SATISFACTION GUARANTEED

These are a few of the happy people in my class last night. We had fun! It was class 2 of the Williamsburg Medallion. Everyone was zipping right along with very nice results. Peggy, in photo one, always keeps us smiling. Can you tell?

Heaven knows I am not the greatest teacher, so I sometimes bring homemade oatmeal-raisin cookies so they will think kindly of me. It seems to work.

I do enjoy classes, whether I am teaching them or taking them. It is fun to pass along tips and techniques. We all do things a little differently, so it is fun to learn how others tackle a project as well. When I teach a class I like to go over my method of construction and then let the class progress on their own and ask questions as needed. I also encourage them to follow their own instincts. New quilters are often hesitant to make their own decisions on fabric choices. As I was helping a new quilter with her fabric decisions last night, I was reminded of when I first began. My friend was a seasoned quilter and I asked for her help with every decision I made. After a while I realized that we had different ideas of what the quilt should look like and I began to make a few decisions on my own. Last night I watched two new quilters do just that. They both started out with kits for the project and as they progressed each made their own changes. For seasoned quilters this is never a problem, but when you are just beginning you don't always have the confidence to know if your choice is acceptable. Maybe we worry too much about how others will view our work. It has taken me a while to reach the place where I can say, "You don't have to like it-I did it the way I like it"! In the end, I think that is where the satisfaction comes from.

Charlotte, on the right in the photo, completed her whole top by the end of class last night! As you can see, she opted for a blue version. The photo doesn't do it justice. It looks great!

Another point of interest is that our LQS, What's Your Stitch N Stuff, kitted up Karen's (Sew Primitive) Tornado pattern! Doesn't it look cute! Check out Karen's blog to see the pattern.

LOOK WHAT I MADE!

Last night was so much fun! I took a class from Connie (of the Civil War Diary Quilt fame). I can't believe all that she does. She is such a sweetheart and I enjoy being around her and am constantly impressed with her talent. The class was for making the Bow Tucks Tote (designed by Penny Sturges). The first bag pictured with the sailboats is one that Connie made. (Whoops, the handles flopped over). Connie also has become very proficient at machine embroidery and is doing wonderful things on the pockets of the bags she makes. Everywhere she goes people admire her bags, so now she makes them and personalizes them for people. The purple one with the big embroidered W on the front is a baby gift that she made that includes a darling baby quilt inside. Connie did a great job teaching this bag. She has made so many of them that she made it very easy for the rest of us!

My bag (hasn't a button yet) turned out great too! We actually finished the bag last night, in our second class. We had some quilting homework, but that was simple, even for me! Notice how the bag has cute little ties on each side. The bag gets "tucked" in on the sides, and then you tie the "bows", hence the name Bow Tucks Tote! Everyone in my family is going to be begging me for one of these!

Also, let me direct you to Dawn's blog, in case you haven't seen it. She is working on her own rendition of Williamsburg Medallion, and you must see it! She also shows Libby's and Karen's quilts with links to their blogs. I love the way they think and then do it! I am so impressed and honored to have them make my pattern. And I love that they each show their own creative talent in the process.

TOWANDA!

By an overwhelming number of comments on my squirrel adventures, it would seem more of you are interested in that than quilts. Well, too bad, cause this blog is mostly about quilts. Ha! However, it is gratifying to know that someone out there is reading my blog. I plagiarized a quote from Fried Green Tomatoes and was assaulted with cries of Towanda! Of course that was the image I was trying to portray, but I didn't realize it had become a war cry of the abused! How perfect! I haven't seen the movie in a long time and didn't remember that Towanda was the name of Kathy Bates' character. She is great! Now I want to watch that movie again.


Pam from My Creative Mind offered a suggestion of using ammonia in a spray bottle to spray around the deck where the squirrel was likely to go. I took her advice and was spraying along the edge of the deck where I saw chew marks in the wood. The deck is not free standing, but rather it sits on top of the roof of a lower floor. All of a sudden the squirrel shoots out from that area and flies into the trees! I didn't even know he was in there. I guess he didn't like the smell! Hooray!!! I don't know if he has been around since, but I continue to spray out there each day to discourage him. Nice call Pam! I tried to link to you but couldn't find your site. But thanks so much for the great advice!


