New Oilcloth Prints Have Arrived!

Look what's new at Grandma's Attic! Brightly colored bolts of oilcloth have just arrived, which inspired us to start thinking about the variety of projects we could make with them! I've been thinking about table coverings, lunch bags, dog food mats, high chair mats, book covers, shelf liners, aprons, wallets--just about anything you can dream up that would look good in pretty, waterproof fabric.

Oilcloth is a vinyl that is bonded and supported with a woven poly/cotton mesh. The surface can be wiped clean and the fabric passes the National Fire Protection Agency 701 classification for commercial and residential use. Popular since the 1940s, the fabrics are wild and wonderful. There are classic ginghams and checks, outlandish florals, and everything in between. These fabrics just seem to look best when they feature bright, bold, over-the-top florals, geometrics and prints.

Oilcloth first became popular as an inexpensive floor and roof covering in the 18th century. It was produced by stretching a linen cloth on a frame, coating it with sizing and rubbing it smooth with a pumice block. Afterwards, the cloth was coated with linseed oil and paint pigment. The end result was good, but the process to create it was slow and tedious.

Although oilcloth originated in England, it was adopted by American manufacturers and gained popularity in the 19th Century. The advent of non-cracking plastics and rotogravure printing made oilcloth commercially viable in the 20th century. By the 1930s and 40s, oilcloth was incredibly popular. Since it could be wiped down, it was perfect for covering the kitchen table.

One of the projects I like to make with oilcloth is a table runner or table cloth. Although the raw edges do not unravel or fray, I like to decorate it up by sewing large size rick rack around the edges. Fun! Another oilcloth project that we undertook here at Grandma's Attic concerns the folding and kit making tables in the back room. These office tables are dark brown with worn tops. They looked totally uninspiring until we used a staple gun to cover them with brightly colored oilcloth. What a difference! Now it's fun to sit at the bright colored tables while we create quilt kits for our customers.

If you like working with oilcloth, you will love using our selections in your next project. click here to see our newest oilcloth prints.

Primitive Quilts Magazine

Have you discovered this magazine yet? Although the magazine has only been in production a short while, the contents are amazing. If you like primitive quilts, rug hooking and stitchery, you will love perusing these magazines.

As a Quilt Historian, I am attracted to "old-timey" traditional quilts. Each issue is chock full of quilt and stitching projects inspired by traditional quilts. The Winter edition includes a pattern called Chocolate Mousse, a quilt featuring old autograph blocks in brown and beige. There's also an churn dash quilt made from plaids. Tons of other patterns for bags, pincushions and mug rugs can also be found. I thought the sewing bird pincushion was delightful.

The Fall 2011 edition of this magazine includes 15 different projects, including a quilt called Country Spools made from the old spools block. A penny rug, a stitchery pillow, and a quilt pattern called Goldenrod are featured. Goldenrod is a small version of an old applique quilt and I liked it very much.

We can't wait for the Spring Edition 2012 of this magazine to be published. But in the mean time, if you are interested in purchasing either of these two issues, we carry them at Grandma's Attic. To order Primitive Quilts, Winter 2011 click here. To order Primitive Quilts, Fall 2011 click here.

New Block of the Month Club!

Beginning January 1st, we're going To Grandma's House! You know, as in "over the river and through the wood." It's going to be a grand adventure packed with fun-filled facts, quilt blocks, and stories.

Set in the 1920s, this program is organized around the lives of 12 children—six boys and six girls. Each child has a favorite classic children’s book, one that has been popular since the late 19th and early 20th century. You learn about the child and the book, including why that child likes a particular story. With books like Little Women and Treasure Island, this program has already become a tremendous hit with our in-store quilt club members.

Each month during the program, you receive a themed block pattern and fabrics in your choice of four color schemes: 1930s, 19th Century, Batiks or Red/White/Black—you know, as in what is black and white and read all over?

You also receive a newly designed magazine booklet featuring a different children’s book and author each month. The booklet is filled with tips and hints, a recipe, an overview of the featured book, notes about each author, and two patterns from a popular 1920s era crib quilt.

A $10 start-up fee gets you registered. Club cost is $12.99 per month for 12 months, which includes all shipping and handling charges. If you're ready to join in on the fun, click here.

International Paper Dolls

Do you remember the paper dolls that used to be included in the McCalls Magazine? Each little doll would be carefully cut out and glued to cardboard; then her clothing would be cut out for hours and hours of enjoyment dressing up the dolls and playing with them. I used to love finding the dolls in the magazines and cutting them out.

Newcastle Fabrics has just released an adorable set of eight international paper dolls designed by Sibling Arts Studios that remind me of those old McCalls paper dolls. The Sibling Arts designers say that they got the idea for their dolls from a collection of paper dolls they found when they were going through the estate of their Aunt Lindy.

