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Sunday, March 11, 2012

I started this eight years ago


A long time ago, probably eight years ago, Ann and I were poking around shops in Wisconsin and I came upon a sale of a bag of batik fat quarters.  A vinyl bag, with the hues arranged in descending rows of shininess.   I don’t know a fat quarter from a thin dime, but bought the whole four or five pounds of shades of the rainbow.  They sat on a shelf for quite some time.

When I started the scrap clearance project a while back I did progress from sewing fabric to phone book pages, to making an actual paper pieced block called snowflake.  I made so many of those blocks I put together a quilt for Carol.  I thought about using the batik to make a New York Beauty, but found I can no longer get that degree of precision cutting from my hands.  The shiny bag went back on the shelf.

I bought a remnant bolt of muslin a couple of years ago and set about making more snowflake blocks from the batik.  I could make five five inch blocks from each fat quarter.  I made blocks until I ran out of muslin.  The charity quilt project happened about then, and the snowflake blocks went into a basket.  Last summer I had Laura and Emily lay out the blocks.  Those little girls are great with color; they spent an afternoon moving blocks from one position to another.  They stacked them up in order, numbered each row, and put the blocks back in the basket.

When I thought I ran out of charity quilt blocks a couple of weeks ago I decided I’d start back on putting together the snowflake quilt, which will be very nice for Caroline’s new bedroom.  Jan cut the setting strips for me during the week, and I thought what a great weekend project.  I’ll put that quilt together this weekend.

Now we’re down to the funny part.  There are one hundred eighty blocks.  Each with a frame and a corner stone.  I’ve been eight years making this quilt and just because all the blocks are done and all the setting strips cut, I’m going to finish in one more weekend.  When quilts fly.  But, I am half done.  The drawer and a half of charity quilt blocks that just keep coming in won’t spill over before I finish the quilt for Caroline’s new room, next weekend.


Half the quilt

12 comments:

  1. Goodness, Joanne! That is beautiful!! I gave up trying to cut such fine pieces! This will be a gorgeous quilt. Lucky Caroline's room!

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  2. Anyone who can quilt is a winner in my book..I have to psyche myself up to sew a button on! That quilt is a BEAUTY!!
    Jane x

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  3. Persistence definitely pays! Lovely work.

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  4. I love the colours.

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  5. I'm a man who could never make something so beautiful. It's lovely.

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  6. That is so beautiful. My hands will no longer let me play but I can and do appreciate the artistry of other people. Thank you for showing that gem.

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  7. I don't know much about quilts but you have a great talent for making them. I have seen quilts in a museum before and know they can tell a story. Anything handmade has a story.

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  8. This is a work of art, the points, the colors, it could not have been easy...but it certainly is beautiful.

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  9. Absolutely beautiful! What a work of art! Who says art can't be practical, too! Beautifully done. Can't wait to see the finished product!

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  10. Bonza quilt, very colourful indeed :-).

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  11. I have always wanted to join a quilting circle... They're pieces of practical art, and that speaks to me.

    Pearl

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