Crazy Quilt Trinket Blocks

In between my work on the McHenry Landmark Quilt, I've been stitching on another quilt which I call my Crazy Trinket Quilt.  These are 6 inch block featuring little do-dads that I've been saving and collecting my entire life.  Some are things from my childhood, some are little things that beloved to family and loved ones no longer with me and some are collected from the flea markets and antique shops that my former husband and I used to go to when we were still together.

This block just showcases some button covers from an Autumn sweater:

The scarecrow, the turkey and the large pumpkin are the button covers.  I never use them.  They're too fiddly and I'm afraid of losing or breaking them so I put them to the side for this quilt.

The orange and yellow trim is vintage.  I found yards and yards of it at a flea market so expect to see more of it on upcoming blocks.

The block has a Happy New Year theme:

While rearranging some of my stitched pieces, I found the cross stitched Happy New Year piece.  I don't know when I stitched it but there it was, in my stash so on a block it went.

I wasn't sure what to do with this block to continue on with the New Year theme.  I didn't have much in my stash that would convey the theme so I worked with color more than anything else.

The large white flowers are from a necklace I found at a garage sale a few years ago.  I took it apart and left the little dangling beads on it.  

The tiny clock is a charm as is the moon.  I used 2 MM silk ribbon to create some streamers, pulling the idea out of the stitched piece and then I added some gold star sequins.  I think it works!

I think this gives me 43 blocks now.  I don't have a completion goal with this quilt.  I don't care if I end up with 100 or 200 blocks and I don't care when I get it done.  I just want to a place to display my little do-dads.

So this one will continue for awhile!

Crazy Memento Quilt Block #13

Block #13 features a little Avon Scarecrow Pin from the 1970's.  As I mentioned in a previous post, my mom sold Avon for many years so I have quite a few of these cute little pieces.

The daisy pin is vintage too.  Mom found it in her jewelry box and gave it to me.  The little rooster button near the bottom is new.  The rainbow button at the top right was from my friend Lula.  I guess with the scarecrow on here, I was kind of thinking Wizard Of Oz!

Crazy Memento Quilt Block #12

Block #12

Back in the 1970's, my mom sold Avon.  Oh, I so much enjoyed that!  I always looked forward to the boxes arriving.  Mom and I would take everything out of the boxes and set it all up on the table and then I would help her put her orders together.  It always smelled so good!!!

The giraffe was an Avon necklace with an orange satin cord.  I thought it would be fun to use it on a "jungle themed" block.

The green dragonfly in the upper left corner is little pin that my cousin Kim gave me to use on this quilt.  The frog on the bottom left is charm that mom gave me specifically for this quilt.  They all seem to work together nicely.

I still have quite a few pieces of fun jewelry from Avon so you'll be seeing those on upcoming blocks!

Crazy Memento Quilt Block # 11

Since I have some free time today, I thought I would share a few more blocks from my Crazy Memento Quilt:

Block #11

The eye catcher on this piece is obviously the beautiful Bee Brooch in the center.  My husband bought this for me a flea market a few years ago.

All of the blue buttons are vintage as is the tatted lace near the bottom.

The floral fabric on the top right-hand corner is from the 1960's.  It was given to me by Scott's grandmother before she passed away.  I still have a little bit left and I'm planning on using the rest on another block.

Crazy Memento Quilt Block #10

Block #10 features a little vintage "bunch of grapes" brooch that Scott's step mom gave to me:

I think Margaret gave this to a couple of years ago.  Anyway, I love the unusual aqua color of the grapes rather than the traditional purple.

The little dragonfly in the upper left-hand corner came from the scrapbook section of Michael's craft store.  I had to glue it on.  It was a package of 6 I think, in all different colors.  They were kind of different and this one worked perfectly with the colors on this block.

Crazy Memento Quilt Block #8

I still have quite a few blocks for my Crazy Memento Quilt to share with you.  After finishing up the Winter issue of Crazy Quilt Quarterly magazine, I needed a little break from the computer but now I can get back to posting these little 6 inch blocks.  This is Block #8:

You probably already know that I just love seascapes!  This block was inspired by the little silver fish at the bottom.  It's a brooch that my husband bought for me a few years ago.  He also bought me the little seahorse in the upper left-hand corner.  I think he found it at a little antique shop in Kentucky when we were there a few years ago.

The small goldfish were a gift from my dear friend Lula.  I still have some in different colors and I'd like to try to use them all on this quilt.

I hand tatted the little orange dangly things.

Click on the photo to enlarge it and be sure to look closely at the seam treatments.  All are worked with my waste canvas technique.

Crazy Memento Quilt Block #7

Ya'll know how much I just love Spring!  Well block #7 is all about Spring!  Easter actually:

The little bunny in the bottom right corner is a pin that my friend Lula gave me one year.  She sent me so many lovely gifts over the years.  I never had the opportunity to meet her in person.  She lived in Maryland and I'm in Illinois.  We met online years and years ago when I was designing cross stitch.  We quickly became friends.  She was so sweet and kind.

The little chicks, eggs and carrots were a package of buttons that mom bought for me.  I'm sure you've seen them at the craft stores.

This is a really bright cheery block isn't it?

Crazy Memento Quilt Block #5

Today I have Block #5 of my Crazy Memento Quilt:

The little watch at the bottom left was my grandmother's.  It was a pendant watch and I think my mom bought it for grandma.  I'll have to ask mom to be sure.

