FOUR PATCH

FOUR PATCH: I made the blocks in 1994, and my son added the border and tied it in 1996. It is in his possession. Made of cotton fabric and poly batting. Size is 48" x 92". (#160)

AMISH CENTER DIAMOND (Handquilted)

I started this quilt in 1991 in honor of my Grandma's Amish/Mennonite heritage. I actually bought all the cotton fabrics at an Amish dry goods store in Arthur, IL - the ladies at the shop were great about double checking my math on yardage.  By the time I finished it in 1996, Grandma had died.

I did most of the hand quilting myself, but was able to have one quilting bee that involved LT, JG, BP, GS, EE, SS, MM, MK, TC, and BK. I tried to keep track of how much quilting there was in it, but after 400 yards of hand quilting decided to quit counting (and I wasn't to the outside border yet). I chose to quilt each of the outer purple borders a different all over pattern - fun, but definitely not traditional. It took so long to quilt because I would quilt for a customer, then put this one back in the frame until the next customer quilt arrived.

 It is cotton fabric with poly batting (I hadn't discovered wool batting yet). It won first prize in the local county fair in 1998, and was also shown in the local quilt guild show the same year.

The backing is a brown print with small black flowers.

The center square and green triangles were measurements from the book, Amish Quilt Patterns by Rachel T. Pellman. From that point, I adjusted the blue and purple borders to suit me. The top itself was quick to piece - 2 hours.

 Size is 96" square.

In my scrapbook, this is quilt #167.

MISSING THE CABIN

MISSING THE CABIN: Pieced in June 1997 out of rustic cheater blocks and coordinating fabrics. MG machine quilted it in late 1997. Size is 76" x 78". Cotton fabrics and poly batting. It was donated to a local charity in August 2002. Let's face it, we had a really hard adjustment to make to even like this area a little. We especially hate the weather (and still do) meaning the wimpy winters and horribly humid summers. We miss having the luxury of going up to the mountains to the family cabin in Montana when we need to get away. The Lord has left us here for a reason, so we do our best to just not complain about our continued dislike of the area and concentrate on the things we do like about it. (#191).

NINE PATCH

NINE PATCH: I found this really neat fabric that had bright colored masks on it and decided to make a quilt out of batiks and this fabric for my son, who is really enjoys theater. My daughter cut all the blocks and it was machine quilted by RLM. It was given to him when he was home in April 2010. He seemed a little disappointed because it doesn't match is more subdued decor in SC, but I still think it is a neat quilt. Guess he'll just have to hide it. Double bed size. (#611)

CHRISTMAS GEESE

CHRISTMAS GEESE: I pieced this in 1998 out of scraps that looked or were Christmas themed. It was made for my son and he wanted a navy blue background. It was machine quilted by MG in July 2000, and given to him for Christmas 2000. It won a blue ribbon in the 2001 county fair. Cotton fabrics and poly batting. Finished size is 67" x 92" (#283)

CHRISTMAS SAMPLER

CHRISTMAS SAMPLER: The pieced and appliqued blocks were done by members of the local quilt guild. I somehow won the blocks in a drawing. I assembled the top in Dec. 1996 - Jan. 1997. It was machine quilted by MG in February 2000. I gave it to my in-laws for Christmas 2000. Finished size is 52" square. Cotton fabrics and poly batting. (#282)

AROOSTOOK COUNTY AUTUMN (handquilted)

AROOSTOOK COUNTY AUTUMN:

I had a basic idea of what I wanted in my head, but I just couldn't find a pattern that really satisfied that desire.  I thought that since I was pretty creative with fabrics maybe I could just rough sketch out what I wanted and make it work.  After all, pencil and freezer paper are not rocket science !! So I spread out the paper on a table and just started drawing (and I am anything but the world's best drawer).  At some point a friend came over and suggested a couple things she thought would work based on the fabric I had out (and she even braved the fabric shelves to find a few other pieces that worked better - like the silk and satin for the knot hole). Anyway, within a couple hours I had a rough pattern for the tree and leaves on the freezer paper and a rough diagram of where I wanted the various parts of the top onto scrap paper.

The applique really went quickly as the pieces are large and there are no real sharp corners or points. The leaves were pretty easy and didn't have to be exactly the same size. The leaves that are "blowing" around were made with various cotton and silk scraps. The tree trunk is a silk and the knot hole is satin.

