Hi! My Pokeberry Quilt is finally finished! Even the label is sewed on. (I'm sorry the photos aren't very good. Maybe Santa will bring me a real camera for Christmas someday?)
I began this project in April of 2015, had planned it to be finished by April or May of 2016. For most of the year it was on schedule, yay! But by the time it came back from Lori C , my wonderful quilter, I was in the depths of my hips joint pain. I couldn't even lift or fold PB, let alone manhandle it through the machine to sew on its binding.
Until recently. Finished 6 months late.
The black velvet sections show up more in the photos than in real life, the light hits the plush differently. Mostly the velvet is just a textural detail. Designer Jan Patek always uses fill-in strips to make the blocks fit together; I chose to use black velvet for these areas.I also used two different black flannels for the background.
The appliques are mostly wool or velvet, the pieced blocks are cotton, some are antique blocks from my collection.
I love the way the Fan quilting came out. Lori [Quilters Imagination] and I have worked on my quilts together for quite a few years now, and she knows how I want things to look. [prim, old-fashioned]. She used a black batting, as I suggested. I think it was a Hobb's Heirloom, 80/20. Very nice result!
I was afraid to launder the finished quilt---wool, silk, and velvet pokeberries, wool flowers and leaves, antique velvet ribbon stems. A quandary because I glue baste, especially when I plan to sew on the windy beach. I took it to my dry cleaner who did an excellent job, 15.oo. However he cleaned it, it did pucker up as if washed, which is an effect I love and wanted.
I know I'm repeating myself a bit: my Pokeberry represents memories of a Midwestern childhood. I did make some changes. Here is the original book/ design by Jan Patek.
I remember making pokeberry ink, playing pioneer girl, writing in my little pretend diary. We also used it to dye fabric , hankies I think, and for I suppose politically incorrect now war paint.
Memories...
Daddy and his Flags, 4th of July.
Birds and apple blossom time.
Kitty, night sky/ astronomy with my mom, baskets.
Crocks filled with brown-eyed susans that grow in the country road ditches.
Pink blackeyed susans [rudbeckia], in the garden. A ladybug.
I loved Valentine's Day! making cards with my mom, putting them in the big ''mailbox'' at school.
My beloved Hitty doll, hand painted by my mom, a wooden peg doll. I learned to sew making her little dresses. For good report cards my reward was to go shopping for fabric for Hitty's dresses.
Or the little pink girl could be ME! lol. My parents didn't dress me in pink, but I did love pink.
The backing was a saved flannel sheet and leftover robin's egg blue calico from the sawtooth borders.
I used a printed label I was given by ...? that I have been hoarding for years. The motif just looked like pokeberries to me!
Mo is always so helpful.
For now I'll store Pokeberry. It's a winter quilt, heavy and cozy, a quilt for flannel sheets and snow days.
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Be sure to go out to see tonight's Hunter's Moon, a super moon. 15% larger than usual, due to its close orbit to earth. It will be full Monday night too. Very large ''evening star" too, a planet, in the western sky as the Moon rises in the east.
What's a Pokeberry? Here It mentions the ink being used by adults during the Civil War!
Who is Hitty? Hitty Her First Hundred Years, by Rachel Field
love
lizzy
gone to the beach...................
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