Becky's quilt obsession

The Dunn family reunion is finished, and was a success. I so enjoyed visiting with cousins I rarely see. The reunion quilt was a success. People had fun finding their blocks. As I expected, one cousin had two names on her block of someone she was going with in 1997- and has since married someone else. I told her I meant to bring painter's tape so people could cover up names if needed! My cousin Mary from OKLA was delighted to receive it as caretaker / owner. I was glad it made her happy. The quilt pictured above is another quilt I made and gave away. This one was made back in 2000. The blocks were part of the ones left when my grandmother died in 1968, and my mother gave me to finish in 1998. If you can't read the label - these were given to my cousin's mother by her first class of elementary students back in the early 30's. My mother had told me she offered them to my cousins, but they didn't want them. I wonder if they ever actually saw them. A few o...

The Dunn family reunion quilt from 1997 is finished!!! It has a label and everything. This picture was taken as I took the quilt off the quilting machine, but it has a binding now. I have the stack of CD's of the Photo album from 1941-43 finished as well. Good thing, the reunion is this Sunday. I have one other quilt I am going to take to give away while there. It is for the cousin that persisted and "found" me in time for the reunion. When my Grandmother died, my mother cleaned up her sewing stuff, and took some incomplete blocks, etc. She kept them for about 30 years, then gave them on to me. I made a quilt from one set of the blocks. They had a note on them that they were made for my mother's cousin from her first class - she was a teacher. They have embroidered signatures. That would be in the 1930's. I finished that quilt about 10 years ago, but had no contact with the cousin that found me. I hope she will be pleasantly surprised. DH and I cle...

The Reunion quilt top is finished ( see previous blog), waiting for me to leave in a few minutes to go down the street and long-arm it. The big star on my right design wall remains unchanged, but I've started on the 16" Sawtooth star blocks to make the 2nd border in the quilt. I'll make the 1st one after I measure the blocks and the center square, and make it all fit right. It is supposed to be 8" - we will see. Being a quilter helps when repairing veneer on old furniture. I am working on the top of my mother's (now mine) table. An electrician had drilled all the way through a wall and into the table top. I repaired it last night, and several places on the leaves of the table, and did use a rotary cutter to cut the veneer - a very thin piece of red mahogany. I've worked on repairing veneer one time previously, and this one was easier. I think it is just like quilting - practice, practice, practice. Happy Quilting, Becky Email me

The top of the reunion quilt is together! Now all I have to do is find time to go down the street to the quilting machine and quilt it, then bind it by the 18th of July. Thanks to all those who commented on setting and borders. I did rearrange the blocks to spread out the pieced blocks, and I think it is nicer. I found a black fabric with a little blue for a stop border. In real life it does show up against that top dark block. My DH asked me who would get "custody" of this quilt. One of my cousins from Oklahoma was always so good to my mother. She lost her own mother, my mother's sister, when she was about 20. She always visited my mom, and sent tickets, etc, for mother to go to Oklahoma to be the "grandmother" in her son's wedding. She is always generous with her time, and was one of the two coordinators of the reunion in 1997. If she wants it, I think she will be a good caretaker, and pass it on to family. My DD came over Tuesday, and entered...

The ugly fabric challenge blocks are back in the drawer. It will be August before the next blocks are listed on Stashbusters with directions. The center big star is sewn together, the 4 corner blocks are made, and I need to make 20 more 16" blocks out of green moose fabric. It has been put on hold for a bit. We finally set the date when we are going to Idaho to visit the recipient - Labor Day - so I can change over to a more pressing project. Last week I received a phone call from a cousin (I have many) that I haven't talked to in years. We had a delightful conversation, and I found out that there is going to be a Dunn family reunion at Big Lake, MO, June 18th. How delightful! Of course I'll go, and try to bring some of the family with me. It only gives me two UFOs that I need to finish by then - Yikes!! The picture on the right is what I've been working on for the past 4 days, with time out for July 4th family activities. When we had the last Dunn family reun...