Why Do We Call Them "Old"?

Yesterday was my day to go up into the attic and haul down the boxes stored up there to get them ready to move.  Among a pile of unused Christmas decorations, old clothing and such, were several bags of quilts.  I knew they were there, but hadn't really given then a thought since the last time I moved them.

They were labelled "Old Quilts", and I started to wonder why, if they belong to us, we call them simply "old quilts".  If we saw them in an antique store, we'd call them "antique", or "vintage", but if they're up in the attic, they're just "old". 

Anyway, here are a couple of the "old" quilts.

This one (I think) dates back to the 1930's, judging by the turkey red and green border, which was in vogue in those days.  My mother always said it was made by her mother, Maud (Secord) O'Brien, who was from Lansing, Michigan, and immigrated to Canada to marry a young man and settle on a homestead in an area called Valpoy, in Manitoba.  These homesteads were given to young families who could prove themselves by clearing a number of acres of land and starting a farm.  Unfortunately for Maud and her young man, Edward, the land was rocky and swampy.   Edward was shot in  1923, and the house burned not long after, leaving Maud a widow with 9 children. 

The blocks appear to be squares of flour or sugar bags, hand embroidered.

This little quilt was made by my mother, Rose, in the 1960's.  We had a family cottage with bunk beds in my room, and Rose made matching quilts for the bunk beds, and I have both of them.   The applique is done by machine and by hand - I guess she got tired half way through.  The backing is cotton sugar bags.  (I know this, because my job was to "unstitch" the bags before they went in the washer!)

I'll post a few more over the next few days. Since I'm moving to an old farmhouse, with lots of spots for a quilt,  I don't think they'll be back in the attic any time soon!

Happy Quilting!
Maggie

Big Thank You

A big Thank You to Tula Pink for the Support your Local Quilter badge on the left.  You can find it here:
http://tulapink.com/2012/03/19/support-your-local-quilter/

Hurry Up and Wait!

Hmmmm, what have I been up to?

Hurry up and pack boxes and take down shelves and clean, clean, clean.
Wait for the realtor to book showings.
Hurry up and whisk away any sign that humans (and animals) live here.
Drive off and wait for the people looking at the house to leave.
Hurry up and drive up the valley to meet the home inspector.
Wait for the roofers to finish up so you can take a much needed nap.
Hurry up and sign the offer to purchase.
Wait for the paperwork to be completed.

And the list goes on.
I'm in "wait" mode now, as I wait to find out if the "old" house has sold.  Then I'll hurry up and pack.  Then wait for possession date for the "new" house. 

This is the "new house", otherwise known as "Grouse Cottage" which will officially be mine on June 8th.  I can't wait!

And, I'm waiting for the torrential rain to stop!

But the worst . . . . . . . I have no sewing room right now!  And I'm actually getting tired of crocheting and knitting - which I didn't think was even possible.

So here are a couple of quilt pictures, just to remind me!

Happy Quilting!
Maggie

Moving Music

Lately I've been thinking about Moving Music.  No, not the kind that brings a tear to your eye or a memory of a loved one.  Not the kind piped in to aerobics class either.  Moving Music - the kind that plays in your head while you're . . . . . . moving. 

Back 6 years ago, when my late Mr. Patchmaker and I were moving from the prairies to the east coast of Canada, my moving song was "Eastbound and Down" by The Road Hammers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NYoNKxvDb8

There were a few very appropriate lines in that song - it really was a "long way to go, and a short time to get there", and we really did do what "they say can't be done"!

