Primitive Quilts and Projects

Primitive Quilts and Projects Magazine

A premium publication dedicated to the primitive quilter, rug hooker, stitcher and more! Each issue features at least 15 projects from some of the most admired designers in the primitive fiber arts world.
www.primitivequiltsandprojects.com

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

The Good Old Fashioned Way

Update on making Deb Eggar's "Floral Abundance"...

Deb Eggar's "Floral Abundance" in Spring 2013 Primitive Quilts and Projects

Judy's Version
Quilt Top = Finished!
I finished the quilt top last night!!!  And I ended up doing it all by hand…the appliqué, and the piecing.

This is a first for me.  Mom and my sisters taught to make quilts on the sewing machine.  While working on Dawn Heese' Somerset a while back, I had trouble piecing the on-point blocks together on the machine.  So I tried basting them instead of pinning.  Then I realized that as long as I was basting them, I might as well piece them by hand.  One thing led to another, and I discovered the joy of sitting on my love seat, stitching away by hand, creating little blocks of beauty one by one.

Last fall (September) I decided to make the “Floral Abundance” quilt from our Spring 2013 issue.  I cut out everything, got it all organized, then got busy appliquéing all the little pieces onto the blocks.  By hand.  When it came time to sew the blocks together, I had no desire to disappear upstairs where my sewing machine abides.  Staying on my love seat, stitching block-by-block,…next thing you know I had rows to build.  And I kept stitching by hand.


Ta da!
 
Now come those 57” borders.  Lots of them.  Guess what?  I stitched them all together by hand!  And I feel so content and happy about it.

I decided to quilt it by hand now.  This will be my second hand-quilting endeavor.  I cut my teeth on a baby quilt last year, and really enjoyed it.

Do you like to stitch by hand?

Speaking of the gold old fashioned way...when our 4-year grandson visits us, we play the old fashioned way.  Instead of playing with technology, we color--WITH CRAYONS ON PAPER!  Here is a drawing of his house, complete with bricks, trees, his daddy's truck, their cat, and of course Julian with his daddy.

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Fear not! Primitive is not a color

Good morning friends!

Have you ever looked up the definition of Primitive Art, or Folk Art? If you have, you will find out that color has nothing to do with it! That being said.....most quilters who like the primitive style, usually go with darker or more subdued colors, but I think that is because it reminds them of an old antique quilt! If you look at an old quilt where it isn't worn....in a seam possibly, or an old hooked rug on the backside, where it didn't get much light.....often times you will find bright colors! The style actually is all about character...sometimes what the maker may have been trying to show about his or her life and surroundings. The quilt or rug may have been utilitarian or decorative.

Here are a few examples of bright Primitive or Folk Art style projects that have graced the pages of Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine.

 

This is Sue Spargo's Folk Art

Karen Bates

Kimber Mitchel, our editor

Buggy Barn

Geoff's Mom pattern

Dawn Heese

Aren't those wonderful?

 

I decided to re-make one of the quilts from my book "Primitive Style" in brighter colors. The quilt is a traditional style patchwork quilt, but it is very dark and scrappy in my book. I also plan on doing a few more of the more Primitive projects in bright colors as well, so be sure and follow along on my Instagram, Blog and Facebook! Here are the two images....I still have a lot of sewing to do!

 

The fabric I used, in case you would like to know, are from Moda....Fig Tree, Strawberry Fields revisited. I used only 5 colors. Aren't they such fun fabrics?!!

Watch for more "Bright Primitive Folk Art" projects being made for my book! If you would like to try some of the projects, you may purchase it here.....

http://www.primitivequiltsandprojects.com/shop/Merchandise/p/Primitive-Style-by-Jenifer-Gaston-x12012447.htm

Have a wonderful day, and feel free to share your Bright Prim projects with us!

Jeni