Another of my antique pieces (very photo heavy again! but you like that don't you?)

 I 'think' this one is a similar age to the Sarah Fox one I posted here, about 1825-1835. I really am no expert, I just go by my gut feeling so if you know better (or worse) please comment and I will amend this.

 Now follows loads of photos of the fabrics and how the maker handled (or failed in the process of making it). Do not be surprised by the bottle of ketchup in one of the photos. I figured it was one item I had in the house where the colour is recognized throughout the world and you can adjust the colours you are seeing on your screen accordingly. It was still sealed so no danger of it leaking!

 I think it very clever how the black stripe has been appliqued to create this 'Chinese lantern' look. Each straight run of these circles is in one continuous piece of fabric.

The maker ran out of the brown stripe used in one of the outer borders so just changed to a different stripe.

 The off white background fabric looks like cord in the photos but it is more like a modern dress shirt weave.

 The maker had used so much of this back print in those clever circles, there had to be a join and a smidge of other fabric to finish this corner.

 There is a knife edge rather than binding. This is typical.

 In places there is double thread quilting. I don't know why. And in some places on the back of the work like the top of this photo below, the quilting stitch doesn't go all the way through the layers. This makes me think it was not stab stitched and the uneven lines also suggest it was done without a frame.

I hope you enjoyed this tour of my quilt. Let me know and I shall post more of my small collection.

Well you lot gave me a lot to think about, lols.

Meanwhile I have been sewing away at the machine applique piece and the first border is done except for the middle flower which I shall leave until all four are done. Sorry about the distortion at the top, it is on the back of the sofa.

Someone last week commented that because this was machine applique it would be done in no time. So let me put you right. The prep work for hand or machine is the same. Applying by machine takes time, admittedly not as much as hand work but to do it well, it isn't fast at all. Three or four stitches and you have to stop, lift up the foot and turn the work round. This is not raw edge work. I have been asked after the judging at a show, by the judges themselves, how do I do that? And the answer is slowly and carefully and with 20 years of practice.

And as I get the final vote on the other piece, the hand applique, I haven't made up my mind yet, lols.

The poppies are still blooming their little heads off and a couple of them have come up with double flowers.

 

 I am not the most brilliant grower of hollyhocks and I always have them with rust and holes on their leaves. I love them anyway.

 

 I don't grow sunflowers, yellow and orange are not my colours but they just keep coming up near the bird feeders. I sometimes wonder if the birds actually eat sunflower seeds or just distribute them...