Join Us!

The Wrolstad-Quien House

Victorian House Tour and Christmas Craft Show

Sat/Sun Dec 7 & 8 - 10a until 5p

255 Mill St. - Scandinavia, WI  54977

In the 1850s Norwegian immigrants received land parcels from the U.S. government.  They  cleared the land and settled  in the a community they named Scandinavia, Wisconsin located on the South Branch of the Little Wolf River.  They became farmers, loggers, and tradesmen.

April 28, 1854 a group of Norwegian settlers gathered for a meeting in the cabin of Hans Jacob Eliason to discuss what to name their village.  One man suggested Danger, using the name of the Eidanger Parish in Norway where many of the settlers came from.  Much to their surprise  a Swedish attorney present  Mr. Dreutzer informed the group 'Danger" in English means Dangerous Town.  Before the evening was over, the group agreed to name their village Scandinavia. 

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Saturday and Sunday, Dec 7 & 8, you can tour my home--the John Wrolstad Victorian house at 255 Mill St., in Scandinavia from 10a until 5p.  The home was built in 1893 by Norwegian immigrant John Olson Wrolstad, on land originally acquired by Norwegian immigrant Peter Christiansen Gurholt in 1854. 

Original homeowner Wrolstad served in the U.S. Civil War and owned a successful logging business and flour mill.  Second owners were Thomas and Maren Quien family who owned the house for 90 years.   Currently the house is owned by Jon and Linda Durrant who restored the house over 8 eight years.

During the tour, you can review  the house's Queen Anne architecture--wrap around front porch, turned columns, bay windows, cutaways, and corbels.  The house has faux bois woodwork--considered lavish at that time, having artisans paint woodwork to look like quarter sawn oak, walnut, and mahogany.  

Windows and door frames are decorated with Eastlake spoon carved flower blocks, fluted rails and stiles.  You'll see original pocket doors, fancy wood spandrels, etched glass doors with herons, and a stairway stained glass window filtering colorful lights on the foyer floor.  

Jon and I invite you to join us Dec 7 & 8 to celebrate our Victorian house's 126th birthday, with refreshments, and a Christmas Craft Show on site, featuring handmade items for sale.

Quilts, purses, loomed rugs, chocolates, vintage and antique sewing machines, jewelry, Christmas decorations, fresh bakery fancy aprons, teas, infused oils, jams, jellies, salsas, pickles and much more.  Plenty of Parking.  A $2 per person admission at the door goes directly to the Humane Society of Waupaca County.

While visiting Scandinavia, Wisconsin--our local businesses welcome you for lunch and more Christmas shopping on Main Street: Sliced (pizza), ScandiHus, Trout Bum Bakery, Country Chic Boutqiue, and Adeline's Antiques.  

Windfall, queen size quilt

Windfall quilt, 92 x 104

Cut 100, squares of dark gray background fabric, (10" squares).  

Cut 200+ colorful 4" squares for the corners.  

Place 4" squares, one at each corner, draw one diagonal line from corner to the opposite corner (like cutting a grilled cheese sandwich).  Stitch on this center line.

I drew a second line, a distance of  1/4".  Stitch on the line.  The second line is optional, and when stitched and cut away, it makes half square triangles for another project.  I'll explain this option later.

When I stitch quilt pieces I reduce the stitch length to 1.8  (stronger seam).  

Cut between lines to separate.  Next step is pressing.

The half square triangles are the corner discards from the quilt blocks.  I'll use the half square triangles on another project (probably to decorate purses I make).

Tip:

I prefer to use spray starch to press seams.  Not all fabrics are created equal.  Some fabrics are nice and firm, where as other fabrics are limp like noodles.  Give those noodles some starch and you'll be happy when it comes to sewing/assembling rows.  Crisp fabric = accuracy.

Above photo: I pay attention to the first 3 or 4 rows, making sure to select colorful corners are random and not duplicated.  

What I'm showing you in this photo is: using the belly bar on my long arm quilting frame to pin and display 4 completed rows.  Once I am happy with the variety of colors, I repeat same color selections for rows 5,6,7,8,9,10.  

Once the quilt top is pieced, I select the main fabric (ivory with black print) for the quilt back, and add art panels.  

The art panels add width to the backing, to reach a width of 100".  And, they are a personal signature I offer on all my queen size quilts.  

I used a taupe thread that blends nicely with the backing and the pieced top.  It is important not to match thread perfectly.  I chose taupe so I can see where I am free style long arm quilting.  The pattern is guided by me, (not by computer).  It is my design I call Floral Feather with a Swirl.

Top, left to right is the take up bar, and you can see the quilt backing with art panels as I roll the quilt forward to finish quilting.

After the long arm quilting is finished, I cut it loose from the frame, and take it to my layout table to trim away the excess batting and backing fabric.  

