Oct-Dec 2024 Quilt Happenings

 

A lot has happened recently - my Elements of Klimt patchwork coat traveled to Montreal with me.  I can say that even in 14-18 F the coat kept me warm!  I have been making Mini Composition Notebook covers and handing them out to friends and random strangers whom I meet along my travels.  The first notebooks I made were for a quilt guild luncheon, as table favors, a couple of years ago.  Then for a different guild's boutique, where members donate handmade items to be sold for raising money for batting and supplies for charity quilts.

One member liked the idea of table favors and had me make some Christmas themed ones - and I went overboard making them.  I sold a few so I could buy some more mini notebook inserts - they are sold in packs of 3 for under $2.  I will be making more for an April 2025 guild boutique.  Much of the fabric used are my scraps or bits from the Free Table at guild meetings.  I do buy some fabric for them, if it is just too darn cute! 

Just before heading to Montreal, I participated in the Lunar Quilt Block Challenge sponsored by the Kennedy Space Center.  You had to include your state name in the block, have a dark background fabric, and sized 12.5 inches square.   You had until midnight EST on December 10th to submit your design....I finished my block at 10:28 pm...talk about cutting it close!  But it did arrive on time.  They will chose which blocks will be sent in to make a quilt, and pictures of all entries with be posted.

You can read more about the challenger here: https://www.space.com/lunar-quilt-challenge-astronaut-karen-nyberg

I have also been working on a guild challenge quilt.  Eleanor Burns, from Quilt In A Day graciously offered her Gambrel Barn quilt block pattern to our guild to use for free.  We only had to send in pictures of our quilts to her in exchange.  I had found a miniature paper pieced block on the Free Table and decided it was going to be my barn quilt.  

I wanted to make a quilt, not just a block, so my barn would have to be bigger....and I like scraps, crazy patches, and things got started.  I found a nice sketch of a barn and used it to create the shape I needed for the roof.  My grandfather, Roland Tiemann painted a picture of cows heading to a barn, so I knew I wanted to include cows and other farm animals.  Searching for barns led me to photos of this barn, which I used to mark up my design.  

Last year I traveled to New Zealand and was struck on how all the farmland looked like patchwork from the plane.  I wanted the grass portion to be patched in a similar fashion.

The sun peeking out from the silo was just randomly pieced, along with the creamy sky background.  Once the barn was complete, the text and animals were added,  I liked making angular animals - sheep, chickens and a cow.  All the pieces were prepared for applique by basting the edges down first.  The text shapes were worked out to fit the space allotted - Farm Music - Baa Cluck Moo.  

At first I thought I would make a wall hanging, but being a practical gal, felt a baby quilt would be more purposeful, so it had to be bigger!  More animals needed to be added - Oink Meow Quack.  Then I got to thinking...numbers!  1 Cow, 2 Cats, 3 Sheep, 4 Mice (had to add Squeak), 5 Pigs, 6 Ducks and 7 Chickens.  

Continuing on the patchwork grass theme, a muddy pig pen and a blue pond were added to house the next set of animals and text.  At this point all the animals and text are in place.  There was almost a typo in the quilt, luckily I caught it before it was too late.  Several other guild members made barns - here are a few of them.

I added the paper pieced barn quilt - but then removed it.  There were areas that had minimal or no seam allowance.  This would not do for a baby quilt - the first washing would lead to unraveling.

So, I will find an alternative barn quilt and start adding width to the farmyard center, to be continued.