Piece and quilt with precuts: fun & giveaway

I've been having fun sewing a secret project for Christa Watson's blog hop launching her new book: Piece and Quilt with Precuts. I picked her Spools pattern because I really enjoy freeform piecing and scrappy quilts. I chose Halloween fabrics for a fun revamp of the pattern and then I proceeded to really make the pattern my own by making it with TINY 2" blocks for a half size block of only 6 inches! And yes that is a lot of little pieces BUT you "make fabric" to cut the blocks form so it is easier that it looks.
And here's the reveal: MY SCARY SPOOLS

You'll have to stay tuned to see how I quilt it but I must note that Christa provides easy to follow detailed piecing and quilting directions and there are projects to keep all skills levels happy.

GIVEAWAY Please leave a comment for your chance to win a copy of Christa's amazing book -sent as a computer PDF so be sure to add your email so Christa can contact you AND let me know your favorite kind of sewing or favorite pattern. I will choose a winner at 10 p.m. on Sept. 2nd.
*****Update: giveaway closed and we have a winner #4: Wendy Reed (from random number generator)*****  

And be sure to stop by Christa's blog for more great giveaways as well as other versions of the Spools block. And of course to see all the other wonderful quilts made by my quilty friends in the Blog Hop!

Dated 1846 Signature Quilt Easton, PA

This is one of the more unusual quilts in my antique signature quilt collection. Dated 1846 from Easton, Pennsylvania. A striking combination of the standard album block and the Carolina Lily block.

It was made for Solon Chapin by his mother in law, Mary Hocker. Here's the dedication block. I just adore the makers who labeled and dated their quilts so clearly.

And here's the block she made for herself proudly stating she was 70!

And one made from her friend who had died during the making of the quilt at aged 86.

Quaker Signature quilt - trunk show or class

One of my favorite antique signature quilts is this early variable star quilt from Gwynedd, near Philadephia, Pennsylvania.  Gwynedd was settled by Quakers from Wales. The quilt is dated 1841 and 1843

 Stamped signature block from Henry Jones - Jones is a common Welsh surname and there are several on the quilt.

 There are several blocks from the Simmers family including this sweet little bird carrying a ribbon. This is for one of the daughters in the family. Also Quaker.

C.E. Green- name 'hidden' among the grape leaves.

Treasures from the Newark Museum- Hexagons

One of the wonderful benefits of attending the Annual seminar of the American Quilt Study Group is getting special access to amazing quilt treasures. We saw many at the Newark NJ Museum. Here is one of my favorites. Small scale, fussy cut, hexagons more than 200 years old! Scroll down to end of post to see the display card and read about this wonderful textile.

New Year Blues- Ocean Waves

Got the blues, I do, right here! Can't go wrong with 1890s Blues. The end of the century was the heyday for blue fabrics in a variety of colors and patterns.

c. 1890 Ocean Waves quilt top, Starley Antique Quilt Collection

Starry Night Day 31

The best of my collection of Tumbling Block Stars all made in Lancaster Co, Pennsylvania with solid fabric center stars. C. 1890.

This one has a wonderful, fancy braid border

Red Green Quaker Signature Quilt Day 30

I've learned so much studying this antique signature quilt. It is dated 1850 from Chester Co. Pennsylvania and made for Enoch and Mary Hoopes Worrall. From the Worrall, Hoopes, Davis, Windle, Umstead, Hicklen, families.

Love sharing this beautiful signature quilt that is also a genealogical treasure.  The center block  reads Enoch and Mary Worral's children and then lists them (living and deceased) and in the very center states that it is "Enoch and Mary Worrall's Quilt. 

As interesting fact about the quilt, it is really a red, green, and white quilt as it has Scarlett, Green, and White surnames. Thomas & Hester White are in the block above.

And several of the blocks have even more genealogical information.

You may have noticed that there are 2 different blocks in the corners of the bottom row. They are leftovers from the quilt made for Enoch and Mary's daughter Mary Worrall and are dated 1846 when her quilt top was made.

Hexagon Medallion Day 29

Love the hypnotic effect of this hexagon medallion quilt, c. 1870 from the Starley Antique Collection.

