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

Monday Mix - Flags, Flea, and Christmas

Hi everyone!
First I'll show you November's Flags quilt blocks. (Flags of the American Revolution by Jan Patek).

This is the second Eagle block. These tight curves were what damaged my hand, back in September.
I sewed the eagle , my friend appliquéd the stars. We both initialed the block. I didn't add the second cream colored layer to the eagle's ribbon/ banner because I love this red print, it looks like moiré or a ribbon itself. I didn't think the white on top added anything.

And here are two of the three assigned Star spacer blocks.

I made them very scrappy and each had to be made alone, no mass production here. So I only got two done, sigh. (I was so sure I could finish all five, but No.) I may wait to make the rest of the stars, maybe they should be red / blue/ cheddar?)

I'm looking forward to seeing what Lori has for us for December!
Now the flea--- It was good! And warm, almost 60*!  But I can't show you everything because some of my finds are future Christmas presents or etsy offerings. I did find this very interesting flow blue/ Staffordshire transferware plate, c.1820.

I always have wanted a seashell bordered piece for my collection but items with this border tend to be very expensive. Here is a similar plate for a whopping $795.oo! here
Here are closeups of the shells:

Shell motifs are old and rare; most transferware has floral borders.

My plate is badly damaged, though the odd green splotches seem to be under the original glaze. I guess it was a ''second"? But pretty enough that it has been treasured and lasted almost 200 years. And it's definitely not a high value piece. I love the naturalistic shells...and so it came home with me. ($4.00)

 

 

Below, I lightened the photo so you could see more details. The color above is accurate.

 

This plate dates from the 1820s and has an impressed E. [Enoch] Wood mark.

It commemorates Commodore MacDonnough's victory over the British, on Lake Champlain, during the War of 1812. I guess the English businessmen who ran the potteries were more interested in milking the American market than they were sulking over a major military loss.

I didn't run it through the dishwasher yet. It might be brighter once cleaned.

Then---it's December! Over the past two days I've undone all my Thanksgiving decor and have changed the basics to red and white for Christmas.

rare 19th century handmade tin cooky cutters
 in old bowl
[scissors, fox, camel, turkey, fish]

New display of red and green transferware in the plates rack, red toile pillows on the sofas. Red quilts.

I dug out a dark toned dhurrie rug---red, blues, tan, grey, which will replace the bamboo mat under the coffee table. The wooden rug is much chewed now by Mo. In fact I think I'll hold off on the new rug till closer to Christmas, so that it has a chance to survive.
Here's a fun little snowman quilt I found in the quilt cupboard.

Here is Mo in my blogging chair. He got a turkey shaped doggy cooky for Thanksgiving.

And below, a few more pix of the Big Day. "Light the candles! Pour the wine!"

The turkey was wonderful! All the dishes were finished at the same time, and all the food was hot when served [a pet peeve of mine, cold food]. But sadly, no leftovers.

Over the coming weeks I'll add more decorations. We don't do our tree til until weekend after next, because we get a fresh cut tree. Mo and I already saw many Christmas trees in people's windows, last night when we had our evening walk. So early! I bet those people didn't cook for Thanksgiving!
When do you put up your tree? Real or fake? White lights or colors?

I wish everyone a fun and stress-free holiday season! Enjoy.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach

 

 

 

 

 

Flags Quilt: October Blocks

 

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