Happy Birthday Barkley

Time flies. I made this quilt 10 years ago. It will always be one of my favorites.

Our stitch group had a custom of making blocks for each other. We would pick the block and specify colors then everyone would make a few. All the different stashes really enlivened the end result. Those blocks are the center of this quilt.

The quilt historian prodded me to finish it by suggesting the border. She pulled the bird designs from antique quilts and I added the funky vine. We named it Barkley's Birds because he always loved to bark at birds.

The pattern is in a swell book, Cranberry Collection by Barbara Brackman and Karla Menaugh. Published in 2005, it is out of print but you can still find a copy on Etsy.

Little Barkley is now 13 years old - his birthday is this month.  It is always hard to believe it when your pets age. He has entertained us so nicely over the years.

He survived kooky Lucy, his companion when he was little.

He modeled hats.

He posed for a holiday card in 2009.

He even pretended to visit Las Vegas.

The secret to Barkley's longevity may be that he knows a good chair to relax on when he sees one.

Happy Birthday Barkley! And thanks to the quilt historian for mentioning our fine boy on this blogpost.

Merry #1

We got to Lincoln, Nebraska last weekend - just in time for the Red, White & Green All Over Show. It's at the Robert Hillestad Textiles Gallery from now through February 5 and if you are anywhere nearby, it's well worth the trip. The gallery is small, located on the second floor of the Home Ec Building near 35th and Holdrege Streets but this show is knock-your-socks-off wonderful. You can read more about it at here.

I'll post photos of a few of my favorites. LOOK at these tiny stitches!

Here's the entire quilt. It's a Rose of Sharon pattern from 1850-1870. The maker is unknown and it was made in the US. It measures 84" x 84" and is hand appliqued and hand quilted.

It's December Already!??

It does not seem possible that it is December already, although I have been making some very December-ish looking things.

I just hung a mosaic wreath by my front door. My mosaic buddy planted that seed (what about a holiday wreath?) in my head one day while we shopped and I found a nice baking tin for the base. I also found the nice already mosaic center, a little coaster. And the strings of beads seemed like something festive to add too. Mostly it is made of broken dishes along with a few tiny commercial tiles AND one old ornament from our days in Germany ...

I'm on a roll with these same colors. A recent quilt posted by Nifty inspired me so much I am trying my own version. These are 14" blocks, very exciting to put together! Thanks, Nifty! I've got 10 blocks done so far ... now to find a wild tablecloth for the border ...