Welcome to Part Two of my coverage of the antique quilts from Sharon Waddell's collection recently shown at the Vermont Quilt Festival. I'm excited to share some real treasures today! Sharon's collection is much larger than what I'm showing, as these are just a few of the quilts that grabbed my heart! You can see more of her amazing antique quilts in the previous post.
This Transportation quilt stopped me in my tracks!
It really spoke to the hand appliquer in me. Just have a look at all the motifs, from cars and planes to sky scrapers and stars! Those clouds - oh, and the parachutes! They're at the top center vertical strip, and their cords were drawn with marker, mostly faded now, but still a neat detail. Enjoy!
These cars!
Making an airplane quilt has long been on my wish list, and this plane is done in a way I haven't seen. Have you seen any like this before? It's really special.
Can you see the quilted outline of a star? They were a pleasant surprise.
A crowd had gathered around this next beauty,
and I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't photograph the description or the back of the quilt. Wearing white gloves, the volunteer showed us the front and both the left and the right sides of the back of the quilt. She explained that the back of the quilt has two different designs, as if the maker ran out fabrics or blocks to finish either one, and so joined them to make a whole backing. It's a reversible quilt, really - a fine lesson in economy and making do. To get up close and study the construction and the wide array of fabrics used was a delight.
Have you ever seen a quilt that brought up beloved memories?
This next quilt did just that for me. Our family's cottage on Keuka Lake in Penn Yan was a very special place, and one of the things that made it extra special to me was my grandmother's pile of quilts. She didn't quilt, but I vaguely recall her saying she'd picked up quilts from women selling them along the sidewalks in town - likely in the 1940's or 50's. I have just one of these quilts and it is a beloved part of my home. This next quilt, Two Stars from Sharon Waddell's collection, brought back a flood of fond memories of the cottage and my grandparents.
I already feel relaxed just imagining the hours spent making those tiny buttonhole stitches around every star blade.
That brings a close to my coverage of Sharon's antique quilt collection. I'm already looking forward to next year's show. The VT Quilt Festival is so well done in every aspect. The folks who put this show together, and all of the volunteers, deserve a huge round of applause!
This eco-dyed hussif made of rose leaves on silk noil and other OOAK treasures are in the shop.
Thank you!
Thank you to each and every one of you who purchased items in the shop helping to make my annual Independence Day sale a success. There are still some zipper project bags, hussifs (portable sewing kits), eco-panels and pre-cuts available. I've left the sale prices active hoping you might help me make room for my new work. These prices won't last long! This might be a great time to snag some holiday gifts for sewers in your life.
Seeing what you do with my fabrics, or how you use bags or other items I've made is a delight - please share on IG #stitchingenchantment. We'd all love to see!