RSC16 week 44

SERENGETI SUNSET

Africa is always a hot place, so this portrays the end of a steamy jungle day.  The elephants are on their way to the watering hole for relief.  They love to swim or role in the mud.  Are you getting the picture?

This is my final RSC16 block for the year.  I was really stumped until I found the elephants.  But the sky pleces are my favorite part.  I already have a plan for my improv blocks as a modern quilt.

120 QUILTS!

The Monona Quilters have a semiannual collection of quilts which are given to local charities in the Madison, WI area.  These were the 120 quilts collected from 40 of our members on Monday.  Added to the May collection, the yearly total was nearly 300 quilts.  They include neonatal flannels for the UW Madison Hospital, Project Linus quilts for sick or needy children, veteran quilts, halfway house bed quilts, lap quilts for nursing homes and other charities.  One member has made tactile quilts for the Wisconsin School for the Blind as well.  We are very proud of our generous members who donate their time and supplies for these many recipients.

Modern HST Sampler Third Quarter progress:  

Here are my third quarter blocks for Modern HST Sampler at Blossom Heart Quilts.  The total in December will be 24 and I hope to be very comfortable making HSTs by then, which has been the goal for this project.

Fall has a sense of winding down for me.  Of course, bears go into hibernation for the winter, but we quilters are just gearing up for big finishes, holiday projects and plenty of stitching time on all those WIPs which have been piling up. So have a fun productive week, everyone!

Take a look at what's happening at 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge at

   soscrappy 

Oh, Scrap! at 

Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework 

Modern HST Sampler Q3

.  I lost my son to cancer and could not make the Ribbons block. So I substituted Folded Box.

RSC16 week 43

TWINKLER FINISH FOR NOW

The small quilt that has given me the most headaches and frustration this year is finally a completed flimsy.  I am going to hang it on my wall and enjoy it as is.  After all, the goal of making it was to enjoy it, and I LOVE it.

The border fabric was just there waiting for me, a half yard of sparkling night stars.  It was down in the bottom of a drawer and almost got overlooked.  Thank the Lord, He provided the exact amount I needed for this 4-inch wide border.  This width really balances the rest of the piece, any narrower would have been less effective.

The total size will be about 36" finished.  I'm not even thinking about backing and binding.

In fact, my machine is in dire need of an overhaul and repair job.  A friend has told me about a gentleman who does his own repairs aside from his regular work and she has seen what good  work he does.  This next month or so I could get along without it, perhaps borrow one from my daughter.  A good chance to practice my fusing techniques as well.  Then I'll be ready for the new RSC17 year.

My next little quilt of the week is probably the oldest by far.

This doll quilt is 14 inches square.  It has no batting, just one piece of a medium brown small print for backing.

I don't remember where I got it, possibly at an atique show years ago.  By then I had been studying old quilts for a long time and recognized how precious it was.

  It has many places where the fabric has rotted away, mainly in the pale pink pieces and some brown ones.  There is no green, just some greenish blue pieces with little figures printed.

  All of the prints are small, nothing larger, elegant or stylish.  Most likely it was made by a mother without means, but a love for her little girl, sometime in the mid-19th century. 

 Its fragile state today makes me glad I was able to give it a good home.  I hope you have enjoyed seeing this little treasure of mine.  

Take a look at other treasures this week at these fun links.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge at

   soscrappy 

Oh, Scrap! at 

Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework 

RSC16 week 42

TWINKLER ALMOST FINISHED

When I started to think about a tenth and final Twinkler block for October, I realized I did not need one. My simple format was just the blocks and a border, for a wall hanging.  I have the nine blocks already for a 3 by 3 setting.  Here's how they look on the design  floor.

I'm very happy with this arrangement and have even found the exact amount needed for a perfect border.  

I also completed my tenth 16-patch block at 8 inches finished.  The fall colors were a joy to work with, especially because the trees are turning color quickly now.

 

The darker colors represent the large amount of rainfall we've had, usually coming with lots of lightening and thunder.  It's a good way to end this RSC16 collection.  

I still have my last improv block to finish, also the same size.  It's going to take some experimenting with layouts, whether to use them separate or together. I'm just now thinking of perhaps alternating bright solids, which I've been collecting  (splurging on) lately.  I'll be taking lots of photos of the design process along the way.

Going back in time there was a little girl......

And a sweet petite doll quilt, sitting just where the little girl left it on her antique chair.  Her mama said the chair was her grandma's when she was a little girl during the Civil War.  So off she went to find her dolly to wrap it up nice and warm.  The dolly was made by her father out of a clothespin, so this tiny 6-inch quilt is just the right size for her.  The little squares are 5/8 " each.  It is hand pieced and quilted.  The backing is some sturdy upholstery fabric, probably no need for batting.  The fabrics would seem to date it in the 1930's.

 I am enjoying sharing these special old quilts with all of you.  I hope you like them because I have quite a few more.

Happy October, everyone.  I hope you will check out these wonderful links to see what fine work everyone is doing.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge at

   soscrappy 

Oh, Scrap! at 

Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework 

RSC16 week 41

FALL FROLIC

The yellow and orange Rainbow Scrap Challenge fall colors are fun to work with this month.  For the Modern HST Sampler this week I chose to do an alternate 12-inch block called Frolic, taken from Patchwork Square web site, which I used for my last Modern HST Sampler block.  The diagram shows a blank center spot, which I filled with the perfect fall leaf fabric, so I call it Fall Frolic.

Just looking at this block makes me feel so happy, remembering my father raking up piles of leaves for us to jump in, and then baking potatoes in the burning pile.  

My October boat is a sturdy one with a really solid-looking keel.  It can take being tossed around by a hurricane.  My uncle always rode out storms on his boat so it would not crash into a dock or be blown ashore.  He never lost any of his boats.

Here is another of my antique small quilts, probably made about the 1870's to 1890's.  It is sturdy and in good condition.  The outer border is a four-color print of a paisley type.  It could have been used for a hot pad.

Tonight we are going to finally have weater in the forties, which should bring out the leaf colors at last.

May all of you have good quilting time this week and perhaps meet a goal or two.  I will be linking up at the following blogs.  Please join me to see all the excellent quilt projects.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge at 

soscrappy 

Oh, Scrap! at 

Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework 

Sew Cute Tuesday at 

Young Texan Mama