Closer look at the Madder Brown fabrics alternating with shirting fabrics. *Remember to click on photos to enlarge and see more details.

One of my favorite things about this quilting is the simple and yet creative hand quilting pattern. The maker used a simple overall grid pattern. A much easier pattern than quilting around each hexagon by hand and it would be a super way to quickly machine quilt a hexagon design.

The full quilt - so striking and graphic!

Crazy Days, Crazy Quilt Day 28

Charming cotton Crazy Quilt c. 1890 but quite different from the fancy silk and velvet Crazy Quilts that were more commonly made in the late 1800s or the plainer wool crazies made into the 1900s.

Got to love the cat and the mitten and wonderful cheater hexagon fabric and the galloping horses and that is just one block!

And then there is the wonderful cheddar yellow/orange fabric. This block has a great bird print and another faux patchwork or cheater print from Gilbert and Sullivan's Mikado.

This block has a conversation print, steel engraving with equestrian motifs (jockey cap and horseshoes) and other nice prints. 

And the full quilt top. By the way, the block pattern is called crazy quilt. Starley antique quilt collection.

Quaker Stars Day 27

One of many signature/name blocks in my dated 1843-44 Ohio Star quilt from Philadelphia and surrounding towns.  This block for Henry Jones was stamped with a signature stamp with 2 charming cherubs (angels) on top and anchors and maybe a lyre on bottom. Mr. Jones was a Quaker from Gwynedd, Pennsylvania. A Welsh Quaker living in a Welsh town with a lot of other Joneses. 

And here's the block for CE Green:  a grape vine branch.  A number of blocks also have Green surnames. From Gwynedd, PA

Love this wonderful little bird carrying a ribbon for RL Simmers.  Several blocks have the Simmers name. This one belongs to a teenage girl from Gwynedd PA.

Here is the full quilt, very large 104" x 108" with a variety of signatures/names from Philadelphia, PA and the Welsh Quaker town of Gwynedd, also Bristol, Bucks Co, Montgomery etc.   Some of the surnames are Green, Simmers, Foulke, Lukens, Jones, Downing, Huffnagle.  Based on Quaker meeting records, I have confirmed that this is a Quaker quilt.  And the surnames and Quaker style dating method on blocks, also support this conclusion.

1858 Quilt from New York Day 26

An amazing quilt full of LOVE! Made in 1858 for Sister Esther McAllister, a Sunday School teacher in New York City. She was one of the founders of the Methodist Episcopal Sunday School program and her husband was the Reverend at the time of the Willet Street ME Church.

The quilt is full of love as shown by the heart motifs (both visible and hidden) and the loving sentiments written in the quilt blocks.

Christmas Rose, Day 25

A charming Rose of Sharon/Whig's Defeat c. 1850 with wonderful triple rod quilting. Adore the border baskets. Starley Antique Quilt Collection

 Detail with the triple rod (three line) quilting and charming cheddar and red flower.

Look closely and the very busy design will reveal itself as a 9 block Whig's Defeat set together with very little breathing room or negative space.

Star of Bethlehem Day 24

'O Holy Night, the stars are brightly shining.

Bethlehem Star, circa 1850 from Pennsylvania.  One can't help but smile when looking at this quilt!  Part of my antique quilt trunk show, Quilt Masterpieces.

From the eBay listing: "An amazing rising sun quilt with satellite stars and deep blue print background. I love the way this quilt was designed with the blue background. The center star floats against a blue background sky."

Note:  the quilt top is from around 1850 BUT it was finished much more recently probably in the 1940's or 50's.  That is when it acquired that wild yellow backing.

Antique Christmas Wreath Day 23

Sending Holiday Cheer with this floral wreath from my 1850 Virginia Crib Quilt. The quilt was clearly made for a beloved child. Amazing this quilt survived the Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

And another lovely floral motif from the VA crib quilt. And yes, it is a "signature" quilt but mostly initials instead of full names. And done in teeny cross stitch. be sure to click on the wreath photo to enlarge it and see the little stitches.

And tulips on this block with more cross stitch initials.

And a bit more of the antique quilt with my recreation.

To see more of the original and the reproduction