Hi, guys! Good news, I finished ALL my Flag blocks again this month. As you may know I have a near pathological dread of falling behind, not keeping up, missing a deadline. LOL! So that was good, right?
This is October's blocks:
Looks like I'll have enough cutaways to make a sweet tiny patriotic postage stamp quilt! That's so fun!
Here the blocks are individually.
The biggest challenge--- "Don't Tread on Me" AKA Snakey. He is soooo cute. This is the original US Navy Jack, not the coiled snake Gadsden flag. (It's kind of too bad the Gadsden flag wasn't used too, as it is a striking bright chrome yellow flag.] In 2002 this flag was ordered to be used by the US Navy during the Global War on Terrorism*, which makes it very special. And the motto is as timely today as it was almost 250 years ago. *[p.20 Flags of the American Revolution]
First Flag of the American colonies [not yet called the United States, of course], like my dad always made. This is the Betsy Ross flag we learned about in grade school.
76 Flag / Bennington Flag:
:
Guilford Courthouse flag. Looking at the photos here, this block looks okay. In person it doesn't seem quite right and may be a redo. I think the fabrics, much as I love the star prints, are too harsh looking?
Plain stripes: Sons of Liberty:
Now about those many, many stars. Some folks have said they don't care for buttons and I am seeing some really creative ways that stars have been created with fabric---fussy cut cottons or wool. But I LOVE buttons [and hate sewing stars]. The pattern is extremely vague. Jan Patek could have at least given us a hint about the size? The resource she suggests no longer makes star buttons.
Time to get creative? My dad hand cut each and every perfect star, on his wooden flags, out of white enamelled aluminum siding from the Dump! So I was inspired....
A search on eBay shows many possibilities: search star buttons like these buttons for the large tan fielded flag (Guilford flag). Buttons are often sold in sets of 12 or a dozen, but these are inexpensive.
Etsy offers handmade artisan stars, ceramic. ($$$ when we need 39 stars!). here
[be sure to look at all her wonderful star buttons!].
If you order online watch the sizes! Often in millemeters and photos are misleading.
Or....hmmm. I could make my own w/ Fimo clay and a handmade cooky cutter, if my giant collection of cutters doesn't produce a set of tiny stars forms.
Or how about these hand carved, exquisite, antique mother of pearl stars from my button collection? So perfect! Too bad I only have five and could look for the rest of my life before I find 34 more.
I have lots of time to ponder the dilemma. The buttons cannot be sewed on until after the quilt is finished and back from the machine quilter. Just for fun I set out the star patterns using simple round MOP or old metal buttons. And you know what? I like them a lot. This is a prim quilt, after all. The old round buttons can stand in for stars.We know what they mean, don't we? And the price is very right.
Just a peek! Some of my friends are pitching in and helping me sew my blocks because of my painful hand problem. I love that they are willing to do this and it will add a wonderful ''friendship'' quilt dimension to this project, which is in memory of my dad who made such awesome things---including flags.
Be sure to check out Lori's blog for photos and links to other makers' blocks and blogs:
Humble Quilts Flags Quiltalong
love
lizzy
gone to the beach
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