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Virginia McNair's husband, Dave, says that their car
cannot drive by a quilt shop without stopping. As they make their twice a year trips
between their two houses (one in Florida and one in North Carolina) each year, and
travel to some of the national quilt shows, they have many opportunities to visit
quilt shops on the way. He also says she has a real gift for remembering the colors
of fabrics she needs for a certain quilt. "She carries the colors in her head."
Like the rest of the quilting world, Virginia has several
projects going at once, a wonderful fabric "collection," books and patterns galore,
and many ideas in her head. On a visit to her house in Florida, we were treated to
a wonderful show and tell of some of her finished and unfinished projects. In the
guest room there was a wonderful scrap quilt lying in sections on the bed, and a
pile of finished quilts in cloth bags setting on the floor and the chair. Her
studio was brimming over with supplies and projects, so she does most of her
machine piecing on the dining room table. Three of us were still able to fit
in the studio to ooh and aah over her many treasures.
Virginia began quilting in the 1970's, and has some
wonderful quilts to share with us. All of her quilts are hand quilted.
This quilt is an Ohio Star and Hearts table topper made
of reproduction fabrics to go with her Fiesta Ware. Virginia is pictured here
with her quilt.
Virginia put together and sashed some
Blocks (left) she received originally made by Matilda Kleinbeck of Litchfield, IL. They
were made sometime in the 30's or 40's and given to her grand daughter by Mrs.
Ralph Blank who spent winters in West Palm Beach, FL. We traced the design and
have made the blocks in a couple of different variations. The pattern is available
on theQuilterCommunity.com web site.
She calls this quilt "Scrapaholic" (right) made from her collection
of purple fabrics and hand quilted by the Smokey Mountain Quilters of Franklin, NC.
Her Sampler Blocks (left) are on point and set in a square in
a square setting. This quilt is hand quilted by the Smokey Mountain Quilters of
Franklin, NC.
What a wonderful visit we had with Virginia and her husband,
Dave in their home. It is so enjoyable to see the interesting quilts that other quilters
have made and hear the stories behind them.
©2003 Dori Hawks
www.theQuilterCommunity.com
Antique Flower Detail Pictures
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