this and tell me if I am right.
I have managed to spend some time knitting in the evenings and made some headway on this Love and Loyalty Pinball. It is done on size 0000 double needles so it's quite fiddly to handle. I do love watching the pattern emerge with each row.
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| Love and Loyalty Pinball |
Have a great week and enjoy the present moment.
21 comments:
Happy Solstice! What a beautiful story. I know how much handling work done by a mentor/teacher connects with fond memories. The tablecloth is gorgeous! I am off to the bookstore and suddenly feel the need to stop by the thrift store. LOL! The pinball knitting is so pretty. I haven't done pattern knitting in over 30 years. Hmmmm, maybe time to re-visit it?
not only is it very special that you were given this piece that has memory attached for you but how wonderful of you to want to gift it back now that you have added something of yourself to it...
You did a wonderful job quilting that block ;-) love the story !
What a find that table cloth !!!
Your pinball is lovely. There is a knitting book(by two Swedish guys) who knit ornaments for the Christmastree ... this looks a bit like it !
Deanna - Connie would be so pleased that you liked her work and even more so that you liked it enough to make it into something new. Iam looking forward to seeing it at bee. Barbara
Deanna, The Love and Loyalty Pinball...you're doing it and it looks grand! I love your color choices. I am touched by the cloth-pillow-quilting-mentor story that circles round and round. Very nice. Whenever I see white-lacy things, I think of you :)
Another interesting week. That pillow is wonderful, and such memories too. What a find with that table cloth, it's beautiful. Have fun with the knitting, it's looking great
how nice to have been given that block and you have made a lovely pillow with it.
Very impressed with the knitting, must take for ever to grow using such fine perle thread
I am sure Anita will be able to tell you about the cloth, what a beauty
Lovely work Deanna. Beautifully done. A collaboration with heart. Inspiring.
How lovely to have your past come to greet you again!
what a joy to work on that pillow and how lovely that it has such heartfelt meaning to you.
That's a lovely green wool your working with there too!
That tablecloth looks to be delightful ~ well worth $4!!
what a lovely honouring of your mentor!
Happy Solstice to you! What a lovely story and memory of your teacher. It does look like a hankie. You should pin the story to thee back of the pillow. I just love when I experience life weaving it's way.
The tiny work in green and ivory is stunning! Such a delicate hand you have.
Oh I love that too, the connections...
The pillow is beautiful! I love the tiny knitting too.
Lovely and sentimental story. I love that old fashion looking block and your hand quilting is wonderful. Great find that white table cloth. It looks like shadow embroidery?
the quilting on the back took my breath away.
What a beautiful story Deanna! The pillow looks gorgeous,Connie would have been so proud of you and am sure all your quilting bee friends will enjoy looking at this pillow and remember your teacher.
Yes,the table cloth is definitely a Chikan embroidery piece. $4 is a great price for such a large piece.What are planning to do with it? will you use it as a table cloth or bits and pieces in your pillow, memory cloth or in your Alchemy project?
I'm sure that Connie would have been delighted to see what you did with her block.
The pinball is also very pretty.
nice story here, really nice.
You have been accomplishing a lot, and quite a variety. Loved the story about the pillow. It is just beautiful.
What lovely stitching and memories. I love connections like this, too. & I just looked up pinballs, what a sweet item. I've never heard of them before. I really like the green you're using. Is it knit double-sided, like a hexipuff?
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