I have actually been sewing over the past week, between chasing the relentless rodent. I drew up a design on EQ6 and went to work with some beautiful fabrics from the Jamestown fabric line, by Jo Morton. I found I needed to add some lighter colored fabrics to create the look I wanted, so you will recognize some of the fabric from places other than Jamestown. The 9-patch blocks are primarily from scraps. The rows are not all sewn together yet, but at least I am finally to that step. Then I get to play with a border idea. It is always a challenge to come up with a border design that contributes to the overall design in a compatible way.


My e-mail is through Google (g-mail). I really do like their whole e-mail design. Well, Karen from Sew Primitive and I have been chatting via e-mail. We were discussing toile fabric, and somehow Google picks up on bits of conversation and provides links to places that might be of interest. So this link shows up for toile fabric: http://www.fashionfabricsclub.com/catalog_items.aspx?TypID=98&Viewby=Types&Page=1&gclid=CLGUp5nU75ECFR0yFQodNW-vwg Here is a great variety of toile! I am sure it is designer weight fabric, but still, they would work for focus areas of a quilt, such as my Williamsburg Medallion, or even the Kaffe Fassett Hat Boxes quilt. Take a look at the yellow and red one with the hen and chicks. I love it! Maybe I should make another medallion quilt. I will probably not get my other quilt back from the shop until they are good and sick of it. I am really tempted.
By the way, take a look at the additional site that Karen has set up to display her new patterns. She is designing some really cute things under the name Folk Art Children! If you like the new Wizard of Oz fabric, you will love what she is doing with it!

ANIMAL ACTIVIST

I am at war with a squirrel! We have an upper deck on the side of the house that is surrounded by live oak trees. Southerners call them water oaks because the grow near the ocean. They look nothing like the traditional oak trees that grow in the north. The leaf is entirely different, as are the branches, etc. But they do drop a million little acorns in the spring. I had heard of live oaks in books and never really understood what that meant. Strange name. Live oak as opposed to dead oak? That was the question that always entered my mind. But no, it's a different variety. The branches spread way out from the trunk and sway easily in the wind, or perchance, hurricane. And our trees are filled with squirrels!
I used to think squirrels were these cute little guys who pranced merrily around in trees chasing each other. Playful, carefree. Now I see vermin waiting to destroy when they think we are not looking. They chew like new puppies. In the past they have found their way into our attic, in the eaves of the house, and under the floor of our deck. We have trapped and released quite a few. My husband always drives them across the Lesner Bridge and figures they won't cross the bridge and come back. Recently someone told us of a man who lives over there and traps them, then releases them on our side of the bridge. Great! They DO cross the bridge!
Our latest bold little adversary jumps out of the trees onto the deck and looks for trouble. Recently I caught him chewing holes in the nice, expensive cover that I bought for our gas grill. Why would he do that? Is he one of the squirrels that returned with a vengeance? Yesterday I chased him off the deck and then watched as he came back four times to taunt me. He jumped on the deck in the same spot each time, did a little dance, then raced down to the far end and flew into the trees. He is laughing at me. I am beginning to identify with Elmer Fudd and his war with the Waskely Wabbit. I'm not happy about this.

I am now going to stand guard over my premium vinyl grill cover. This must end. He may be younger and quicker, but I am older and I have more insurance! He better hope I don't meet him on the street!

MY FAVORITE BOOTH!

