Thursday, July 2, 2020

Treasure Hunting and More


In my ever ongoing hunt for vintage treasure,
I saw this 1950's(I think) nursery rhyme fabric for sale. 
I just couldn't leave it laying there, could I????


My daughter thinks it is creepy.  😄


I suppose the pink eyed animals and shepherdess kind of are . . . 


But the little boy sleeping by the haystack and bunnies is just too sweet.


I have to admit the chicken does look like she's up to no good.


So you know me!  I'm going to ask you for ideas!  What would you do with this?  This piece measures 41 x 50 inches so it would make a great baby blanket.  Would you use this fabric as the front or the back?  And if you use it as the back, what would you put on the front?   So many options!!

In that same store I found this little doll quilt.  I don't think it's very old at all but it's tiny and hand quilted and  it speaks to me.  It will look perfect hanging on my quilt room wall (if I ever get it back!)


In other quilting news, I FINALLY got all the quilt blocks done for my king size log cabin.   This is really the only progress picture I have of that.  I guess I could have been a little less lazy and moved those pillows out of the way!

 I have begun sewing the rows together a little at a time.  I'm using it as my leader/ender project while I try to get caught up on my Blocks of the Month project. I've got three rows done so far. 

And here is my collection of my blocks for the BOM.  One of these is not like the other!  Yes I goofed up and read the cutting instructions wrong on one.   I guess I'll have to remake it with fabric from my own stash.  Not the end of the world.  😊


If you don't want to give me any suggestions for what to do with that nursery rhyme fabric, what are you going to be up to on the Fourth of July?  I half expected our fireworks to be canceled but yay!  They are not!  The neato thing is that we can see them very clearly from our yard!  We don't even have to go anywhere.  Anybody wanna come over and play corn hole?

Have a wonderful weekend everybody!

Linking to:











24 comments:

  1. I love that wild fabric! I'd use it on the front-attic windows or some such to feature those wild eyed characters.The blocks would be different sizes/shapes, but it would tie together well. A great guest room quilt-can you imagine looking at it closely and wondering exactly what those evil eyed kittens and chickens were up to?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love, love, love the nursery rhyme fabric. It’s little bow peep (who has lost her sheep), three little kittens (who have lost their mittens), little boy blue (come blow up your horn, he’s under the haystack fast asleep in the pic), but I can’t remember who the hen is. I agree with Peggy, it would be great in attic windows. The little doll quilt is a lovely find, I can just imagine someone quilting it with love for their daughter or granddaughter, what a lovely find. Well done on the log cabin progress, a cause for celebration indeed, as is your Fourth of July celebrations, enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Chicken might be The Little Red Hen "Who will help me make the Bread" even with her basket of flowers (flours?)

      Delete
  3. Since it's probably super soft, I would use that vintage sheet for a quilt back. LOVE your Log Cabin quilt layout! It is going to be SEW gorgeous when it's completed. Have a lovely holiday weekend, Janice!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lol on your daughter thinking the fabric is creepy! :D I like the suggestions above. Do you find your treasures at estate sales?
    We will spend a quiet day without family. Son and family are at the beach in Dauphin Island, and daughter and family had to postpone their trip here because our son-in-law was potentially exposed to Covid-19 - ugh. Have a great holiday!

    ReplyDelete
  5. That fabric is so 50"s. I came home with original Winnie the Pooh panel. I would border that fabric in 1 1/2" green strip and then find a cute pink polka dot or something to coordinate and put on a final border to call it a done baby quilt. Backing is pink polka dot or something like that.

    ReplyDelete
  6. YES, the nursery rhyme fabric is creepy, and that's part of what makes it so fabulous! I think I'd fussy cut the characters and center them into blocks that use solid fabrics in coordinating colors. I know colors look different on computer monitors, but I have a hunch that the new Century Solids line from Andover Fabrics might have some really close color matches to your vintage print, since the colors seem to be pulled from the most popular shades from the 40s-50s. See them here: https://andoverfabrics.com/Grid.php?groupId=26531&GroupName=Century%20Solids

    ReplyDelete
  7. Those old-fashioned fabrics are so completely NOT my thing that you probably don't want to know what I'd do with it, ha ha! But I adore your log cabins and am happy to hear you're starting to put them together. Doing it as leader/enders is very smart! We are currently anchored in the lovely Chickahominy River in Virginia and I think we'll be able to see some local fireworks from here. I've been really enjoying seeing and hearing wildlife like herons, frogs and osprey :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Love the vintage child fabric. Seems like lots of the fabrics from that era have a slightly creepy look to the faces and expressions. If it were me, I would leave it uncut. It is a special piece that I wouldn't want to cut up. For the front I would do a vintage patchwork to keep to the era - simple squares in coordinating colors. It is adorable Janice.
    We have no plans for the 4th. Oh well?! No fireworks allowed up here because of Covid and fire safety. Sigh.