Well, now it appears that I'm "On the Road Again", and no, that isn't the song that keeps replaying in my head.  There has been an awful lot of  water under my bridges in the last 6 years, so what's playing in my head these days is Jesse Harris's "Secret Sun". 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Qvx0jCK1E8

I've been house hunting for almost a year now, and kept telling people I'd know the house when I saw it.  Mostly they'd shake their heads and mutter something about "She'll never move . . . ."  Well, last week I was surfing real estate listings - my constant hobby - and there it was.  It had been for sale for a while, but somehow I'd never noticed it before.  But, as soon as I read the listing I knew there was something special about that spot, and I shut down all my real estate listing programs and set up an appointment to see the house.  And it is The One.  So, barring any unforeseen events, I'm moving around the middle of June, to a tiny village called Clementsport, Nova Scotia, to a little house overlooking the Bay of Fundy, from high up in the hills. 

Want a peek at my new sewing studio?????

So, I'm like the little kid in the Disney commercial . . . . . . I'm soooo excited!

And now, the fun of moving begins.  I'll keep you posted on the fun and angst along the way.

Happy Quilting!
Maggie

Goose Hunting

The Critter & I were just down by the river for our evening walk.  I was hoping for a picture of one of the eagles that have a nest on the other side of the river, but the closest I came was this shot of one sitting on the nest.  You can see him/her at the middle bottom of the shot.

There were a couple of Canada Geese floating along the river, though and when The Critter spotted them, he decided that goose stew was in order. 

Now The Critter is a city dog.  He doesn't know that you shouldn't pick a fight with something that may fight back.  He hasn't considered that the geese may be smarter that he is.  And, most importantly, he doesn't know how to swim - a definite point in favor of the geese.  But he tried;  he really tried.  Of course, in about a minute, the geese had him figured out, and started teasing him.  They'd stay out mid-river, knowing he wouldn't come out that far.

 "Hey Sherman . . . . let's get us a dog!"

  When they floated past, they'd fly back and the process would start again. 

"Think he saw us???"

So there we were.  The geese were honking, the dog was snorting and coughing and wheezing, because he hasn't yet figured out he shouldn't try to breathe under water.  The eagle was up in the tree shaking her head in amazement at the stupid dog, and the stupid geese, and probably the stupid human too. 

After about 10 minutes of the bait-the-dog, swim by, fly back, bait-the-dog again process, I called The Critter off and set out for the car, only to realize the geese were following us.  So we stopped at the fishing hole, and the whole process started again. 

"Hey, Dog!  We're over here!"

The Sopping Wet Mud Encrusted Fearless Hunter

(and people wonder why I have towels and garbage bags spread on the passenger seat of my car)

Hope you had a good evening too!

Happy Quilting!
Maggie

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter, Everyone!

(looks like it will be a snowy one here)

Happy Quilting!
Maggie

Love, Hate, and the Six Word Story

I seem to keep hearing about Six Word Stories these days, and I'm quite fascinated by them.

There's:
With bloody hands, I say good-bye.
- Frank Miller

and:
“I couldn’t believe she’d shoot me.”
- Howard Chaykin

and:
Don’t marry her. Buy a house.
- Stephen R. Donaldson

and:
Automobile warranty expires. So does engine.
- Stan Lee

but my favorite is from Canadian author Margaret Atwood:

"Longed for him. Got him. Shit."

Ya can't get much clearer than that!

You may remember a few posts and a few weeks ago I got a new sewing machine - a Pfaff Quilt Expression, and Margaret Atwood's story pretty much sums up my experience.  It does amazing things but it is hands down, no holds barred the pickiest sewing machine I've ever met, and I've met a lot!  BUT, the silly thing is growing on me.  It handles invisible thread flawlessly and does a fantastic job on machine binding.  It's alphabets work great.  It does sooo may things sooo well, that, well, there's hope that we can learn to co-exist.  My 6 word story for this would probably go something like this:
"Sewing machine causes more grey hair" or how about "Sewing machine stays, owner goes away".

Today it and I have been working on scrap reduction - little blocks for  mug rugs and cookie mats and coasters all to go in the Maitland Craft Shop when it opens this summer:
http://www.hantscrafters.ca/

Here's a sample:

Happy Quilting . . . . . now go write a 6 word story!

Maggie