So after spending way too much time in the doctor's office yesterday to get more and better drugs for my eyes I came home and got the courage up to lay the donation quilt blocks out on the bed...Now I love applique but the scariest moment in quilting has to be squaring up the blocks...eakkkkkk. Just think of it - hours and hours of work goes into each of these blocks and for the next couple of moments all that work will be at the mercy of my rotary cutter.
I have only ever made a "squaring-up-error" once...but that "error" was on a Baltimore Album block (which became 1 inch too thin) and has stayed with me for a long time. The "measure twice cut once" mantra has become "measure twice...get more coffee...measure and mark again...take a deep breath...get another pair of glasses...check the measurements...then cut...say a prayer...check to see if the block is the right size...if so, do a happy dance"...then repeat the entire sequence (with perhaps a glass of wine somewhere in the middle of the project....)
Each block was made by a different quilter in the guild and I am happy to say only one leaf and one bud needed to be moved. Phew. One quilter ran into some health problems with only a couple of stars left to put on so this morning that block will be handed off to another volunteer. If I don't have it together by the first of August the first week of August is a definite possibility....
This quilt design is from Simply Vintage by Alma Allen and Cherie Ralston of Blackbird Designs and used for the charity project with their approval. It is a good design for a group project since some blocks are very involved but other very accessible for new appliquers. Most of the fabric came from various members stashes and leftovers from a donation quilt made a few years ago. (We have found that applique quilts tend to raise more money than our pieced ones...just a local observation!) The donations go to Camp Rainbow, a summer camp run by the Medical Center of Georgia for children with critical illnesses.Now off to try a new recipe for an upside down fig cake! A guild member brought a huge basket of figs from her tree to bee...Years ago I had a great cake somewhere in the Med (think it was Malta?) and am trying to recreate it...wish me luck!
10 comments:
Now that's the quilt I'd like to win!! It already looks beautiful!
Oh, just look at that precious kitty. You are so right about all the measure-think about it-measure preliminaries. Twice isn't enough. That's interesting that your applique quilts raise more money. Maybe people do realize how much more time they usually take.
Lovely quilt. This is where you need one of those really big square up rulers.... I can certainly understand the pressure. Great job.
LUCK!! sounds yummy let us know how it turned out! the quilt is looking great!
That is going to be an amazing quilt...all that appliqué is so pretty!!
quilt looks great! I hope it raises LOtS OF money!
Kathie
BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Like the kitty too, sweet.
i will have to square up some embroidery blocks (in a year or two) ... the pattern says to make a square/rectangle the correct size with freezer paper, lay it on the stitchery and press - it can be moved around if necessary - and then cut it ... do you think that will work? all of the hours spent stitching could end up in bits and pieces and it freaks me out to even think about it ...... please pass the wine
Beautifully done blocks. I have that book but I don't remember having made anything out of it yet. Your group of ladies did a very good job. And you evidently measured an adequate number of times before squaring up.
It's a truly lovely quilt. You did a great job and I'm sure it will raise enough money to make several children very happy.
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