The butterfly is a pin that mom gave me years ago.  The pinback never worked right so I decided to use it on this quilt.

The lace flower applique was from my friend Lula.  She used to send me little things for my stitching all the time.  I had painted it.

Crazy Memento Quilt Block #4

Today I have block #4 of my Crazy Memento Quilt:

The little snowman was found in a box of things that belonged to Scott's grandmother.  She was so sweet!  And unfortunately, other than a few things that she made for me, I didn't have anything else from her that I could use on this quilt. 

After embellishing this block, I had to glue the snowman on using E6000 jewelry glue.

The little deer is a pin that I found at a flea market a few years back.  He's on a little spring so he moves around a little bit!  Too cute!  I think I only paid $1.00 for it.

The two trees at the top are from a beaded Christmas sweater that I found at a flea market for $5.00.  I bought it mostly for the beads but decided to keep a few of the trees to use.  I spent hours and hours taking the beads and sequins off of that sweater!

Here's a photo of Grandma and Grandpa Kellogg:

This photo was taken in 1934.  Grandma Kellogg was a tiny little lady.  And Scott's grandfather looks like a gangster in this photo, doesn't he?  Sign of the times!  LOL!!!

Memento Crazy Quilt Block #3

I don't have a great memory for this block.  Nothing extraordinary to share except that the little owl brooch was a found a flea market years ago for a few dollars.  I've been saving it for something for myself and thought it would be a nice addition to my Memory Crazy Quilt:

The flowers behind the owl pin was a piece of floral lace.  I wanted it to pop so I added sequins to the edges.  A surprise right?  Pam likes sequins?  LOL!!!!

Another thing I wanted to do with this crazy quilt was to use some of my button collection.  Over the years, I've picked up so many buttons at flea markets that I really need to use them!  So this block has a pretty button cluster on it which balances nicely with the owls.

Memento Crazy Quilt Block 2

Today, I have Block #2 of my Crazy Memento Quilt:

A few years before my friend Lula passed away, she painted this little Victorian lady for me.  It's on fabric and if you click on the photo to enlarge it, you might be able to see her signature on the bottom right-hand corner of the dress.

Lula had a very unique style, so whimsical and colorful!  If you would like to see more of Lulu's work, her husband has kept her website up.  Click here to go to Wooly Dreams Designs.

In the bottom left-hand corner, there is a blue rose brooch.  I purchased a set of 2 of them from an Etsy shop a few years ago.  I used one of them on a gift for Lula for her birthday one year:

You can find the other one on the bottom right-hand corner of this piece.

I thought it was fitting to use the second brooch along with the painting that Lula made for me.

My Crazy Memento Quilt

About a year ago, I started on a new crazy quilt project.  I did a few blocks and then put it down to do some other things.  I've been working on it again so I thought for today, I would tell you about it.

I have been saving things almost my entire life.  Just little things that my grandmothers gave me, things from my childhood, things from my mom, my cousin and friends.  It seems a shame to leave them just sitting in a box so I'm using them, on this quilt.

The purpose is to save my little things and my memories.  It'll be a reminder of the things I love.

I think part of the inspiration came from the fact that I've had a lot of losses lately.  My very dear and beloved aunt and godmother (my mom's sister) passed away about a year ago. 

In November of 2014, my long time close friend, Lula Chang (artist and needlepoint designer) passed away.

Over the years, Lula had sent me all sorts of wonderful little embellishments to use on my crazy quilts.

So anyway, before I start crying, I'm going to save all these little things that I collected and that were given to me over the years on a new crazy quilt.

The blocks will be 6 inches square.  I have no idea how many blocks there will be and I don't care.   I have a wall open here in my little pink room so I have plenty of space.

As I do each block, I will share with you the specifics, the mementos and the memories.  I have also set up a special page with a link in my side bar so you have quick access to looking at the blocks.

So far, I have 12 done and I will share them with you as I have time.  Then as I do more, I will share the details on those.

So here goes with Block number 1:

I'm a huge fan of the Chicago Cubs.  I love baseball.  Ever since I was little.  I remember my dad listening to the Cubs games on WGN radio in the Summer.  My paternal grandfather always had the Cubs game on, my maternal grandmother and great aunts always had the Cubs game on and even though I was little and didn't really "get it", the sound of the game was a comfort to me.  It was just always there.

When I was about 6 years old, we lived on the northwest side of Chicago (Harlem and Irving) and I remember mom taking me downtown on the Addison bus one day.  When the bus stopped at the stop light at Addison and Clark (1060 W. Addison), my mom told me what that building was.  She said it's Wrigley Field and the Cubs play baseball there.

At that point, I didn't really know what baseball was or the Cubs but mom made it sound like Disneyland!  To this day, I can still remember being in awe!  Mom just made it sound like the coolest place on earth.  Little did I know!!!

So this block represents my love of baseball.  The little bat & ball buttons came from Lula.  There's a little baseball bat charm in the bottom right-hand corner.  Mom bought me that.

Historic Wrigley Field is known for the ivy on the outfield wall so I tried to give this block an "ivy" theme.  The little green leaf at the top right is a pin from Avon, I think from the late 70's.  My mom sold Avon for many years.  It was in my jewelry box and I thought it was perfect to again, keep the theme of ivy.  I added some pink to the block because I had to give it a little bit of "girly-ness".  LOL!!!

Finally, the buttons are vintage Mother Of Pearls.  They represent the baseballs!

I'll share Block #2 when I have some free time.