Today’s quilt from the quilt top cupboard is very similar to the Merry Go Round quilt I just pieced. It dates from the late 1930’s. According to the book 1000 Great Quilt Blocks by Maggi McCormick Gordon, the block is called Hexagon Web or Hexagon Beauty. I’ve seen this pattern in older quilts quite a bit. It was a common pattern in the 1930-1940’s era. It wasn’t pieced by sewing 2 strips together and cutting pie shaped pieces, like the modern version. It was made
by cutting each piece individually. Those pieces were then paired and sewn into pie shapes and then sewn into groups of three..alternating the pieces so every other one is the same, then those half hexes were sewn into rows..the same as the modern version.
The modern version (Merry Go Round) doesn’t have the pie shaped units alternated, but paired up with like units instead. When doing this version you end up with two hexagons with the outer and inner sections swapped. In the Hexagon Web only enough pieces for one hexagon unit were cut and pieced. In the modern version you could place your pie shaped units the same as the Hexagon Web and end up with two blocks that are the same. I had such fun piecing the Merry Go Round quilt, that I might just try this Hex web version?
In this antique quilt top the maker used seams that are a bit more generous than 1/4″. Maybe she used her presser foot as her sewing guide? As a result, the top doesn’t lay perfectly flat, like we’d like to see…but I think this one would “quilt out”..meaning that the quilting would cause it to pull in just a bit and tame it? It’s not bad.
I’ve taken a few close up pics of this so you can see the fabrics better. These are fun fabrics and it’s nice to see that some of our reproduction prints are very similar today. This quilt top is machine pieced. It’s clean and in non washed condition.
The first item is a square griddle. I’ve been looking for one. The non stick finish on ours was getting bad, even though we never use metal utensils and always hand wash it. They’re so handy to have for making several grilled cheese sandwiches at a time, for French toast, for bacon, well,…you get the idea. I don’t want to have a kitchen without one!
This is a Pampered Chef brand. I had heard of the brand and knew it was good stuff…but had no idea what it should cost? The griddle was in gently used condition..and came from an estate sale. We have a “rule of thumb” with our garage sale goodies. We don’t like to pay any more than 10% of what the item costs new. It is after all..used. I paid $2 for it and felt confident that I had followed our “rule”. I looked the price of a 
I got this lace table cloth for $1. It has a couple of spots, but it had been packed away for a while. Sometimes linens have spots mysteriously appear over time. I’m going to soak this beauty in Oxy Clean and see if I can get those out? If not..I can live with them..because it’s just so pretty! I love the lace. It seems I have a real fondness for pretty linens of all kinds? Maybe a strategically placed center piece will do wonders too..if the spots don’t come out? 
I got these two aprons from an older lady who said her Mother made them. She thought maybe in the 1940’s? I’d say that sounds about right..by looking at the fabric? I paid 50¢ each for them. They’re crisp and beautiful..and don’t appear to have been used? I especially like the one on the left. It matches with a lot of my vintage kitchen items..and has ric-rac. As I happily paid for them the lady said..”I don’t think anybody uses aprons anymore. ” I told her they’re making a come back! 
I got this fun set a couple of weeks ago but thought I’d post them because someone asked me about them today. The pieces are fun? There’s a tureen with a matching ladle, a plate to put under, or use for serving and a pitcher. I paid $3 for the set. Only the pitcher has a maker’s mark. The other pieces just have a paper label that says.. Made in Portugal. I can’t really tell what the marked piece says though.
It looks like it says CUBAL..then under it PORTUGAL..then under that..P 232. I’m not sure about the CUBAL? I don’t think it’s vintage or valuable..it’s just pretty!
I found this pretty sun dress for $1. The label says Paris Sport Club. I’m not familiar with the brand? I immediately fell in love with it. The fabric is SO pretty! I wear a lot of turquoise jewelry and this looks great with it. The skirt is super full. I had it draped over my arm as I was walking along and shopping other neighborhood sales. A lady came up to me and asked where I got it. I pointed to the sale next door..and she asked me what size it was. I told her it was a 9. She said it was gorgeous and asked if I wanted to sell it. I said “no..I’m sorry, but I really like it and it will go with a lot of my jewelry”. Now she was walking right along with us. She wanted to know if I had tried it on. I told her I hadn’t. She insisted I find somewhere to try it on because if it didn’t fit she’d buy it from me. I was trying to be polite..but she was starting to get on my nerves! My husband leaned over and whispered in my ear..”don’t you dare give your pretty dress to that woman. I know how you are!” Well..as a rule..If I have something that somebody really wants..I let them have it. I’ve done it for years..it’s just the way I am. There have been times I have regretted it later, but usually I’m happy to make someone else happy. I don’t spend much for things..so I guess I can afford to be generous? BUT..I loved this dress! I thought if it didn’t fit..I could make it into a nice full skirt very easily. I kept the dress. 
