My very first post!

Welcome to my very first post on my new blog, Pond Hollow Quilts.  My name is Sally and I live in beautiful Charleston, South Carolina. I absolutely love fabric! If I compliment you on your shirt or dress or pants, I am probably thinking how beautiful it would be cut up and used in my quilt. I admit to buying some clothes just because I want to eventually cut it up for a quilt, and discouraging my children from buying anything made of non-quilty fabric (no polyester or knits). (We do lots of ironing, matter of fact I am starting to break away and encourage some wrinkle free clothing because neither teenager irons.) I am blessed with two sweet brothers-in-law who enjoy fine clothes, and gift me with their beautiful cotton shirts when they can no longer wear them. Likewise, both of my sweet sisters save all their natural fiber clothes for my quilt-making efforts. I try to stay away from fabric stores as much as possible. There is no way I can use up all the fabric I already have if I continue to buy more. But sometimes, a little new fabric gets the creative juices going. I had rather buy new fabric than new shoes! 

Pond Hollow is the name of a small rural area in South Carolina where my two great-aunts, Sallie and Annie Johnson lived. They made scrappy quilts, using fabric scraps, old clothes, and textile remnants that people gave them. They did not purchase fabric to make into quilts. That would have been too extravagant. All of their sewing was done on a Singer 99 treadle which I now use. Their quilts are mostly string quilts and all are quite heavy. (I always think of them when I am at the dentist and they lay that heavy blanket on me before an X-ray. That is what their quilts feel like.) The one featured here is made entirely out of corduroy! It is about 56 x 48. This was my 'baby' quilt that was made for me in the 50s. Thankfully, my mother didn't lay it on TOP of me! It was meant to be put on the floor and I would play on it. 

When quilting enjoyed a new popularity in the late 70s-early 90s, I was so excited and searched eagerly for directions on how to make something like these Pond Hollow quilts (my great aunts had passed away by this time.) Alas, everyone seemed to be enamored with Sunbonnet Sue, Grandmothers Garden, appliqué, Lone Star, many other quilts made with templates, patterns, etc. This was not what I wanted. I couldn't find any bit of information about these scrappy types of quilts. Bonnie. Hunter. When I stumbled upon Bonnie Hunter ( Quiltville.blogspot.com ), I had found my answers. I can never thank her enough for educating me about scrappy quilt-making and using vintage sewing machines.  

So! Is that enough history for my first post?! I hope this will evolve into a fun blog, covering quilty things but also including other day-to-day issues as life dictates. I am still figuring out the fundamentals of blogging, so please be patient. I would enjoy hearing from you!

Take care,
Sally