Quilting Owl

Peter has been shopping again and now we have these wonderful new books to add to the Quilt History and Block Library.  I am looking forward to taking some time over Easter to curl up with a coffee and delve into these books and I am sure there will be lots of new inspiration. Take care Frances

After all the excitement of Christmas, New Year and a birthday it was good to get back in the Studio and get some machine quilting done.  Ever since my Mother took me to see "Gone With the Wind" when I was very young I have been fascinated with Civil War history and stories so I couldn't resist making the first block in the project offered by Barbara Brackman on her new blog  Civil War Quilts .  I am a big fan of Barbara Brackman and love her books and blog so I am looking forward to following this project and hope to keep up with the weekly blocks.  It will be fun to play with some reproduction fabrics too. Block 1:  "Catch Me If You Can" I have also made a quilt in the last few days as a new class project and now just need to hand stitch the binding which is a job I always enjoy doing. Till next time Frances

Santa arrived early at our house and brought us some wonderful new books.  I mentioned to Peter some time back that I would like "Quilts" - Masterworks from the American Folk Art Museum and he also found Robert Shaw"s book "American Quilts" - The Democratic Art 1780 - 2007.  Peter has always been interested in Hawaiian quilts and we have added to our comprehensive library on this subject.  Now all I have to do is find some free time to sit back with a cup of coffee or two and really get into these wonderful books which are absolutely full of inspiration. Till next time Frances

On a recent trip South Peter and I spent quite a bit of time visiting the Sydney Powerhouse Museum  where we found much to interest us.  A current exhibition was "The 80s are back" which explores Australian life and popular culture in the 1980s.   On display was one of the hundreds of quilts made in that era as part of the Australian AIDS Memorial Quilt Project which began in 1988 to provide a focus for the expression of community grief as the Aids epidemic grew.  The quilt was lying flat in a raised display case which made it difficult to photograph. In the Museum there was a Lace Study Centre and Peter and I spent quite a bit of time chatting to Rae and Bev who are volunteers from the NSW Tatting Guild.  It was wonderful to spend this time chatting with such committed and passionate lace makers.  The drawers in the Centre were full of wonderful treasures and it is well worth a visit if you have the oppo...

This is the latest addition to our extensive quilt library.  This beautifully illustrated book showcases 55 wonderful quilts from a collection of over two hundred quilts housed in  The American Museum in Britain .  We were lucky enough to visit this museum which is at Claverton Manor, a splendid Georgian building just outside Bath, when we were in Britain last September.  On that occasion we couldn't resist bringing home this book:   This compact book gives an overview of the different styles of quilts in the museum's collection which is said to be one of the finest outside the US. Till next time Frances

Last October we had the opportunity to visit Lancaster County in the US where the descendants of the Amish and Mennonites, who settled there after escaping religious persecution in 18th century Europe, continue to live their "simple" life even in today's hectic world. The Amish people are renowned for their quilting skills and there was much to see and do for enthusiasts of this craft.   We enjoyed a buggy trip around the beautiful countryside and a visit to the People's Place Museum to see a wonderful quilt display -  A highlight was our visit to the Quilt and Textile Museum in Lancaster which houses the world famous collection of Lancaster Amish Quilts in a beautifully restored building.  Naturally the book about this collection was added to our vast quilting library.     I couldn't resist bringing home a small Amish quilt to add to my small quilt collection - Till next time Frances

I am keenly interested in quilt history and love reading about old quilts and Peter and I have managed to collect quite a library on the subject.  Santa was particularly kind at Christmas with a few more to add to the collection - A highlight of our trip to the USA last October was a visit to the  Daughters of the American Revolution Museum in Washington DC where our group was given a private viewing of some of their archival quilts.  We put on our white gloves and were allowed to get up close and personal with the antique quilts - what a treat!  Luckily Peter remembered to take some photos because I was too busy enjoying every minute of being with the quilts. Till next time Frances

In 2005 when Peter and I were attending the European Patchwork Meeting in Alsace, France, we had the great pleasure of hearing a talk on Welsh Quilts given by Jen Jones.  Her enthusiasm and passion for the subject truly inspired us to learn more about these historic quilts and we began this journey with her books.  In her publications Jen Jones talks about stories behind some of the quilts she has bought, sold and collected for more than 30 years.  Her private collection of over 200 quilts represents more than 100 years of Welsh quilting. Our visit to the UK last September took us briefly to Wales and a visit to  The Jen Jones Welsh Quilt Centre  in The Old Town Hall in Lampeter a fabulous building which has been recently restored.  We viewed her inaugural exhibition which focused on Welsh flannel geometric patchworks. We then travelled about 5 miles to Jen Jones' shop in her 1735 listed cottage at Llanybydder where there was a wide selection of ...