USA 2013 - part 3

After indulging myself with the last post, I will keep track on quilting!

I have two very favourite shops in Indianapolis - the Back Door on the south-side and my absolute all time favourite Quilts Plus on the north-side. My friend Theresa is extremely patient with me and drives me to these much favoured quilt stores sometimes twice within 24 hours!!!

The Back Door is always a treat for me - we drop by on the way back from the airport - they are open late and as my flight invariably comes in from Washington DC at the same time as the evening rush hour... a couple of hours in the store is an excellent excuse to miss the traffic. It's funny though how Theresa always manages to miss the turn-off to the store, but I can spot it a mile off - it's the fabric calling or rather shouting to me :-)))

A warm welcome at Back Door Quilts

The Back Door always has a wonderful display of sample quilts from various patterns and I am always tempted. I would have loved to have got the pattern for Nettie and now regret that I didn't.

I don't have a picture for Quilts Plus, but at the end of my stay in Indianapolis I made 2 forays into the store with one on the way to the airport when Theresa said "you have 20 minutes!!!" The previous day, we arrived at 12.00pm and we didn't leave until 3.40pm - yes we spent 3 hours 40 minutes in the store and I will not be divulging how much I spent, but I did at least fill a loyalty card which gave me $ 25 off the bill, which does not make me feel quite so guilty!

On the way to Shipshewana, we called in at the Quilter's Hall of Fame in Marion, Indiana. 

The Marie Webster House
Marion, Indiana

Unfortunately, due to the wild weather (tornadoes!), a couple of days earlier there was no lighting and no heating in the building, but the warm greeting from the manager and seeing an exhibit of Red and Green Quilts more than made up for this.

But first some other items in the Marie Webster House...

Made by Florence Peto in 1959
Quilted and appliqued block on homespun linen background. 18th century or very early 19th century chintzes, some may even be 17th century. Fabrics originally owned by Hewlett family of Long Island. Florence Peto bought the fabrics and stitched the block. She then gave the block to Virginia Avery who then donated it to the Quilter's Hall of Fame.

Made by Florence Peto c.1959
Made from the same fabric collection as above and given to and donated by Virginia Avery

Aren't these two blocks wonderful? I always enjoy looking at Florence Peto's work whenever I have the opportunity. What I would have given to have a glimpse at her collection of antique fabrics.

Marie Webster's first quilt - a crazy quilt c.1890

A close-up of Marie Webster's first quilt

Marie Webster's work room where she designed her patterns and ran her business. Unfortunately it is rather a dark photograph.

Marie Webster's workroom

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Some of Marie Webster's preparatory pattern work

Unfortunately, Blogger is now beginning to "act up", so I will upload photographs of the Red and Green Exhibit in another entry later.