I know you are all sitting on pins and needles, and probably threads and fabric strips, waiting to hear how the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Fest was. Well here is a photo of me feeling very proud of the display at Nancy's Calico Patch booth with my Williamsburg Medallion quilt front and center! To the left is part of my Pioneer Trail quilt. The whole booth looked very nice with the overall theme being CW reproduction quilts and fabrics. I was happy to be a part of it. They sold a ton of my patterns, so I am really happy about that! My friends and I were there shopping and looking at quilts for the day on Thursday (2-21-08) and we had a great time.
I didn't take too many pictures, but I do want to share this one quilt that I loved! A huge variety of toiles went into the quilt, and the designer did a great job with it! I should have been better about getting the name so I could give her credit. If anyone out there knows, I will be happy to add it. Isn't it great?!
Apparently the HatBox quilt is a design by Kaffee Fassett.
Apparently the Hatbox quilt IS ACTUALLY Kaffe Fassetts!--Thanks Katie!

On another note, I heard from Nicola in Australia that she was making Bonnie's Bargello quilt, so I added her to the list on the side. I don't plan to leave the list up too much longer, so be sure and take a look at what she has done. You may want to see what progress has been made on the other blogs while you are at it. Unfortunately I, myself, have done nothing more on mine. I plan to make it bigger and have lots of strips cut, so enventually I will get it done! For me it is a good project to pick up when there is a lull in the work at hand. Again, thank you Bonnie for all the inspiration and directions.
I hope I can sew today. I am all charged up to create after going through so many inspiring vendor booths! Happy weekend!

WELCOME TO MY WORLD

How many of you out there are going to the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Fest this week? It takes place at the Hampton Roads Convention Center beginning on Thursday, Feb. 21 through Saturday. If you are going I hope you will check out Nancy's Calico Patch booth (#412). My new quilt, Williamsburg Medallion, will be on display there. I made a model just for them. This one consists primarily of the fabrics from the Windham line.
Nancy is devoting their booth to Civil War era reproduction fabrics this year, and focusing on the Williamsburg fabric from Windham and the Jamestown fabric from Andover. I am excited to be able to participate. They will have a couple of my other quilts displayed as well, so stop and shop and say hello. Well, I won't actually be there except in spirit, but say hello to my quilts and Nancy!

Also, I am very excited about the quilt that Libby made using this pattern! If you know Libby, you know she loves all things primitive. Can you believe this is the same pattern??? She appliqued a pineapple in the center (ala Linda Brannock), added the Welcome, and there you go---it's a Libby quilt! This stuff just never gets old, does it?

When I was trying to think of seven things about me for my previous post I was talking about it to my husband. He suggested that I write about how I am really into quilts. (Turn on laugh track). I told him that everyone already knows that. It is why I have a blog. "But do they know how much you are really into it?" he asks. "Honey", says I, "They are ALL really into it"! This is what keeps us hopping to the computer between seams---so we can see if our friends posted any new quilts today!

Addendum: I didn't mean to imply that I won't be at Quilt Fest. I will be there all day Thursday browsing around quilts and vendors. I am not working the booth or anything like that. But I will be there! If you recognize me please say hello!

SEVEN THINGS ABOUT ME!

I have seen these things going around on blogs in the past, but have never been tagged, and never jumped in. Well Lea tagged me, so I guess I will reveal some things about me that you may not know. Be sure and read about Lea on her blog. She always brings a smile to my face!

THE RULES:
1. Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Post THE RULES on your blog.
3. Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog.
4. Tag 7 people and link to them.
5. Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.

So here are a few things about me:

1. My ancestors are from England, Ireland, Scotland, Denmark, Germany. You could plop me in any of those countries and I would look like a native.

2. When I was a child of 10 or 11, I was on a TV program in Buffalo, NY, called Fun To Learn. My mom's best friend was the main person on the art segment of it. She encouraged us to be very creative and make projects from junk, like cardboard milk cartons and straws, etc. I was quite good at that!

3. I have four grown up children who live in four different states. I love it when we are all together around the dinner table and they laugh and joke.

4. I can't sing worth beans! But when I am alone I sing anyway!

5. Even though I can't carry a tune, I can make up silly words to go with any melody. I entertain my grandchildren with this talent. They think I am nuts.

6. I have a terrible sweet tooth. My husband always brings me treats when he comes home from business trips. He knows I am always happy to see him!

