I am completely spoiled. I have just returned from a fantastic quilt retreat hosted by my friend Joanne. The creek in the background was the only sound I heard all week besides lovely conversation and laughter. The TV and technology blackout provided by the surrounding mountains was a delightful change of pace.
I really wanted to come back with something finished, so I did spend a lot of time early in the week on finishing the quilting on this Broken Star quilt.
I managed to do the Matrix fill on the outer star points the Saturday I arrived. Am not sure if the Merlot helped the process or not.
I did the outer radiating lines using the walking foot over the next several mornings. I tried to limit my machine quilting time to the mornings so I didn't hog the limited table space.
I even sewed the binding on completely by machine, even though it never works out like I intended. And, of course, my pieced bias managed to get the piecing seam on the corner 3 out of 4 times.
I don't care. It is done.
In 2010, when everyone was working on Dear Janes and Farmer's Daughter quilts, I got all excited about small blocks. That was also the year there was a huge Red & White quilt display somewhere. I also had been to several quilt shows where there was nothing done by hand.
That was the year we took the epic road trip. 6666 miles with my mother and 2 teen aged daughters. 'nough said. We hit 19 states and a fair bit of Eastern Canada.
I decided to make a block for each state, with red fabric that came from that state. Each block is to represent something about the state. Oh, and I decided to piece it all by hand.
In addition to my own collecting, I had blog followers, family, and friends buying and sending red fabric from all over the USA.
I was really good at first about recording details and posting them on the USA Quilt page of this blog.
I pulled this project out again last October and managed to add another 7 blocks to the pile. Going into the quilt retreat, I was still 11 blocks shy of a finish. My lack of finish was twofold. 1) I didn't have fabric from those states 2) I couldn't find reasonable blocks to make that represented the state theme.
My solution: 1) all fabrics in the box qualify for any block 2) lower my standards on block theme.
Nevada: Card Trick
Reason for delay: waiting for a friend in Vegas to send me fabric.
Solution: reds I thought would work well.
Missouri: St Louis Star
Reason for delay: no fabric, no pattern
Solution: Found in 5500 quilt patterns after I'd given up on things like "show me" and Independence. Super fussy. Ended up a little wonky and 1/4" too small.
Maryland: Crab Claws
Fabric from Shannon. Reason for delay: Pattern.
And then I was totally distracted by mixed mottos trying to decide if Maryland was for both lovers and for crabs. Because that just seems wrong from a marketing standpoint.
But that got resolved when I found the fabric and note from Virginia...who claims to be for lovers, thus the heart fabric.
Virginia: Jamestown Square
Fabric from Amy. Reason for delay: Pattern
Idaho: Double Sawtooth
Reason for the delay: All my fabric counts as Idaho since that's where it currently resides. I opted for this amazing floral, that has nothing to do with the state, because I like it. And I'm from Idaho.
You can see how this theme thing totally dissolved now right?
Mississippi: Mississippi
Reason for delay: no fabric from the state.
It was one of the last 3 missing blocks and I picked out a fabric that I thought would look good with the blocks near it.
New Jersey: State of New Jersey
This block gave me fits. I had planned on a Grandmother's Flower Garden, but as I was flipping through the 5500 quilt blocks book, I stumbled across a NJ block and drew it out. Unfortunately, I failed to note what page or pattern # it was, so when I went back to clarify, I couldn't find it. Barb and I both spent an hour apiece trying to find it both by name and pattern. Finally, just as I was about to give up, I started looking for it based on the neutral corners rather than the narrow cross pieces. "State of..." sheesh.
New Mexico : Squash Blossom
Red fabric from Veronica
WV: Belle of West Virginia
Reason for delay: no fabric
Utah: Salt Lake City
Fabric from Anna
Reason for delay: I had originally planned on an appliqued bee block. This was simpler than drafting something.
Connecticut
Reason for delay: no fabric. But this came from Maine...so that's close.
I opted for 2" finished wide sashing strips since the blocks are already so busy. Nearly 20% connected!
I'd be further along, but I ended up repositioning the bear paw block since I didn't like it pointing the same direction as the cactus blossom.
1 comment:
Oh, Maryland...ha ha!
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