October 29-30, 2012

I didn't do anything today but sew.  I finished all of the blocks for the General Wives Quilt and I am attempting to put it together.  Nothing too exciting but this is the tedious part for me, putting all of the blocks in order and adding the borders.

I would've been done by now but I have been watching all of broadcasts from the East Coast: the devastation or coming devastation of the "Hurricane Sandy." 

I forgot to mention that the San Francisco Giants from the World Series!  The fourth game was very exciting.  The parade to celebrate becoming the World Champions will be this Wednesday in the city.  Two World Series wins in the last three years!  So AWESOME!

The Giants WIN the World Series!

I love this quilt.  I have make it!

October 26-28, 2012

I am in Monterey, California for the weekend.  My husband had to attend meetings for work.  I came along and it was very fun!  Unfortunately, I haven't been able to sew.  We did have a couple of hours of free time on Saturday and I was able to find the Back Porch Fabrics in Pacific Grove.  I went to see the store and look at all of the fabrics and books that they have.  I find that each quilt/fabric store is so different.  The buyers/owners purchase what they like and what their customers are fond of.  I thoroughly enjoyed the store. There was a lot of light, white walls and a high ceiling.  The fabrics were bright and the store was full of customers.  They had many notions, a lot of books, a large classroom and helpful and friendly staff.  I loved all of Kaffe Fassett fabrics.  I purchased a bundled pack of eight fat quarters of Kaffe's fabrics, a pattern, a book and a new notion, Seam Fix.  

My husband being the scientist that he is found the Pacific Grove Museum across the street from Back Porch Fabrics.  I met him there....it was free to enter that afternoon and they had all of the native birds and animals on display.   Of course, all of the birds and animals were "stuffed."  It was interesting to see how large these animals are/were up close.  There were a lot of children there. The highlight of the museum visit that afternoon were the LIVE SNAKES!  The docents at the museum were allowing all of the children and many adults to touch the snakes.  It was great to see the children ask questions and some were even brave enough to allow the pythons to be placed on their shoulders.  Of course, I did not get too close.  Snakes scare me and two of them were very large pythons.  One was yellow, an albino python and the other was, I guess a "normal" python, brown and beige.  The third snake was small compared to the other two.  It was a great couple of hours for the both of us.

Albino Python
I am in the background...
Not close to the snake!

October 25, 2012

Watched the first game of the World Series last night.  I didn't get much sewing done....GO GIANTS!  I will continue sewing the last block of the General's Wives.   I will attempt to put it all together in the next few days.
I hope......I have the time.

Block 3
Eleanor (Ellen) Boyle 
Ewing Sherman

Eleanor Sherman is the wife of Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman (US Army).

I would love to know who designed these blocks and why they chose them to represent these particular women.  I wonder if they have any insight of their personalities or actual quilts that they have made.

My father was in the military so it makes me wonder what it was like to be married to someone who commanded troops during the Civil War.  I guess it is no different than serving in current times, going to  the Middle East.  Fearing for their lives and            wondering if you would ever see them again is the common in separation.

Block 4

Irene (Rucker) Sheridan

wife of Gen. Phillip H. Sheridan

(US Army)

Many soldiers did not return from battle during 

the Civil War.  Modern medical techniques were not available during the 1860's compared 

to today.

As I recall, if your soldier died in battle

 during the Civil War they were buried in 

mass graves.  Fortunately soldiers today are 
easily identified.

Block 5
Irene Boggs (Dent) Grant
wife of Ulysses Simpson Grant
 (US Army)

Emotionally, wives of soldiers from the Civil Warare no different from the modern wives that send their men off to battle today.   

Blockbase Sew Along

The latest block in the Sew Along is due 
tomorrow.  I can't wait to see what different

fabrics have been used to create this block.

Below is my version of block 2741.

Block 2741
Blockbase Sew Along

October 24, 2012

For the past three days, I have been putting the borders and flange on my Christmas wreath quilt.  I also put the three layers together and pinned it all together.  I am ready to start quilting the three layers together but I have not mastered this part of completing the project.  Instead I put it aside and have tried to catch up on a couple of quilts that I need to finish.

Block 1
Anna Marie Hennen Hood
Wife of Gen. John Bell Hood
(CSA)

The Generals' Wives

Over the last year, I have belonged to a block-of-the-month quilt group, General Wives, a "Historical Quilt Series," by The Quilter's Quarters in Leavenworth, Kansas, www.quilersqtrs.com.  I did mention this in one of my the previous writings.  It is now coming to a close and I have 10 months of blocks and 3 settings done.  I have two more months to finish and the last portion of putting it all `together.  

Block 2
Eliza Brooks (Ellis) Bragg
Wife of Gen. Braxton Bragg
(CSA)

Unfortunately, I don't know how to change the contrast, change the color saturation well on the software that I have connected with my digital camera.  I apologize for my ignorance.  The blocks

work well together but you can't tell by 

these pictures. 

Block 8
Flora Cooke Stuart
Wife of Gen. J.E.B. Stuart
(CSA)

October 21, 2012

I finished the quilt top that I started Friday.

On the left, I cut around the template, I sewed four of them together.

To the right, are all of the blocks sewn, 4x4.

All blocks sewn together.

