Archive for the ‘hand quilting’ Category
QUILT SHOW AND SALE, Hall’s Harbour, NS, Sept 28 & 29, 2013
April 18th, 2013
QUILTS AT THE HARBOUR is 15 THIS YEAR!!!
It hardly seems possible that what we started as an experiment so long ago has prospered and grown year by year to a two day show that has brought people from all over North America and from Europe too! Below are some pictures taken mainly at last year’s show, but one or two taken from previous years too. All profits from commission on sales, free will offerings and bake table go to this lovely small heritage church and last year we cleared just over a thousand dollars.
A photo of the lovely heritage church, dating from first settlement of the area – after a few years of worshipping in local homes, the church was built circa 1840
The Sunday School/Fellowship room was built on about 25 years ago, providing a meeting room and washroom facilities. We sell smaller quilted items, knitwear, baked goods and quilters’ gently used items here, and have seating for enjoying chat, light refreshments and a little rest. The sale is staffed by myself, a couple of fellow quilters from the community and several members of the church who run the bake table, serve refreshments and talk about the history of the church and cemetery, and families in the harbour and surrounding area. We are fortunate to have keen historians available during the show, as well as dedicated quiltmakers!
Another view of the Fellowship Room, me watching a customer trying on one of the sweaters for sale last year. Her husband provided several of the photos used in this post – thanks.
A still functioning and very ornate kerosene chandelier at the front of the church. Note too the beautifully handcrafted pews, painted and faux woodgrained with the original numbers. The beautiful wainscotting matches the pews and similar wainscotting is seen in some of the homes in the community that date to first settlement.
The church also preserves the collection box which was sent along the pews on a stick by one of the church officers. Note the original wide plank floors under the carpet runner. The windows are unadorned by stained glass.
An overview of the pews, covered in lovely quilts. The Minister, Mike is checking one of them out. A wonderful assortment, mainly one of a kind, and there were several antique quilts and many vintage quilts for sale too. Also quilts in all sizes from wallhanging, tabletopper, crib and youth bed quilts right up through twin, double/queen and king sized – something for everyone and at reasonable prices with 20% going to the church – a win/win situation.
Mark your calendar now and be sure to attend, and hopefully show some quilts or consign us some of your unused quilting gizmos and goodies. We’re waiting to welcome you and you’ll have a wonderful day out among friendly people in an area of fabulous natural scenery. Visit us!!
To find out more or arrange to enter your quilts and goodies, contact me janet@novascotiaquilts.com
Posted in Hall's Harbour, Nova Scotia Quilt Show, Quilt show, Quilts at the Harbour Quilt Show and Sale, Uncategorized, antique quilts, collectibles, cottage style, country french, hand quilting, hand stitched quilt, handmade quilts, heirlooms, heritage quilts, one of a kind handcrafted quilts, original design, queen sized quilt, quilt show and sale, quilting books, quilting supplies | 
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NEW INVENTORY: BENARTEX WHOLECLOTH QUILT KITS
March 3rd, 2013
Good Morning to all my readers! It’s Sunday March 3 and here in notheastern North America finally starting to look a little springlike – for us that is! We still have lots of snow around, but the icicles on the eaves are dripping during the day, and it was nice not to hustle around starting the fire this morning. Since I heat primarily with wood, each day’s rhythm is measured by the steady bringing in of wood, stoking the stove and removing ashes and starting all over again. On really cold nights, the stove is stoked several times during the night as well – tiring for an old lady!
My shopping list this week will include some fresh maple syrup to pour over blueberry pancakes, and a potted blooming bulb to put in the middle of the kitchen table! I’m even thinking new curtains and maybe make a summer nightgown or two! I’m tired of flannel granny gowns!
But before I do any of those things, I want to post my recent acquisitions in order to round out my recent posts about making wholecloth quilts and my current inventory. A local friend has just purchased three of these beauties and I’m anxious to see which one she’ll start first!
The other day a big heavy box showed up at my local post office and in it were the Benartex wholecloth quilt kits I had recently purchased from a contact in the United States. My treasures are shown below!
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Above is Benartex Garden Bouquet, designed by Holice Turnbow and available in queen size ( 90×108) in natural – This kit has been eluding me and I’m so pleased to be able to offer it.
PRICE: Garden Bouquet $250USD + $30USD shipping with insurance and tracking = $280
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I finally have this beauty back in stock again, in a crib size – in natural, it measures 40×54 – this makes a lovely quilt for a little girl and will serve her well in childhood, and then function as a wall hanging, tablecloth or snuggle quilt as she grows up – truly an heirloom when you make it with love! The 100% cotton kit comes complete with binding and backing – all you need is 100% cotton quilt batting and a spool of high quality 100% cotton quilting thread, like the YLI thread that I carry.
Price: Benartex Floral Fantasy by Holice Turnbow 40×54 in natural $150USD + $20USD shipping = $170USD total includes insurance and tracking.
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Above is the cover illustration for a quilt backing in natural, put out by Benartex to match their line of queen sized wholecloth quilt top kits. This backing is seldom found today and will complete your choice of Benartex queen tops beautifully.
