Maggie Bonanomi - Thistle Down Moon: Fresh Primitive Projects Inspired by an Old Quilt

Editor: Deb Rowden

Designer: Brian Grubb

Photography: Aaron T. Leimkuehler

Illustration: Maggie Bonanomi, Lon Eric Craven

Technical Editor: Beth Burke

Photo Editor: Jo Ann Groves

Published by:

Kansas City Star Books

1729 Grand Blvd.

Kansas City, Missouri, USA 64108

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my big sister, Carol Ann Cook Waldron. You would have loved all this, and I wish you were here to share it with me.

Acknowledgements

Thanks again to Doug Weaver of Kansas City Star Books for this opportunity, for the beautiful published result, and for such a great team to work with.

Thanks to:

Deb, my editor, who has to work really hard to keep me on task. Aaron: your photography always shows my projects at their best. Brian: you continue to design such beautiful books. I so appreciate what you three do and am happy you are my team. Can you believe this is our eighth book together!

Jo Ann Groves, my photo editor; Eric Craven, my illustrator; and Beth Burke, my tech editor: for your hard work on my book.

Miranda W. McGahey of Weeks Dye Works for the beautiful 35-count chestnut Iinen used in several projects in this book, and for the 30-count parchment linen used in the Anna of Bellingham sampler.

Pam Lipe for stitching my sampler and antiquing it for me.

My go-to quilt shops:

Jeanne Horton at Country Sampler in Spring Green, Wisconsin extra thanks for help with the sampler.

Rita Briner at Quilters Station in Lees Summit, Missouri extra thanks for your help with my quilt.

My friend Jacque Chinnery, who lent a quilt hoop when I thought none existed anywhere near me.

My friends Jim and Judy Sokolik: Jim built two frames for me. Judy showed me how to cover one and mount my wool appliqu.

Jacque and Judy, for modeling my aprons.

Cindi and Tonja of Blackberry Primitives: for your wool and willingness to dye and send it quickly!

Janice Lee of Black Horse Antiques: for your wool. Marcia Voss at White Horse Antiques: for your wool as well. For someone who does not dye wool, it is good to have friends in the business.

Pat and Gary Worth of River Reader Bookstore: for your continued help with computer issues, support, book signings, great coffee and a good read when I need a break.

To my hubby Harold and all my family: I love you all.

My friends in town and out of town and those I havent met face-to-face: thanks always for your friendships. I have said it before, but it does take a village, and thank you all for being my village.

I continue to always be thankful to all of you who buy my books and take my workshops. You continue to give me inspiration.

About the Author

I really find it hard to write something about myself because I associate so much of what I make as me. When someone would ask who I was, I felt I could show them my work and say, This is me. Silly, but I think if we put our heart and soul into something, you can see it there.

I grew up in a military family that moved around. I saw my mother setting up a household in different places, even a trailer. I met my husband and we were married in Las Vegas. Soon, he returned to the Army, so I moved again, this time as a wife, then as the mother of two daughters. I have always made things: first, doll clothes and as I got older, decorations for my room, then later my home. I found handmade gifts were appreciated and sometimes thrifty as well. It gave me a reason to continue to create.

For many years, I sold my crafts and later, antiques. Textiles from the early and mid-19th century became my favorite to recreate. I had friends with homes that were amazing and appeared to have survived the 18th and 19th centuries intact, so I began to design things that would fit in their homes. I sold my work at shows and began teaching wool appliqu and eventually rug hooking.

All this led me to fall in love with Lexington, Missouri. It has wonderful old buildings and a happy coexistence of art, antiques and history. When we bought our home there, it needed a lot of cosmetic help because it was, first of all old (built 1841-45), but mostly because the previous owner decorated it in what I refer to as Victorian gone bad. The house was decorated with gilt frames, wallpaper everywhere, walls with different colors, a Pepto Bismol pink fireplace and so much more. It was brought back to a simpler look you see in my books. I know it breathed a sigh of relief when we were done and moved in.

Soon after our move, I started to write books for The Kansas City Star. My style is primitive. It is simplistic, with earthy, subtle colors. I design what I would want to live with - maybe that is selfish, but I have to love a project before I add it to my books. I travel, giving workshops and talks, and enjoy meeting everyone on the way.

I have a wonderful family that includes children, grandchildren and a few great grandchildren. My hubby and I live in a town that is now my hometown, with great friends and a community that cares about each other, as well as preserving the historical nature of the town.

I have said it before, but it is still true: Life is good.

Introduction

For this book, brown was my color of choice - black too. The projects all fell into place once I found this great old quilt. I used many scraps from that quilt. It was in awful shape, but it had a great backing that I tried to recreate, as well as some quilting that would make the most dedicated quilter shudder. I loved it. The book includes some wool projects, but also quite a few of cotton and linen, and a quilt that I love. Any of the projects can be made with wool - just remember to omit the seam allowances for the appliqu.

Recently I went to hear a couple of authors at our local bookstore. They said their stories and characters often take off on a direction of their own. Now I dont equate my books with theirs, but I have had projects that went in a whole different direction than I had originally envisioned.

THE THISTLE DOWN MOON WOOL MAT provides the name for this book. It can be a wall mat or pillow. It was really made for my hubby which is a little tease, as he is very serious about his yard.

THE THISTLE DOWN HOOKED RUG was inspired by the wool mat of the same name. It is a design that needs to be hooked.

ANNA OF BELLINGHAM was an old sampler I found in Iowa. The simplicity spoke to me, but even more, Anna and I shared the same last name: Cook. That was my maiden name (now doesnt that term sound so old fashioned?). The date of 1812 was pretty wonderful too.

MY THINK-OF-ME HEART SEWING CASE is a special project. I like to include something that can be used as a friendship gift. It holds a few essentials, but you can also pin on some old ribbon you found, or a string of old buttons, and make it even more special.