From The Time Before

The blog.  We're going way back. Twenty years maybe.  Or just seeming to be that long ago.  Pre-dating the blog, certainly.  Back to the future.

I was traveling with some quilting friends all the way up north to Litchfield to a quilt shop in an old log cabin heated with a big wood fired cookstove.  It had electricity and bolts and bolts of old fashioned -- brand new fabric.  My quilting friends were interested in Civil War type prints.  I became interested in Baltimore Appliqué of the more primitive variety.  No silks.  No ribbons.  Though I later made my way into that.

This wasn't one of the purchased designs.  I think I got this pattern out of another, fancier book.  And used my limited (by design) colors.  Now that I look, I can see another choice of blue here and will be going back to the attic to find the remainder (I hope) of the blue in the vase.  Everything is hand sewn.  Even the sawtoothed sashing.  Reverse appliqué.  I cut open the print squares, folded back the edges and appliquéd.  The block measures 22.5 across the midpoint including the sashing.

This block will get it's last border when I sew it to the next block. But you already knew that.

I mentioned the blue because I am almost OUT.  And need more for the outside borders which will be appliquéd with motifs from all the inside blocks.  There were supposed to be 8 inside blocks.  I think we are closer to 12.   I have a fat handful of finished sawtooth borders.  Not enough.  I went on a 90 mile round trip of the State of Maine (G drove) looking for more of the dotted background.  I have plenty of that!!!  I didn't think to look for or buy more blue.

But first......I put all the blocks on the dining room floor and then attached notes to the ones I think need work.  Some need parts removed (birds).  Some need different fabrics (unsew and replace).  Some need additional fabrics (circles need double centers).   Some will donate their appliqué fabrics to the others.  I don't need them all.

My memories of the criticism these blocks (and ME) engendered has faded.  My choice of the dotted background was greeted with criticism--was I weak in the head?  It wasn't "correct".  My choice of hand reverse appliqué over using the sewing machine was seen as "showing off."  Life in a quilt guild was hard on me at times.  And I was even President of the chapter at one time.  They still whispered behind my back. My colors were too "loud" and not "Period Specific"

But, I am retired now and enjoy hand sewing in the evenings ( and I don't go to Guild Meetings).  So, I hauled the blocks out.  And will happily hand appliqué until they are un-sewn, re-sewn and sashed.  Life in the Slow Sew Lane. And I did find three designs I drew but didn't make.  So there is room to grow....... but I am wondering who will ever use this fancy quilt?  Who was EVER going to want it or need it or use it?  Perhaps, that was more why I didn't finish... the quilt had no where to go.