Autumn in Indiana

 

 Went shopping at the end of last week, for a big stack of fabric to begin my next several quilts. It might not be enough to finish them, but I have ideas for the next three. Starting the process here.

Quilt of Valor ...And Amber Waves of Grain

Here I go again! Actually, I'm about a week in, not at the beginning. With everything that's going on, (and there's a lot going on! Two family members broke arms, a month apart, both needing help, three new puppies, that car crash in December still having reverberations in that my car was not repaired well....) I'm starting on my 40th Quilt of Valor! It's tentatively named '...And Amber Waves of Grain'. 

For a long time, I've felt that 40 might be my last quilt. It always felt like a distant number, but had no meaning beyond that. But I realize now that's wrong, it has to be 55. So far, that's how long Curt has been left behind in Vietnam. One quilt a year for surviving forces, that made it home.

 

Choosing fabric from my stash

First into strips, then into triangles

Enough triangles to start building blocks

How I begin my block builds, then stack to rows

The first two rows laid into blocks

The 3rd row going together

Using the row above to build the 4th

The last two rows set up ready to sew

6 strips set and sewed, laid out into quilt top

Sandwich built for the first 2 strips

Sandwiching the last 2 strips

Quilting, stitching backwards to build the top

Top two thirds quilted, pinning on last

Changed! Bottom added and pinned.

Landscape Quilt - I've always wanted to make one

My next Quilt of Valor - Who says that they all need to be red, white and blue?!! Especially for veterans of long past wars. An image of the American Southwest is just as celebratory, right? I happened to see an ad, for a calendar, and I am taking my inspiration from this. I've done art quilts before, so, onward!

Update: This quilt went into the mail on March 1st, with the last quilt I created at the same time. I think I may try my hand at a couple more of these 'type' quilts. Folk Art at it's finest.

One of these may be my next attempt!

Choosing fabrics

I think I add a base to each block

Building strips, 3 here

A different view of strips

Strips (6), not yet assembled

Same strips from a different angle

The Quilt. I like it!

My Next Quilt - Pinwheels, Circles and Stars

 I saw a photo, but no pattern, for my next quilt. I'm not finished with my latest quilt, however, I have to get the pattern down, while I have it in my head. 

Sometimes I find patterns I like, other times I will see something, and then come home and create a pattern that will get me where I want to go. This is just such a time. I've drawn out the pattern, on a sheet of white paper.

Update: I've found it. It's a 1930's pattern found in a newspaper (in the '30's) it's the Wheel of Fortune, and one of the hardest I've tried, because it should be paper patterned, or I think made on a base fabric. Each completed block stretches soooo much! It's taking a long time to get it finished!

Update 2: Finally! This quilt went into the mail the first of March, with the landscaped quilt. It was the least perfect quilt I've made, but that doesn't make it less valuable. It was beautiful, if a little more wrinkly than my others. It's more like the first quilt of my self-taught self than my hundred and something quilt.

Now that I have the pattern, I can begin by cutting it out, then glue this to a piece of cardboard. When I have to create the pattern, quilts can take longer, in the over 100 hour range (just like quilts with small pieces) as I will actually draw the pattern on fabric to cut it out.

Need to make the strips 2" and 7 1/2"

Test block - different sized pieces
I learned a lot!

Cutting and cutting and cutting.

Pinning one half.

Pinning the other half

Very difficult quilt without blocks below!

Quilt of Valor - Stars and Thunder

Here begins the next Quilt of Valor for a Vietnam Vet

This is the next block pattern

Why it's hard to get anything done. It's cold outside.

What I have been able to finish, inside, with interruptions.

Not easy with the cats body pressing my back.

Every block must be checked. This is wrong.

This is right, must check and re-check.

Finish one, layout the next

Corners much match the next block

One more strip and then assemble the halves.

Pinning the 2 tops halves to the batting and back

Binding going on

The back

The front of the quilt. Nice scrappy quilt.

Icy Pond or Frosty Window - Quilt of Valor

Without Binding - The Thaw Begins

Slowly, slowly it is coming together. I haven't decided which name to give it, it will have to await the top being finished for me to know, I think. I bought a piece of fabric, all that they had, that started this idea in my head. The grey and blue fabric that looks like a frosty window or a pond where this ice may be cracking. Lots of cut pieces, lots of measuring and sewing... There's not enough of the first fabric, and I didn't even get as much as I thought I did. I realized I needed more, and found the closest match for the next set of blocks, but thinking I had more of the original, I didn't get enough of the second fabric, so had to get another fabric to get me to enough blocks to finish this. 

Every single block has to be hand-pieced. In many quilts the blocks are the same pieces that are sewed together, this on isn't like that, they are sewed together, but off-center, so each takes more time and effort. I've finally got through to the last fabric, and have them pinned to sew tomorrow. Then there's lots of trimming, before assembly can begin.

 

Pond/window pieces coming together

It starts as 2 triangles, but becomes a lozenge

2 lozenges become one square, 4 squares 1 block

The 2nd color going into the triangles together

Even duplicate fabric is each different in look

Triangles to lozenges for the blue surround color

The 3rd color getting cut out

3rd solid color pinned and ready

Top Stitching - Quilting the Quilt

Binding the Quilt with words