America The Beautiful Panel Quilts

When I was in Myrtle Beach in April I bought these panels.

I used these star blocks to enlarge this one and  added an additional border.

it is 52  by 70".  I plan it as a gift to a great nephew.

This one is bordered in 12" Cracker Blocks.  Thanks to my friend Carole who has been using this block to border panels for sometime and provided me with the pattern when at the beach.  She usually adds an additional border when she uses this pattern for Quilts of Valor.  This is 48 by 60"
I have made the backings for these quilts and they are ready for quilting.

 Leftover nine patches caught my eye and I decided to try a double nine patch.  I love the painterly look of this.  I want to make a scrap quilt that doesn't scream I'M RED!

Squares and Bars and a little garden

Since my box of 2.5" strips was over flowing  - I decided to concentrate on a pattern to use them.

The blocks are 10" square finished so this went together very quickly.

I made a 50 by 70 inch top that I will use as a patriotic donation quilt. Lots of the strips were red and blue.  I went ahead and made a backing for it and put it on the quilting machine.  I think I'll use a fan design for quilting.

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My SIL Paul made a garden plot in the area that John had planted raspberries.  He has planted a variety of heirloom tomatoes.  

I planted a few cucumber seeds at each end.

He put in a watering system that collects rain water from John's workshop roof and drips it to each plant.  This picture is May 29th.  

This is June 16th.   

I'm trying to train the cucumbers upwards so they don't crawl all over the tomato plants.

I've been saving the longer selvage edges from backing fabrics!!!!

Another Treasure from Barb's Attic

These pictures certainly don't convey the interesting nature of this blanket.

There were several blankets of this type in the chest and Barb let me choose the one I wanted.

This was the only one with embroidery and the only blue one.  The others were done in red.

 Thee blanket id 60 by 68" It is made of two lengths of fabric that has been carefully hand slip- stitched together.  The bottom and top are turned back and embroidered around the edge.

I guess the embroidery on the two corners is free form.

I think they may be wool but I'm not certain of it.

Glad they were protected by the cedar chest all these years.

Isn't it interesting that folks used to make their own blankets!

Thanks Barb - I'm  a lucky sister!

A Treasure from Barb's Attic

My sister, Barb lives in a 110 year old farmhouse.  

She has been cleaning out the attic in preparation to selling her home.

Her husband grew up there.  Barb and Jim moved into the house in 1961, about a year after they married.

This quilt was in a cedar chest that Barb had never opened in all those years - I think she had to remove the hinges as it was locked.   She gave me this quilt that measures 64 by 68".

It has no batting - the embroidery on the 4"squares also holds the backing to the quilt top.

Even the binding is sewn down with the same embroidery stitches.

It is very light weight and I think some of the patches are wool.

Barb feels the things in the chest were from Jim's grandmother.

I just love it!