Saturday, August 31, 2013

Stay Safe This Weekend


If you are traveling this weekend to celebrate Labor Day, don't drink and drive. If, like me, you are staying home, don't drink and quilt -

 
See what can happen??

Honest, all I had was 2 cups of coffee this morning . . . . Probably should have stopped at one.

 
(My husband tells me that I shouldn't fix it - that the person who gets this block in the signature swap is a lucky duck. Might be worth something someday.)
 
To my friends in the U.S.  - Have a Happy Labor Day
 
Some of us will be laboring away this weekend, trying to finish those 120 "What Was I Thinking" signature blocks for 2 swaps -
 
 
Others, not so much:
 
 
(In her defense, it's a thankless job chasing squirrels and chipmunks and just looking so darned cute all day long. But somebody's got to do it.)
 
No chores for me this weekend. I've had a busy time of it recently launching my daughter (no, not to the moon, although some days I thought about it . . . . ) off to school. I already told my husband he's on Home Duty. I'm taking time off for good behavior -  I did not kill or maim any members of my family (who shall remain unamed) this summer. Moms, back me up here!  
 
When things get too tough at the sewing table I plan on taking a break and doing some reading this weekend as well.
 
 
Funny how a good crime novel nearly always fits the bill.
 
Have a good weekend! 

Friday, August 23, 2013

Old Signature Blocks

Some of you who have been reading my blog for a few years may remember when I wrote about the signature blocks I received.

In 2011 I gave a presentation to a guild in Peoria, IL. Someone there had brought in 28 signature blocks made by the founding members of the guild that were hand pieced and not only signed, but signed with embroidered letters. At the meeting, they offered them up to anyone who wanted them and no one in the group did! So, Sentimental Me, I took them home. I couldn't bear for them to be tossed out or thrown away.
 
My collection of 28 signature blocks, signed by women from the recent past I do not even know, LOL - 


The embroidered signatures are just lovely.


Along with the blocks was a newspaper from 1984, which is around the time I assume the blocks were made, so no, they are not that old. An article in the Arts section contains photos of some of the women who made the blocks. Quilt blocks from 1984 certainly do not qualify as antiques, but many of them are so nice and do have an older look.


My Yahoo group is working on signature blocks for 2 different  signature block swaps right now. I've had a very busy summer and have been preoccupied with family and home stuff and so still have to sew quite a few of the 120 blocks I committed to making. Slowly but surely . . . .

 
I will not be embroidering my name on any of the blocks I'm working on now (Whew! Can you imagine??), just using a Pigma pen to sign them. The geese are finished . . . now I just have to sign the centers and put the blocks together. And then finish the other 60 odd snowball blocks for the other swap . . . They go pretty fast if I can only get enough time to work on them at one sitting without interruption - Hah! Not as easy as that sounds in my house.

 
The finished blocks will look like these. This quilt is very special to me - it's the Friendship Quilt from my last book The Civil War Sewing Circle, signed with names of some of my friends in my Yahoo group from all over the world (the pattern is in the book). 

I've blogged about my fascination with signature quilts from the past before so these old blocks were right up my alley and I was glad to receive them. Now all I have to do is figure out what to do with them. You know how good I am about finishing unfinished projects . . . . especially ones that are not even mine. Sharon, Rosalie, Betty, Pat or Shirley - if you are still alive and reading this and want your blocks back and promise to make them into a quilt, they are all yours!
 
 
See more about the history of friendship quilts and signature blocks here
 
P.S.:  Notice anything especially cute in this photo below? Yes, I had my own Sentimental Quilter mug made up and I am working on making them available for purchase very soon.  If I can figure out shipping and handling that doesn't cost an arm and a leg (or more than the mug) you may soon be able to have one for your very own too.