Saturday, August 14, 2010

Appliqued Butterflies

I went to St Jacobs today which I would recommend as a destination for any visitor to Ontario, Canada. Hubby and I went to see a musical theatre performance there and arrived three hours early so we had some time to kill. What luck that there happened to be a huge antiques mall just across the street. Guess how I spent the extra time.

I thoroughly enjoyed browsing at all the furniture and collectibles. Presently I am searching for a soup tureen and found one, but it was gaudy. Really horrible. I always keep my eye out for textiles too and had better luck in that department.

I picked up a couple of hand appliqued butterfly quilt blocks for only $2.00 each. They are simple and unpretentious and the whoever stitched them was skilled with a needle and thread. The main reason I wanted them was because of the vintage fabric. As I look at these blocks, I wonder who stitched them, how long ago, and what other things did this woman make. I also picture myself wearing long cotton dresses with these prints. Are these not the kind of prints found in the house dresses of women not all that long ago?


5 comments:

Healing Woman said...

I always wonder the same thing about who might have made the items I find at the flea market and what their life was about. Then, I get a little sad thinking that someday, when I'm gone, many of my precious items will be laying on someone's table at the market, and whoever values them will be wondering about my life!

These were a great find and you are right, they are very well sewn.

Judy Merrill-Smith said...

These are so fun! They look like dress prints to me, too. I tend to scoop up things like this, thinking I'll put them to good use some day. I haven't, yet, but I will. Just the other day I picked up a beat-up little quilted wall hanging that I think I'm going to use as the background for my own work . . . we shall see.

Summerset said...

They probably are old house dress pieces. What was too old to wear was either remade for someone smaller or recycled into quilts. I think they are a great buy and I love antiquing or junking, too.

NEEDLEWINGS said...

I love these! In fact I have a vintage quilt top with the same butterfly pattern! I shall have to put them into another setting though as some of the background pieces are mouse chewed!

Diane said...

Hi Carol, I just found your blog from the blog hop--beautiful, beautiful work!!