Thursday, May 26, 2011

Utter Charm

I've been lucky enough to thrift a couple of lovely vintage quilt tops this spring.  I got the two on the left for an absolute song!  $4.99 and $3.99 respectively.  They both have lots of feedsack fabrics in them, though the center one has considerably fewer.  It's so very nice to know that UFOs span the decades and are not a recent affliction!
I picked this one up today and it made up for the woman in the aisle ahead of me that snagged a printed tablecloth from the fifties in amazing shape.  It's sashed in a pale yellow that lets those gorgeous feedsacks shine!
The blocks are simple but striking. This is probably my favorite block of the bunch! I don't think I'll quilt this, but back it with muslin to use as a table covering.
I picked this up a couple of months ago, and I really wish that I had some history on it.  Each of the star's centers has names embroidered on them and each time I look at it I have to smile!  There are lots of women's names and a few men's as well.  Makes me wonder if the maker identified herself by who she was married to or not.
Two of the blocks say "Mother," though only one has her age!  Thinking about how we identify ourselves, it made me wonder just how often these women were called by their given names.  I don't think I ever heard my grandfather call my Grandma her name.  It was always "Mother."  I'd like to think that these women wore beautifully handcrafted aprons, every single day.
The third quilt is a simple bow-tie that must be the newest of the three, judging by the fabric choices.  It was gifted to me by the oh so sweet and generous Elaine of Soggy Bottom Quilts.  The maker of this quilt used some seriously odd combinations of fabric, but that does just add to it's appeal.

I don't know if I'll ever quilt these as I have quite a few UFOs of my own, but they are my treasures!   I love anything vintage and am so glad that there's still a market for 30s reproductions and that many of the designers use vintage fabrics as their inspiration. 

Have a wonderful and safe Memorial Day weekend.  Many thanks to our troops and their families for the sacrifices they make on our behalf.  It's a time to send up many prayers and to count our blessings.  I'm off to spend the weekend with my two biggest blessings, my husband Drew and son Tade.  May you do the same!

10 comments:

  1. GREEN with envy over here. YOu should NEVER have mentioned how little you paid! That made it even worse. :/ I love those quilt tops. Isn't it wonderful to feel history?

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  2. So pretty! I love the one on the far left.

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  3. the block that says "mother, age 67" just tugs at my heartstrings. is her age her identifier?
    my son doesn't know my name because my husband rarely calls me by name. you can bet that he knows his daddy's name. my son does a spot on impression of me hollering for Ben.

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  4. OMG where did you ever find those around here for the song you paid???
    I am so jealous . Hope to see you soon.

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  5. it is fun that you are getting such gems for such a good price. i loved seeing the photos and i'm so happy that i got to see that one in person. i love the Mother block. so sweet. and i bet she had a whole collection of great aprons. some fancy and some everyday. :)

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  6. Thank you for your vintage quilt top tour! Very inspiring!

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  7. what wonderful finds! so nice of you to give them a home. it always surprises me that people sell quilts like this. seems to me they are worth keeping because of the love that is sewn into them!

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  8. Wow. Those are really cool! I consider it a deal if I snag a topper for less than $40. Guess not! haha.

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  9. I came over to say thank you for the tip you gave Amanda Jean about cutting strips in pairs right sides facing. It's a winning tip!

    I can't believe the treasures you found at the thrift shop. Lucky you!

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  10. what wonderful finds! so nice of you to give them a home. it always surprises me that people sell quilts like this. seems to me they are worth keeping because of the love that is sewn into them!

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