Sunday Quilt Inspiration: vintage sewing

Before I start showing photos for today's quilt inspiration, I have a special photo to share.  My mother-in-law is raising three baby goats in her living room.  Three mother goats have had two kids apiece, but a few of the kids are not strong enough to stand up for nursing, so the in-laws are milking the mothers and bottle feeding the babies.  As the babies get stronger, they go back to the mothers.  I guess raising two sons and helping with four grandsons and 11 great grandchildren may have given her some insights on how to handle this.  Either way, she's been wildly successful with these babies.  Aren't they just too cute?

Okay, so on to our inspiration for the day (or actually, night) which is vintage sewing because I happen to find a few great photos.  

Aren't these beautiful?  I had no idea that Pfaff made sewing machines so early.  I always thought that they were a more recent company.

The center pole on this dressmaker's form can be removed so that everything collapses down into the bottom of the box.  Add the top and you're ready to travel!  Brilliant!

   

Happy Quilting,

Mary

Sunday Quilt Inspiration: Easy Quilts

Ever just want to work on an easy project?  Something that your hands can do while your brain is fiddling with something else?  I've found that straight line sewing with scrap pieces is the best for easy quilting.  

from Cotton Quilters Guild Show 2013

Using the paper bag method, which is just tossing all the pieces into a bag and pulling them out as they come, allows the brain to work on a different problem than which color or piece is next. 

from Cotton Quilters' Guild Show 2013

Plus, there's the added benefit of strip piecing.  Square pieces of any size works, as do thimble/tumbler blocks and strips.  Just sew as it comes and don't over-think the process. 

These are also called one-block quilts and generally don't take very long to make, especially if they are lap or baby quilts, but even the larger ones are pretty fast about coming together.  

And the best part is that there are so many easy shapes and blocks that you can make several before you get tired of them.  Stick to a color scheme, or don't.  That's part of the fun of easy quilts.

All photos from Pinterest unless otherwise noted.

Another bit of the fun is that you can churn them out while your brain is multi-tasking.