Design Wall

I have encouraged our Little Women group to begin this multi-month project called Yankee Doodle. The first month they are to make the center star block (above) using any number of methods. I chose to hand sew 3/8" and 1/2" buttons for my center block. Then they are to complete six of the applique star/circle blocks and sew the center panel sections together. I used a fusible interfacing (Heat 'n Bond Lite is my favorite) and a machine straight stitch to make my appliqued blocks.

For the upcoming June meeting, my demo quilt needs to be at this stage:  I finished the tiny flying geese and sewed them to the center star. I also completed all the star/circle blocks in the top section of the quilt--12 more--and connected them to the setting squares. Then the top section is connected to the center section. Very doable..and it's really starting to take shape. I'm enjoying this Yankee Doodle project more than I had thought I would!

I also finished putting the binding on Raspberry Swirl (above). It is the demo quilt for our June Little Women meeting. I machine quilted it exactly as Jo recommended. I don't usually have the exact fabrics Jo's uses for the sashing and borders of a quilt, but this time I did, so I went ahead and used them. The block pattern is commonly known as "Turkey Tracks" and is an old block pattern. It was not an easy one to do correctly, it's very easy to lose some of those points. I love a good red and white quilt, don't you?--even more so since the wonderful red and white quilt exposition in New York city last year.

I hope you all are having a good week, and till next time, keep stitchin'.
Mary

Memorial Day

Thank you--such small words--but I truly am grateful to those who fought for the freedoms we enjoy today. To those in the military--all gave some, but some gave all. Both my parents served in WW2--my dad was an army cook, in charge of an entire mess hall kitchen, my mom was a navy nurse, my uncle was in the navy, my husband was in the army--a Vietnam era vet, and one of our sons was in the navy. Our time in the military really helped us appreciate what we have in this country.

And now, how about a little patriotic quilt show?

I love how my friend Pam fussy cut the design for this quilt.

These two quilts are actually the same design, I think it's called "Calico Patch" by Jo Morton.

This is another Jo Morton design--Rally 'Round the Flag.

Turkey tracks.

Joy made log cabin table runners for each month. This is her July tablerunner. These are a few patriotic quilts my friends and I have made. I love a good red, white and blue quilt, don't you!

Till next time, keep stitchin!
Mary

Little Garden by Thimbleberries

 I'm working on the Thimbleberries quarterly quilt called "Little Garden." I decided to change out the light background fabric featured in the pinwheels. The kit fabric had tiny pink and green rosebuds on it, and I found a background fabric with blue and green flowers in it that I liked better. As this will be a summer wallhanging I didn't want pink in mine.

Before our next meeting we are supposed to have the dark blue inner border and the white picket fence border sewn on. I have my assignment for the month!

This is a picture of the completed quilt. I do enjoy a good Thimbleberries pattern, the directions are very well done and they tell you at each step what size your project should measure. And on a bright note, I took my spring Thimbleberries project--"Love Me Tender" to Joyce, my quilter, Saturday. She quilted the shop sample with a beautiful swirled heart pattern, and I asked her to do the same to mine. Hopefully I will have that in a few weeks. When I dropped off my top she had a quilt in the machine with horses on it. Very interesting! She was quilting a lasso pattern onto the quilt. Joyce is very creative and does such a nice job.

Here is the baby quilt I picked up from the quilters yesterday. It is a "bow-twist" block. You can attach baby rattles or toys to the little twisty parts as they are only tacked down at the corners. Joyce quilted a frog on a lilly pad design. Isn't it cute! My little great-nephew will be 6 months old if I don't get this in the mail soon. (That's what happens when mom delivers early, and the sew-er and the quilter have life get in the way!) This color-way is a real change for me, as I prefer to sew with Civil War reproduction fabrics. It was quite fun to make!

Design wall tomorrow...I have 2 different things on the design wall, so will show you both projects. Until then, keep stitchin'! 

Mary