7. I am happy, and content with who I am, but still think I can do better. I no longer stress over not being perfect, but I am having more fun along the way!

Here are a few of my blogging pals I would like to tag so they can share some little know facts about themselves.

Karen at Log Cabin Quilter, seems to enjoy the same style of quilts that I do!

Joan at Keeping you in Stitches, "sews like the wind!"

Mary B. at NanaB Quilts, is a new blogger, but has been quilting for a long time.

San at Gypsie Quilter, always has lots of pretty quilts to share.

Darcie-October's Child, does wonderful long arm quilting and hand dyes fabric!

Oh, that's plenty for you to enjoy for now! I just posted that picture of a quilt I did a year ago to catch your attention. Did it work?

BLOGGING FRIENDS

Oh you people make me laugh! Yes, I guess we quilters all think alike! Ask a quilter if she wakes up seeing stars and she will add the alternate blocks to the picture as well! (Referring to my last post). It seems we all think in geometric shapes. Math has never been my strong suit. When I took geometry in high school I remember my teacher telling me that I had a creative way of finding solutions. At the time I took it as a compliment. Now I realize he meant that I took the long way around to find the answer. In other words, I am slow! This probably still holds true for me today. But I do have fun!

Two of my favorite bloggers commented yesterday that they use cardboard templates and sew by hand. Luckily neither of them were insulted by my flippant comments. In fact one reason I love these two ladies is their sense of humor AND they laugh at me! We who think of ourselves as comedic love to be surrounded by people who laugh at our jokes! I know that sometimes I am not as funny as I try to be, but I can't stop myself. It's the way I was raised. You should meet my Dad!

Back to those two bloggers I mentioned: I met them on line when they each made my little tree pattern at Christmas.
Annamiek is from the Netherlands. You should visit her blog and see the funny correspondence she recently received from Marcus Fabrics. She really had me giggling!
Lea lives in Japan. The darling heart block pictured here is from Lea. She makes the neatest primitive quilts. She has such a joyful spirit. you will enjoy her work and her happy heart!
Blogging has opened up doors all over the world and we are fortunate indeed to find sisters that share our interests and encourage us in our endeavors. Really, I haven't had this many girl friends since high school! So ladies, if you want to use cardboard templates, you do whatever makes you happy. Thanks for stopping by!

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?

This morning as I was snuggling under the covers in bed, not quite wanting to get up yet, listening to the furnace come on and off, on and off, my mind wandered back to the Vintage Quilts magazine I was looking at last night. I was reading the pattern directions for a quilt that instructed you to cut 2-3/8 inch squares. Hundreds of them. Sympathy wells up in me for these wonderful makers of the vintage quilts. Can you even imagine having to cut all those little squares, and then at 2-3/8 inches to boot? Dull scissors, worn cardboard templates, no strip quilting - ugh!

Well, we don't work that way today. So next I am thinking, "How would I convert that measurement? Would I change it to 2-1/4 inches or 2-1/2 inches"? Naturally all the other measurements in the quilt would change accordingly. The end result would be a quilt that is either a little bit smaller or a little bigger. Let's go with bigger, because the vintage quilts are usually on the small side. Ok, this problem is solved!

Now what about the quilt with all those HSTs? No way am I cutting a million squares at 3-1/8 inch and cutting them in half and matching them to another triangle and sewing those bias edges together! I have to convert that quilt so I can use triangle paper or another quick method! Ok, now I really do have to get out of bed and get my calculator and EQ6! Thus begins my day.

Word of warning: Don't ever ask a quilter, "What are you thinking?" Unless of course, you are a quilter!

Photo from McCall's Vintage Quilts, Dec. 2007 - It's great!

THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR BARGELLO

You may have heard of Bonnie's invitation to join her in making a bargello quilt on SuperBowl Sunday. Forest Jane even created a very clever logo! I mentioned in an earlier post that I had joined in and I displayed a picture of my progress. As I have been cruising around Blogland I have seen evidence that some of you have been working on that project as well. I started adding a link or two, and then it turned into several, and so I decided to add it to my side bar for a while. I didn't mean to take this pleasure away from Bonnie, it just kept getting larger! We all know Bonnie is in the middle of moving right now and has other things to think about. I will just leave this up for a short time to give people a chance to visit Bonnie's Bargello Bloggers! Let me know if you are stripping (oh mercy!) and I will add a link to your blog.

On another note: Sometimes new bloggers are hesitant to add their email address to their blog. I know I was in the beginning. I relented because quilt bloggers are so friendly that they often want to write you back when you make a comment. So I opened a g-mail account just for blogging. (That's Google and I like it a lot). You can adjust your settings so that comments from your blog go directly to your e-mail account. This is much better than returning to your blog every day and checking the number of comments that have been left. I actually did that in the beginning! Then be sure to edit your personal profile so that the show e-mail address is checked! I was trying to figure this out for a friend the other day, so while it is fresh in my mind I wanted to share it with anyone out there who cares! (Lea, did you check that box?)

These little cuties, the Plumpkin and her brother, are two of my grandchildren that I share with another quilter who is lucky enough to live close to them in Minnesota. Yes, both of their grandmothers are quilt freaks! Recently the other grandmother, Mary, started a blog of her own. Mary is a long arm quilter extraordinaire, and also keeps busy with her guild as well as Minnesota State Quilters. We both have entirely different interests in quilt fabrics and styles, and isn't that what makes the world go round?! She has done some fabulous work, I can tell you that! Currently she is into Paint Stiks. We will have to ask for photos! Go check out her blog and say hello!

MARJORIE & THE ORPHAN TRAIN

It was my pleasure to have the book, The Named Me Marjorie, this week. This is a very sweet story of a remarkable little orphan girl who was shuttled around to various families, and in spite of it all kept an amazing attitude of good will. The book is written by her granddaughter, who also happens to be a quilter, and who memorialized the story in a quilt.
Finn began creating interest in the Orphan Train with her blog having to do with orphan quilt blocks.
This book has been making the rounds among quilters, and particularly those who have orphan block quilts posted on Finn's blog. I am the 9th person to have this book, and now I will mail it off to Terry the Quilt-Nut. As far as I know, there is no one else in line. So if you are interested in adding your name to the list please contact Finn. She doesn't really want to be in charge, but I think it is falling to her anyway! She is the engineer on the Orphan Train, after all! And if you haven't been to Finn's Orphan Train blog, go check it out! You will be delighted!

SCRAPPY TRIPS AND TREASURES

Bonnie Hunter's invitation to join her working on Scrappy Bargello quilts this past weekend came at a time when I was ready to dive in. I actually made a few of these blocks while I was in Arizona over Christmas. I am making her Scrappy Trips version. Both are the same technique and directions are found on her Quiltville web site. I spent a couple hours on Saturday making little piles of strips for blocks. Now it is easy to sit down and sew strips together, press, cut, sew into blocks. Voila! I got several more blocks completed, and a number of blocks ready to go. And since prep time is usually the thing that holds me up, this will be great to work in whenever I need a no-brainer. Thanks Bonnie, for this quick method and all the inspiration! I have to note that my husband is not too pleased with this project. He needs things to be very organized. He tried to arrange the blocks to make sense to him. This project is so carefree! To me that is the charm of it.

This past week I changed a wall arrangement, and I thought I would give you a glimpse of it! My little brown churn dash quilt is called Table Scraps, as I was mostly using up lots of pieces off my cutting table. Such yummy little morsels that I wanted to sew them up into something!
You may recognize the sampler as one I did a while back from a Blackbird Design book, Fresh From the Garden. I found that little bird's nest smack in the middle of the hydrangia bush when I was trimming it back for winter. It is so precious! And the big platter was a wedding present to my great grandparents in 1888. That is one of my very special treasures!

Addendum: Paula at A Latte Quilts worked on the Bargello/Trips project Sunday also. Check out her blog!