Each doll in this fabric panel comes with her own ethnic style clothing. Plus, there is also a coordinating bolt of fabric that includes more dress options. (One-half yard gives you all the other options you need.) What you can do is fuse the dolls to cardboard; then use fusible fleece on the back of the clothes so that they attach to the dolls. Make a fabric pouch to put the dolls and clothing in. It's guaranteed to be hours and hours of entertainment for the little ones in your life.

Order the panel by clicking here. Order the half yard panel by clicking here. Order fusible fleece by clicking here.

Halloween at Grandma's Attic

Because Halloween fell on a "Open Sew with Tammy" day, she encouraged everyone to dress up for Halloween. Our photographer caught up with both Cheryl and Tammy that afternoon. Cheryl came as Woody Woodpecker, complete with sound effects. Tammy decided to be an angel. With wings and a halo, she floated around the tables as the Angel of Quilting, helping everyone get their projects done.

The lady in the middle is "Josephine" our larger than life mannequin. She's wearing a colonial style costume and a pumpkin for a head because we had just finished a quilt club session talking about The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. What might that have to do with quilting, you ask? When you join our newest Block of the Month Club, "To Grandma's House We Go," beginning this January, you'll be amazed at the connection. Stay tuned for details! Sign-ups start very soon.

We never can seem to catch our photographer on camera. He's always behind one rather than in front. So when he began to horse around, we snuck up and took this photo of him in his Halloween get-up. (Or is that giddy-up?) It was his first "photo finish." What a hoot that was! We wanted to take more pictures, but he said he had to hoof it to a Halloween party after work.

And as for me? I won the award for "least imagination in putting together a costume." I came as a harried quilt shop owner in a dress of many patches! Oh well. I figure that someone at least had to be around to hand out the "goodies." I suppose there's always next time. I've got a whole year to dream up something better.

Grandmother's Garden Quilt

Here is a spectacular version of Grandmother's Garden Quilt sewn by Lynne Hawk of Salem, Oregon. The quilt is currently on display in the classroom at Grandma's Attic. That's Lynne in the picture with me in front of her beautiful quilt. If you're near the shop, you'll want to come in and see it!

Lynne says that she started this quilt back in 1999 using the fusible applique method outlined in Eleanor Burns' book Grandmother's Garden Quilt by Quilt in a Day. In Eleanor's version, easy applique methods help update this classic quilt pattern.

The patterns for Garden Bouquet originated in 1928 and 1929 as a series of newspaper patterns by Florence LaGanke Harris writing under the name of The Nancy Page Quilt Club. Each week, LaGanke presented one flower pattern for constructing the quilt. The original series included 17 different flower designs, with the rose repeated in all four corners. A basket pattern for the base and a quilting diagram were also included.

Lynne says that she worked on her quilt off and on for several years, putting it away when she moved, then picking it back up again. We're totally thrilled that she was able to complete it, and even more thrilled that she has allowed us to hang it on the wall for all to see. Isn't it beautiful? We sure think so. A big thanks to Lynne for allowing us to show it off.

Patchwork Party 2011

Gather your friends for a festive, fun-filled sewing party featuring Autumn in all its splendor! Patchwork Party 2011 has begun. Designed by Marti Michell using Set L of her Perfect Patchwork Templates, the fabrics are from Nancy Halvorsen's Bittersweet collection by Benartex.

This is our exclusive quilt block. Marti calls it "Turley's Inn" in honor of her husband Richard who is a descendant of the Turleys of Britain. And guess what? I actually found a Pub in Britain called Turley's. How interesting is that?

What I like about our block is its 9-Patch center and ease of construction. I think it turned out rather nicely, don't you? Using Marti's templates made construction of this block a breeze. Paper templates come with the pattern that is included in the kit but the acrylic templates of Set L are fabulous to work with and that's what we used.

This is our Finishing Kit. I named it Bittersweet Memories because I took my inspiration from those mid-19th Century quilts with their on-point applique blocks. Bittersweet is obviously because we used the Bittersweet fabric collection. Memories because of this quilt's 19th Century roots. Tammy Keith, our class coordinator and instructor, constructed the quilt and Linda Perry of Artistically Quilted by Linda machine quilted it for me. Tammy and Linda made my idea for the quilt come to life! It's beautiful! Thank you both very much!

This block is called Grandma's Peonies. It can be appliqued using traditional methods, needle turn methods or (my favorite) fusible web and button-hole stitch embroidery. Whichever way you decide to put it together, the block is beautiful. The block reminds me of those 19th Century red and green quilts that I love so much.

In addition to these Patchwork Party items, you can view others at our website. Then go to the official Patchwork Party 2911 website to view the other blocks you'll need to complete the finishing kit. That should inspire you to create a beautiful quilt too!