I cut 400+ inches of  2.5" wide fabric strips to make the binding for the quilt.  Folding and pressing the binding lengthwise, and sewing the binding around the perimeter of the quilt.  It takes me about one hour to prep the binding, and 20 minutes to sewing it around the perimeter.  

Tip:  I sew the binding on slowly, advancing only 4 inches at a time.  

Because the quilt is one great big bulky thing 92" x 104", every 4 inches of sewing I stop, adjust fabric, to make sure it is sewn straight.  My goal is to be accurate.  After all this work, I'm not in a hurry to mess up.

Sew 4 inches, adjust fabric.  Sew 4 inches, adjust fabric . . . 

I worked on this quilt 16 hours yesterday (from long arm quilting, to squaring, to adding binding took 12 hours.  The remaining 4 hours (evening) I sat with the quilt on my lap and legs, feet up on a foot rest, turning and hand stitching the binding on the back of the quilt.  

I back stitch every stitch, and every sixth stitch I tie a knot.  Six stitches = 1-1/4" travel.  It is my guarantee the binding will never come loose for any reason, except having it chewed off by your dog.   

Oh dear, don't laugh too hard.  My little Buddy punished the center of three quilts, and he is death on quilt bindings. 

Buddy on the left.  And his friend Sammy, right.

Just a note:

I am hosting

Christmas Craft Sale

at my Victorian home

Sat and Sun -  December 7 and 8 - 10a until 5p

Handcrafted Items for sale:  Quilts and Decorated Wool Purses by me-Linda, Chocolate Candies, and Loomed Rugs by Jerry, Jams, Jellies, Salsas by Debbie,  Silver and Gemstone Jewelry by Patti, Christmas Ornaments and Bakery by Lorene, Aprons and other sewn items by Karen.  Lovely Teas, Balsamic Vinager, and Infused Oil by Deversi-tee.

Tour the Victorian

Snacks and Samples

Plenty of Parking

Sewing Up a Storm

Some hand crank sewing at the picnic table at my house . . .

We lost power for three days after a violent storm went through Wisconsin.

I hand cranked (pieced) 4 patch blocks, while watching Jon saw up tree limbs and haul away debris.

My 1916 Singer Model 28 hand crank sewing machine.  I prefer to use a little stack of green painters tape for a scant 1/4" piecing guide. 

Sewed perfectly matched 4 patch blocks.  Potato chip fabric?  Yes, yes.   I called the queen size quilt "Top Nosh" because it featured fabrics that looked like snacks to eat.

Read this photograph from right to left--and note how small our house looks compared to the huge fallen tree that covers the entire width of the front yard.

The tree just missed the front wrap around porch by 10 feet.

All together on our nine acres, we lost more than 50 trees.  That will keep Jon sawing for this year and next. 

Top Nosh: a queen size quilt was pieced with a 1916 Singer hand crank machine, and finished with a 1992 Singer Kenmore for the backing, and quilted with a 2013 Baby Lock Crown Jewel 18" throat.

Here are some photos of long arm quilting of Top Nosh.

Photographing quilt, prior to taking it off the quilting frame.  

Once the long arm quilting is finished--still another 8 hours of work..  I take the quilt off the frame. 

Trim away the 5-6 inch white cotton batting.  Prepare and install 400 feet of  cotton binding.  I turn and hand sew the binding.  

Come visit me at my next show:

Bear Lake Resort - Manawa, WI
Sunday, September 1
10a until 4p
(they serve roasted corn and other goodies at this event)

At my booth: 

I sell these handmade queen size quilts 92 x 104, beautiful purses, potholders, and clip-on cell phone carriers.  

I'll be demonstrating sewing on  turn of the century hand crank sewing machines (American, English, and German machines).  Have you ever thought about buying a restored hand crank sewing machine?  I have a few for sale.

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P.S. I am hosting a Christmas Craft Sale at my Victorian Home, 255 Mill St. - Scandinavia, Wisconsin.  Saturday and Sunday December 7 & 8, from 10a until 5pm.  Take a Tour of our 1893 restored Victorian house and my sewing studio.

At the Christmas Craft Sale: loomed area rugs, artisan chocolates, fresh bakery, silver wrapped gemstone jewlery, jellies, jams, queen size quilts, fancy padded purses with hidden pockets, potholders, clip on cell phone carriers, vintage patterned aprons and more.  Lovely free food samples to try.  Plenty of parking!

Thank you for visiting my blog.  Leave me a note sometime, won't you?

Old Guys Rule Quilt

A scrappy queen size quilt I just finished.  The title is "Old Guys Rule".    

While constructing it, I referred to this quilt project as  "Biddies and Growd Ones".  I'd seen a farm sign announcing--"Far Sale Chickuns, Biddies and Growd Ones."  I thought the sign was charming.

The sign prompted me to explore building a quilt from little biddy pieces, and seeing it growd up into one big ol' quilt.    

