Americana: Exchange Quilt

Last year, We're in Stitches (the Del Mar quilters) entered our finished Americana quilts in the San Diego Quilt Show at the Convention Center. It was lots of fun to enter as part of a group. Though, it was super to just enter at all. Here I stand in front (blocking) of my quilt. It was a really fun show to look at though I knew we could do better as a community and enter more of our wares! Several of my group entered more than one quilt and one of them won the President's Choice award.

We each did our own Lone Star and other blocks to complete the quilt. My exchange block was the houses. I had a few extra so I put two on my quilt front and one on the back. I also put three extra blocks (that didn't fit on the front) on the back. There was no real layout to go by with our quilt blocks though we used a book by Fons and Porter for our inspiration. We took liberties in the blocks we made and put them together how we liked. As a result, many of the group haven't finished their quilts. We are so tied to patterns! (I was pet-sitting when I tried this layout.)

Same place again. It took a long while to come to a decision.

Here is my layout at mom's. What finally worked for me was barging ahead and sewing about a third of it together. I loved that third and was sure of it. From there I could put the rest together. I am surprised it happened. Mine turned out to be horizontal and will be great on a wall. For now, it's on our bed. I like quilts to be used. 

I found the backing at Rosie's sale room when I shopped with Mary Morrison after the temple one day. She helped me make the decision. I put the quilt show label on and my own label. Click the photo to enlarge.

Here is a close-up to see some of the intricate work our group did. I made that little nine-patch from a Dear Jane pattern.

Here is the back with the remaining blocks.

And here is the whole finished.

I loved being in a quilt group for the show-and-tell alone! I need to join a group here. There are two traditional groups plus a modern group. I am leaning toward the modern one for some reason. Simple appeals to me. I brought this one out for July and it has stayed. Linking to Finish It Up Friday!

Wedding Quilt

The name of this quilt in the book is Liberty Fields because they used Liberty of London fabrics. Their version is one of my favorite quilts. Mark and I tried to replicate their colors but ours is amazingly different: lots of red and and turquoise. I don't know how that happens. The book is amazing. I also have the second Material Obsession book and it is also wonderful but I think I love the first one best. Here, Bodie contemplates the hanging quilt at our wedding luncheon. I love this picture because it shares some of the wonder of the day. And, I like to think people sensed something about the quilt.

 And how it was a miracle it came together in time. The pattern is "Advanced" and I don't know about you but I'm never certain I am advanced, or fluent. It is mostly pieced but the stems are embroidered and the leaves are applique. Luckily, the quilt went together better than imagined. It could have been so different.

The custom quilting was done by a lady in St. George and mother brought it down when she came early before the wedding. It was quickly bound and labeled. I sewed the sleeve into the binding which is my normal method. We put two stars on the back for both of us and our date.

  I love the look of a white quilt and so the back is white too.

It was so fun to make a quilt I had admired in the book for so long. To make it for our wedding was icing on the wedding cake (which we didn't have . . . ).

I have to urge you again to get the quilt book for hours of delight. We have this quilt on our guest bed since it is a queen size (but fits the full size bed perfectly). I admit to liking it better flat. So, one of thsee days I'd love to put it on the wall instead. I'm linking to Finish it Up Friday.

Lewis Anniversary Seal Wall Hanging

Over the weekend, we went to the Lewis Sixtieth Anniversary reunion. Everyone went. Bill and Jo Ann, all three kids, spouses, and their children. It was an amazing reunion with lots of memory and future and fun. Every meal they planned an ancestor spotlight: Look Who's Coming to Dinner. We sang "Lead, Kindly Light," made videos, heard everyone's story of how they met their spouse, heard their songs, and played games, and ate and ate. The highlight was going to the Salt Lake Temple and having a sealing session in the same room they were married in 60 years ago. Kerri and Matt planned a beautiful luncheon at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. We all wore personalized Trojan shirts (they met for real at a USC football game). We went on the Apine slide and coaster in Park City where we all stayed. It was magical.

Mark and I wanted to make them a mini quilt. Mark suggested we use the seal of Melchizedek since it figures so prominently in the design of the San Diego Temple. So we did. I handquilted the top, finishing on the way up to the reunion. It is a variation of a Swoon block.

Next week, our wedding quilt! Taking it to San Diego to photograph it were it was finished and displayed at our wedding. Today, I'm linking to Finish It Up Friday!

Scout's Quilt

Scout was born two weeks and one day ago. I was guest at her arrival. She was pretty from the get-go. During gestation, Robin picked a charm pack and I made her a blanket.

Robin's colors are gray and yellow. I like there was some pink and orange in the lot. It's a cute line. I found a nice modern gray repeated floral for the back and was very happy to bind it in a solid. Lucky to find a matching solid for this family of fabric.

I didn't quite catch a few inches of quilt top in the binding so I applied a band-aid. Robin, luckily, approved of the band-aid. I tied it with a few strands of coral embroidery floss.

Robin took the blanket to the hospital and tucked her into it for the trip home the next day. I was honored.

As usual, I labelled it.

I'm linking to Finish It Up Friday!