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







Monday, May 1, 2017

Quilty 365 Revisited + Westering Women



Hi! It's May. No basket on my doorstep, too bad. Today we're revisiting Quilty 365 because this is the final post/ show and tell/ linky day with Audrey, the project's inventor. You can see many more versions on  her blog Quilty Folk.


A bit of a rehash for my regular readers, I'll just do it briefly. I know I had lost the final photos, so here is my top completed. My project is called Dotty 365.


Dots are in order of days made.


Text backgrounds, spacers, and backing, to refer to the idea of a quilt as a diary. Pencils print border.








The funny splotch dot is intended to be the binding. You can look at my Dot Quilts Pinterest board for ideas of how it will be machine quilted. I don't cut out my backings behind the circles because I believe it weakens the top.


Here is my little companion diary. I'll make a small pocket for it once the quilting is done.




Project notes included.


Label made, though I also have a nice printed strip: Remember.


Too bad it was such a crappy year for me, due to poor health and intense pain, but I enjoyed every moment of making Dotty and love the final top. Surprisingly I did not fall behind, though I did do the sewing in batches of 5 to 10 at  one sitting. Also the pieces went together so smoothly and perfectly; a pleasure for me as after sewing my entire life, since age six?, I still struggle with my piecing skills or lack thereof.
 It will be quilted as soon as I save up for the quilting. (And I suppose you'll have to see it again once it's done, hahaha.)



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Westering Women, a 2016 sewalong by Barbara Brackman, following a pioneer woman on the wagon train west in 1853. My girl is Annabelle Emilia Smith, from Cherry Grove, Ohio. Her maiden name was fancier, but her husband comes of good farming stock and Annie is proud of her plain wifely name of Smith. She is 24 years old and has two children so far.

I finished Brackman's blocks earlier this winter, but chose to add more blocks to have a square quilt of  16 blocks. These are my final blocks. I had made Prairie Queen first, Annabelle's block,
Block One. She'll have the strength and gumption and resolve needed to travel west and prosper. Post HERE though I may remake this block, I'm not sure it does Annie justice; it's rather dull, isn't it?
Final three added blocks, below.


Corn and Beans: referencing having to cook meals everyday after a long hot walk behind the wagon. How difficult and exhausting that must have been! Where did drinkable water come from? Who built the fire [gathered firewood or oxen pats?], scrubbed up afterward? Where was the bathroom?!


Log Cabin: Destination is reached and the Smiths build their first small home in the farmlands of California.



I decided to use this  very traditional Log Cabin block because Annie is using up the last of her scraps, handpiecing now after chores are done , as the light fades and the children sleep.

Basket: I saw this block on a number of mid-19th century blocks that Brackman has been showing.


Sometimes the blocks are signed or quite boldly dated.


This is the final block of Annie's quilt. The fabric of the Basket was once her mother's best go to meeting dress, when Annabelle was a tiny child. When it wore out, Mama made herself an apron from the good parts of the full skirt, then later a pinafore for Annie. Nothing was wasted in Mama's house! Annabelle has used this last scrap, remembering her home in Ohio, knowing she will never see her Mama or Papa again in this life. But she stays hopeful. The Basket represents the Smith's first harvest and their future as well as the past.
Peace and plenty and good times in the Promised Land.


These are possible sashings for the blocks.


I wanted Star cornerstones but I think they may be too fussy for a quilt that was so humble and would be needed in case winters are chilly in California? So that's another post.
Mo helped with the photo shoot!









Be sure to visit Quilty Folks blog and see the rest of the projects. Thanks again to Audrey for her fun idea and for including us, and documenting our 365 journey last year with her posts and linky set-ups.

love

lizzy 

gone to the beach...







from the thrifting  finds, this seashell was drab til I ran it thru the DW a few times.
Now it's a gorgeous pink!
I don't think people wash their beach finds?
Clorox and the dishwasher make a big difference sometimes.





16 comments:

  1. Beautiful version! I love your light background and the border fabric is wonderful. I'm so glad you quilted along with us, letting us get a peek into your quilting year.:) Also, I'm drooling over your Westering Women basket block. Might be time for me to make another basket quilt? lol

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    1. Thank you! The Basket block will, I think, be my basic block for my blue shirt baskets with cheddar handles. The bodies of the baskets will be made up of shirting scraps. Too bad I didn t save the pattern but I suppose it ll be easy to redo.

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  2. Wonderful finish. I don't mind seeing it when its quilted. quilts are worthy of more than one viewing.

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  3. Love your 365. I started late and am just finishing 8 months. It's such fun to see finished quilts. Thanks.

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    1. I ll look forward to seeing your quilt too.

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  4. What a great idea to make a pocket for your journal.

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  5. Very beautiful work, congrats.

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  6. Me ha encantado tu Quilt 365. Ha sido un proyecto muy bonito y constante para hacer. Un saludo

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  7. I'm looking forward to seeing Dotty all quilted and finished, it's a great quilt! And your diary in the pocket will make it a wonderful keepsake - or a much-in-the-future antique find, LOL.

    Looking forward to seeing the finished WW quilt, too. The corn and beans block looks hard! I'm really drawn to the blue paisley possible sashing fabric, the color is gorgeous - although it might not work out.

    I never thought of running shells through the dishwasher! I've scrubbed them with toothbrushes before though. Your shell came out very pretty, love the delicate color.

    Tell Mo hi for me!

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  8. I really admire all the thoughtful, beautiful details of your quilt and won't mind at all seeing LOTS more of it once quilted ;)
    Right now, I must find my conch (box somewhere) and see what kind of color the DW can discover lol!

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  9. Dotty looks great! So interesting to look at the choices made by the others that participated.

    Really enjoyed your story that goes with your WW project. Then again, I always enjoy your stories.

    I had no idea that putting shells through a wash cycle would make a difference! Gotta remember that tip. Your little pot of flowers looks very at home :)

    Thanks for the post!

    Kel

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  10. Dotty is a wonderful journey- looking forward to it's quilting. What a beautiful saga quilt for WW. I tip my bonnet to those strong pioneer women. Love & Blessings dear L.

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  11. I am so in love with your Dotty Quilt. From the circles, to what it means. Win win. Wonderful to see! :) Kit

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  12. I love Dotty too! I like that you kept a little diary to go with it and will make a little pocket for it. I would love to see it again when it is finished. Congrats on that beauty.

    BTW, no May basket was on my door step either! I remember making them when we were kids and leaving them for the neighbors. Lilacs were always blooming then and some lilacs went in each one.

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  13. That was a fun project to watch throughout the year. I look forward to seeing it quilted!

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  14. I think that of all of your quilts, I love dotty the most. 'She' and I do think of 'her' as a 'she' has a lot of personality, charm, and was done in bite size pieces. I can get my head around that.

    I can even imagine doing something in bite size pieces ... maybe I'll start with doll quilts ... after I reorganize my craft closet!

    All of your work is gorgeous and makes me realize just how many ways things can be done and redone to chart creativity!

    ~Lisa

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Hi! I'm allowing comments from everyone, even anonymous for awhile, to see what happens. With comments moderation. Hopefully the awful porn spammer has gone elsewhere. Or you can always email me! I love to hear from everyone.