Studio Quilt Study Group January 19, 2004

Studio Study Group met here at the Ringoes hideout where the quilt police can never find us, on Tuesday. Although we didn't have black ice that I know of (there is nothing that could get me on the road at 6:00 AM -- I'd go the day before and sleep over), at 9:30 AM my long uphill driveway was snow and ice covered and the 1 1/2 mile local road was only plowed and cindered. That didn't stop 15 intrepid quilt lovers from making it here for a day of mostly star studded quilts. Altogether we flapped over 50 quilts, large and small (mostly large). We saw huge stars and little bitty stars, Strip stars, and Lone stars, Bethlehem stars and Expanding stars, Lemoyne stars and Rolling stars, Touching stars and Broken stars. We saw quilts that were made in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Ohio, Massachusetts, California, Kentucky, Maryland, Colorado, Texas, and somewhere in New England. We also saw a couple of Log Cabins, and Irish chain, 9-patch, Devil's claw, Carpenter's Wheel, Hexagons, a piece of untranslated blue work, pin cushions, and a hand-quilted petticoat. We saw a remarkable early two-sided quilt, stars on one side, flying geese in strips on the other. One late 19th century Ohio Star quilt took the prize for the happiest and silliest quilt of the day. The maker obviously thought hard about her fabric choices and spent good dollars to get the right fabrics -- blocks of double pink and double blue with a madder print paisley, sashing of another double, but looking very pumpkin, corner stones of the double blue and pink -- and then it's as if she despaired of the time it would take to quilt. So she tied it, 9 times in every block, every tie on top of a black felt circle (each perhaps 1 1/4") which was topped by a slightly smaller red felt circle. The ties, too were of a couple of colors of wool, regularly placed in pattern around the quilt. It was the first tied quilt I've ever coveted! You couldn't help but feel happy every time you would look at it. One of our members traveled over 2 hours to be with us, knowing she would have to leave right after lunch to travel the 2 hours home for an appointment scheduled at 4 PM. We are so glad she went to all that trouble, and would have missed her if she had taken the easy way out. I wish you all could have been with us. The gang will meet again at the same hideout, on March 16th. Our subject will be flowers and springtime. If it feels like spring, bring it to show. In the meantime, "Happy trails to you........" Judy "the Ringo Kid " in Ringoes, NJ judygrow@patmedia.net Click on the thumbnails below to see closeups of these pictures
Large Bethlehem star made as an expanding star	Pineapple, circa 1870, each block just two fabrics, constructed on a base fabric
Nine star blocks family quilt. Frey family quilt circa 1870		Connecticut 6 star quilt with alternate red blocks, cross stitch signature, dated 1875
	Star blocks	Large Bethlehem star top, 1900 - 1920, bought in Denver.	6-pointed star quilt with Centennial fabric, bought as a top and made into a quilt to be used as a Chuppah.
Tiny (4") stars top, circa 1880. 16 x 18 stars with flying geese border.
	New York quilt. Mary Swain, 1855	New York quilt. Mary Swain, 1855	New York quilt. Mary Swain, 1855
Log Cabin - Silk and velvet with embroidered centers.	New York quilt. Mary Swain, 1855	New York quilt. Mary Swain, 1855	New York quilt. Mary Swain, 1855
Log Cabin - Silk and velvet with embroidered centers.		White quilted petticoat, done by hand.
2-sided quilt - stars on one side, flying geese on the other. Possibly Mass
Bowman Star inspired the quilt to the right	Wall hanging star quilts she made from old fabrics and old blocks, one being a Bowmansville star with 7/8th inch squares
Devil's Claw quilt top.		Pa. Lone star with corner stars.	Pa. Lone star with corner stars.
			Pa. Lone star with corner stars.
	New England T-quilt with chintz skirt on 3 sides, bought in McKinney Texas.	New England T-quilt with chintz skirt on 3 sides, bought in McKinney Texas.	New England T-quilt with chintz skirt on 3 sides, bought in McKinney Texas.