Picnic Quilt & Another CWBQ Block Completed

I have the picnic quilt finished and on the way to its new owner. It turned out so good, I want to go on a picnic with it.

I usually can not finish a quilt this fast, but I had started the center years ago for another project that really did not turn out the way I planned. All I had to do for this quilt was add the pinwheel border blocks and quilt it. It finished at 72 X 72 inches, a good size for a picnic. Kazumi - I quilted your name in the corner by the purple and green pinwheel block, look for it.

I also have another Civil War Bride Quilt block completed. It is my third block finished and the second block in the quilt.

It is the rather empty block that sits to the right of the bride and was thought to be the space for the groom in the original quilt top at the New York Folk Art Museum. The leaf on the bottom left side is folded back and will go into the next block when they are sewn together. I am still enjoying the back basting method of applique, I do need to work on smoother curves. I did learn a great tip while working on this block: Paint the seam allowance with clear fingernail polish on the inside points to prevent fraying. Fray Check works as well, but spreads onto the main applique piece and seems so much wetter and best of all the fingernail polish was only 99 cents at Walmart. So far I am doing a block a month, I am on to number four.


Happy Stitching All...


Cheri

A Whole Lot of Quilting Going On

I had a weekend I could almost completely dedicate to sewing and I got so much accomplished on the picnic quilt. The borders were added and the quilting finished - Yea! I was going to put some feathered wreaths in the big blank blocks but I thought "it is going to be used for picnics". Well, I just happened to have a stencil with dragonflies, bumblebees and butterflies. I scattered them in the blank areas and did a big loopey stipple around them. The binding is sewn on and I am hand sewing it down, it just needs a label and it will be done!

I have really "buzzed" thru this quilt.

Happy Stitching all...

Cheri

A Little Side Job

Somewhere in my quilting history a friend asked me to make her daughter a table runner, another a baby quilt, another a T-shirt quilt. Over time it has turned into a very informal part time business. I am always surprised when someone asks me to make them a quilt, and always feel that the current one will probably be the last one ever and then another one comes along.

My daughter - in - law has a friend who asked if I would make her a quilt to use as a picnic blanket. She asked if I had any 1930s fabric. My friends are laughing here because I have baskets of Aunt Gracie fabrics, I have a guest bedroom referred to as the Aunt Grace room because of it's quilts from 1930s/feed sack type fabric. I also just happened to have a quilt top started using this fabric that never really turned into anything. It has wonderful big blank areas for quilting something fun.

This morning I am working on the remaining pinwheel blocks for the quilt border. I enjoy getting back to the basics of piecing: half square triangles, chain stitching, squaring up the blocks.

Happy Stitching all...

Cheri