Ann: Civil War Top complete

Here are the last 5 blocks and the finished top

This is block #49. It is called Yankee Puzzle, a subject of concern was Lincoln's philosophy of Liberty and Union. Was it possible?

Block # 50 is "Grapes of Wrath" (sorry it is so blurred) This block represents the song, "Battle Hymn of the Republic". The story behind the poem, and later the music is it set to...Julia Ward Howe was on a trip to Washington DC and the song "John Brown's Body" was a favorite marching song for the troops. She was disturbed by the words, thinking the music needed something more patriotic. When she returned home, she wrote the poem which was set to the music of the marching song.

Block 51 is called "New York" remembering the ladies of New York who held bazaars and other fundraisers to aid the soldiers.

Block # 52 is called "Christmas Star" in remembrance of the first Christmas of the Civil War.

And the final block #53 (there were 53 Saturdays in 2011) is called "Union Shield" a symbol used in many quilts and samplers during the 1860's and '70's.

The blocks are 8.5 inches square, and I wanted to make a King sized quilt, so I made several blocks with different fabric, and came up with 80 blocks. I set them 8 across and 10 rows down. I probably should have mitered the corners, but with the pattern in the border print, I was afraid I would not be able to match them exactly, so they are not mitered. The quilt is being held side-ways view, with the top corner on the upper right corner. The corner blocks are all the same pattern, but with different fabric, so they do not look much alike.

This was a fun project. I am glad it is done to this point. I have to find fabric to put on the back. I will probably give this one to one of Vonda's children, as Robert served in South Carolina while he was in the Navy. He came home with a Rebel flag, and loved the history he learned while there.

Good Week for Quilting

This has been a good week to be able to sew. Marian has worked the early morning shift all week and has been home by early afternoon to take the boys. Jennie's little ones were only here 2 days and they take afternoon naps, so I have been able to get my housework done in the mornings and have the afternoons to do what I wanted (and I chose to work on my quilt tops).

Ruffled Roses

This is the next to last set of swag borders. Next month I will do one more set, the attach them to the rest of the top, then add the final borders. It is square, so I am thinking of adding extra width to the top and bottom so it can be used as a coverlet.

I got the basket borders and floater strips added to the top and it now measures 60 inches square.

Here is one of the corner pieces. All 4 corners are the same. Just the baskets are different. The corners are appliqued, like the center piece.

Civil War blocks

This is block # 47. It is called "Dixie Tea". Because of the embargo during the war, the southern states were unable to get coffee beans, so they experimented with different herbs for tea. The most favorite was Sassafras Tea, from the Sassafras plant. They used both the leaves and the root of the plant, and sweetened it with molasses made from sugar cane.

Here I have 3 rows set together. I am not doing them in order of being made, as I used a lot of the same material on some of the blocks, and wanted to spread it out more randomly. I will add another border around the entire top when it is all put together, then add the border pieces. This helps me remember which is the top corner blocks.

Civil War and Ruffled Roses updates

Civil War Blocks 42 - 46

Number 42 is called "H for Hospitals"

The field hospitals had a flag with a green H flying, to indicate the tent or building to be a field hospital.

Number 43 is called "Right Hand of Friendship"

The underground railroad helped get the slaves away from the plantations. The "Friends" helped find them jobs and security.

Block # 43, Union or Union Square. Honors the Union Army

(Oops, I see a couple of HST's turned the wrong way. Better fix those tomorrow)

#45 Port and Starboard, to honor the Union Navy.

Block # 46 This is called "Apple Tree"

The Union Army had a marching song, "We'll hang old Jeff Davis from a sour apple tree"

I have all of the dividing strips and borders cut. There are a total of 53 different blocks and I have made a few extra. The pattern makes a double bed size top, but I am going to do it to fit a queen size bed. I will soon be laying out the blocks to decide how I want to arrange them. And then I will start assembling. That will be a fun project!

Ruffled Roses November Blocks

Baskets 20-24. These are the last set of basket blocks.

Here are the basket borders. I have to add a thin floater to the existing top and then sew these on. I haven't even started the swag borders for this month, but hope to get to that soon.

I will post again when I get the swags done and the basket borders attached.

Ann's project progress

The next 2 Civil War Blocks
Block 36 is called Kentucky Crossroads. Kentucky was a neutral state during the war, but the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers meet in Western Kentucky and one of the early wars was fought there.
Block 37 is called "Confederate Rose"
The real flower is a Hibiscus which puts out different colors from a single plant.