I was reminded how easy silk is to applique and how easy it is to do points (like on the blowing leaves) with silk instead of cotton.  Has to be something to do with the density of the fabric.  Anyway, the center tree piece went smoothly.

Piecing the Flying Geese borders was simple to do with what started as 6" squares sewn into half square triangles. I chose the blue "sky" fabric because I love the blue sky during the fall before it gets gray and gloomy looking.

The top took from Sept - Nov. 1999 to complete.

The blocks at the top and bottom (representing leaves already on the ground) and flying geese are all cotton fabrics. The 3" squares at the bottom are more of those fabric blocks I traded for the millennium quilt (see https://indianaquilter40.blogspot.com/2011/08/2000-millennium-charm-quilt.html ).

The hand quilting is simply what I felt made each piece and part stand out.  The quilting took place in March to October of 2000.

The backing is certainly nothing related to northern Maine, but is more southern Maine with the lobsters and sea life.  They were just two fun fabrics I had on hand and decided to utilize for the backing.

Backing

Finished size is 77" x 88"

In my scrapbook, this is #281.

Update 10/3/2022: For more thoughts on autumn quilting, visit this post on my newer quilt blog.

AUTUMN COLOR

AUTUMN COLOR:
I pieced this out of autumn fabrics that reminded me of the beautiful falls in Maine.

Pieced December 1999 - January 2000.

Machine quilted by MG in April 2000 (cost $26).

I bound it in late April 2000. I sent it up to SB who showed it in a quilt show in 2001.

 I love fall in Maine, but then Maine is beautiful in all seasons.

Cotton fabric and poly batting. Size is 74" x 89". (#270)

Here is a new photo - I love how natural light just makes the colors brighter.  Here is a link to the post on my new blog: https://indianaquilter40.com/personal-quilt-show-road-trip/

10/3/2022 update:

My newer blog has thoughts on Autumn Quilting in Rural Indiana. Please visit there too.

HEARTS

HEARTS:

 Each of the machine appliqued hearts is a different blue fabric. I pieced this in August 1990 in Maine - July 1995 in Montana. Machine quilted in Nov. 1995 by BE in Montana.

 Donated it to a local charity for their auction in April 1999.

 Finished size is 44" x 48". Cotton fabrics and poly batting.

I started out thinking I would hand applique the heart blocks, but truthfully I was busy raising children and working 30 hours a week outside my home.  I had other quilts I wanted to complete and so I machine appliqued these blocks a few a year as I made time. I kept them ready to go in a baggie by the sewing machine and could then sew them quickly. The pretty floral border was a leftover from a dress I made my daughter.

It received a ribbon for it in 1997 at the local county fair.

CHRISTMAS STARS

CHRISTMAS STARS: I pieced this in 1999 for my son. The border is black with gray moons and stars. It was machine quilted by MG in late 1999. I set it aside and finally got the binding on it in late summer 2000, just in time for the fair (where it won a blue ribbon). It cost $31.15 to be quilted. Finished size is 74" 75". Cotton fabrics and poly batting. (#277)

IRISH CHAIN

IRISH CHAIN: I pieced this top in 1998. It is made of cottons (solid green, solid brown, and an outdoorsy print) with poly batting. Machine quilted by MG in Feb. 1999. Finished size is 36" x 45". Given to BB in Montana in Aug. 2000. (#278)

CHRISTMAS STARS

CHRISTMAS STARS: SB and I traded fabrics for this quilt and I peiced mine in Sept. 1998. MG machine quilted it in September 1999. This is such an easy pattern to do, but looks complicated and elegant. I put it in the local fair and it recieved a first place ribbon. Cotton fabric and poly batting. Size is 76" x 90". It comes out every year and is used when we decorate for Christmas. (#253)

ONE PATCH

ONE PATCH: I pieced this one for my son in 1996 here in Indiana. The top is various comfy homespuns and flannels. Poly batting. Size is 56" x 80". It was machine quilted by MG in 1997, and given to him for that Christmas. This one has a green flannel backing. (#197)

SPOOLS (Handquilted)

SPOOLS: Pieced and hand quilted the first half of 1990 in ILL. This was my first and only try at hand piecing (no thank you). Several of us at the local quilting group bought this kit and used it to learn how to hand piece - I got my fill of hand piecing with this and was so thankful to go back to my Pfaff. Size: 15" x 18". Cotton fabric. In Oct. 2001 I gave it to my mother-in-law. (#50).

