President’s Blocks, Part 3
Hello and welcome to Stash Bandit! I’m Diane Harris and it’s nice to have you here.
I’ve been telling the story of some blocks I received in the late ’80s.
This takes us up to The Rest of the Story, in the words of Paul Harvey.
When the quilt top was finished, I still had the other half of the Nine Patches left over. It seemed a shame to throw them away.
All of those fabrics had been cut into patches for me. The stitches had been taken for me. The blocks had been gifted to me. I just couldn’t pitch them.
I brainstormed for what to do. Making another quilt wasn’t sensible, but using them in this quilt was. I toyed with creating a border but decided to sew the halves together into wonky Nine Patches.
Only one of these has a signature. It belongs to Lorena, my renegade friend who had to sign one name in each white patch, of course. Two of her names are on the quilt front and two landed here, on what will become the back. (If you knew Lorena, you’re laughing.)
For the quilt back, I set the new wonky Nine Patches into columns with scrappy pink setting triangles and sewed the columns together. Lengths of two more pink prints went down each side to make it big enough. And now we are ready to quilt.
While this is no masterpiece, I had so much fun making it! It brought back memories of so many people and our happy times together. There’s even a block from one person whom I didn’t really care for, but I’m glad she’s on the quilt. Funny how time softens the edges.
These blocks have stayed with me for around 32 years as a UFO of sorts and as soon as the quilting is done, they’ll be an FO instead! What a victory! I guess it’s never too late.
In case you’re wondering, these are the names found on the quilt.
Kathleen Ernesti, Donna Rector, Ellen Boyle, Gloria Nelsen, Penny White, Velesta Halbur, Sandra Renli, Wilma Amen, BJS, Doris Volk, Joyce Pick, Shirley Anderson, Maxine Kraemaer, Sue Sindelar, Sandy Eckert, Inger Hansen, Lavonne Hornik, Mattie Niewohner, Daytime Friendship Quilters, Mary Goetsch, Lila Brown, Marilynn Heller, Julie Deering, Carol Monk, Elsie Acklie, Joan Waldman, Lorena Edna Marie Kouba, Peggy Haas, Genelle Trowbridge, Shirley Hassler. There’s an unsigned block from Sherry Stuifbergen.
I can’t wait to reimagine another long-stored project, but right now I have my mind on Dresden Plate quilts. My next two programs will feature my Dresden collection and I want to have some new things to show. All of that upcoming. Until then, keep on scrappin’!
I’m a quilter who loves everything about the process and I enjoy sharing it with others. My energetic trunk shows are lively entertainment for your quilt guild. I’d love to come to your city so give me a call and Let’s Talk Quilts!
Tags: inspiration, make extraordinary scrap quilts, original quilt designs, quilt design, quilt ideas, scrap quilts, trunk shows, UFO
Beverly
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Diane – Blessings to all Guild leaders – you accomplished a great finish! Nice to see those 32 years grow into an extra memory too.
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Bonny
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Diane, this whole process has been so inspiring! Scrappy reds, forgiving coping strips, utilizing the leftover pieces for a coordinate backing. So many ideas to use on my own UFO orphans! Thank you!
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Diane Harris
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I’m so happy to hear that you’ve enjoyed it, Bonny! Thanks for your kind words. You made my day! 😊
Brenda Ackerman
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Hello Diane, I just discovered your blog yesterday while I was following links on Quilt Blocks of the Months. I did not have the opportunity to look around yesterday, but today I did and am thrilled that I did! Your 3 part post on this quilt project was very moving for me. I have seemed to have lost my love of quilting over the past year and it just seems to continue to slip away. I cried when I read how you did not care that the seams did not match and the colors and fabrics were all varied but that you came to absolutely love this quilt and all of the cherished memories those blocks held. Thank you for sharing this magnificent quilt with us. Have a wonderful day!
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Diane Harris
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Hello Brenda, your kind words absolutely made my day! Thank you so much for sharing your response with me. I appreciate it so much! I have found that creativity requires tremendous emotional energy, and there have been times in my life when I just did not have it in me. For instance, after my mother died when I was 36, or after a third miscarriage during that same decade. Eventually my sewing mojo returned, and I trust that yours will, too! Big hugs to you, my quilting friend.