Eagle Border and Genealogy

The Eagle Medallion top is done :)

I really took my time adding the border. I did one side a day so I could concentrate on those corners.

All the sides were at or close to 61" so I only had to make a minor adjustment or two.

The mitered corners look like this :) 

This is the fabric for the back. Now I need to go to Michaels and use my 50% off coupon for a package of Hobbs 80/20 batting.

***THANK YOU, JANET for sending more of the black fabric for my selvage strings project! I really appreciate it!   

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I nearly forgot about this genealogy binder I put together (more than a few years ago) until I recently came across it while looking for something else. 

  

This binder contains copies of records beginning with me and ending with my great-grandparents.

Within each section are copies (no originals) of all sorts of records: vital, school, census, military, legal, publicity, photos, etc. The record above is a page from my mother's high school yearbook in 1929.

The 1900 census record of my gr-grandparents, Samuel and Irene Bower, NYC. I always transcribed the original record.

The 1906 NYC marriage certificate of my paternal grandparents, Ralph Butler Davis and Maud Hankinson. 

The Civil War record of my gr-grandfather, Horace Davis. I also have a photo of him in uniform.

A letter dated 1862 written by my gr-grandmother, Margarette Edwards Davis, when her husband was away at war. 

A photo of my gr-grandmother Irene McCord Bower that was taken in 1886 at the time of her marriage. 

At the end of each section I include burial info--plot, gravestone, and obituary. It's so easy to get carried away with genealogy research as every bit of information leads to that never ending quest for another piece to the puzzle :)

Have a great week!

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Copyright 2019, Barbara Schaffer

Selvage Strings Update

I've now finished 61 selvage blocks but I'm still playing with the layout. Today is the linky party for the String SAL at Lori's Humble Quilts so make sure you take a look and be inspired.   

 

Since last month Rachel gave me nearly 2 yards of this black print which she picked up on the freebie table at a guild meeting. I think it'll be perfect for these selvage blocks, don't you?  It's Andover Fabrics Jo Morton #2474. If I need more does anyone have extra to share? I'm more than willing to buy or swap. Thanks.

I plan on adding another row so it will be 3 x 4. I haven't done any sewing yet.  

If I can squeeze out a 3" border and 1-1/2" sashing I'd be happy but I won't know until it's time to focus :)

 
In the meantime I bought these two fabrics on sale at Hancock's--paisley for the backing and the stripe for the binding. 

That's today's idea but it's always subject to change, lol!




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Copyright 2019, Barbara Schaffer

April Mini

I'm hopping in today to post my April mini.

If you recall last month I tossed this doll bed but not before saving and washing the fabrics.

 I had just enough to make this little quilt. It's 13" x 16-3/4."

I decided to hand quilt it . . .

. . . and when it came time to do the outer borders I found these diamond Paper Pieces to be just the right size. 

A small piece of pink for the back. 

Lately I've been intrigued with Altered Shipping Tag art and decided to give it a try. Here's the story:

"My mother Etta Davis . . .

  
. . . made this Miles shoe-box doll bed for the Girl Scout Fair in 1954 . . .

. . . I had that bed for 65 years . . . 

 . . . in 2019 I took it apart & made a little quilt."

I named it 2nd Time Around: 1954 & 2019 :)

Be sure to check out Wendy's blog for links to more monthly minis.

It looks like I'll be back on Wednesday to link up with Lori's String SAL. See you then! 




Copyright 2019, Barbara Schaffer

Another Finish and Blossoms

Another quilt done! 

I started Scrappy Strips last October and finished it just the other day. My goal at the time was to clean out my scrap bins and even though I used a lot I still have some left. I'm not surprised as they seem to multiply in no time at all.

Nearly all the fabrics are repros.

I had a supply of 2" squares that were perfect for the 4-patches in the corners. 

Since the quilt is twin bed size I was counting on using up some yardage I had for the back but as you can see I had to add extra pieces. Not exactly what I had envisioned but, hey!, it's the back, lol!

Many years ago I bought this panel at the Quilt Shack in Bird-in-Hand, PA. I was on a quest to find something that I could use for my repro quilts but this definitely wasn't it.

I plan on putting this quilt on one of the beds at the cabin so with that in mind Barbie quilted it in a very pretty leafy pattern. I love the way it turned out!

 

Done!

On another note I've been taking pics of some of the beautiful flowering trees in the neighborhood.

 Magnolia

 Crab Apple

 Double Cherry Blossom

I unexpectedly saw this pineapple welcome mat at Target so I returned the one I bought at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I'm much happier with this one :) 

Have a great week!




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Copyright 2019, Barbara Schaffer

 

Eagle Medallion and Early Morning

Remember when I posted some teaser pics for a new quilt I was working on? The top is now together and here's how it came about.

Last fall I thought about starting a new project and purchased the pattern Midnight at the Oasis by Jen Kingwell.  

After studying that pattern I decided to make some changes and sketched out what I thought would be something I'd feel comfortable with. Everything was based on 6". I thought about appliqueing a 24" center then adding multiple borders.

But I decided to eliminate the appliqued 2nd border as shown in my sketch and made lots of bordered 9-patch blocks instead using large scale prints. 

Then I had an aha moment in February when I woke up in the middle of the night telling myself there was no need to applique a large center block when I had this fantastic eagle panel that Rachel gave me nearly a year ago. It was perfect!

I added a gray stripe repro to bring the eagle panel out to size then started adding borders--stars first, then 9 patches, then . . .

. . . Churn Dash blocks from Barb V's block swap last year. 

It still needs a final border and I'm thinking this stripe might be just the thing. It's really old. The selvage is stamped 'Jinny Beyer for Mr. R.J.R. Fashion Fabrics.'

 
This is what it will look like and I hope to miter the corners. Sorry the pic is a little dark but I think that fabric will frame the quilt nicely. 

Yesterday I planted some pansies. They make me smile :)

It was a bit misty when I started on my early morning walk and by the time I was on the last stretch home I saw a rainbow that dissipated almost instantly. What a lovely surprise!

Have a great week!




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Copyright 2019, Barbara Schaffer