That Late-April Trip

I mentioned in a recent post that I would tell you about my late-April trip to Ohio for a quilt study day with the Midwest Fabric Study Group.  It was a long 8-hour drive for this aging body, but well worth the trip!

Ordinarily our meetings are focused on antique quilts, but for this first in-person session since the pandemic the focus was on needlework, especially as it pertains to quilt-making.  In our Friday night session we learned about tools used to create textile items.  Each session included a kit that pertained to the discussion, so our first kit was a wool needlecase.

Several attendees set about making their needlcase right away but mine is still in the bag (it's hard to sew when the lights are low for Powerpoint presentations!).

Saturday morning opened with a discussion of Tufted Work, also known as plush template embroidery or stump work.  The speaker brought some fabulous examples!

It is done by satin stitching with wool yarn over a template, then cut away to create a chenille effect.  Apparently this was so popular in the early 20th century that metal templates were manufactured and sold.

The kit we received is for a simple X worked on wool.

I have managed to get my wool in the hoop, but have yet to thread my needle.  This project will go with me this weekend when we visit family.

Broderie Perse (Persian Embroidery) was the next topic.  That is a style of applique that creates a scene or decoration using printed images cut from fabric.  It was popular in the mid 19th century when imported chintz fabric was so expensive; a small amount of yardage could go a long way when the motifs were cut away and appliqued onto a muslin background.  I chose a pitcher of flowers for my kit and will replace the flowers with others cut from another fabric.

The last presentation was about the history of penny rugs.  Generally wool motifs stitched on a wool background with a blanket stitch, these were most popular after the Civil War when economics forced women to use any available scraps to brighten their homes.  My pin cushion kit has been stitched!

Now I just need to put the pin cushion together and fill it!

We had a silent auction to raise funds for some of the projects our group supports, like the Quilters Hall of Fame and the American Quilt Study Group Seminar paper presentations.  I couldn't resist this fat quarter collection.

It's Isobel from the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation by Windham Fabrics.  I had hoped I could use some of these in my Bible blocks, but the blues aren't quite the same.  Oh, well, I'll just have to find another use for them!

 If you are interested in old quilts, look for a quilt study group in your area.