Louisiana Charm

 LeMoyne Stars: 2020  (Started: 2020)

By April 2020, I’d realised that living with COVID was going to be challenging.  I belong to a (non-quilting) group with a small membership who had been unable to meet but we hoped to have a Christmas gathering in order to raise funds for those more deserving.  I thought a simple quilt would make a suitable auction item and help out a bit.

I settled on a Lemon Star pattern from Jenny Doan, Missouri Star Quilts (her fab tutorial 28 Feb 2020, is here) and a nice subtle colour palette of pinks, maroons, greens and creams.  It became my first introduction to making multiple HST’s (half square triangles) which worked out simply and easily, especially with being able to watch Jenny closely and learn from her tips & tricks. 

With little fuss, and seemingly in no time at all, I had a nice top ready to quilt, with time to spare (just) before the gathering.  I normally take at least 2 years to make a quilt, so I was actually rather worried about meeting my deadline.  It all worked out well in the end.  The quilt found a lovely home, a tidy sum was raised, and my stash is slimming off…albeit rather too slowly.

Scrappy stars, pretty in pink (hanging from the "sail loft")

To my mind, the finished quilt had a bit of a French air about it.  The traditional LeMoyne Star block is thought to have originated about 1834 and is named after the Le Moyne brothers who settled in the French Colony of Louisiana in 1699.  Later, in 1718, they founded New Orleans.  The State is home to the Mississippi River, wet-lands called bayous, shrimp boats and oil rigs.  Think vibrant jazz and foot-tappin’ zydeco.  And alligators.  Let’s not forget the ‘gators. 

Out in the garden with that cranky helper, again... 

Just for the Record:

Quilt Finished Size: 190 x 190cm 

Block Sizes: 10” 

Cut in: 17 Apr 2020 

Pieced & Basted: 22 Oct 2020

Quilted: Machine: 1 – 11 Dec 2020

Quilt Type: Traditional

Quilt Finished: 12 December 2020

Exhibited: 

Collection: Home #069

Pattern Name: Lemon Star

Pattern Source: Missouri Star Quilts Tutorial 28 Feb 2020

Fabrics Purchased: From the Stash…

Fabric Design: Traditional Prints & some Stripes

Fabric Style: Soft

Materials Type: Printed Cottons 

Wadding Type: Cotton

Backing: Pieced using left-over remnants & blocks

Underway & trying to find the right balance
of colour for the borders..as you do!

A Few Challenges

Gee's Bend Comes to Town

With four unfinished samples from my Art Quilt class, I began to realise the extent of my UFO collection and felt rather keen to do something about it.  Thankfully I’d started keeping a UFO List way back in January 1997.  Every year from them on (with only a few exceptions!), I had made a New Year’s UFO List.  Somehow 2008 became my year of retribution & shame given the large numbers of bits & pieces languishing in my stash.  However, the year got away from me before I could put salve on that distress; though not before stepping out to the Gee's Bend Quilt Exhibition (31 Oct- 2 Nov 08) – sorry no photos allowed – and participating in a group cot quilt for one of our friends.

I wasn't quite as excited about the Gee's Bend Quilts as I imagined I would be.  I think this was in part due to the venue not showing the quilts to their best advantage.  It was crowded and the lighting poor.  Having recently read Nancy Crow's account of her first experience with these quilts (in "Crossroads"), I can better understand the excitement they generated in the quilting community. (By the way, her Artist's Statement is worth reading too!)

Find this catalogue here

Out of interest, here's a couple of links to Pinterest sites so that you can enjoy the eye candy of:

• Nancy Crow's work, and
• Gee's Bend quilts

During our November meeting, we were Stash Challenged by one of the group (who shall remain nameless – and it wasn’t me) with some real uglies.  But I guess that’s what makes it challenging!  My “challenge” pieces sat for a while in the bottom of my garden shed but eventually another challenge for Australia Day 2013 saw them rise to the fore.  They thus became the basis for my “Apron Quilt”, a submission for the Café Exhibition in December 2012 and subsequent "silent auction" during our Quilt Show, Australia Day 2013.  It was a nice little earner for our cause and went to a good home off-island.  You see, all good things come to pass….

