Selvage Strings and Feb Mini

Happy Monday! I'll hop in today because it's not only the Linky Party for Lori's Strings Sewalong but it's also the end of the month for Wendy's Monthly Mini.

After making 41 blocks, I've just about run out of selvages. I haven't yet gone through my stash to see what other ones I can cut so will keep this project ongoing for a while. Had to take pics on the floor because I have a big quilt on my design wall that I'll share another time.

This layout is different from the one I showed you last month but I think I like that one better. What do you think?

For this month's mini, I finally used the vintage 9-patch blocks that I purchased from Mary Koval many years ago in Lancaster. 

They were all hand-pieced and close to 3"--if you know what I mean :) So I started squaring them up and this is what they look like.

 The stripes are crooked on some . . . 

 

. . . there are stains on others . . . 

. . . but all are intact :)

 

The back. I tried Barb V's method for applying a single binding. She has a great tutorial here. I would definitely try it again!  

This year I've decided to add an extra line on the label that tells a little more about the quilt. 

Have a great week!




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Copyright 2019, Barbara Schaffer


 

Scrappy Strips

I started this scrap quilt in November with the intent of emptying out my bins of strips. 

I love the way it turned out. I started out following the pattern by Karen Griska called Saranac but tweaked it along the way. I substituted 4-patches for the 16-patches in the corners and long strips for the piano key border. It's twin bed size 68" x 88". 

The finished blocks are 10", the 4-patches are 3", and the strips are 1".

I had plenty of longer strips leftover from backings, sashings, etc. which I randomly used for the 1st outer border (left).  

And brown strips for the final outer border (right) that Susan gave me a while ago. Thanks, Susan!  

 

I spent the last 2-1/2 weeks painting our LR. It is now done! This room is in the 2nd oldest section of the house that was added on c. 1760. The original plaster walls are made of limestone, shells, and horse and/or cow hair. There's an original cupboard with cross and Bible doors (to ward off evil spirits), a fireplace with hand-made bricks, and a forged iron crane. That mirror was a wedding gift from Aunt Midge (my mother's sister) to my parents in 1936 :) 

Hope you have a great week!




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Copyright 2019, Barbara Schaffer

 

Dear Daughter Blocks and Deep Freeze

I finished the last three Dear Daughter blocks . . . 

I just love this one! I followed the original colors including that touch of yellow and am so glad I did.  The inscription: Maxson Dunham, Piscataway, NJ, May 25, 1852. 

Another cute bird :) This block was inscribed Sarah Ann Dunham, Piscataway, NJ, May 25, 1852. 

The last one. I had to smile at those 'dog biscuit' shapes :) This block was originally inscribed Cornelius C. Blackford, May 25th 1852, Piscataway, NJ. 

And here is his gravestone at the Seventh Day Baptist Cemetery, Middlesex County, NJ. Find A Grave photo. Cornelius was 58 when the quilt was made in 1852. He  died in 1881 at age 87. 

I still need to trim the blocks to 8-1/2" and then decide how I'm going to set them together. Thinking narrow sashing maybe 3/4" in red with yellow cornerstones. Or???

Our backyard looked like a frozen lake during the deep freeze. 

And Saturday a pipe burst in the little apartment that's attached to the garage. It's quite the mess! The water mitigation team was here yesterday to remove the carpeting. Today is sheet rock day. That entire back wall needs to be replaced in addition to the ceiling and two other small areas in the kitchen. 

Would you believe I'm all caught up with my evening projects? I need to baste a little quilt so I have something to work on.

I think it'll be this one :)




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Copyright 2019, Barbara Schaffer