I see Dawn at Quilts and Pieces is at it also! As is Tracey at Quilting in Connecticut! I am getting a kick out of see who all jumped in the fray, as it were! Joan at keeping You in Stitches actually has hers done and quilted! It's embarrassing. She did start a week early, but still...

Katie, In My Sandbox is making the Bargello also. Anybody else?

MARCUS MERRIMENT

It's not midnight yet, so I wanted to squeeze this in under the wire! I actually did finish a UFO this month! I bought this pattern last fall while in Arizona and started it there. It is designed by Renee Plains. Pretty darn cute design! I had fun with it! I finally completed the quilting and hung it on the wall. My quilting isn't that great, so don't dwell on it. Lol! This one contains fabrics designed by my hero, Judie Rothermel. Most are from the Sturbridge Miniatures. The sashing is hers also from a few years ago. I felt happy to find it and incorporate it into a project with some of Judie's newer fabrics. I think I even said, "Oh look, you can live here with your new family". Do you ever talk to your fabric? Aren't they like old friends? By the way, I saw Judie's Merrimack line today (by Marcus Fabrics) while I was at the quilt shop. Be still my heart! I wanted that fat quarter pack sooo bad! Someday soon it will be mine! In the meantime maybe the anticipation will help keep the blood pumping through my veins. My own form of aerobic exercise! I gotta run...(don't take that too literally).

MY MEDALLION QUILTS

I have been playing with scraps again this week. I decided that I wanted to see what Williamsburg Medallion, the quilt I showed a few posts ago, would look like in scraps. I replaced the toile center with a star that I felt complimented the design, and dragged out the fabrics for auditioning. You know what that does to a sewing space! I actually had just sorted through little mounds of fabric and put each in its own container according to color. I really whipped through it, so it wasn't exactly pristine, but that's why I have cabinets with doors on them! Anyway, suffice it to say that my room is back to "normal". This was lots of fun to make, by the way! I would love to see what Libby would do with this! She has such a flair for the primitive look!

Now I have a question for you. Do you think all medallion quilts look the same? I have had two people look at Williamsburg Medallion (#1) and comment that it looked like another quilt I made. One said it looks like Homeport (#2), and another said it looks like Chesapeake Star (#3). I do like medallion quilts, it's true! Am I just making the same quilt over and over again? I thought I was making different quilts with interesting borders that I can change each time around. I am finding that I really have to defend myself lately!

PIONEER TRAIL

Last Friday was a fun day! There is a Quilting Bee that meets at the LQS every Friday, and they invited me to join them there for lunch. The reason is that they had swapped Shoofly blocks for my pattern Pioneer Trail, and they wanted me to come and see the finished quilts. I was excited that they had chosen my design for their swap! Five of the ladies had completed their quilts. In spite of the fact that many of the blocks were of the same fabric, each quilt had its own look according to how the quiltmaker placed fabrics and the border fabric that they chose. Each quilt was a beauty!
In this quilt the Shoofly blocks represent the wagon wheels rolling west along a dusty zig zag trail, hence, the name Pioneer Trail. Each of these quilters had fun deciding how much grass or mud to include in their own trail.
Barb is holding her quilt in the first photo. Barb chose a fabulous Ginny Beyer print fabric for the border of her quilt. It looks lovely!

In the second photo Mary Lynn shows her quilt. Mary Lynn included a pieced border on hers as my original quilt had.




The border that Betts put on hers, in quilt #3 is a poison green from the Pennsylvania Plain and Fancy collection. It looks great!

Pat, with quilt #4, chose a beautiful border fabric for her quilt that really sets off the colors of the blocks.

The final quilt, #5, was made by Bobbie. She actually completed her quilt for Christmas and gave it as a gift. I took this photo back in November, I think, and Bobbie's face is nowhere to be seen! Great looking quilt though, and someone received a great gift from her. I know I have posted at least two other quilts that Bobbie has made on my website (Patchalot Patterns) in the gallery. These will all be posted there also for inspiration to anyone who views them.

