Old made new again.

I am venturing into a new passion. I'm doing a great deal of hand piecing of quilts. I'm starting to understand why. It's very similar to the feeling I get when I knit and I think that is the appeal
Let me count the ways....

• It's therapeutic. 
• It's calming. 
• It gives me something to do while watching a movie. 
• My cat loves it as she gets to lay on my lap with fabric all around me.
• It's transportable. 
• If I have even 1 minute free I can do something productive with that 1 minute.
• It's a great way to use up all that old thread that I have accumulated from auctions and garage sales, plus all those threads you aren't supposed to use with a Bernina machine....
• And best of all, it uses up every single scrap of fabric one can find.

So that brings me to my latest interest. English Paper Piecing. I started making some hexagons and began cutting and piecing like a woman possessed. It really is a fun thing to do because you are not glued to your sewing machine and your iron. It's all about the needle and the thread and scissors. There are countless resources on the web for  English Paper Piecing and they all work. I find the freezer paper method the easiest and fastest. I'm making great strides and I'm making a Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt; my own version.

This picture shows the beginning stages, but already the quilt is twice the size as shown and is growing daily. It is a pleasure to create and never boring.
And this brings me to my next quilt....

Bouckville Antique Find! An unfinished hand pieced quilt!

This past week was the Bouckville Antiques Festival in Bouckville, NY. A week long of 1000's of antique displays covering a acres of land. I try to make it every year and usually give my self something specific to hunt for. This year I zoned in on the vintage fabric displays. I found a real treasure. I came upon this wonderful unfinished hand pieced quilt. The card that came with it says it all. (Click on the photo so it enlarges and then you read the card). It even included all the remaining pieces marked and ready to sew. The workmanship on this quilt is exquisite and an inspiration. So, when can I retire?