Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Button, Button, Who’s Got the Button

The neat thing about being involved in quilt and textile history and taking it one step further to write about it, have a web site devoted to it, and a blog (which is less formal than a web site, free to produce, and fun to participate in) on the same subject is you get the opportunity to:



  • meet lots of people from all over the United States and beyond
  • network and share information
  • alternate from being the student to the teacher in the comfort of your own home


    Dorothy Krugner and I met each other through our love of NRA (National Recovery Administration) or the Blue Eagle Campaign information – me from an eagle quilt collector and her from a button collector perspective.

    I think Dorothy is probably one of the go-to ladies about buttons, in fact, I know she lectures and might even write about them – she also has an interest in the 1930s – NRA period in history. Dorothy and I did some business together and this dear soul sent me this framed piece with three buttons on it and isn’t it neat! I love going to the mailbox sometimes and finding these unexpected treasures waiting for me.




In Dorothy’s words….”The NRA button is a stamping from an original die – the middle button is probably from the 1876 centennial, and the bottom button is a Danforth Pewter made in 1992.”

It makes sense that buttons, like quilts and textiles, have stories to tell!


Thanks Dorothy for sharing!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Teddy’s 1950s Eagle Has Landed at My Home

"The Eisenhower Years" (or "Eagle Jumping Rope")
1950s Eagle Motif Wallhanging
Quilt Artist: Teddy Pruett
Commissioned for the Parks-Wildemuth Collection

Teddy Pruett created this wallhanging for me for my Eagle Motif Decade by Decade Wallhanging Project. Teddy took on the challenge of the 1950s and this piece is truly a one of a kind work of art by one of today’s most innovative quilt artists. Teddy calls this one “The Eisenhower Years” or by her “less formal” nickname “Eagle Jumping Rope.” It is an excellent example of Teddy’s work and I am so proud to own it.











I LOVE THIS PIECE!


I tried to get some close-up shots of the writing on the red and white striped border and of the eagle herself – love the elephant and donkey motif in the border. If you want to see more of Teddy Pruett’s amazing work, check out the quilt galleries on her web site: http://www.teddypruett.com/




*****

Special Note About My Photographs: My photographs don't do this piece justice. This is the first time I have EVER used a digital camera to take pictures so I want you to know that this beautiful piece was photographed by a very inexperienced newbie digital photographer (me) who loves her 35mm Canon Rebel camera and was drug kicking and screaming into the digital age by her son and the digital version of the same grade of Canon camera – my lenses for both my 35mm and digital interchange or Susie would still be in the dark ages toting around her tripod and going to Walgreens to have her film developed.