Thanks ladies, for inviting me to share in the unveiling of your finished quilts and for allowing me to share your beautiful quilts with my blogging buddies!

FOUND - MODA FLAGS!!!

I am in shock, and so thrilled! I feel like I won the lottery! Just yesterday I asked for help finding the Moda Georgetown Flags, and thanks to my blogging friends, they are ordered and on the way! Several people gave me suggestions of places to look, and today I was going to do that. I opened my e-mail this morning and had a message from Tazzie directing me to an E-Bay site! I never even think to look at E-Bay! I ordered them! Then Sue at Monomaniacal Quilter sent a link to some at Thousands of Bolts. I ordered 2 yards there also! Well, that is a lot of flags and now I am back in business! I really figured I was in for a long search! Thank you, thank you to my blogger friends out there. You are the best! All of you!

WANTED -- MODA FLAGS!

Help!!! Pictured is one of my patterns, Homeport, that I designed a few years ago. It still is a big seller here in Virginia Beach. As you can see from the cover, I include a flag in the package for the center. Well, I have finally run out of flags! The flags that I used were from Moda, and called Georgetown. Granted, this was several years ago, but if you know of any, or have any to spare, I would love to buy them. The flags were printed in rows, and each flag measured about 5-1/2" x 7".

The shop here will contact Moda on the chance that they might have an old bolt laying around. And I know I can provide directions for making a little flag, if necessary. However, people seem to really appreciate receiving the flag in the pattern. So please keep your eyes open! Maybe somewhere out in this wide world there are some Moda American Flags looking for a home! Thanks! --Marcie

EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY

Last week I mentioned that I would have pictures of a Civil War Diary Quilt that my friend, Connie, made. So here it is! Connie and I began this project in a class at the same time last year. I made about 10 blocks and look what she has done! Her quilt is amazing! Her color selection is wonderful as is her construction. On top of that she made photo transfers of some of the prominent figures in the Civil War and placed them in blocks. I tried to get close-ups, but they turned out fuzzy. Connie took her first quilt class from my friend Sue a year and a half ago! She then took several of my classes, and so we have had the chance to get to know each other. She recently retired from the Navy and her husband bought her a long arm machine, so now she is really rolling! Connie is always cheerful and enthusiastic. I really enjoy her! She doesn't have a blog, so I am pleased to display her amazing quilt on mine!

You may know that these are 6 inch blocks, and each block tells a story. Yes, each block represents, or "stands for something". As you read the book the the author explains what she wants each block to represent.

Another book that I really enjoy is Facts and Fabrications, by Barbara Brackman. Brackman is the Queen of Block History and Definition! In this book she selects blocks and wraps a bit of Civil War history around each one. Most blocks have names, and many have more than one name. Rocky Road to Kansas and Catch Me if You Can are blocks that begin to tell a story just in their name. If you want your quilt to represent something, or tell a story, that is perfectly acceptable. Actually, I really like the idea. Barbara cautions us though, that it is a good idea to write the meaning of what we wish to portray on the quilt for the benefit of those who view it.

Addendum: I forgot to mention that Connie is originally from Gettysburg, so I am sure her interest in CW history comes quite naturally. Also, along the line of adding symbolism to our quilts, Connie added a red inner border around her blocks to represent all the blood spilt in the war. Very poignant!

STAND FOR SOMETHING

I was happy to receive so many thoughtful responses to the quilt block question in my previous post. I think it is pretty clear that, while we all would like to put that piece of history behind us, it won't go quietly. And really, that is a good thing, because the Holocaust is not something that should ever be forgotten. It has only been sixty years, and already there are those who are trying to deny that it ever happened.

The quilt itself is a lovely thing, and quite innocent. It was created before the Swastika became the symbol of Hitler's Army, a symbol that we associate with hate, violence and evil.

As much as I like the quilt, with its soft faded colors, I don't plan to re-create it. That design now stands for something. And I don't want to make a quilt that will cause anyone to question where I stand on that issue!

I want to stand for something too, and I want it to be something good!