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Monday, January 28, 2013

A Family Treasure!


If you've followed my blog for a while, you will know how "in love" I am with vintage items. This weekend, we went to visit my husband's Aunt Wilma. I came home with a family treasure - quilt blocks hand made by his Aunt Rubye! Aunt Rubye has been gone for about 20 years now. She died in her 90's. When she was living, she was a master with the needle! Everything she made was perfection! (This is the same aunt who made a living embroidering monograms for Neiman-Marcus during the Depression years!)
 There are 11 squares here, all hand appliqued and embroidered on muslin. They look like Spring to me!!
A close up. Although the vase appears to be crooked, it is because I have not pressed the block and there is a fold through the center.

The bolt of pillow ticking was packed with it, so we assume she planned to use it for the backing. There is no date on these. She started sewing as a young girl at the turn of the century, but I am assuming these blocks were from the 1930's (when she made several quilts) or the 1940's. I think the backing fabric is from later.

I'm not sure how I will put this together. I assume she planned a 12th block, but after counting them 5 times, I don't think I missed one. It might be that one will become a pillow (or cushion as my European and British friends would say). I think it will make a gorgeous quilt if I don't mess it up! I will set it aside and think about the perfect setting for these blocks.
Have you seen this pattern before? If so, do you have any information about it? 
Until next time....
 Bee Blessed!
 

25 comments:

  1. Those are really stunning blocks and so beautifully done,

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  2. simply stunning. I know you will find a way to do them justice.

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  3. Amazing Aunt Rubye was a talented lady.

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  4. Oh what an incredible find! You lucky girl! Can't wait to see what you are going to do with them.

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  5. Such a treasure and they have been passed to someone who appreciates them and will take care of them instead winding up in a yard sale $.10 box. Great.

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  6. Wow! Can you feel my envy from there? Those are beautiful...and there isn't a more perfect person to have them and bring them to life. I can not wait to see how these end up!

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  7. What a gorgeous treasure!! I cannot wait to see these set into a quilt---what wonderful gene pool you stem from too. :)

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  8. Lucky you. I am sure you will do them justice when you put them into a quilt.

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  9. You are so right! That is a fantastic treasure!

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  10. What wonderful treasures! I know you will make Aunt Rubye proud from above!

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  11. Just lovely! I have no (known) quilting predecessors so I am very jealous! It will be great to live vicariously through you and see what you come up with for these beautiful blocks.

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  12. How pretty. After looking at the ticking, I "think" it is from the 1970's. Looks a lot like some I used in the 70's when I made pillows and skirts. Can't wait to see it all together.

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  13. How blessed you are. These are the best kind of treasures and I look forward to seeing how you finish this quilt. I am sure it will be amazing.

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  14. What a wonderful treasure Linda. I'm sure you'll be able to make it into something very beautiful.

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  15. yes a wonderful treasure to have,cant wait to see it all together you will do a wonderful job Linda.xx

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  16. Oh my how fortunate you have acquired these beautiful hand stitched blocks. An heirloom treasure before and after you complete putting them together. Creative Hearts are Happy Hearts...

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  17. How exciting to be given these blocks. I cant wait to see what you do with them. It also shows me that your applique talent came thru the DNA!!!

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  18. Love these blocks. I love old quilts. The work that went into them is wonderful. Thank you for sharing.

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  19. Linda, this is a beautiful piece! It rather lends itself to faux applique or crayon tinting, too -- just beautiful!! :)

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  20. Wow what a precious treasure with those embroideries...Thanks for sharing

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  21. A very lovely block indeed. It is odd that I have a set of blocks my grandmother started around the same time period - dresden plates. There are only 11 of them - makes you wonder if there was layout pattern popular around that time that only used 11 blocks.

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  22. Bless Aunt Wilma for giving you the beautiful family heirloom. A very nice gift for you and I know you really appreciate it. I can't wait to see what you do with it!!!

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  23. I would have been estatic to have rec'd these!! You are a lucky girl. The right arrangement will pop into your head, and you will have a beautiful quilt.

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