Dear Jane With Benefits

Perhaps you remember Dear Jane.. This little quilt is a baby jane and she is sweet. Last year I participated in two block swaps, the fall frolic and Christmas swaps of Dear Jane blocks. I received these lovely little treasures from friends around the continent and put them together. Like any baby, I had many labor pains.

It isn't my first quilt, but the piecing looks as if it were. I started to unsew but instead I ripped the sashing. Needless to say, I wanted to cry. I decided to sew it back together and just move on. To make it more complicated, I wanted to make a curved binding, which I have never done, so I freehand quilted a feather on the border. After individually quilting the blocks, I proceeded to feather the sashing. The more I worked the worst it became..... practice made pitiful. I have heard people say, "the quilting makes the quilt" not in this case. The blocks make the quilt, I just gave them a place to gather. I decided to accept my limitations on the feathered sashing and move on. I removed it from the machine and THEN, I noticed a few places the seams were pulled apart. Of course, I will have to fix this but I pressed on. I sewed the curved binding and it turned out okay for a first attempt. When the quilt is viewed from a distance,she looks wonderful. She is a sweet little quilt, the blocks are so special to me and I smile each time I look her. The blocks do make the quilt.

I chose the name because I hear people use the term.. Friends with benefits. My cyber friends created beautiful blocks for me and that was certainly a benefit. As a footnote I do love the border fabric I chose, it "compliments" her well. She hangs over my stairwell, strategically placed at the perfect distance from the quilt patrol.

Monkey business in the sewing room

I have been monkeying around. A few months ago I had to take my sewing machine in for repairs and I saw the Anita Goodesign Monkey embroidery CD. I just knew my little grand babies would love to have monkey quilts. When I started I had 4 grandbabies, 4,3,2,1. I embroidered each of the monkeys I chose, 4 times. I have finished one quilt, ready to bind one, one ready to quilt and the last one needs another row to the top. I am so close to finishing and in the mean time another grand baby was announced. Looks like I better get back to the embroidery machine. I intend to make the first four for Christmas and since the new little one will makes his/her arrival in February or March I might have time.

A Decisive Victory....The quilt

I finally finished the Civil War quilt for my brother in law Dennis. Every fella in my family who has seen it, wants it...bad. I chose the name for the quilt because even though it was a reference to General Grant's comment about the battle for Vicksburg, this is my second attempt to make a confederate flag quilt. Obviously it won't be my last. The first one was made for my son and it was indeed my first quilt. It did not turn out so well but it is hand quilted and began a learning process that I have been enjoying for 11 years. I have been happily immersed in all things quilty.

The photos were taken in my back yard. The deer have come through the last few days and have eaten all flowers and decorative vegetation. My flower garden is bare but at it's entrance stand two columns that were salvaged by my husband's grandfather around 1915 from the Jefferson Davis' home, that stood on Davis Island in the Mississippi River. The columns were then used on a house he built for his family in 1944.

I finished the quilt on July4, do not think of this as a surrender but as a decisive victory.

I was not born in the south but as all southern women will say..."That's okay honey, you got here as quick as you could."

Mississippi Museum of Art

Pieces and Strings at the Mississippi Museum of Art
Yesterday my husband, son and I went to the museum to see my quilt hanging. I was very proud to see Kimono Garden hanging in a museum. I have posted a link to the museums exhibit site. The quilt is part of the Mississippi Cultural Crossroads Pieces and Strings exhibit. I made this quilt for a fabric challenge. I received the fabric in the mail and I felt a Victorian quilt was in order but as I thought about the era, I decided an Asian influence would be appropriate. I designed the kimono and used an innovated technique, Inklingo, to make the diamond collar and the cuffs. I then quilted by machine free style.

My Friendship Siggy Quilt

Here It Is!

I did finish it quickly after my last post but couldn't seem to take the picture. I love it and I have napped wrapped in Friendship. It makes for a restful slumber.

Attention!!!!

Since I do not yet know how to reverse the order of these posts, please bear with me...Start reading at the post entitled "What is a Siggy" and work your way back up. Maybe i will figure this out.

Friendship

In a few days I hope to post the completed quilt, quilted and bound. Just as the block says friendship held together, warm, and comforting, humbling and treasured.

Thank you ladies.

My excitement was growing with the quilt. Each neighborhood added to a beautiful mosaic of friends from around the globe. I felt the strength of two joining with two more and then four and eight and on and on until 120 friends were gathered together to celebrate my birthday. When I gazed upon the finished top I felt like someone had just opened the door to my surprise party. I was thrilled and humbled.

Trimming the blocks

As I sewed these little jewels into groups of four I trimmed them to the same size. I felt all of my worry and apprehension fall way just like the little slivers of fabric. They were coming together, my little blocks were becoming neighborhoods.

While I was busy...

sewing, my embroidery machine was too. He is such a talented little brother;)

I began choosing the siggys totally at random and sewing them two by two. I had the opportunity to think about the hands that made each of these blocks for me. A very warm feeling.