PINE TREE (Handquilted)

PINE TREE: Pieced in Nov. 1991 by JJ in Maine. I quilted and bound it in Jan. 1992. My son sewed on all the buttons and bells in Jan. 1992 in Montana. He admired her quilt at our last guild meeting in Maine, so she made him one block as a going away gift. He brings it out every Christmas and still talks about how impressed he was with the quilt. (#98)

CHRISTMAS SNOWBALL

CHRISTMAS SNOWBALL: Pieced in Dec. 1991 in Montana by AD in exchange for me hand quilting a small wall hanging for her. I later tied this and bring it out Christmas tree most years. Cotton fabrics and no batting. Size is 38" square. (#97)

FRIENDSHIP STAR (Handquilted)

FRIENDSHIP STAR: I machine pieced and hand quilted this for a customer in 1989 in Germany. Size is 40" x 54". I really like this pattern - it just is classy. Cotton fabric and poly batting. Completed in Oct. 1989. Sold. (#48)

PIG (Handquilted)

PIG: I made this quilt in 1988 while in Germany. It is 24" x 30". Cotton fabric and poly batting. I machine appliqued the pig, but handquilted the quilt. Made as a gift for a family friend, PS, in Pennsylvania. (#19)

LOG CABIN (Handquilted)

LOG CABIN: Pieced by my quilting buddy, SB, in Maine. I hand quilted it in 1992. Made of cotton fabric and poly batting. This is a miniature of a full size quilt that she made and wanted me to see how it turned out. My mother-in-law really liked it so I gave it to her as a birthday gift. Size is 16" x 20". (#99)

FOUR PATCH (Handquilted and tied)

FOUR PATCH: I made this double bed size quilt for my folks as an anniversary present. I pieced in in 1990-91, hand quilted the alternate blocks, and tied the 4 patches during 1991 - 1992. My dad has long since died, but as far as I know my mom still has it. (#100)

LONE STAR (Hand quilted)

LONE STAR: This isn't a wholecloth quilt in the true sense, but it is a cheater panel that I hand quilted during 1991-1992. Bound by KL in Montana. I love the Amish colors. It is 36" square. Cotton with poly batting. I made it intending to hang it in my bedroom, but was made such a nice offer for it that I sold it in 1994. (#102)

ONE PATCH

ONE PATCH: Finished size is 45". Cotton with poly batting. Pieced and tied in early 1992 in Montana. The oldest child picked out the fabric for this quilt from the scrap bag and I cut and sewed them together. The quilt is for our youngest, who was due in May 1992 and since we didn't want to know what it was, the quilt had to be something either a boy or girl could use. All my kids were born at home with a midwife assisting. (#101)

FLAG (Handquilted) AND MINI HEARTS

FLAG AND MINI HEARTS: There was a time I sold alot of quilted items on consignment, at craft shows, and thru personal contacts. These are 2 heart mini quilts that were cheater panels that I machine quilted and put hanging tabs on. There is also a flag with machine appliqued hearts in place of the stars and then I handquilted around the hearts and between the stripes. (#103-105)

FLYING GEESE

FLYING GEESE: I pieced and tied this one in 1993 while living in Montana. Owned by a family member - currently is faded and coming apart from being used and loved. Size is 54" x 76". Cotton fabric and poly batting. (#127)

BASKETS

BASKETS: Pieced and tied in Dec. 1993 in Montana. I traded this to SK for a month of my son's piano lessons. Size is 38" square. Cotton fabric and poly batting. (#129)

CHRISTMAS EXCHANGE BLOCK SAMPLER

CHRISTMAS EXCHANGE BLOCK SAMPLER: Blocks were pieced by various members of the quilt guild in Montana during 1993. I somehow won the blocks. I put the top together and had BE machine quilt it in 1994 (at the cost of $35). It was bound by KL. Size is 80" x 82". Cotton fabric and poly batting. Given to a family member in 2003. (#140)