Sunday, June 29, 2014

I Know Why Old Ladies Used to Wear House Dresses

I've hand quilted the center of my butterfly quilt. 
The quilt is like one I inherited from grandma. 


And just like grandma...I hand quilted around the butterfly and next to all the black buttonhole and backstitching. 

And then, like grandma, I stitched in the ditch around each block. 
The green sashing will have some cable stitching. I think I have found a template similar to what is on grandma's quilt. 

Like grandma, I don't have air conditioning so it gets rather warm when quilting in the summer. 
I know now why she wore her colorful house dresses (and no bra) that later, when too worn to wear, became part of her quilts. 
I think those loose dresses gave some air flow to those nether regions under the dress unlike my shorts and t-shirt. 

I've only been hand quilting on the cooler nights after work when there is a cool cross-breeze blowing through the house.  I also wear a night shirt for maximum air flow.  (I might have to make a few house dresses since I am an old lady).  

This quilt may take a while to finish...but I am motivated, hot or not, to get 'er done. 

When it is a little too warm to hand quilt I've been working on some Irish crochet motifs. 
(Until Dad married Mom all of my paternal ancestors were Irish so that's why the interest in Irish crochet). 


I think I have a quilt in mind that will mix some of the bins of lace I have with some of my husband's grandmother's tatting plus my crochet and some low volume fabrics and embroidery. 
Mind you, it's just in my mind.   Some times what happens in my mind stays in my mind. 

Slow Stitching? 
Show it off every Sunday at Kathy's Quilts Slow Stitching Sunday. 

10 comments:

Carla A Few Of My Favorite Things said...

Great start on your replica quilt. You have done a great job capturing that old look. I like the tip of house dresses for quilting, never thought about changing my attire. It sure makes sense. Growing up in the sixties we flung off our bras to protest, nothing new apparently, you are so right our grandmothers protested way before we did. LOL

deb @ frugal little bungalow said...

Love your butterflies and stitching and oh is that crochet ever beautiful!

No whole house A/C here...just window A/C in a few rooms. So one room might be 75 and another room 105 ! : ) And I hate the loud noisy racket of the window A/C units ...try to avoid them until it is unbearably hot.

isn't it funny how guys can run around with no shirts and some of their boobs are bigger than women, lol! Your house dress comment got me to thinking! :)

Quilter Kathy said...

So enjoyed reading your post :)
I had no idea why they used to wear house dresses... now I know! Ingenious! Let's start a new trend! LOL
So cool how you are replicating an old family heirloom quilt!
Thanks for linking up to Slow Stitching!

Terri said...

I remember wondering how the Chinese could tell the men from the women - they all wore pants. (I was about 6 - so 60 years ago it was pretty much a mandate that women wore dresses (here), unless they were out in the fields and wore their hubby's pants to help him with the farm work.)
The thirties prints are so cheery and seem just right for a butterfly. Love your quilt.
Hugs

Julierose said...

Your quilt is looking so lovely--just know that Grandma would love it! Hugs, Julierose

Teresa in Music City said...

Wow - i love those Irish crochet motifs!!!! And I think you may be right about your grandma and the loose shifts - It's just too hot for tight clothes :)

scraphappy said...

Hoping for cool weather so that you can finish your grandma's quilt. I am sure she would love to have known that you are sewing in a housedress just like her.

CathieJ said...

I have a quilt that looks much like yours except it has umbrellas all over it. I has been passed down in the family. I am not sure who made it. I love all of your Irish crochet. I have so much thread that I really have to crochet something with it. Beautiful.

Deb A said...

I love your butterfly's and so neat that you are replicating a family heirloom. Too funny about the dresses.... although when it is hot my daughter and I tend to wear sundresses. Much cooler that way - and we stay inside the nice air conditioned house. I never would have survived down south before whole house AC!

Nita said...

Makes perfect sense! I love to go without a bra in the heat...will have to look into that, lol! Hateful, hot itchy things! Love that you are following in your grandma's footsteps with your stitching :)