The blocks for Ruffled Roses this month are the corner blocks around the baskets. This is all machine appliqued, and 2 of the stems are missing their buds until the corners are joined with the other adjacent blocks. This is the first of 4 blocks.

And the sixth set of swag borders. (3 swags)

This month's project is taking much longer than the past few, as the swags and baskets work up pretty fast.

Civll War blocks 34 & 35.

Block 35 is called "Rosebud" It is in memory of the "famous" Confederate female spy Rose Greenhow.
Block 35 is called "Star of the West" (It is a little blurred again.)

The block is for John and Jessie Fremont, who were a power couple of the Civil War era. John C Fremont was the founder of California.

More Civil War

Our weekend together was so much fun. Utah has such diverse scenery!
Above, the three sisters and their handsome husbands.
Below, the three sisters (wish our youngest sister could join us on these adventures)

Civil War block # 32 "Carolina Lily"

Civil War Block 33 "Indiana Puzzle"

Ann's project progress

While I have been a semi-invalid, I have been able to prop up my knee and sew.
I am doing better, and going to Physical Therapy to regain my range of motion and strength in that knee. I am pain free, and walking with only a small limp now.
Here is the next Civil War block.This one is called "Empty Spools" remembering that the women put aside their sewing and handiwork to tear linen into bandages. This is block # 31, more than half way through. Very easy block to make. Took 5 minutes to sew it together, and the last few stitches I had to turn the wheel on the sewing machine by hand, as the power went out with less than an inch to finish the last seam.
My next set of baskets for the Ruffled Roses quilt top.

This makes 16 baskets so far. They are getting easier to make. I did not have to pick out any HST's that were turned the wrong direction on this set. That saves a lot of time, doing it right the first time.
And the next set of swag borders.

There are also 16 swags. This picture is a little dark and a little blurred. I am getting better, but sometimes the auto zoom moves at the same time as I click for the picture and it gets blurry. I also did not use the flash for this one.
Have a good week, y'all and catch you again soon.

Civil War blocks

Here are the latest Civil War blocks. Very fun to make.

The top one (block 29) is called "Railroad Crossing" The first battle of the Civil War was called "The Battle of Bull Run" (by the Union) or "The Battle of Mananas" (by the Confederates)
The Union lost and this railroad crossing was where the Orange and Mananas railroads crossed near the sight of the battle.
Block 30 is called "Peterson's Stars and Stripes" Peterson's Magazine had a colored drawing of the quilt, and is the first known colored block ever to be published. I appliqued the star in the middle of the stripes.

Civil War Blocks 24 & 25

Block # 24 - "Ladies Aid Album"

Notice the "Red Cross"

(Ignore the crooked picture, but at least it is clear)

Block # 25 "Calico Puzzle"

One more block and we will be 1/2 way through the blocks and 1/2 way through the year!

Civil War blocks

Sorry, this one is blurry again. This is block # 22 and is called "Blockade"

Below is # 23 and is called "Illinois Roads" This is possibly the easiest quilt block I have ever made. It took 10 minutes to make. Cut 4 rectangles of both prints and sew them together to make 4 4" squares, then sew them together. It took almost that long to choose which prints to use to make this block.

My youngest daughter and her boys moved over the Memorial Day weekend, and I made here these cute hotpads from selvages. The back is the same as the binding.

They were so fun to make!

Ann: Newest additions to the Civil War blocks

Blocks 20 & 21.

These really worked up fast. 15 minutes to sew them both together. It took longer to cut them out than to put them together.

Here are the 21 blocks to date. I was able to sew today, as the boys went for a ride with their Mom.

I have really used a lot of that blue. The fat quarter is almost gone. It is good that I can put them together in random order and not all next to each otheer.

Each week a new one comes out and they each have a name given to them by quilters over the years.

#1 is called "Catch Me If You Can", #2 "North Star", #3 "Seven Sisters" (this is to remember the original 7 states from the Confederacy), #4 "Texas Tears", #5 "Kansas Troubles", #6 "Richmond", #7 "Log Cabin" (This one is pretty obvious), #8 "Cotton Boll", #9 "Birds in the Air", #10 "Lincoln's Platform", #11 "London Square", #12 "Louisiana", #13 "Little Blue Basket", #14 "Fox and Geese", #15 "Fort Sumpter", #16 "White House", #17 "Comfort Quilt", #18 "Union Square", #19 "Missouri Star", #20 "New England Block", #21 "Underground Railroad"

Ann: Civil War Blocks

Here are the next 3 blocks (15, 16, & 17) (Oops, 17 is on top)

These are pretty easy and fast to work up.

I am enjoying doing them.