Special Trip Around the Midwest completed!

In 2005 I retired and moved 

from Buffalo Grove, Illinois to Clarinda, Iowa.

The relocation went well, 

but I really missed my church and quilting friends from Illinois.

In 2007 

my friends Cindy Kiel, Lenor Davis, Glenda Foley, 

Carmen Talbott and Beth Carroll 

drove in to Clarinda from their homes in

 Illinois, Oklahoma and Kansas to visit me.

We talked and quilted for four days and 

all went to the Praise Band service on Sunday at 

the Clarinda First United Methodist Church. 

Before they left, they gave me a gift of several fabrics 

and I added some of my stash

and made a quilt using the Trip Around the World pattern

to remember their visit.

I machine quilted it and my sister Judy Steeve 

just whipped the binding down.

Thank you, Judy!

Lovely fabrics....great friends....

Special Trip Around the Midwest!

* * * * * * * *   

My sister Deb Corcoran came today 

and helped me pin on another Civil War quilt.

Thank you, Deb!

Last night when I was choosing one to quilt, 

I found I had two (almost) identical  108" square quilts.

It appears I forgot I already made one 

from my "to do" list and remade it. 

Well, I really do like the pattern!

When they are both done, I'll send pictures. 

I can't believe I forgot I made two almost exactly alike.

(I do remember being grumpy 

because I was almost out of fabric.)  

Hope you don't do that...unless you want to.

Carlene

I'm still alive and blogging again after almost a five-year hiatus!

Hello, friends!  

Several years ago I had an idea to make 

six different quilts featuring Civil War reproduction fabrics. 

 This photo is of the top half of one of these quilts.

I just finished piecing the blocks and 

sewing two sets of 25 blocks together tonight. 

Is it a pattern from the 1860's?  Who knows?  

I can't find the pattern in 

the Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns 

compiled by Barbara Brackman.  

My friend, Lenor Davis suggested the pattern 

could be described as a modified fence rail.  

Good idea.

My friend, Kathy Brooks from near Chicago, Illinois 

had made a quilt using this pattern years ago.  

 I just know I liked the pattern and I had to make it.

* * * * * * 

Here are photos of some of 

the other quilt tops and completed quilts 

 I have pieced in 2014.

* * * * * *

I purchased two kits named Hanky Panky 

at the Pine Needles Quilt Shop in Cedar Rapids, Iowa 

and made this large queen quilt top.  

It is one of the 45+ quilt tops awaiting my machine quilting.  

* * * * * *

I purchased two layer cakes of the "Collage" fabric line 

and pieced this couch quilt which was a Christmas gift 

for my niece and her husband, Brittany and Doug Loudenback

 who live in Connecticut.  

I used the Missouri Star Quilt Company tutorial 

named "Cheerio" for my instruction.

I quilted it on my new Statler Stitcher and 

was pleased that it arrived at its new home before Christmas.  

* * * * * *

I had a generous selection of fabrics

 from the "Wordplay" fabric line 

and used them plus some of my other fabrics

 to piece two couch throws/wall hangings

based on the "Cheerios" pattern, too.  

After Statler Stitcher quilting, 

they were gifts this autumn to my sisters

Jo Anne Souza in Connecticut

 and Judy Steeve in Clarinda.

Well, it is time for me to retire tonight.

  My goal is to begin REGULAR blogging. 

 I hope you come back and 

find blogs every single week in 2015.

Merry Christmas! 

Carlene