Front view

Quilting close-up

Back view

The idea behind this quilt is that even when "relaxing" with my sewing machine, family duties, especially feeding the masses, is not far from my thoughts.  So rather than quilt the apron in a traditional fashion, I wrote a menu of family favourites (with my trusty machine).  I finished it off with tape measure ties - a subtle reminder that there's a need to watch the kilos.  Too much eating, sewing and sitting can be dangerous.  This was really a rather fun exercise (if you'll excuse the pun!). 

Wools & Waggas

Embroiders Guild Project: 2002 

Having mentioned the Embroiders Guild, I need to add in a quilt that I had almost forgotten about.  Alison had brought some wool samples to one of our regular meetings in 2002 and suggested that we could use them to make a quilt to donate to the Guild in 2003 for a raffle.

Group Christmas Party at Bondi

A basic block using foundation crazy piecing adding embroidered detail into the woollen fabrics was voted in as a interesting take on the woolen wagga format.  Waggas were the recent “big thing” as Australia was discovering its own quilting history thanks to the research of Annette Gero and Margaret Rolfe.  The Rajah Quilt had been “discovered” in 1987 and its connections to convicts aboard the Rajah in 1841 on their way to Australia made known.  We were ripe for discovering our own heritage and Depression era waggas, made initially by men, were a popular source of inspiration.  There’s quite a bit of info out there that relates to the wagga story so I’ve added a few interesting links that you might care to follow.

I think we rather enjoyed putting together this quilt, reminiscing about times of “making do” and learning about past lives.  It was finished at our October Meeting in 2002.  Luckily I found a stray photo or two to remind me of it.

I'm guessing this was my block
with its minimal embroidery..

Toys & Raffles

Antique Toys: 2000  (Stitched: 1998)

Perhaps not quite so much embroidery on this one.....

Block #2

Antique Toys made another appearance in my life as part of a group raffle (Bondi Evening Group) for our Embroiders Guild.  I so enjoyed making the duck block in 1988, I did it again some 10 years later!  We each made up a pattern on a 12” block, in colours that appealed to us, although with a leaning towards a Christmas theme.  We added lots of embroidery (in keeping with our group raison d’etre), then put it all together.  

Alison coordinated this effort, starting with a proposal/design ideas discussion in 1998, supervising construction in 1999 (that means quite a bit when it comes to coordinating group quilts) and then off to the Guild in 2000.  Some very lucky person has now this lovely quilt.

These blocks were chosen from patterns which can be found in Cindy Taylor Clark’s book “Antique Toys”, 1983.  I rather enjoyed the "repeat" exercise (remarkably) so somewhere in my mind I stored away the idea that ONE DAY I was going to make all of the blocks in this set for me…..as you do!  

Bondi Evening Group Donation Quilt 2000

Really Back to School

Trouble & Strife: 1989

Aside from my mammoth TAFE (and other) undertakings, I still wanted to do something for the children’s school - a fun project that their class could participate in and either keep or raffle.  As a result, I came up with the idea of a series of self-portraits (art/quilting/sewing) combined with a collection of their special things. I was kindly allowed to run this workshop with them. 

So, this project was undertaken with the Year 2 (J’s class) at St Mary’s Primary School, Tamworth.  Class requirements were for each child to bring in some of their favourite fabrics (a ragbag remnant from old shorts or dress etc) and some buttons or badges to decorate the quilt. 

In class, each child drew a self-portrait on pre-cut blocks (12 ½“) using fabric (heat set) crayons, then signed it.  I noted where they wanted their decorations added so that I could sew them on later at home.  Despite drawing in seam allowances on each block, most children made full use of the block – a bit tricky when it came to sewing it all together!

The faces (blocks) were arranged in the same order they sat in class.  I added lattice strips made from the fabrics the children had supplied, taking care to ensure I didn’t mix them up.  School colours were then used to frame the blocks.  The quilt was machine pieced and tied with all the buttons, ribbons and badges that the children & school provided.  The whole project took about 30 hours of my time (over September October in 1989).   The children were very pleased with their work. 

Sadly my photos are shockers but I guess I am fortunate to have them.  Never mind - always wise in hindsight!

 

Antique Toys #1

Antique Toys: 1988 

Antique Toys made an appearance in my life as part of a group raffle perhaps for the Guild.  I made the duck, a 12” block, in antique colours and rather enjoyed the exercise.  Somewhere in my mind I stored away the idea that ONE DAY I was going to make all of the blocks in this set…..as you do!

