Art Deco Basket Quilt ~ Part 2

Good evening! I don't usually post so fast or do a second look, but yesterday's post of my newest vintage/ antique quilt didn't really do it justice. And some of you had questions about the details.

Today in the sunshine, the colors are much more accurate too.

Full quilt, hung up in my living room:

The quilt measures 65" x 78", so technically a ''twin'' but to me it is a full sized bed quilt. It covers my queen sized bed completely. Blocks are exactly 7 1/2"; the half square triangles are 1 3/4" on each side. The blocks are hand pieced\; setting is machine pieced in the hard to do but popular for Basket quilts zigzag setting.  Quite special, using the confetti polka dot iconic 1930s fabric.

The binding is 1/4" machine sewed entirely. I do not think it was a novice sewer's work, the blocks, despite their wonky look, are quite precisely done, again hard to do with the oddball sizing, as is the perfect zigzag sashing.
Here is the back, now you can see the pretty blue.

These are the two very damaged black and white half blocks; I have antique fabric and can redo these.

Here are the stains: Two on the back, one on the front. I will leave them. The quilt was washed for me by my expert laundry friend, so the stains are set and clean, if you know what I mean. They do not offend me---I'd prefer them gone but ok.

The wonky Blue basket:

I now believe it was not a sewing error; I think two different blue fabrics were used and one was not colorfast at all. On very close inspection, I can see that the white fabric mistake is just a bit different from the standard white used for the rest of the block[s].

And then there is this all white block. Again, looking closely, I see it was pieced but all color has gone. Maybe it was the elusive blue too?

The all yellow block:
Yellow is often very unstable. I think this block was yellow and white once but the yellow dye has run and made the block entirely yellow.

The pink gingham is still upside down! But I accidentally fixed w photo editing.

More close up blocks:

Including two very different reds.

and faded Nile green.

I imagine this being a newspaper block. Many newspapers published quilting blocks during the first half of the 2oth century, some as often as each week. The illustrated block was of course in black and white. Which might explain why and how our experienced anonymous sewer got the design ''wrong'' or who knows?--- maybe that's the way is is supposed to be? For example, look at this odd Sailboat pattern  here  Scroll down...it's weird but meant to be that way. I guess if you had to turn out 50 new designs a year, you got funky/ wonky sometimes, just to be different. Looks like older aplliques of the Merrimac, doesn't it?

I'd love to find the original publication of my Baskets quilt to see for myself.

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Yesterday Mo had the groomer van come for a spa session. Much handing off at distance; everyone but Mo was masked and gloved, sigh. Mo was exhausted but he is fluffy and smells so sweet!

Have a good weekend!


love

lizzy

gone to the beach....

Art Deco Baskets Quilt ~ and ~ May Baskets

Hi everyone! And so it is May in the time of the Virus! The most awful April is ver, and now begins the ''merry month of May." Hahahaha. I am sorry to report that May at the beach is as miserable as April or June, and tonight, as April shares her final tantrum, we are having yet another storm, high winds and rain.

This is a bit nerdy of me but a favorite thing for me always has been to watch the giant ships' lights come on at sunset. Of course the times vary---in the winter, I may have a cup of tea at 4, watching for the lights; this time of year the lights appear on the darkening horizon at dinner time, so I can eat my dinner and try to imagine the lives of the people who populate the ships.
 

See the ships along the horizon?

Tonight was so cold and dark, it was a hot chocolate night---but the rain was too intense to see the ships that are about 8 to 10 miles away. The standard visibility is always listed as ten miles, no further, the shipping lanes are about ten miles offshore. We never see further, at sea level the curve of the earth prevents a longer sight line. Usually there are about nine ships, sometimes as many as 12, on rare holiday build ups as many as 15 or more, waiting to dock in NY Harbor.  The virus hasn't slowed down the traffic out there. But the ships travel unseen tonight in the storm.

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Meanwhile, back in the warm[ish] cottage, I got out my newest quilt acquisition to share with you. I bought this cutie on FB Marketplace in December. It was, I think 30.oo plus ten dollars shipping.

It came home , got a good wash and inspection. There are a couple blocks I hope to replace  at some point. Here is my dilemma.

The Baskets are darling, c.1930. The sewing is good, the hand quilting is plain but fine.

Except for a stain and the shredded black fabric of the one block, condition is good.

The art deco design of the Baskets is so fun and different.

BUT there is something wonky about how the quilter put the blocks together. The fabric placement goes from---odd but okay....

I think this one is actually correct:

Correct but odd?

And then there are a few blocks that are just totally strange.

Hilariously wrong.

 Now and then one is upside down.

I love that, I love the quilter's unconcern for perfection. She made 'em that way and to her they are just fine.

I also love the adorable dot sashing.

I like the floral  and gingham blocks

but I am in love with the more graphic solid blocks, that, again, just shout out their skewed triangles with nonchalant glee.

And the sky blue solid backing.

The narrow binding is expertly done entirely by machine, we all know how hard that is.

Here is what I think maybe the block should have been.

But then there is too much white on the top half. It would have worked well in solid pastel with housedress-and-apron florals for the Baskets.

I am tempted to replace the stained block with MY version of how the block should be. But in the end, I won't do that; I think the Art Deco Baskets are perfect just the way they are, don't you? In fact, their imperfection adds to the quilt's appeal and charm. Perfect is overrated, as always.

I will try to get better pictures on Saturday, supposed to be sunny>?? If you wish to check back.

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May baskets...did you ever make a May Basket in school?




Oh how I loved the rare art projects our class did now and then. By third grade I'm pretty sure all art time was eliminated, my school was heavily into scholastics and sports, no art. One year we made May Baskets from halved paper plates, stapled into cornucopias, pipe cleaner handles, crepe paper bows and colored paper decorations, like a heart for MoM. Our teacher showed us how to wad up tissue paper into tiny ruffled circles that we glued all over our plates, creating rosette pompom polka dots. Mine were baby blue!I think my dad helped me find a few real flowers to put into my May Basket, a late daff, a tulip, some andromeda, some heather. Oh I was so proud to give that to my mom, on, I suppose Mother's Day. I don't recall her being thrilled.

love

lizzy


gone to the beach....

This seems oddly encouraging: recycling will begin again next week.

And just in case you're home and have nothing to do..[aka, here's a good laugh!]