Shenandoah Valley, Phebe and The 1857 Album Quilt

My September block for the Shenandoah Valley Quilt .  For some reason the picture loaded upside down.

I have finally started stitching the center block of Phebe.  I've had the pattern and fabrics for a couple of years but didn't start because of this center block some of the pieces are so tiny.
This is one of my favorite patterns.  I believe it is because  of those little sheep.
I want to thank Luann from LooseThreads for sending me the fabric for her dress the center of the vase and the bird wings.  They really made a difference.

Sentimental  Stitches has been sending out patterns each month for the 1857 quilt.  Here are my blocks so far.   The blocks are to finish 10”.  Not sure how I will sew them together with those little melons so close to the seam allowance.

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Stitching ,
Nancy

The Bible Quilt, 1718 Coverlet and My Di Ford Mystery Quilt

Long time no see.  Well, I blame Facebook.  So many people have left blogger and moved to Facebook because they say it’s an easier format to use.  

I think some things about Facebook are easier, like posting photos but to me it doesn’t feel as personal a blog.

I may not have been blogging but I have been busy stitching.

I finally got all the words stitched on my Bible Quilt
 and the  blocks put together.
This is my version of Jan Patek’s pattern.

  Harriet Powers made the original quilt which is in the Museum of American History .
You can read all about her quilt HERE.

The Bible Quilt was such a fun quilt to make and I really enjoyed the journey.  

I wish I could say the same thing about this next quilt.

The 1718 Coverlet from the book by Susan Briscoe has to be one of the most challenging projects I have ever stitched.  Partly because it has so many little pieces and partly because I am such a terrible piecer

This is my version.  I am so, so happy to be finished with this top.

Maybe if I put it away for a while I will see it with new eyes.



You can read more about the original quilt HERE.

All I have to say about this quilt is What was I Thinking?  Or maybe I wasn’t thinking at all when I decided to make the 1718 Coverlet.

"Di Ford’s Mystery Quilt”

This one I did enjoy making.  It too was challenging but in a different way.

This was my first attempt at Broderie Perse and it has lots of English paper piecing.

I was too late to get in on Homestead Hearth’s BOM so I gathered my own fabrics  Some  from my stash and some I found on the internet.

Now that I am getting some of my projects completed it must be time to look around for something new.

Have you seen the Celebrating Mary Brown Pattern?

It was inspired by the Mary B Brown quilt circa 1851.

The pattern is by Corliss Searcey and is available in the US at Sentimental Stitches.

I hope everyone has been getting a lot of stitching done.

Until the next time,

Nancy

Shenandoah Valley Botanical Album Quilt and Sarah Fielke BOM

E-4 Boquet Block

This months block for the Botanical Album quilt is a Bouquet block.  I thought I would post on time  this month rather than late    This quilt is still on the top of my favorites list.

There will be lots of other versions of this block shown here on the 15th of the month.

I also have an update on my Sarah Fielke BOM

This is my  pink version.  A little too pink I think.
So I added a little aqua to the background.

My black version which I have tried to lighten by adding some grey.

So far that’s it for the month as most of my time has been taken up child sitting and dealing with back disk problems.

Until the next time,

Happy stitching everyone.

Nancy

Jane’s Quilt

A couple of years back I won a copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks vol 10 magazine from Teresa at Fabric Therapy.

Just recently Jane, one of the members of our small quilting group retired and moved to Florida so the rest of us decide to make her a  quilt.  Each of us made a block.  I chose to make mine an applique block.  

I made “Tangled Hearts” Teresa’s block from the magazine.

I did alter the block a bit leaving off the hearts in the corners.

This is the final quilt.  I love the way it turned out and especially the way Judy quilted it.

This is our little group.  We sure miss Jane!

Gerry, Wonda, Me, Judy, Gloria

Jane in her new house in Florida.

The quilt hanging in her new house.









Most of our group is meeting for a retreat at Jane’s next week.  Sadly I am not able to go.  I know they are going to have a wonderful time and I am going to miss being there.

Until the next time,

Happy stitching,

Nancy

Monthly Blocks

 Holy smokes, I haven’t posted in so long I don’t know if I remember how.  

Part of the problem was my internet connection.  It had become so slow it took forever just to download pictures.  We finally got a new provider and things are somewhat better.

I did get my Old Voices New Impressions quilt top assembled.  

