Day 25 (56) Mom's Log Cabin

A few years ago my Mom made this striking Log Cabin medallion quilt in red, white, and blue. It won flawless workmanship and Viewers Choice at the Springville Utah Art Museum show. It also was awarded Honorable Mention at the National Quilting Association's annual show.

Day 24 (55) Centennial Log Cabin

day 23 (54) Double 9 Patch

Love getting inspiration from antique quilts in my collections. Aren't those cheddar polka dots great? and the dotty red print and the pink grounds has subtle little dots too.

The Prussian Blue floral is lovely as well.

But the best is the backing:  A monochrome pillar print

Day 22 (53) wild geese

This antique quilt top is screaming to be added to the "must be remade" list. Starley collection.

Top is from Michigan. 

 Multigenerational project, earlier blocks framed later in striking zigzag setting

Day 21 (52) Make Time for Art

Detail of one of my word play quilts reminding you to make time to create ART

Day 20 (51) Recreating the Past

One of the funnest parts of reproducing antique quilts is finding the perfect reproduction fabrics.
Here is an action shot of the process for my Cheddar Stars quilt.

The miniature repro:

The full sized antique:

Day 19 (50) Amazing Quilt Retreat

If you love antique quilts and quilt history - then  you need to know about THE don't miss event this May in Southern California ... Leah Zieber's Quilt History Retreat featuring yours truly, Sandra Starley. May 9-12, 2016 in Temecula, CA.
 I will be sharing my extensive antique signature quilt collections and other quilts and lots of fabrics from the 1800s in 2 in-depth presentations and Leah will be doing a presentation on Turkey Red fabrics.  There will also be a historical quilting project, show and tell, sewing time and much more. And after the presentations, the antique quilts are not put away -- instead they are left out so that you can look at them closely and study the details of the signature quilts and the beautiful antique fabrics.

See below for just a small sampling:

Day 18 (49) Hexagon Bullseye

Day 17 (48) Squirrel quilt

Yes, you are looking at a quilt made from actual squirrel pelts!
Part of the Jean and Boyd Christensen Quilt Collection and housed at the This is the Place Park in Salt Lake City.
It is probably one of the most unusual quilts ever made.

I will never forget being in the Quilt History/Appraising class taught by Bobbie Aug and having her turn the previous quilt to reveal a SQUIRREL quilt -- it was a first for her in over 20 years of quilt study.
History - came with this information: made by a young girl of about age 11 in Upstate New York in the late 1800s.
Sorry, I don't have more photos of it.

Day 16 (47) New York Beauty

circa 1875 New York Beauty quilt with chintz/cretonne border. Starley Collection.

Fugitive (unstable) blue dye, possibly a synthetic dye. 

Day 15 (46) Beloved Crib Quilt

Day 14 (45) Wonky Birds

I dare you not to smile while looking at this funky and fabulous and very wonky antique eagle (or dove) wreath quilt.

Here is the full quilt in all its wonderful wonkiness. And to make things even more fun, there is a twin to my quilt in the International Quilt Study Center Museum in Nebraska.

I love to share my antique quilts and reproductions through quilt trunkshows/lectures/bed-turnings and classes.  I also have quilts available for exhibits. And in addition to my reproduction quilts, I also teach other quilt classes.

Day 13 (44) More Word Play

I love making word play quilts and here is a very happy one: "It's All About the Dots". Original design. Created for the 2013 Quilt Alliance (formerly The Alliance for American Quilts) 20th Anniversary Challenge/ Contest. And of course, I again took that challenge literally.

It's All About the Dots
20" x 20"
Sandra Starley, 2013

Two inch (teeny) blocks. Love using polka dots and other fun novelty prints, like hearts and text fabrics. And sewing rickrack in the seam between the quilt body and border gave the piece an extra whimsical touch.

Day 12 (43) Diamond Cheater Prints

Next to novelty fabrics, I really like cheater prints or "pre printed patchwork" or simulated or faux patchwork or fabrics that are printed to look like piecing.
Since at least the early 1800s, quilters have been using these prints (especially as backings) to give the appearance of piecing without all that pesky sewing.

The star with flowers on the right is printed not pieced. 1880s.

Another cheater star - part of a patchwork pillowcase from Pennsylvania. 1880.

And another diamond or tumbling block star, also faux patchwork. It is the backing of a hickory reel quilt. 1830s

Day 11 (42) Little Red Riding Hood

Little Red Riding Hood cheater print sighting on my 1890 quilt top along with lots of other wonderful prints.

And there is a bit more of the LRRH cheater in the lower left (above the blue polka dot).

And here are a lot of Little Red in my 1890 wholecloth quilt of the cheater print.

Day 10 (41) All Aboard

Redwork embroidery often has charming motifs and this is one of my favorites: a baby in a bathtub with the words "All Aboard".

And here are some "Brownie" figures from artist Palmer Cox. Quilt is from 1920s.

More Brownies ...

And another redwork summer spread in the Starley collection with a lace edging.

Day 9 (40) earlier work

My 2 favorite techniques for a modern challenge are wonky log cabins and word play.

Hello Dolly - wonky logs with Russian nesting doll centers. Made for a Trading Bags challenge.

Eat Your Veggies - made for a local Trading Bags challenge. I'm on the left and the quilt recipient Monica is on the right.

What's Black and White and Red Allover- made for the national Proverbial Riddle challenge.