I got this baby quilt for 25¢. It’s a simple design..and it’s just tied. I don’t have a baby and I don’t have grandkids..but I thought it would be just perfect for practicing machine quilting? The ties will be like basting? My machine is getting serviced..so it will be a bit before I can try it. ..but I thought I should post this..just in case you should come across something like this. If the price is right..and this sure was..it’s a great way to practice free motion..or whatever?
I don’t know how long she’ll be gone..but thought since it’s really too hot to want to be in the area where I usually sew anyway…this would be a good time to start an applique project. I have a lot of patterns..and books with patterns I want to do “some day”. I’ve always wanted to do a Princess Feather…with a nice applique border. I was thinking of doing it in the traditional red and green? I have fabrics set aside for a red and green quilt, and in the back of my mind..I think I’ve always sort of leaned toward that pattern for my project…BUT..it’s Summer and I’m craving color! Well..I’ve found the perfect project! It’s a Princess Feather done in Kaffee Fassett’s fabrics. The pattern is by Kim McLean. I saw this quilt while surfing recently and fell in love. No..make that.. fell in lust. 
The kit had 48 quarter yards of Kaffee Fassett fabric, 2 7/8 yds of his Bekah fabric in magenta for the sashing and outer border,(shown here just above the brown fabric) and 3/4yd of a fabric that looks brown, but is actually woven with a green and red thread, for the stems and vines. I’m not crazy about it. There’s a bit of brown here and there in his fabrics, but I’m just not sure? Just below that brown I have placed a fabric that has several shades of greens and a sort of orangy brown here and there..which I might use instead of what they sent? I’ll have to play around a bit and see what I like best? At the left is a red with white polka dots I’m thinking of using for the binding?
I took the fabric kit and pattern shopping with me so I could find fabrics to use as “go withs”. That applique border has a lot going on and I wanted some nice choices to pull from. I pulled lots of pieces from my stash too. In my pic you can just see a small bit of the kit fabrics, but they have a lot of pattern and color to play with. I won’t need much of the “go withs”..just little pieces. I had a mish mash of fabrics in my cart at both places I went and the gals at the cutting counter asked what I was going to do with them. I showed them the pattern..and the kit fabrics..and would you believe they questioned my sanity..at BOTH stores! ? Hmmph! You need to purchase 8 yds of fabric for the background..and as luck would have it.. Hancock fabrics sent me an email telling me about their 50% off sale..today only. I ordered 2 different ones, not knowing which I’d prefer. One is white with little orange dots and one is white with little lime green dots. I think I’ll want the orange..but if the other looks better..I’m good to go! It won’t go to waste…I have a lot of quilts I want to make. 
The blocks in the pattern are large..30″. The pattern has full size pieces and the placement guide. That’s another reason why I thought the pattern would be worth the price? I don’t have to run out to a copy shop and have anything enlarged. It’s ready to go. The border is given full size too.
Doesn’t that border look like fun? Just think of all the color/fabric combos I can try? The pieces have gentle curves and look pretty easy? I can’t wait for my backing to arrive! I just know it’s going to drive me crazy..waiting.
Today’s quilt from the cupboard is called “A Thousand Pyramids”. It’s a wonderful scrappy quilt top from the 1930-40’s era. It’s made up of 60* triangles. There are just a couple of “poverty patches” in this beauty. There’s a wide variety of prints and the fabric is like fine percale. In the late 1930’s several stores such as Montgomery Wards and Sears began selling bags of scraps by mail order to appeal to quilters. Quilting was in it’s hey day then. I feel this may have been made from that type of fabric. It’s not coarse like some feed sack fabrics were…(although some feed sack fabric was of very fine quality fabric too). I can imagine how anxious the ladies were for their package to arrive so they could open it and see what goodies they got.
I don’t know what the person who added the borders was thinking because there’s a long tail of the blue just hanging from the top. Because this quilt is made up of triangles, the fabric at the outside edge has quite a bit of bias. I intend to quilt this top and will be removing the red and blue AFTER it’s quilted.
For now..it’s keeping the top nice and square with no stretching. It’s stable. Once removed, the top will measure about 82″ x 92″. It fill fit a Queen sized bed. There’s a wonderful, cheerful variety of prints in this one. It’s machine pieced and is in mint condition. It has never been washed. I have included two close up pics so you can see the fabrics a little better.
I may use the blue fabric for the binding? If I decide to use the red it will be as a narrow flange or piping just before the binding?
I’m cutting my background squares at 6.5″. I think the book’s version is a bit smaller? I also changed it from being made in two pieces with the handle separate to a one piece design. I’ve drawn my basket just a little wonky, because I thought it added to the charm? I’m flipping my template over for some of the blocks so I have the appearance of a more carefree casual look. I don’t want the baskets to look like they are stamped cookie cutter style. I’m using a variety of pale golden, cream, and warm tans for my backgrounds.
I’m using a variety of warm browns, golden tans, burgundy and dark rust, and and a sort of cadet blue, a warm toned blue for my baskets. I don’t know how big I’ll make this quilt. I’ll just keep going until I run out of fabrics in the color pallette I’ve chosen, or until I get tired of making the little blocks. 
So far I have 55 little baskets done. They’re fun little things to do and are easy to grab as a take along project.