Stars and Stripes

While piecing my Hometown USA quilt top I made a few extra flag blocks.  Then recently I remembered that I was sitting on a few flag blocks, made a few more, and put them all together, hopefully just in time to get the top quilted so I can enjoy it the month of July.  I made it exactly like the pattern,  because it was perfect just as it was.

This is Lifetime Quilt Number 204

The pattern is Stars and Stripes by Camille Roskelley for Thimble Blossoms

It finished at 56" x 71"

The fabric is a mixture of Bonnie and Camille for Moda

It has approximately 138 pieces.

The pattern is only $5 and you can make this top in a couple of afternoons.

And speaking of my Hometown USA quilt, Emily Waterbury was the winner of the raffle.  Here she is on the left, getting the quilt from Twilla Coon, the director of the library.   The library collected nearly $3,500 in ticket sales, what a great effort.  Thanks to all who supported my hometown library by purchasing tickets.

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Hometown USA

I've gotten a few requests for  information regarding the raffle for my Hometown USA quilt.  Well the raffle has officially started.  The quilt is currently on display at the Mt. Carmel Illinois Public Library.

Here I am with the quilt and the library foundation board president, Donnie Price, also know as Thelma's brother.  Not really, that's the family joke, when I come to town I'm known as Don Price's sister, but that's OK, I couldn't ask for a better baby brother.  Plus he's lived in my hometown almost all his life, I left 40 years ago.

Just in case you've forgotten, this is Lifetime Quilt Number 185

I've named this quilt Hometown, USA

I combined the patterns Summerville and Stars and Stripes by Camille Roskelley for Thimble Blossoms.  

The fabric is Vintage Picnic by Bonnie and Camille for Moda

It finished at 98" x 98"

It has approximately 1,912 pieces.

Connie Lancaster at Quilts Plus in Indianapolis, IN did the custom quilting.  

Tickets are on sale at the library, by library and foundation board members, and me.  The tickets are $5 per ticket or 5 for $20.  The drawing will be held on June 10, 2017.

If you're interested in purchasing a ticket drop me an email and I'll get with you on further details.

When not working on Due South I've been thinking about my other Year of Thelma 2017 Quilting Goals.  Piecing a red and white quilt is on that list.  I've been spending my evenings admiring all the quilts in this book.

My new problem is trying to narrow down my favorite to just one pattern.   I may have to start piecing a red a white quilt every year for the next 10 years.

The thing about a red and white quilt, they never go out of style.

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Hometown USA

I've wrapped up my summer sewing before summer officially ends, but I cut it close.  I'm naming this quilt Hometown, USA, because I'm donating the quilt to my hometown library for a raffle.  They requested a bed size quilt, I think this quilt will fit most beds, and a queen size bed perfectly.

This is Lifetime Quilt Number 185

I've named this quilt Hometown, USA

I combined the patterns Summerville and Stars and Stripes by Camille Roskelley for Thimble Blossoms.  

The fabric is Vintage Picnic by Bonnie and Camille for Moda

It finished at 98" x 98"

It has approximately 1,912 pieces.

The center portion of this quilt is from Summerville.

I replaced the outer border of Summerville with some pinwheel blocks.

For my outer border I used the flags from Stars and Stripes.

To keep the same feel on the borders that I added to Camille's Summerville pattern, I made my pinwheel blocks the same size as the 9 patch blocks, kept the big, small, big small, big size of the blocks in the borders, and continued the use of the 4 color star block.

All in all I think this quilt turned out very nice and I'm happy with it, but happier still to start some fall sewing, after I piece the binding and backing.

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Up next . . . . .

This is what is on my design wall right now, the  makings of a Summerville-ish quilt.

I made Summerville as a shop sample last November, and enjoyed every minute, but didn't think I would ever be piecing a second one.  Well earlier this year I donated my Snapshots quilt to my hometown library for a raffle.  I told the library if they raised $1,000  I would donate another quilt  next year.  They were very enthusiastic with their ticket sales, that quit was on display for a week in every bank in town in addition to the library, it even made it on tv.  They raised nearly 3 times my $1000 goal, so now I'm piecing another raffle quilt.

It's hard to pick a project for a raffle, I want it to be something I'll enjoy piecing, but not so much that I'll want to keep it, plus I think fabric that appeals to many along with an unique pattern are also important.  So I'm piecing another Summerville with a few additions to make it a bigger quilt.  Fingers crossed it all works out, and is done by 9/21, the last official day of Summer.

I wouldn't mind finishing my raffle quilt even sooner, I have a list of Fall projects that I'm eager to start.  One project I would like to finish is something, anything, made with this Kate and Birdie family of fabric called Autumn Woods.

I've started two different projects but didn't like how they were coming together so as of now all my pieces, scraps, strips and squares are in this project box, waiting for me to find a project that does please me.  This fabric is amazing, it shouldn't be this hard to find a good project for it.  I may just make a bunch of hsts and throw them on my design wall, how could that possibly go wrong?

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Summerville

I was asked to make a shop sample of Camille's pattern Summerville using Bonnie and Camille's latest line Vintage Picnic.  

It gave me a week of happy sewing in my sewing room.

I started with the stars,

then I made the houses,

added these 9 patches,

the house border, 

and the final border.  And just like that I was done.  The pattern cover says this is a "Sweet & Simple" pattern, I could not agree more.  Plus it was fun, and made me happy the whole time I worked on it.  I think it was a combination of the wonderful fabric and easy piecing.  The bird fabric was my favorite.    I wasn't sure Bonnie and Camille could design a family of fabric I liked better than Happy Go Lucky, but they did.

I think this pattern would also look great if you used holiday themed fabric, like Halloween or Christmas, or even went totally scrappy.   Which is a good thing, Vintage Picnic won't be hitting stores until February, 2016.

This is Lifetime Quilt Number 162

The pattern is Summerville by Camille Roskelley for thimble blossoms, (available here)

The fabric is Vintage Picnic by Bonnie and Camille for Moda

It finished at 70" x 70" ( my favorite size and shape)

And has approximately 876 pieces.

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