Grandmothers Choice #6: Aunt Eliza's Star

I again figuratively tiptoed into Blogger to check out this week's block....   *ahhhh*    ...not too bad!

I'm starting to get a handle on using the Art Nouveux fabrics and, with this large center, I had the perfect opportunity to fussy cut another large flower.

I had (what I considered) a very large 1930s print that I thought I wouldn't be able to use but by jingo!   This was the very block to incorporate that large print!

 

I had fun at my granddaughter's birthday party yesterday afternoon and have a photo to share of the birthday girl and her new tote...

 

....all in all, a very nice day!

Grandmother's Choice: Votes for Women

Barbara Brackman's new block of the week Grandmother's Choice: Votes for Women kicked off yesterday with the posting of the first block:  Grandmother's Choice!    In addition to interesting history of the fight for women's rights, including cool photos...  Ms Brackman posted four versions of this block for us to drool over...  uh... use as inspiration!

This is my first block, done in the Art Nouveau line by Blank Quilting (2009), which has been maturing in my stash.

The fabric selection part of making this block was the hardest.  I have a limited selection of fabrics... six prints and four solids... and it was tough.   I almost threw in the towel but that deeply ingrained steak of determination (aka: stubbornness) prevented me.

I am planning on making two blocks each week... one from this line of fabrics and a second from my stash of 1930s repro fabrics.   

This ought to help keep me off the streets and out of trouble...

PS - You can check out the blocks others are making on the Grandmother's Choice Flickr group!

Barbara Brackman's New BOW: "Grandmother's Choice"

Ms Brackman's new BOW will be starting on September 1st, 2012 so... if you want to join in, you may want to start assembling your fabrics.  Suggestions are on the BOW blog where the blocks will be posted each week.

The theme for this BOW is women's suffrage and Ms Brackman will be including history of the movement as well as photos from the period.

I am looking forward to learning about the fight for women's suffrage and the weekly challenge of the posted block.

Ms Brackman suggests a purple, green, and white color scheme but also gives other options.  Of course, you can chose whatever fabrics and colors you'd like.  One participant of the Civil War BOW did hers in batiks... it was gorgeous!

I had been thinking of using 1930s reproduction fabrics but with the green/purple suggestion, I recalled I had a small stack of these fabrics...

"Art Nouveau" by Blank Quilting (c. 2008)

I'm not sure white white would be a good choice as a solid but maybe a pale purple and green?  Or a soft blue?  I think a trip to the LQS is called for, yes?   I have the rest of August to prepare...

In Other Quilty News...

...Barbara Brackman of the 2011 Civil War BOW has decided to do another BOW starting this fall.  This time the history will cover the fight for women's rights...

...and blocks will be tied into the history as were the CW blocks.

I have missed the weekly Saturday morning postings of the BOW, studying the block over a cuppa coffee, pulling fabrics, and making a block...  then posting a photo of the block to the Flickr group and seeing others' blocks.

I've not committed 100% to this BOW but am seriously considering it.  One block a week is do-able for me...  I learned a lot with the CW BOW and would like to continue to improve my piecing skills.

I still find it hard to believe that I actually made the CW quilt (still in "flimsy" state as I ponder how to quilt it)...  it was definitely a growing experience!

A (Partial) Finish

Now that my baby is home, I was able to finish up the last two of the 56 blocks for the Civil War quilt.

Block 52:  Christmas Wreath (or Star)

Because I was stubborn about not doing the applique blocks, I needed several extras for the 7x8 layout.   So...   I selected "Scotch Squares" for the final block in honor of all the folks from Scotland who settled in the Sandhills of North Carolina....  some of whom have a descendant who is an Empress!

True to my promise, I used only fabrics I had on hand.... this time raiding my favorite scraps, which as you can imagine were not the largest pieces I have left.  

It was a challenge because I didn't have enough to be too choosy.  For example the outer four HSTs should use the brown background fabric found in the center square and the four small HSTs...  but hey!  You do what you gotta do!

Next... on to the borders!  I did mention I found another fabric for the borders, yes?

