I wiped away the weeds & foam. / I fetched my sea-born treasures home... Ralph Waldo Emerson







Monday, March 2, 2015

Flags of the American Revolution Top is Finished!




Yay! This project went quickly, didn't it? Lori set a fast pace and here we are six months later with a cool patriotic quilt top complete.



Here are February's assigned blocks:
I just couldn't sew the word "Death" on a quilt that someday a loved one might sleep under. I know it's inauthentic, and I am being superstitious, but too bad.



I redid this block with an antique block from a friend and , having paid close attention to other quilters' input, I redid the tiny tree in hand dyed wool.



Here's the signature block.



Many thanks to all my friends who pitched in to help sew, to Lori for the Eagle's star fabric, to H for the antique block from his mother's block collection. Mel, L, and BJ all sewed many of the appliques when my hand was so painful this fall. Thank you all, it made this a special project.

Here the top is complete! I'm relieved to find my fabrics and colors work okay.Though the Star to the left of 76 isn't so good. Redo?






I was determined to mostly use stash fabrics for this quilt. The Dark border is a navy and white star print that I overdyed with dark brown, for a less gaudy effect.



You guys know I always make a big deal over the backing! I have this red star fabric, about 3 1/3 yards, from my stash. It's not as wildly vibrant as in the second photo but it maybe could use a tea bath.






I will piece it with something else to make it big enough. Like this  from Home Sew [thanks, Mel]. Look at that great price! Or maybe I'll find the 2000 millennium Eagle fabric, khaki colored, that I have somewhere.[It's always hiding when I want it]

edit: Yay! I found the Millennium fabric:


And this nice butterscotch dot  sateen:


Also this patriotic toile, in case I need to piece the backing to make it wide enough for my quilter? I could set a section of this across the middle back. [1 1/2 yards only.



I'm so pleased to find stash options for my backing.
****
I made this quilt in honor of my dad and his handmade Cape Cod cottage flags. It would have been his birthday last week, and I was happy to finish for his special day.



I read this and laugh---my dad would have been very unimpressed! He didn't believe an ''artist'' should use a pattern made by someone else and he'd not have been too pleased that I used Jan Patek's wonderful folk art Flags. But---that's okay.

"I done my best."

Thank you, Lori, for a fun project! (Humble Quilts  http://humblequilts.blogspot.com ).

love

lizzy 

gone to the beach......


Please be sure to go to Lori's blog to see everyone else's Flags: here