30 January 2007
Now, since it's January in Minnesota, this might be redundant, but. . . it's been cold the last few days! I feel like a wimp for saying anything because, though it's below freezing, it hasn't really been below zero (Fahrenheits). But the temperature has definitely dropped a bit, and the animals will back me up on this.
Booty's basket is right by a window, and I've noticed that his soft, soft fur has been getting cold when he lies there. The windows aren't too drafty, but they do let in a bit of frizz, so I placed a rolled up towel on the sill for now. I'm halfway through crocheting a proper draft excluder snake-y job. Click here to see Minnie bundled up early this morning. She's got the right idea!
A few things in response to my last couple of posts: (1) I would love to eat seasonally and locally, and I can't even use the 'but it's just so hard' cop out, because making up confusing rules for myself is what I'm all about. Really, though, I think the most you can hope to find during a Minnesota winter is, like, a rutabaga that rolled to the back of the pantry in November. (2) Yes, Booty really does eat on a shelf. Out of green glass dishes. (3) I'm so glad some of you have printed out the calendar!
Today, I went to Hopkins. I was hungry for more antiques, but didn't want to go all the way to Stillwater. Hopkins is to my south-west (and I really do mean west, this time) and is also known for its antique shops. I found a couple of Jadeite tea cups -- one's Fire King, and although the other one matches it, there's no logo on the bottom, and I think it's a knock off. I was just about to leave the last shop for the day when I spotted these under a pile of old tea towels:
Fifty-six pieced quilt squares, waiting to be turned into a quilt top! I'm assuming these are from the 30s or 40s, based on the prints and the quality of the fabric. There are so many prints here begging to be reproduced! Only about forty-two of the squares will be usable; the others are stained. Sadly, the square with the sailor man fabric is one of the stained pieces -- I shall attempt to salvage even a tiny bit for another project, though!
The squares are 8"x8" right now, but the edges are fraying from being carried around unfinished for so many decades, so I'll trim off 1/4" all the way around to give myself good edges to work with. That should mean a finished size of 7"x7" for each square. I'll checkerboard them with a solid cotton (white probably) and get quite a big quilt out of the deal. Hooray!
nice score! can't wait to see the finished quilt...
posted by leslie at January 30, 2007 04:37 AM
The heroine of the novel-in-progress makes a quilt from 1940s fabric. But apart from her being crafty, that's probably all you have in common.
posted by Sue H at January 30, 2007 11:47 AM
Fabulous find! That will make a gorgeous quilt. I love the sailor fabric, too, but the funky red and aqua piece is awesome. I hope you can use it!
posted by jenny b harris at January 30, 2007 03:05 PM
Great find! Windham reproduced a very similar sailor print in the Storybook 1V, but just in solids: here
posted by Kristin at January 30, 2007 04:39 PM
Hi Anna,
I've had great luck getting stains out of old feedsack fabrics by soaking them in oxy brite (which is sort of like the oxy clean stuff on TV), which you can buy at Trader Joe's (do you have that chain in Minnesota?). Or check out a health food store to see if they have something similar (non chlorine bleach)
I soak it in cold water for a few hours, so far none of the prints have bled, but it's amazing how many stains have come out.
posted by Steph at January 30, 2007 05:54 PM
i love the fabrics in those squares... what a wonderful score!
i also wanted to tell you that i made your carrot cookies last night and *they rocked*. seriously, they were sort of inhaled right away, by myself & my carrot-loving husband, and they were just the most delightful and surprising thing... i didn't know what to expect from carrot cookies, and they were just so good. we did cream cheese icing with cinnamon, on the runny side so not too heavy, and goodness. my new favorite. thanks for the recipe :)
posted by amisha at January 30, 2007 07:43 PM
another tried and true stain remover for vintage fabrics is Simple Green diluted in a basin of cold water. Soak fabrics, swish them around every now and then - it takes a while, but it usually works wonders! Good luck.
PS - If you can't find Simple Green in your grocery's cleaning section, you'll find it in an automotive shop -
posted by Amy at January 30, 2007 08:15 PM
That certainly is a great find. I found a finished quilt with similar but pale fabrics at a thrift store once and thought I was dreaming- I frequently have such dreams. I totally love your blog- everything is so pretty.
posted by wimpy at January 30, 2007 09:43 PM
What an incredible find. I've been getting a bit dorky about quilting lately. I've no idea how to do it, but I really want to learn how! I can't wait to see how yours turns out.
posted by Emmms at January 31, 2007 04:34 PM