I am adding a 1 1/2" flange (small inner border).  The outer border will be 6" finished.

I will try to finish the borders tonight but I am

not sure if I have enough of the outer border

fabric.  I will have to go to the quilt store and purchase more of the fabric that I have chosen and buying some backing fabric.  I don't know how I will quilt it.  I don't quilt well but this is a small quilt and I may be able to do it.  I hope...

My husband suggested that I fill some of the outer and inner portions of the "wreath" to make it seem round.  I don't know if I want to, it may destroy the pattern of the twisted pinwheel.  I try it on the next one....maybe.

Diz

October 19, 2012

I took Caroline's Quilt to my local quilter.  I love her work. Nancy is very creative.  I can't wait to see the finished quilt.  

I started a new quilt last night.  I am making three table-topper quilts for my sister -in-laws:  Laurie, Mari and Imelda.  They are small enough that it will not take me long to complete them.  The method of piecing is called "Pinwheels with a twist."  I love this method of piecing.  You just use in the case below 3 1/2" squares and a template with special lines on it.  You align the lines on the template with the seams and cut around it.  You end up with perfect pinwheels (assuming that you don't move the template.  I first saw it at my local quilt store and marveled at how complicated it looked.  I was assured that it was easy to do so without hesitation, I purchased the pattern that included the 3 1/2" squares and the template.  

Primitive Pinwheels
Finished size:  11" x 12 1/4
Made from 30 - 3 1/2" squares
plus border, binding and backing

From the pattern
Primitive Pinwheels
by Carole Charles
of Primitive Gatherings

Imagine that the grids to the right are the 3 1/2" squares of fabric.  You place the template on the seams.  Cut around the template with your rotary cutter.  The template is 

1 1/4" square with rubber feet on the back side to prevent your template from moving.

On the right are my 49 - 5" x 5" blocks sewn together.  it is a 32" square.  On the left you can see a 3 1/2" template

that I will use to make the "pinwheels with a twist."


I neglected to mention that I used 32 fabrics from the charm pack,
Share the Joy by Deb Strain for Moda.
I used leftover fabric for the background, 12 - 5" x 5" squares.
Add a 3" width of fabric strip to each side.

I used the "Let's Twist...ONE MORE TIME!" by Marsha Bergren
CS Designs   www.country-schoolhouse.com
The "Double Twisted Wreath/Optional Ornament" pattern 
from the book.  Pattern on page 17, picture on page 13.

October 18, 2012

I have decided that a blog about quilts that does not have pictures can not be that interesting.  I will use the camera on my cell phone even though the photos will be blurry.  I will re-post the photos as soon as I learn to take better pictures on my digital camera.

Caroline's Quilt

The picture is not great but you can see the colors that my daughter selected.  Most of the fabrics used are from Kate Spain's 'Good Fortune.'  I tried to add a photo of the pattern but it came to my email in horizontally so I will experiment further and try to get the photo on vertically.

As I mentioned yesterday, I am also involved in the Blockbase Sewalong.  The  sewalong has just begun so it isn't too late to try it.

Block #1336

Thanks,

Diz

First Entry - October 17, 2012

Today, I am finishing a quilt for my daughter, Caroline.  She is my youngest daughter and has gone off to college, UC San Diego.  I started (in September) to make a quilt for her to put on her bed in the dorm.  She selected the colors (most of them are from Kate Spain's line, Good Fortune that I purchased from Fabric Garden) and she approved my selection of the pattern that I purchased at my Fabric Garden:  Yankee Pride, from Studio 180 Design, Ltd.  It was created by Deb Tucker to be used as a "Companion Pattern for the Wing Clipper I Ruler."  I will post pictures of the front and back soon.  I love this technique because you use the Wing Clipper Ruler and it makes the best "flying geese" on your stars.  The basic premise is that you make it a bit larger and trim the goose and star points to the exact size that you need.  I got busy with purchasing the items that she will need at college and couldn't finish the quilt.  My husband and I are going to visit her soon and I want to be sure that I am done so that I can give it to her when we do down.

Here is a list of the blogs that I have been following:  Civil War Quilts, Grandmothers Choice:  Votes for Women, and Barbara Brackman's Material Culture.  I really love Barbara Brackman's blogs.  All of the three listed here are by Barbara.  I love the history of quilts.  I didn't realize that I had an interest in the history of quilts until I took a class at 'Bearpaws and Hollyhocks' in Sacramento that featured Barbara's books and patterns.  They were fabulous!

Getting back to my projects:  I just started the Blockbase Sew Along group with EQ7.  The blocks are not the easy ones that I usually select for my quilts.  So I have found them to be stimulating and many of us have decided to post each of our completed blocks at http://doyoueq.com/blog/   I will post my blocks here soon.  My iphone doesn't take great pictures.  I am trying to figure out how to use my camera and how to take better pictures of my blocks/quilts.

I am also completing a year long quilt, a block of the month (BOM), 'General Wives' Quilt that I purchase from Quilters Corner.  It is a large quilt that will finish in the next month (I hope).  I was attracted to the luscious fabrics.  They are beautiful, fabrics that have dark cobalt blues and blacks.  Just gorgeous. 

I have other blocks and quilts that I am working on but I have to do some housework so I must leave....

Diz