Flag Quilts for Flag Day

Flag Day will be here in a few days so I thought I'd go through my files and share my flag quilts with you.   

Patriotic Pieces (2002) to celebrate the millennium.  

Dear Old Stripes and Stripes (2014) contained words to a song written by my grandfather in 1909. You can read more about it here.  

I made Coming Home (2014) with the intention of sending it off to Quilts of Valor but then I discovered some defective marks on the backing so it never got sent. I had purchased a panel of various-sized flags at the Great American Quilt Festival in NYC and the large ones were perfect for the center.

In 2014 I followed along with Lori at Humble Quilts blog and made Flags of the American Revolution, a Jan Patek design, which I renamed Independence! to honor my ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War. 

Last but not least, a monthly mini in May 2018.

That's all for now :)

 

Copyright 2021, Barbara Schaffer  

May Mini

Where do you go for your monthly mini inspiration? For me it's usually my scrap bin, orphan blocks, and/or Pinterest. This month is was all three. 

When I saw this little quilt on Pinterest I related to it immediately. After all, I had 4 blocks of narrow strips sitting in a drawer that would be perfect for the center of this month's mini so that's where I started. 

These strips came from a charm pack that Rachel had given me a while ago and I found it really fun to work in a different color palette.   

I pulled what I needed for this little piece from my supply of 1-1/2" strips, squares, and rectangles. It was so easy and now it's done! 

I found this old print in my stash that was just the right size for the back. It's machine quilted in diamonds. Note the binding is split--red on 2 sides and blue on 2. The finished piece is 12-1/2" x 16". 

Wendy will post her mini by the end of the month so be sure and check back with her then :)

I changed the little quilt display in my sewing space. This time it has a patriotic theme for Memorial Day :)

There are lots of violets blooming in our yard. They are so pretty!

And I found a new wildflower. It's called Yellow Archangel. Couldn't have been any closer. It was right in the woods near our driveway :)

That's all for now.

Enjoy the holiday! We are so looking forward to our family get-together!  

 

Copyright 2021 Barbara Schaffer

Deacon Blocks 77-80

One more month to go. I can't wait!

For now, all in a row :)

                                                           Original attributed to Mary Ana Deacon

I tackled Block 77 first and used the same print for both the red and green petals. 

                                                Attributed to Sarah Foster / Mount Holly

Block 78 was pretty easy. One large neutral print circle with green appliques.  

                                                        Attributed to William D Horner

Block 79 had 28 small pieces. This was the 2nd time making the same block but in a different color combination.

This was the other version--block #63.

                                                        Attributed to Lydia R Kemble

Block 80--the last one for Month 20. 

An 8 p.m. sunset :)

Enjoy the rest of your week!

 

Copyright 2021, Barbara Schaffer

Tahawus Quilt Exhibit Warmth and Beauty Part 2

 Here are some more photos. 

My Morris Hexathon quilt that I finished in 2017. One block a week for 26-weeks focused on English textile designer, William Morris, and offered by Barbara Brackman. 

I'm explaining to Craig Bashear, owner of the Tahawus Cultural Center, what fussy-cutting is all about. 

And my daughter, Connie, chatting with Rebecca of Rebecca Kelly Ballet and the other owner of the cultural center, who offers ballet classes in the Cloudsplitter Dance Studio on the third floor of this historic building.

Exploration by Dawn Klotzko is hand-appliqued and free motion long-arm quilted.

I finished Dear Daughter last year after I had reproduced blocks that were made by NJ quiltmakers in 1852. 

Cups by Bethany Krawiec is such a playful quilt with its bright colors and clever use of ric-rac.  

Three of my monthly minis were also on display :)

Hurricane Mountain is a montage of blocks that Bethany K. made after a hike up that mountain :)

Enjoy your weekend! 

Copyright 2021 Barbara Schaffer

Tahawus Warmth and Beauty Quilt Exhibit Part I

Quilts by 5 Adirondack quilters are on display at the Tahawus Cultural Center in Ausable Forks, NY. Here are some photos.

"Fancy Flowers" by Luvie Tuller is hand appliqued and hand quilted. It is 88" x 102" with scalloped edges.

A detail.

"Reflection" by Amy Pawlowski depicts her daughter at the Jay Bridge. Amy started quilting 5 years ago when her husband gave her a sewing machine.

All 3,000 pieces were cut individually and put together like a big puzzle.  

 My daughter and I admiring "Irene" by Bethany Krawiec. 

This quilt was made when Hurricane Irene had demolished much of Upper Jay, NY including the Wells Memorial Library. The blocks represent the toppled books.

This Civil War Repro quilt was made by Dawn Klotzko, owner of Cabin Creek Stitchery. It's 90" x 90" and longarm quilted. Dawn was the first quilter I met when we moved here a year ago! She does lots of YouTube posts so take a look and see what she's been up to :)

More to come next week.

 

Copyright 2021 Barbara Schaffer 

April Mini, Wildflowers, Sunrise

What to do with 4 extra 9-patches?? I had no idea how this month's mini would materialize but it all came together . . . 

. . . with a large floral print, some hsts and a striped border :) Actually, it looks kind of Christmas-y so I will use it when we celebrate the Christmas we missed in July! 

Guess I'd been saving this fabric for the back, lol! I had just enough. If you click on the photo you can see the chevron quilting pattern which is a favorite of mine. Wendy will be posting her mini on Friday so make sure you visit her site and be inspired by all the other mini-makers' quilts. You can even join in!

_________

Sunday morning's wildflower walk/hike with my daughter was a great success! We saw what we set out to see--patches of Bloodroot and Hepatica.

                                                    Bloodroot

                                                Hepatica in white
 

                                                Hepatica in blue

                                                Fiddlehead Ferns

While they are not wildflowers these fascinate me. Each fuzzy stem will unfurl into a lush green frond.  

__________
 

This was the sunrise yesterday morning :) It really made my day!

Have a great week!

 

Copyright 2021, Barbara Schaffer

Deacon 73-76, Wildflowers, Grouse

It's month #19 and only two more to go :)

 The final blocks close in on the middle rows. 

                                              Original attributed to Letitia B. Hale 

#73 had a large empty space in the center so I added a stamp.

#74. This original block is attributed to Aunt Ann Reeves / Mount Holly / 1842. It is so pretty and delicate-looking . . .  (Sentimental Stitches photo)

. . .  but I had trouble finding the right fabric to duplicate that look so went off in an entirely different direction. I cut these motifs from an older repro by Karen Jarrar for Marcus Brothers and machine zig-zagged the edges. 

                                          Original attributed to R.A.H. Woolston

#75 may become my favorite :)

                                            Original attributed to Elias Buzby / 1842  

#76. I always welcome a pieced block thinking it will take less time to make. Most times that's true but what appears to be simple can take a lot longer than expected :)

                                                Blocks 73-76
 

It's the beginning of wildflower season!

Colts Foot

Hepatica

My daughter and I were out early this morning and photographed this patch of Dutchman's Breeches on top of a rock slab. So beautiful!

On our way home I had to get out of the car to shoo this grouse out of the road. It just didn't want to move. 

Have a wonderful week!

 

Copyright 2021, Barbara Schaffer