Pam coordinated this effort during 1988. Sadly, I don't even have a photo of either the quilt or my block.

(I am never going to find a photo of this block or the quilt that was made as a result of the group's efforts, so I've included my photo of the same block made in 2000 with the Bondi Evening Group for the sake of explanation.)  

Bicentennial Project 1988

Geelong Quilters Guild Bicentennial Project: 1988

This 80's photo does not do my colours justice...

I won an Honourable Mention for my Guild completion block in 20 Aug 1988 in their “Happy Birthday Australia” competition.  I was terribly excited!  This was an original design all hand pieced in rich blues and ochres of our outback landscape.  I called the 12” block, Star of Australia – very patriotic of me! 

I always found the Guild helpful, friendly and creative in their offerings.  I enjoyed many a workshop under their auspices.  They encouraged quilters to set personal standards quite high, which always showed in their exhibitions of members’ works.

Just for the Record:
Quilt Finished Size: Block only
Block Size: 12”
Cut in: 1988
Pieced & Basted: Hand 1988
Quilted:
Quilt Type: Own Design
Quilt Finished:
Exhibited: 
Collection: Donated to Guild
Pattern Name:  Australia Star
Pattern Source: Own Design
Fabrics Purchased: 1986/87
Fabric Design: Plains
Fabric Style: Cotton
Materials Type: Cotton
Wadding Type:
Backing:

Lessons Learned:
I enjoyed the challenge of designing our own block, and although mine was still a traditional design and a bit fiddly to piece up by hand, I was happy with the outcome.  The star shape suited the bold plain colours (chosen to represent our landscape) and I suspect that I had fallen for Amish colour and design simplicity. If I ever was to make more than one of these blocks again I would (now) choose to use paper piecing by machine…    

Neighbourhood Event

Clays Choice: 1988  (Started: 1987)

This is the best photo I have of the quilt from 1988

Hand pieced and quilted, this was a Raffle Quilt for the Queenscliff Neighbourhood House. 

We started work in March 1987.  Blocks were made and donated by the Swan Bay Quilters.  It finished as a Double Bed size (eight blocks wide by ten blocks long) in autumn tones – design and colours chosen by Sue Longmore.  Completely hand crafted.

And I'd clipped this from our local newspaper at Raffle time

This quilt raised $1700.00 for the QNH in 1988 - an amazing sum.

Just for the Record:
Quilt Finished Size: 183 x 152cm (I'm guessing)
Block Size: 12” 
Cut in: Mar 1987
Pieced & Basted: Machine 1987
Quilted: Hand 1987-88
Quilt Type: Group for Raffle
Quilt Finished: Mar 1988
Exhibited:  Various venues to raise money
Collection: with Prize Winner
Pattern Name: Clays Choice
Pattern Source: Ruby McKim p93 (10" block)
Fabrics Purchased: 1986/87
Fabric Design: Small prints& plains
Fabric Style: Homespun
Materials Type: Cotton
Wadding Type: Thin Poly Batt
Backing: Cotton

Lessons Learned:
We felt so pleased to give something back to the neighbourhood house. The house concept was perfect for busy mums to get some “me” time and for the community to get together for learning, socialising, contributing and just having fun.

Christmas Spirit

Christmas Tree: 1987

My fascination with speedy Seminole piecing knew no limits now and I completed many projects during & for classes at the Queenscliff Neighbourhood House.  It must have been getting close to Christmas because I later put together a rather large Christmas Tablecloth (which is still hiding in my linen closet somewhere) to use up all the leftovers from two Christmas tree hangings.  Stash control at such an early stage...whoa!!

Memories

After piecing, I decorated these trees with lots (for me) of beads & sequins. So much for not enjoying embroidery.  One wallhanging was given away to St Aloysius School as a raffle prize in 1987.  It was won by Rose Nicholson.  The other was only recently donated (2008?) to the Dangar Island “Kindy Kids” who decorate our Ferry Shed for annual Christmas celebrations.  So I am not sure where it is now.  

(It seems so appropriate to have this post up at this time of year & good reason to celebrate 26 years of fiddling around with quilts! ) 

I found a photo after all!  This is my seminole tablecoth