For lack of a better name I'm calling this quilt Scrappy Squares. It just seemed to fit.
I managed to add the last border so the top is now done!
Thank you, Susan, for sharing this feather fabric with me! It is from Windham's Wm. Penn's Vision line designed by Patty Harants. I am so happy to have finally found the perfect place for it :)
I added corner blocks using the same squiggly fabric as the inner border.
Summer time in NJ brings back memories of the shore.
I made Summer Serenity in 1984 after seeing an Amish family at the beach. It was a sight I will never forget. This quilt was published in Quilt Art Calendar in 1987 and Quilting by Laurie Swim in 1991. It was the only quilt I ever entered in the Vermont Quilt Festival and it won a blue ribbon in 1989 :)
A couple of years ago I took photos of two panels of a collaborative effort of quilts portraying the boardwalk in Ocean City, NJ. The Strand Theater was made by Pat Kline of Marmora, NJ.
. . . and Shriver's was made by Debbie Lombardozzi of Ocean City. It is the oldest business on the boardwalk and known for their homemade salt water taffy.
I hope you are getting in some good summer time quilting!
See you on the 4th!
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Copyright 2017, Barbara Schaffer
I finished The Gypsy Influence, made a little progress on other projects, and took more pics of the deer and flowers in our backyard.
Remember when I made these small quilts after I finished Gypsy Wife? Well, I finally sewed them together using Wendy's potholder method. I've so admired her quilts that I thought I'd give it a try.
Each mini-quilt is quilted and bound . . .
. . . then whip-stitched together. I love the result. Thanks, Wendy, for sharing your tips! Make sure you hop on over to her blog The Constant Quilter to see what she's been up to.
The label. Ta-da!
I recently published my 2014 blog book via Blog2Print. I'm working backwards so have now completed three.
I'm always pleased with the quality of the color printing.
This binding winder gadget definitely comes in handy! I'm getting closer and closer to that final step on my Flags quilt :)
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Here's what's blooming in our yard:
Feverfew reseeds itself every year so there's lots of it in and around the garden. It smells so good.
Tiger Lilies make a big splash of color at the end of the driveway :)
A late-blooming Rhododendron.
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The deer were back the other day. Mama started pawing at the ground when she saw me. The little fawn is getting big. So cute!
And the other day my son-in-law sent this picture of the snapping turtle in our yard at the cabin. Every year it returns to the exact same spot where she digs a nest and lays her eggs. Unfortunately, we've never seen any hatchlings. Maybe this will be the year!
Have a great week!
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Copyright 2017, Barbara Schaffer
Let's celebrate Flag Day!
Oh, so vintage! The flag that my maternal grandfather, Stan Bower, faithfully raised and lowered every day.
I made Dear Old Stars and Stripes a few years ago based on a song he wrote and published in 1909. You can read about it here.
This Centennial Quilt was documented by The Heritage Quilt Project of NJ. The twelve outer flags have 13 red and white stripes and 39 stars. There are four George Washington banners in the center along with two Flags of the Nations at the top and bottom. These represent the countries which participated in the 1876 Centennial Exhibition.
My paternal grandfather, Ralph Davis, proudly displayed this flag at the lake where I used to fish and swim when I was growing up.
One of my all-time favorite books is All Flags Flying by Robert Bishop and Carter Houck. If you like patriotic quilts this is a great book to have in your library. I noticed there are still copies available on Amazon. This quilt was my inspiration when I decided to make a Quilt of Valor in 2013.
Here's my version using the flags from a panel I had purchased at the Great American Quilt Festival in NYC.
I know I've shown you this quilt before. It's called Coming Home.
My flag is flying today, is yours?
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Copyright 2017, Barbara Schaffer
In 2003 the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Study Group went on a field trip to Lititz, PA, for a special viewing of the quilts at the (now defunct) Pennsylvania Quilt & Textile Museum. Of course, Rachel and I went. I recently came across the photos I took that day and thought you'd like to see them.
Album Quilt with Birds from the Peto Collection.
Baltimore Album Quilt Heart in Hand also from the Peto Collection.
A beautifully appliqued quilt with a peacock:)
I'd like to make a Tumbling Blocks quilt some day :)
Lots of squares.
I was intrigued with this quilt mainly because I had been making Philadelphia Pavement blocks and was looking for ways to put them together. In fact, they are on my '17 in 2017' UFO list to work on this year!
Another great postage stamp layout. Check out two similar quilts on my Pinterest board here and here.
This one's made of triangles with a patriotic center. Here's another one.
Loved seeing these quilts up close and personal.
An interesting compass block.
And wonderful fabric :)
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On another note here's what's blooming in our garden:
Pink roses . . .
. . . ruffled iris called Edith Wolford . . .
. . . and Spiderwort :)
Have a great week!
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Copyright 2017, Barbara Schaffer
This past week I've really enjoyed watching the deer in our backyard. Here are some photos that I took from the family room.
I was spotted!
Just look at that little one. So sweet!
What I should have done was record a video . . .
. . . because every time I snapped a photo the fawn moved.
I was always scanning the yard to see where they were. Sometimes mama was close by and other times she was watching from afar but I haven't seen them since Sunday so maybe they've moved on.
What fun it's been to see them up close.
Hopefully, I'll have some quilting news next week!
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Copyright 2017, Barbara Schaffer
It's been an interesting week . . .
The other day I spotted this groundhog making its way toward the garden. It's been a long time since I've seen one in the backyard but it was a reminder that I need to do some serious weeding!
We have no idea how this deer got in the backyard as it is completely fenced in and the gates are always closed . . .
. . . and then we discovered her baby. So cute!
I added a star border to my scrappy blocks. I had lots of leftover stars from Barbara Brackman's Stars In A Time Warp quiltalong and decided they'd be perfect for this quilt. I still have a third border in mind . . .
The new Valley Forge Betsy Ross 13-Star Heritage Flag Kit I ordered from united.states.flag.com arrived in time for Memorial Day. I love the look of this new "aged" flag.
This Memorial Day let us not forget Lt. Harry I. Luth who died in a mid-air collision during a WWII training mission near Phenix City, AL. He was only 23 years old and is buried in Restland Memorial Park, E. Hanover, NJ.
Enjoy the holiday weekend!
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Copyright 2017, Barbara Schaffer