My goal the last two years has been to cut up remnants--left over fabrics from other quilt projects.  My focus is random lengths of 2.5" wide strips sewn end to end to distribute colors. The second step: sew the strips together (side seams) to form a rail fence block at least 14" sq. No measuring necessary, just eye ball it.  Every once in a while I added skinny strips 1.5" wide for interest.

Next step: trim down the block to 12.5" sq. using an acrylic square ruler.  

In my studio tools I have an assortment of square acrylic rulers, 2.5", 4.5", 6.5", 8.5", 10.5", 12.5", 16/5".  This allows me to quickly square up sub assemblies or completed blocks.  Accurate sewing begins with accurate cutting.

In this photo, I have four 12.5" rail fence blocks and joined them with a gray "concrete" fabric sashing with a dark blue corner stone.   This larger sub assembly I call a quadrant.

I stitched together the quadrants, end for end to build the first row of the quilt.  I continued adding rows to flesh out the quilt, and finished the perimeter with a two-piece border of another gray fabric and dark blue used in the corner stones.  The gray is a constant to bring the quilt together.

I confess the corner stones and border is a dark blue with a light purple printed fabric.  From a distance, it reads dark blue.  I chose it because of its darkness and ability to prove "contrast". 

Contrast is my best friend when improvising a quilt.

When I was a portrait and still life artist (oil painter for 35 years) I learned early on--that one cannot show "light" without having "dark".  I know, that sounds silly.  It is--what my eyes understand, but difficult to express in words.  

"Old Books"  painted by me in 1985.

I didn't long arm quilt this one right away.  I was looking for a great backing fabric and finally found  a FISH print fabric at Herschner's in Stevens Point.  Best fabric ever!  Good prices.

Be sure to attend Herschner's annual warehouse sale June 12-16.  I know I'll be there!

I read the salvage legend on the fish fabric and was pleasantly surprised to see, "Old Guys Rule" by Robert Kaufman.  Hot dog!  Love the fish, love the name "Old Guys Rule" and adopted it for the title of this quilt.

I added to art panels to the backing fabric, to reintroduce random strips of color, contrast, and pattern.

To finish, I sewed on a dark blue binding; 2.5" wide is what I prefer.  The prep for the binding is to cut eleven 2.5" wide strips, joined diagonally to reduce bulk.  Then fold and press the 440 inches of binding, and then sew binding around the quilt perimeter.  Better to have enough than to run short, right?

It takes me a good 4 hours work to turn the binding and hand stitch in place.  To hem, I make a stitch forward, then a back stitch, and every 6th stitch I knot.  Selecting a thread that matches the binding will result in stitches that cannot be seen, and never come undone.  Forgive me, if that is a repeat of information  I wrote on my last quilt post.  

My intention is to deliver a quilt that will withstand years and years of joyful use,  and the convenience of machine washing and drying.

This is how I like to read quilts. Squished in a pile--as it will be on an unmade bed.   By the way, I shipped this quilt to Chicago to a client, and it will be arriving today.  I hope it is as satisfying to receive, as it was for me to make.  Best wishes. 

Worth Repeating:

You can see me, and perhaps you'll buy one of my queen size quilts, quilted body pillows, beautiful beaded purses, fabric journal covers, or over sized farmhouse potholders on display in my tent.  Also, I'll be demonstrating sewing on several antique hand crank sewing machines--and offering a couple of those machines for sale.  Feel free to sit down and try one!   

Memorial Weekend - Sat/Sun May 25-26, 2019

10a until 5pm

Rising Star Mill Arts and Craft Show

Nelsonville, WI

Farmhouse Quilt and Body Pillows

The start of Farmhouse Quilt No. 2--sewing 200 plus 4-patch blocks from fabrics I long forgot I had.  

Some fun fabrics of fruit loops, butterflies, checkerboard, Christmas tree lights, paisleys, polka dots, bug-eyed fish, lots of colorful small prints and ivory.  Cool beans when you sew them all together. 

If you like to draw, then you'll like long arm quilting.

Quilting is finished

Lifted up the bottom of the quilt to show you the backing with art panels

After removing the quilt from the frame, I take it to the layout/cutting table to trim and square.

I prepare 400" of binding and machine sew it around the perimeter.

Then I turn the binding and hand stitch with a blind stitch technique; one stitch forward, one back stitch, and every 6th stitch I make a simple knot.  4-5 hours to complete the quilt.

Result is stitches that cannot be seen, and stitches that will never come un-done.  

This is my favorite way to photograph a scrappy quilt--squished into a pile as if it were on a bed after a good night's rest.  The quilt measures 92 x 104, an ample queen.

Because I made too many 4-patch blocks, I decided to make quilted body pillow zippered covers.  They are 54" long by 20 inches wide.  

Thank you for looking at my work.

Come see me Memorial Weekend, May 25-26 Sat-Sun

Rising Star Mill Arts and Craft Show - 10a until 5p

Nelsonville, Wisconsin