Blogger's Quilt Festival 2

I realized that I can choose and link up 2 of my quilts in Blogger's Quilt Festival  

Here is my 2nd quilt. You can see my Scrappy Quilt entry HERE

Quilt Stats:

Pieced by Mary Crowther July-August 2012

Quilted on an APQS with Side Saddle by Lynn Wilson of Thread and Bolts.

Quilting design: 'Swirling b2b' by Anne Bright

fabrics provided by Quiltmaker: Red Rooster 'Abigail' by Kathy Brown.

Size: 50" x 50"

 I'm entering my 'Tester' Quilt "The Friendship Chain" in the Throw Quilt Category HERE.
My Big Reveal Post last year was HERE.

I made this quilt with one of the blocks I Tested for the 100 Blocks Magazine Volume 6.  

The main block was Laura Blanchard's "Split Decision".

The alternate block is called 'Friendship Quilt' and was published in the Kansas City Star August 17, 1938.  The book tells of this block being used with a Name written in pencil in the center, then embroidered by the ladies who made quilts with it back then. 

The editor's named my quilt "Friendship Chain"

Me with the quilt and with the Ladies at the Quiltmaker Offices in Golden Colorado last December. Thanks to my DD #2 for taking me there to see it hanging in the gallery.  

The Quiltmaker Staff brought the quilt back to me at the BLOCK Party in Portland last March. 

I blogged about it HERE and HERE.

 It is the #3 quilt on pg 88 of Volume 6 100 Blocks Magazine.

 Here's a close up of the quilting pattern and the quilt while it was being quilted.

There are several categories and each one has their own LINKY box.  I hope to get around to more of the categories and do some Blog hopping. Be sure and leave your comments as you visit.  
We ALL blog for comments.  I'd gladly accept a Nomination and Votes too.

Design Wall Monday- November 12, 2012

Today I get to show off the "Tester" Quilt that is in this Magazine.

 It shows up on News Stands Tuesday November 13th- or you can buy it HERE.

I waited until I had the last Block to test, and ended up choosing the first one.  Funny how that happened.
Choosing the fabric before the pattern isn't easy! The other blocks just didn't talk to me for this fabric by Kathy Brown designer of the Teacher's Pet fabrics, "Abigail" line for Red Rooster.  It wasn't my 1st choice. It's ironic that my maiden name is Brown and I have a DGD named 'Abigail'.  This quilt was meant to be made by me. 

 I made as many blocks as the fabric would allow and tried to think of an alternate Block to add more blocks to the quilt and use more of the fabrics.  9-12 Blocks were needed to submit it for the magazine. I tested a couple of alternate blocks- A double nine patch was my first choice- easy.

Then, I went to my Book collection and found the book "My Stars- quilt patterns from the Kansas City Star"  This block is called 'Friendship Quilt' and was published in the Kansas City Star August 17, 1938.  The book tells of this block being used with a Name written in pencil in the center, then embroidered by the ladies who made quilts with it back then. 

Here it is on- point with the Friendship Block in the center.  Still not sure but I made the Blocks to fill in for the 9 patch layout.  It was tricky using the directional Stripe and deciding how to orient them for the quilt.

I had to turn it for a straight setting and add borders.  I used the fabrics as miserly as I could.  To make it bigger I added the green border then the border (same as the background), ending with a random squares border.

I finished the top August 24th.  A little past the Deadline of Mid July, early August. :/  I took it out to be quilted and found that the Backing fabric I'd chosen didn't quite match the look of the finished top.  It would have been ok, but not want I'd be happy with had I used more of the stripe or mossy green fabric.  Lynn's Shop to the rescue- she had a bolt of the 'ABIGAIL' fabric line that matched perfectly. It was quilted with "Swirls" pattern by One song needle arts.  It measure 50"x 50" square. The editors gave it the name "Friendship Chain". It is the #3 quilt on pg 88 of Volume 6.

 I took pictures as usual as I was making it to be ready for this posting.  Keeping it a secret is the hardest part of Testing. The DH saw it in progress and offered a few opinions.  Quilt Buddy; Lynn got to see it once I had it to the Flimsy, because it was quilted on her Long Arm. THANKS- Thread and Bolts! This photo was taken at the shipping place.  Id' forgotten to get a picture of it with ME.  I'll get a better one in Colorado when I go to see it hanging in the offices at Quiltmaker.




Click HERE to see more Design Wall Monday Postings. Gotta love MONDAY!