The Prodigal Quilt Returns

WAY back in January 2020 I submitted a small quilt to be part of a touring display to commemorate the 100th anniversary of American women winning the right to vote with the passage of the 19th Amendment.  My quilt featured 36 rosebuds (worn by supporters of the amendment) because Tennessee was the 36th state to ratify the Amendment, making it official.

Perfect 36

Because the first women to vote in a previously closed election after the 19th Amendment went into effect did so in South St. Paul, Dakota County Minnesota, the Dakota County Star Quilters hosted a nationwide challenge to create small quilts honoring the American women's suffrage movement.  (Coincidentally, 36 quilts were submitted from 16 states.)

The first display was at the Dakota County Historical Society Museum in South St. Paul March 3 - August 5, 2020.  Unfortunately the Covid-19 pandemic shutdown began March 15, 2020 and display venues in Washington, Indiana, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina, and New York were cancelled.

I was able to see the display when it began circulating again at the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, KY September 1-October 16, 2020.

From Paducah it went to Winona, Minnesota through the end of 2020 when more shutdowns began.  Circulation began again in June of 2021 and my little quilt visited Hastings, MN; Hamilton, MO; Minetonka, MN; Hudson, WI; Winterset, IA; and St. Cloud, MN.

Well, my little quilt has fulfilled its mission and returned home yesterday, 

complete with a commemorative label.

Welcome home, little quilt.

Snow Days

 
The first week of the month is usually slow for me.  My one scheduled obligation on Tuesday was cancelled due to the weather so I have had a whole week to catch up in the sewing room!

We had more snow on Thursday, wet and heavy making it hard to know how much accumulation.  This was the view from my "office" (really a guest bedroom) yesterday morning.

It was snowing so much we couldn't see across the lake!  And it snowed off and on all day.  

This is the view this morning:

The cardinals and finches have been taking turns on the Droll Yankee feeder DH gave me for Christmas.

It's one of those "squirrel proof" feeders that will spin a squirrel off if it puts any pressure on the perch.  I can't wait to see that happen!

Earlier in the week I had knocked out my Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks; yesterday I took care of the latest clue in the Meadow Mist Designs mystery.  I made 60 "doublets" out of the flying geese from previous clues ...

... and put flip corners on 54 HSTs from a previous clue ...

Today I put the first frame on the Overhand Knots and I've been auditioning fabrics for chandelier blocks to expand the runner to throw size.

The first one I made will finish at 6" and I think it is a little chunky.  I'm going to try 5" and see if I like it any better.  The inner red square in the knots finishes at 4.5" and I'm thinking I might need to go down to that size for balance.

Monday, Again

Where did  the week go?

Last Monday I cleaned house (and, boy girl folks, did it need it!)  

Tuesday I entertained the neighborhood book club.  My book was Everything Beautiful in Its Time by Jenna Bush Hagar. -- a memoir of a daughter/grand-daughter of presidents.  Other hostesses have tied their refreshments to the theme of their book, so I served Texas caviar, Maine cranberry chutney with baked brie, and beaten biscuits to honor Tennessee's presidents. (You may need to read the book to get the gist ...)

Wednesday we attended a retirement luncheon for our pastor.  Alex is on the search committee for a replacement.  We have a couple of interesting candidates; we hope the search won't take too long.

Thursday I ventured to Knoxville while the skies were still blue-ish to finish my Christmas shopping.  I still have a few gaps but I had hoped to get the stocking stuffers off in the mail by Saturday.  Not so; definitely today ...

So Friday I played catch-up.  Cards are in the mail, what little decorating has been done, stockings -- really brown paper bags -- have been stuffed. I took advantage of Hubby's absence to wrap his gifts.

I spent much of Saturday just puttering, waiting for some old church friends to "drop by."  Well, they finally dropped around 4, totally throwing my dinner plans out of whack, but it was delightful to see them.  We ate the steaks Sunday night, instead.

After posting the stocking stuffers this morning I made it down to the sewing room.  Obligated is a flimsy!

It is 48 x 56 and I'm going to finish it as-is without a border. I have selected fun fabrics for the back and binding. 

Next up is stitching the rows of my RSC stars.  

I am in love with both of these quilts.  They will go to my favorite LAQ for finishing soon.

I did a little more organizing and planning in the sewing room before I called it a day.  With no place to go and nothing to do, I hope it will be a productive week.  

Slaying Dinosaurs

Back at the beginning of the year I listed 6 dinosaurs I intended to slay this year.  I wrote about it here.  Since then I've been thinking (a dangerous thing, I know) and realized I had some EVEN OLDER dinosaurs in my closet, so I have revised my list thusly:

Bicentennial Sampler

1.  The Mama's Bicentennial Sampler (1976).

Mother started this about the time she was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer.  That could explain why she never finished it, although she made at least one other quilt before she passed away in 1979.  It could also explain the quality of workmanship which was not up to her standards (or, I should say, my expectations of her standards).  I was determined to get into quilting for the sole purpose of finishing that quilt, but it is still in the box.  I can give a litany of reasons:  It's 60% polyester, couldn't find the pattern, couldn't figure out what she was intending -- now I've run out of excuses.  38 years is long enough!!  Even if I don't do anything more than assemble what she had finished.

from Quilter's Newsletter, Nov 1975, Issue 73

I discovered that I do have the pattern!  It was in the box -- duh!

It looks like she may have settled on just four blocks (see her numbers on the page).  Or, knowing my mother, and judging from the amount of unused fabric, she may have been planning to make one for each or her three children.  I'll never know, but it brings me closer to her just imagining what was going on in her head.

Brian's Jeans

2.  Brian's Jeans (1979)

Crazy patchwork on a muslin foundation was the only type of quilting I had done until 2000.  Apparently I started this in the period between marriages.  I embroidered the date on one of the blocks, as well as a B for Brian.  I'm sure some of Noel's jeans made it into this, as well.  I either gave away the rest of the jeans or ran out of what I had because I have 7 partially-done blocks.  I think I'll make a trip to a thrift store to get enough for 12 blocks.



The next three were on my previous list.

3.  Irish Chain (2001)

4.  Nosegay (2001)  

5.  Strips 'n' Curves (2003)  

I started SnC in a guild class with a teacher from Alabama (her name escapes me at the moment).  I made the strata and cut a few of the blocks, but never got far into the overall design.  So I took a class with Louisa Smith, creator of the SnC concept, in 2007.  This is as far as I got.  It's still rolled up on the noodle.




6.  Weaver Fever (ca 2006)

A Jackie Robinson pattern that ends up in a woven ribbon effect.  Apparently I never took a picture.  I do recall that one of my fabrics was a poor choice, but I have since replaced it and even have several blocks together.  It's one of those patterns that really demands an accurate 1/4" seam and I know I wasn't doing so well in that department when I started this, so it may be a struggle to finish.

That's my design wall for today.  Stay tuned throughout the year to see how I'm doing.  I plan to make a page tab to track my progress.  In the meantime

Keep Calm

and

Quilt On

Linking up with Judy L at Patchwork Times for design wall Monday.