The Hanna Wallis Collection by Windham Fabrics

All Together Now: Civil War Blocks So Far

After the last of the company left, I pinned up all the Civil War blocks on my make-do design wall.  Pinning is necessary b/c the act of putting up one block is guaranteed to knock off another, which in turns brings down at least another block.

The blocks may or may not be in their final arrangement but I can now see what colors I need more of and whether or not a block needs to be light or dark overall.

I've decided on an 7-block by 8-block grid, so I'll have to select several of my favorites of which to make extras.

I will be using this print for the border...  and will need to figure out fabric for the sashing.  I'm currently thinking of a small cream or tan print like this one:

Ideas/suggestions welcome...

Civil War Block 48: West Virginia

This week's block is #48 of 53... so only five more to go!  I'd been saving a good size fabric remnant to use and thought this week's block would be perfect....     *bzzzzz*

It was too narrow!   I love this flower and decided to piece it to make it large enough...

After I was finished, I realized I could have "framed" the center block so it would look less pieced...  but I am not taking it apart!   Y-seams are not easy, imho!

Civil War Block 44: Union

I just love blocks with a zillion itsy-bitsy pieces.... but I will NOT let it deter me!

There!   Done....

Civil War Block 43: Right Hand of Friendship

One of the easier blocks, Right Hand of Friendship allowed a variety of interpretations as shown on the Civil War BOW Flickr site.

I chose a two-color star and am pleased with the results.... however, others have also come up with some spectacular blocks!  I am tempted to make several of these blocks just to have different versions in my CW quilt.

Civil War Block 42: "H" is for Hospital

Thankfully, after last week's challenging block, an easier one...

...what a relief!

Civil War Block 38: Ohio Star

This week's block is the Ohio Star and I knew immediately which fabric I wanted to use for the center.  My Blog-land Angel sent me a gorgeous piece of red floral and I pulled it right out!

I chose smaller floral prints for the other two fabrics but thought the big swirling leaves looked cool in the back ground!

There are only 14 more blocks left... Barbara Brackman's Civil War BOW will be completed at the end of this year.  Assembling the quilt top is scheduled for January...  I'm looking forward to it!

Civil War Block 34: Rosebud

This week's block, Rosebud, came with some interesting information about Rose O'Neal Greenhow, who was arrested by Union troops in 1861 for spying for the South.

 Rosebud by Becky Brown

Interestingly, this is a block that I'm familiar with because I have been reading Sylvia's Bridal Sampler from Elm Creek Quilts in preparation for a QAL this fall with Mama Spark. 

You don't need to buy the book to access the block patterns; 

all blocks are available on the SBS site.

Being the rebel I am, I elected to use the SBS rosebud block where it looks like 4 nosegays of rosebuds rather than the bold pinwheel in the middle and I'm-not-sure-what-the-rest-is of the block.

Doing this over, I would use a lighter red for the rosebuds and/or a darker green for the nosegay holders.   But this will look well with the rest of the CW blocks.

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Cool Give-away!

Karen of Lisnaweary Quilts is having a give-away for some cool stuff from Creative Grids!

The give-away is open to international entries and I know there are two of these prizes that I very much want to try out...  especially the rotary blade sharpener!

Saturday Sewing

Barbara Brackman released her Civil War block #28: Next Door Neighbor this morning...

 

Several of my Blog-land Angel's fabrics are included in this block.

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I've been working on quilting the blue and white Kaleidoscope quilt...

...I'm about half-way done.

What's Wrong with This Picture?

I've read on several blogs to use your camera to look at a block after it's completed to make sure it's done correctly.  The CW blocks are my first attempt at fancy piecing and I found out that the camera trick works.  Let me show you...

I promise this block looked just FINE to me before I took the photo!

I either need my eyes or my head examined...   

I spent a little quality time with...

...and ended up with this...

Barbara Brackman's Civil War blocks:  #1 Catch Me If You Can

Looks a little better, wouldn't you say?

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Congratulations to Miki Willa of Miki's Fabric Creations for winning the give away for the Civil War Block: #24: Ladies Aid Album!

Miki requested the block "as is" and it will be winging it's way to her in today's mail.

New Addiction

Barbara Brackman's Civil War Reunion blocks...