Vacations, Painting and Quilting
Key West, Florida was the last stop on a cruise I took with my mom in 1998. It was a painting cruise and the picture here is of my mom painting at the beach. We both paint with watercolors, though mom also used acrylic and oil paints. We took several painting vacations together. I cherish the memories.
Key West is one island in the chain of islands off the tip of Florida known as the Florida Keys. It is the last stop on US Route 1, the longest highway in the United States. Visiting Key West is an interesting experience and not just a destination. It is known for its bright colors and strong individualism.
The Key West Block
My first block for the #The100DayProjectMysteryQuilt is the Key West block. This block appeared in Ladies Art Company in 1922* and was called Key West Beauty. It also appeared in Nancy Cabot's column in the Chicago Tribune on February 6, 1934*. She called it simply Key West.
*The Quilter’s Album of Patchwork Patterns, Jinny Beyer 2009
Ladies Art Company
Ladies Art Company was a catalog/magazine established in 1889 in (I believe) St. Louis, Missouri. They featured more than just quilting and included tatting, crochet, cross-stitch and rug hooking among their offerings. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, LAC became a major source for patchwork patterns. Connie Chunn, a quilter and historian, has done extensive research on Ladies Art Company and you can read more about her research here.
Join Me
If you would like to quilt-a-long with me, join my private Facebook group, Mary’s Art Hutch – 100 Day Mystery Quilt Project, and follow me on Instagram. Patterns are only available in the Facebook group, so join me there!
Until next time,