    ReplyDelete
  9. The log cabin quilt is looking wonderful. For the baby quilt, I’d look for fabrics that have a vintage vibe in coordinating colors and make a simple other side—maybe a coin or strippie quilt. Then either side can be the front or the back. I’m glad you can view the fireworks safely. (I hope others do, too, because, yikes!) Have fun at home!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I have many of the quilts my great-grandmother made including a kids/animal embroidered quilt. But the little girl tortured me for years until I re-embroider her eyes. Now I can sleep.
    Each niece and nephew get a quilt from me at the wedding shower. Someone asked me how long it took to make a quilt. Well, I said, it took 9 years to make D's, 3 weeks to make N's, - "It doesn't show how long it took, it shows how well it's done. So with the little one, frame it out like the nine patch at the bottom and call it a day. The whole thing looks lovely. Thanks, j

    ReplyDelete
  11. it's the same images of nursery rhymes I was in the little "golden books" for kids. It's those eyes... well we were hardy children, able to handle a little creepy! Creepy is in the eye of the beholder... a lot of the modern monster stuffies are creepy to me. I agree with the comment attic windows. I think it's a find, so put on your thinking cap (remember Captain Kangaroo?) and make something terrific! LeeAnna (child of the 50's and 60's)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh, that's super cute (OK, a tad creepy but in a cute way) so on the front! I'd just border it with some solid pink & call it a day. I love it! I love the naughty chicken the best!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Rebecca! You probably already know this but you are a no-reply comment so I can't respond to you. Thank you so much for your suggestion! I appreciate each and every one of them! Pink is one of my favorite colors. :)

      Delete
  13. That's a fun fabric but it might freak out little kids if they're that way inclined. If it were me I'd be tempted to make something for adults who might appreciate it. Having said that, I don't know what, exactly, I would create though! The little doll quilt reminds me of the one my grandma made for me when I was a little girl. I still have it somewhere.

    ReplyDelete
  14. While kittens may be a little possessed, the chicken probably rules the yard! They are all so cute. Nice find on the mini too! Happy 4th!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Some of those old fabrics are creepy! I'd use it on the back of a quilt, to incorporate old and new. Happy Fourth!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I would use the nursery rhyme fabric as a back to not cut it up. Simple patchwork for the front and quilt in lines 1/4" from the seams. Really great log cabin quilt!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Beautiful log cabin quilt! In no way are you lazy - not with that quilt on your design wall! :)
    I would also use the fabric as a backing with simple patchwork on the front. It is a bit creepy, but Baby won't notice! :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. "when i get it back..." your doll sized quilt WENT somewhere? I got some fabric in an ugly fabric exchange and decided to use the motifs in the middle of square in a square. That would be my suggestion for that "creepy" nursery rhyme fabric. A couple of go rounds and you get a nice sized quilt to freak out your guests! giggle!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha! Ha! I realize I could have worded that better. I'm talking about getting my quilt room back. My hubby currently has a home office in there and will be there until he gets his shop built complete with an office for himself!

      Delete
  19. Super cute! Though Little Bo Peep's sheep does look a little...demonic? But the fabric is really cute. If you use it for a back you could do something nursery-rhyme inspired for the front, like an applique cow jumping over the moon, etc.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I used to love collecting and using vintage fabrics. One of the things I enjoyed making was mommy-daughter aprons with them, supplemented with modern matching fabric. Or I’d I use the vintage fabric as the skirt part of the apron and sew it to a recycled bib overall top portion. I agree that the Attic Windows pattern would be cute, but so would simple Happy Blocks (squares framed in coordinating solids into a uniform size). You’ll make it cute whatever you choose!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hello Janice,

    Yes, very creepy! It's the eyes, pink and too close together. I agree with your daughter.

    I absolutely love the log cabin project. That is going to be a beautiful quilt!

    Thank you for linking up with Free Motion Mavericks.

    Love, Muv

    ReplyDelete

I LOVE meeting new quilting friends and always respond to comments so I'd love to hear from you!