I am pleased with the way it all came together and very happy I went with the green border fabric. 

It’s not too noticeable in the pictures but in person the center of the quilt looks like it is floating  on the green border. 

Karen from Log Cabin Quilts started this sew a long in July 2015.  I wasn’t a very good member because I failed to post my progress each month but reading about the other ladies progress kept me motivated. 

So thanks Karen for all your inspiration.

   

This is my   

 Tiger Lily block for the Shenandoah Valley Botanical Album Quilt.

It was supposed to be posted on the 15th so I guess I am a little late.  At least I made it before the May block came out.
You can see some nice pictures on their blog showing this block in many different fabrics and there is a Facebook page  here for this quilt.

I also stitched a couple of the wreath blocks for the Sarah Fielke BOM.
We need to make 8 of these wreath blocks .  I will need to stitch 16 because I am making two color ways but I have 8 months left to get them finished.

The blocks for this month were both applique .  This quilt has a very whimsical and happy look.

I guess this is why Sarah has named it Happy Days.

There is also a Facebook group for Happy Days here where you can see  many different versions of the quilt.  I am always amazed at how creative some people are.

Facebook  is the other reason I have become lax at blog posting.  I never was a fan of Facebook but so many of the groups I follow have moved there so I was kind of forced to give it a try.
I am still a little concerned about privacy issues so I rarely post anything.
It’s not as bad as I had imagined but it sure can eat up a lot of your time.
Until the next time,
Nancy

Monthly Progress

This months block for the Shenandoah Valley Botanical Album Quilt is 

"The Liberty Tree".  

When I first looked at this pattern I had in mind not to include the Liberty Tree block because it seemed to look a little out of place.  

Now that it is all stitched I just love it.

All the information you need about this wonderful pattern can be found Here .

Thanks Dawn and Doreen for such a fun BOM!

I also finally finished the next to the last border on “Auntie Green’s Garden” a pattern by Irene Blanck.  

Only one border left and it consists of yards and yards of brown vine a little boring to stitch but it makes a beautiful finish to the quilt.

Florabunda is finally quilted.  

Started in 2010 it was a free BOB from Erin Russek of One Piece at a Time. 

I made Florabunda using the freezer paper applique method Erin is known for.

This is my “30’s Feedbacks” the 2005 Second Saturday Sampler from Little Quilts finally quilted.  Little Quilts closed it’s doors a couple of months ago and I miss having such a wonderful shop near by.

 OK, I know I said I wasn’t going to start another quilt where I HAD to remember to download a pattern every month but a woman can change her mind can’t she?

Gay from Sentimental Stitches is offering this free BOM the “1857 Album Quilt” and all you have to do is not forget to download your pattern every month. 

Until the next time,

Happy Stitching

Nancy

Sarah Fielke BOM - Happy Days

This is  block 14, Churn Dash the first block of Sarah Fielke's new BOM 

"Happy Days".

We also needed to make some stars.  There are 24 of these stars in the quilt but we have 10 months to make them.

I had decide to use this pink checked / striped fabric for may background and when I stitched the first star I kept getting the stripes going in the wrong directions.
I finally figured out, after cutting up lots of paper, if I cut the squares in opposite directions I could get it to come out the way I wanted.

I have since discovered from Sharon Pederson here,  if I just put the right sides of the fabric together I would have gotten the same result .  Now I am sure every quilter in the world already knew this, except me that is.

I chain stitched all my half square triangles  and pressed them with the seams going in opposite directions before cutting them apart.

Churn Dash and twenty four stars.

Since I have so much trouble making up my mind I decided to make two versions of Happy Days.
Which do you perfer?
It’s still not too late to join in and make this fun quilt.
All the information you need can be found here.

Until the next time,

Happy Stitching,

Nancy

Kim McLean’s Flower Garden

Finally finished!  

I started working on Kim McLean’s Flower Garden  quilt back in 2012.  

You can see my method and progress here.

The top has been completed for quite a while waiting in the to be quilted closet along with all it’s friends.

I don’t claim to be a professional quilter and I only quilt my own quilts.  Some days when I go to the machine I have no idea what I am going to do next, so some blocks look better than others.

I am so happy to have this one finished. It’s quite a large quilt 89x91 and it took me a while to quilt it.  (almost as long as it took blogger to upload these pictures, LOL)

Until the next time,
Nancy