WEELLLLL.
Here it is, in all its glory:
(I TOLD you it was amazing!)
At that auction, the quilts were BARELY being bid on (I think most of the people at that auction were, like I was, in the market for produce.) and I felt awful because I knew how much work went into those lovely, amazing quilts and how awful it would be if nobody would buy them! When it got to the cathedral window quilt especially, my mind kept going back to the row of Amish women sitting at the back of the barn, and what they must have been thinking when their immaculate workmanship was not being appreciated and it got me so worked up, I actually started to cry. I had to GET UP and leave, it was that bad. I wanted that quilt sooooooooooooooo bad and I wanted those ladies to know how wonderful it was and those five minutes of bidding were TORTURE, pure and simple.
Fast forward a few days and I decided, with the Masts' permission, I would put the quilts on the internet to (hopefully) broaden their interest base to include more than just apple shoppers or the people that pass their front yards. And Sam gave it to me. The permission, that is, not the quilt. :-)
So I went and took pictures of
All the quilts are Amish made and have perfect, teeny hand-stitches and hand-quilting. NO machine stitching anywhere. If you happen to have an affinity for quilts, or Amish, or both...you simply MUST go check these quilts out. You know the source, so you know you are not going to get an "Amish Made" quilt that isn't AMISH.
If they sell well, maybe they will give me some more to stock the shop. We shall see.
Here is the AmishQuilts shop on Etsy.
Even if you aren't in the market- you really must look. It is eye candy.
And it is nearly Halloween-the SEASON for candy.
15 comments:
Such a beautiful quilt! Amazing! I can see why you would have liked to have bough it!
I have a question I hope comes across the right way, though. Do the Amish in your area not use treadle machines to piece the quilts? They very well may not but... I'm sure you've asked all the pertinent questions of the auctioneer.
I think you are so kind to do this for them. I too know how much work goes into a quilt, even a simple one. I looked at the Etsy shop and the beautiful quilts. I just wish I could afford one of them. They are worth every pennie though.I love your blog and your lifestyle. I read it everyday and admire you so much.
Just visited AmishQuilts. What gorgeous quilts! And your photos show them off wonderfully. What a nice thing you're doing for your Amish friends/neighbors. You're a blesing with servant's heart, full of love.
You had me going for a moment until I read the entire blog. I thought that maybe you had bought some raffle tickets and had won!!!! This quilt is truly beautiful. So much work. I have made really pretty Christmas ornaments just using one of the squares, stuff it with batting and it hangs wonderfully on the tree. Try it if you like that quilt, it will give you memories of that moment when you first saw it.
Did "you" actually eat those fritters?? I gained a few just looking at them! Thanks for your posts, I look forward every day to see what you are up to or into next.
That quilt for which you pine seriously hurts my eyes! Amazing workmanship, no doubt, but ouch - sorry, but surely I'm not the only one who thinks so-?
BEAUTIFUL!!!!! I can not imagine all of the work that went into those quilts- it's no wonder you got all fired up. I think what you are trying to do for those ladies is wonderful.
I just can't quit staring at it- it is SO gorgeous!! I can hardly imagine getting it so perfect & all by hand. I'm just stunned!
They are beautiful quilts. I'm a quilter and I love to go with my mother in law to her friend's mennonite quilt shop. And in response to Leah's question about using treadle sewing machines I am pretty sure they would use a treadle. It's the only thing my mother-in-law uses and she's old order mennonite.
They are beautiful quilts. I'm a quilter and I love to go with my mother in law to her friend's mennonite quilt shop. And in response to Leah's question about using treadle sewing machines I am pretty sure they would use a treadle. It's the only thing my mother-in-law uses and she's old order mennonite.
I do get a small pittance for posting the quilts online and for dealing with the post office mailing, but my goal was to get those quilts sold for them because a clothesline is not the BEST market (especially with winter on its way.)
Leah~ Sam Mast (the auctioneer) told me that they were all hand-stitched, hand-quilted and we went on to have a lengthy discussion about how machines have changed the face of the quilting market because people can do similar things faster and cheaper and the art is being lost or at the very least, the appreciation for it. So I tend to believe him. But, in case it is a matter of him being a man (and not thinking about the treadle that they used for piecing) I took out the part about machine stitching. JUST in case.
Thanks for your response, Rebecca. I was going to delete my original comment (but couldn't) because I'm not trying to be offensive. I definitely don't think you or Mr. Mast would intentionally share misinformation! But a quilt of that size that was all hand sewn would be priceless! And I would imagine take many, many months to complete. If they were all hand-stitched I think you should definitely put that in the listing. It is an awesome thing indeed. Is there a way you can talk to the ladies who actually made the quilts to find out first hand? Again, I mean no offense. The quilts are truly amazing and very, very beautiful! I applaud you for taking the initiative to ask Mr. Mast about selling for your Amish neighbors. :D
Oh, I should clarify that I'm sure they are hand-quilted! It was the hand-piecing that I'm curios about.
They are just beautiful~ how I wish I could afford one!! I hope you can sell them as a lot of hard work sure has gone into them! What a lovely lady you are!!
Blessings
Renata:)
Gorgeous! I can't even imagine making something like that! So much work involved. That's very sweet of you to try and sell those for them, Rebecca.
As a quilter I would say that the appreciation for hand quilting is not being lost- at least not among quilters. That being said, most quilters I know do not hand quilt- either they do not enjoy it or it takes too long. Machine quilting takes a different set of skills and has it's own beauty. I think non quilters may be losing the appreciation of a quilt made by a quilter verses someone who is working at a factory mass producing them. In fact, a woman I met today asked me why I didn't just do machine embroider on a big piece of fabric instead of taking the time to make a quilt. Obviously she does not see the beauty in a pieced quilt that I see. Sorry for such a long answer. Beautiful quilts. Maybe you could make a cathedral window quilt!
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