PRICE: $80USD plus $30USD postage = $110USD includes insurance and tracking. Combined postage if ordering other items.
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AND! BACK IN STOCK!!
Shown above is the very popular Holice Turnbow design by Benartex in crib size natural 40×54 – ‘Anchors Aweigh’ .
I have been able to find another so it is now back in stock! I’ve sold a lot of these over the years – they are popular as a classic quilt for baby boys or an accent in a nautical or beach themed room. This design never lasts long.
PRICE: $150USD and $20USD shipping = $170USD including insurance and tracking
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SIGN UP NOW IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THE MARCH NEWSLETTER : I’m preparing the newsletter now and it will contain a listing of the contents of a small storage container with a mixed bag of very desirable vintage goodies – kits, finished quilt kit tops, works in progress, and a fine pieced top – improved nine patch with stunning fabrics from the 1930’s – a real one of a kind treasure box – none of these items has been listed here on my website!
send me an email janet@novascotiaquilts.com with ’sign me up’ as the message
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COMING SOON: more listings of fresh inventory!
For now – happy spring from Janet!!
Will Spring Come This Year?
March 30th, 2008
We woke up to 6 inches of wet, heavy, yucky snow yesterday morning and I had to get the neighbour with his snowblower down to deal with it! Blech!! I’m reading lots of seed catalogues and wishing these days!
It is helping me to get lots of quilting done though. I have a major quilt at the handquilting phase right now and I’m very pleased with it indeed. A well, I am dealing with a couple of smaller commissions, which present seperate challenges – this is always fun!
The quilt kit shown above is one of my vintage Paragon kits complete with suitable floss for embroidery – I looked it out and photographed it for a prospective purchaser who found the king sized version a bit large for her bed and so passed on it.
One of my “recreational” projects is an online tutorial for my “Sea Creatures” quilt (http://www.quiltingwithjanet.blogspot.com) and I find I am going to end up with two seperate concepts for the same basic idea – these smaller quilts – child sized or wall hanging size will be for sale when I have completed them or sooner if you want to contact me. I am working on building up some stock for the “walk-in” tourist traffic I get at my quilt studio because of its location near the very popular destinaton of Hall’s Harbour, Nova Scotia, so I expect these smaller quilts will go quickly.
Shown below is one of two amish style strippy quilts I am currently handquilting. I have become fascinated with the endless variations that can be achieved withing the framework of solids only and limited colour palette, and I find I keep returning to play with ideas.
Check here for the link to my other blog – quilting with janet.blogspot.com
A TRADITIONAL FLYING GEESE QUILT
February 23rd, 2008
This is a quilt I have just finished handpiecing and begun to hand quilt. It is my version of a quilt in the collection of the State Museum of Pennsylvania and dates to the 19th century. The colours red, green and ochre are commonly used amoung the pennsylvania dutch in particular and in the northeastern United States and Canada in general.
It has been thrilling to make this quilt, and in particular so gratifying to see how easily the blocks and strips come together when hand piecing is used rather than machine piecing.
After this quilt and a couple of smaller commissions are completed, I am hoping to get several of my vintage and antique quilt tops ready for hand quilting, and also to make several other quilts using 19th centrury reproduction fabrics. Of you are interested in exploring any of these possibilities, please contact me at mailto:janet@novascotiaquilts.com
A CHANGE IN PACE
January 2nd, 2008
Most of my life I have been a terrible packrat and collector and I have come to the realization that I need to start weeding out my collections – have made a New Year’s resolution to do that and it may be easier than the second one to get fitter and lose some weight. I need to concentrate specially my collections of vintage quilt kits, both cross stitched (Paragon and Tobin)and applique and Doublestencil Smithsonian whole cloth and wholecloths embellished with needleturn applique.
In addition I have a huge supply of fabrics, mostly 19th century reproduction, amish-style solids and 1930’s both repro and genuine feedsack. As well I have a fair supply of 1970’s and 80’s tiny flowered calicos. Time to get sewing on my own planned projects so I will only rarely now be accepting commissions to hand quilt others’ quilt tops and now and then will accept a quilt restoration if I am intrigued enough. I am hoping my new commission clients may be interested in letting me surprise them after choosing colours and type of quilt – my creative juices are currently becoming frustrated! I have many antique and vintage quilt tops to be finished too.
As well, I have collected and dealt in Nova Scotian Folk Art for at least 30 years and am planning on keeping only a few sentimental pieces such as the fine Elmer Killen carving of a man and team plowing, which was left to me in my mother’s estate.
I also have smalls of all sorts to go.
Basically I’d suggest you contact me with your wish list and we’ll see what we can find – once the snow is gone and the tourists are here again I will be open 7 days a week and expect my collections to move fast, so perhaps checking out my inventory now is a good idea!
I am reaching the point in life where I want to do more of my own design projects and am also embarking on teaching online as my main occupation, so it makes sense to downsize. As well I am looking at some fairly extensive maintainance for my almost 200 year old home so reducing the stuff that will need to be pushed around from place to place makes a lot of sense to me!!!.
