Since my grandmother, my aunt and their friend Susie tied their quilts, that’s what I knew.  When I helped them make quilts, you might say I attended a “tying bee,” when they spread the layers out on the large dining table and tied and chatted.

When I began making quilts during the Bicentennial Years of 1975-76, I naturally tied them.  I continued to do so to make the quilts affordable.  Because it doesn’t take so long to tie, I could sell the quilts at prices within the budget  of more people than if they had been quilted.

However, I did quilt several quilts.  These were old family tops that customers wanted me to finish for them.  I enjoyed this, but I had to charge much more than when I tied quilts.  Admittedly, with the old quilt tops, that were hand stitched to begin with, quilting was a better finish.

Penny Halgren has a great tutorial on tying quilts if you want to learn more about this and how to do it.  Check out Tying Your Quilt.  She also had a very informative article on quilt tying in her free monthly e-mail newsletter.

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Do You Prefer Tying Your Quilts?

QuiltingAndPatchwork.com 

Perhaps you’re juggling your quilting with caring for an Alzheimer’s parent. Possibly you’re of the sandwich generation and have youngsters in the home, too.  So if you need inspiration and encouragment, Finding the Joy in Alzheimer’s, edited by Brenda Avadian, may help you find a bright spot midst frustration.

Check out the drawing for this book at Alzheimer’s Notes, where I’m a co-blogger, for rules and for making your entry. Drawing closes Mon., July 7.

Incidentally, I have two stories in the book, based on caring for my mom and aunt who had Alzheimer’s. These aren’t quilting stories, but the two ladies involved played a role in my quilting life.

My mom encouraged me in my quilting and helped me begin my quilting business during the Bicentennial Years of 1975-76.  I remember Auntie quilting with my grandmother and including me in a quilting bee when they tied quilts.

(Amazon image;click on book for details)

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Contest/Drawing for Alzheimer’s Book at Alzheimer’s Notes

 The  b5media Lifestyles Channel, of which Quilting and Patchwork is a part, recalls the 1980s for their Theme Day this month.  I’ll reminisce about the 80’s as it relates to my quilting.

At that time I was operating my in-home quiltmaking business, writing a quilt business column for a Quilt World Omnibook magazine (which no longer is published), interviewing quilters for the local newspaper, and learning all I could about this fascinating topic.

Beginnings of my Quiltmaking

Although I first made a quilt with my grandmother, in the 1940s, my quiltmaking business began during the United States’ Bicentennial Years of 1975-76, when my mom needed quilts to sell in her country grocery store.  The lady who made them couldn’t keep up with the orders.  There was a resurgence of quiltmaking during that time with anything quilted and patchwork having great appeal.

The quilts evolved into pillows, table cloths, potholders, placemats, skirts and aprons…in fact, anything in this line.  A write-up about MEA’s Quilts in Yankee Magazine almost overwhelmed me with orders, but was exciting, too. 

Projects that stand out in my mind:

• Missouri Star quilt for one of Mother’s customers
• Patchwork aprons for costumes
• Sunbonnet Sue quilt and pillow shams for a little girl’s bed
• Quilt in Southwestern colors I was asked to design
• Hand quilting two older family quilts
• Quilt order from a prisoner
• Taking a quilt design class taught by Michael James

Quiltmaking…a Family Affair

It’s enjoyable now to see my daughter, Beth Mastin, participating in quiltmaking.  She’s become involved in areas I never tried…such as dyeing and painting fabrics and making fabric for mixed media art.  (Her blog is Meandering Threads, where you can view some of her projects.)

My granddaughter currently is making a Civil War era quilt for a school project with reproduction fabrics of that era.  It shall be interesting to see her finished work.

Did you participate in the Bicentennial quilting and the resurgence of the 1980s?  I’d love to have you share your story here.

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

My Quilting in the 80’s