Flags Of The American Revolution

It's time for my monthly Flags update.

For the month of December 2014 we were to cut out 5 of these sets for the Star and Moon setting blocks.

I finally decided on this fabric yesterday and I already had my templates made.

They will look similar to this photo from the book.

I appliquéd The Crescents of South Carolina flag.

The Fort Moultrie ( Liberty Moon ) flag was also appliquéd.

Here is a photo of how I started out on the quilt.  I pinned "chunks" of fabric pieces and the freezer paper templates up on my design wall to help get a cohesive look with the different fabrics.

I do this a lot with most of my quilts. 

I don't want any "surprise…it doesn't look good" episodes, having sewed it together

before I audition various fabrics.

Just a photo reminder to show you what I am shooting for in this FOLLOW/SEW ALONG

I am participating in over at

Lori's

Humble Quilts blog.

I will be linking up with the others to show our progress.

November Flag and Sawtooths

I. LIKE.  I.LIKE.  I.LIKE. my November Flag blocks!!

I especially like these sawtooth blocks that will be

scattered through out the quilt.

I agonized over the fabric choices but I dug and I dug

A-N-D 

I DUG SOME MORE

through the ole stash and finally came up with a combination I am happy with.

Make 3 for November………and I did.

Now

on to the Eagle/Dove block.   The official title for this one is 

Whiskey Rebellion. 

The pattern in the book calls it a "bird".  Looks kind of like a dove to me.   Maybe with it being white I don't relate to it being an eagle.

Anyway, this block was a little time consuming and was sort of a jig saw puzzle there around where the red/white ribbons reach towards the beak, but I'm happy with how it turned out.

All my blocks to The Flags of the American Revolution are coming along nicely.  I'm so glad

Lori from Humble Quilts decided on this quilt along.

Everyone who is participating are showing off their blocks with a link up over at Lori's blog.

Run over and take a gander at others and see the variety of fabrics 

being used.  I think that is the FUN part, seeing others interpretation.

Ok, I'm off to see which blocks we're to do for December.

October Flags Finished

There was a little fussy cutting needed for my FLAGS blocks this month.  Three of the blocks

called for star buttons.  Of course, I didn't find any buttons I liked, and besides, as many as I would have needed the total was going to be about $50.00 for the buttons.

No Way!  No Way!

I had some fabric with stars on it so I whooped out my freezer paper, starch and handy tools for hand appliqué pieces and carefully cut out these little stars to use in place of buttons.

Looks good to me.

I also flipped the navy star fabric over and used the back side.  The front side was whiter and brighter but the back was darker and dull and looked better.  The red dotted style fabric I have had for AT LEAST 25 years.  It really wasn't cotton and wanted to be limp and loosy goosey so I STARCHED THE HECK OUT OF IT to get it to play nice with the other cottons.

I did more Fussy cutting on this block too.

Yep, 13 more fussy cut stars here too!

Wow, that's a total of 39 little round stars I sewed down on 3 different blocks!

No fussy cutting here, b-u-t those tiny letters.  I was glad when I finished those.  Kind of time consuming for me.

Finally, just an ole plain one.  YIPPEE!

This is the SONS OF LIBERTY flag.  This had to do with a TAX the colonist had to pay on EVERY piece of paper they used.  CRAZY!

SO,

here are my 5 completed blocks in the Sew Along for the month of October.

I wonder what blocks Lori from Humble Quilts ( our fearless leader in this Sew Along ) has 

lined out for us in the month of November???

Revolutionary Flags Update

It's been a battle!  Yes, I battled and battled the sickness and disease!  Not long after I posted my previous post

I succumbed to the sickness!!

Drats!!

DOUBLE DRATS!!

  I had so much to do and was on a roll!

I so wanted to have an update post on my Flags quilt and be able to link up with

Lori's blog.

So, this is the first MOMENT I've stopped coughing long enough to post my update.

Here is my eagle block.  I got a late start on the Quilt Along and wasn't able to post my update 

on Sept. 1.

It's not complete as yet, just a few more stars to appliqué and I'll be able to sew the corner pieces to the eagle center part.
I decided to put the 13th star at the bottom of the eagle block.  The pattern shows only 12 stars, but
like some others I wanted the original 13 on there.  All the other blocks in the pattern
 have13 stars.

This is the center of the quilt and will be quite large when I sew it all together.  Just the eagle
part is a 22" square.

I.LIKE.

/////////////////////////////////////

For September there were 4 tree blocks to complete.

20 1/2" x 10 1/2"

20 1/2" x 10 1/2"

20 1/2" x 10 1/2"

This tiny tree is not even 3" tall.

It will be appliquéd to another 20 1/2" x 10 1/2" block.

I forgot all about this block until I saw others posting their "4" trees.  Oops, I only had 3.

I REALLY like this quilt and am thankful to Lori from Humble Quilts for getting up the

QUILT ALONG!

This is my first quilt along and I think it will help me to push myself and stay on track

to get it done in a timely fashion…….and besides, I LOVE seeing all the different fabrics the others are using!

Ok……..now back to my regularly scheduled coughing!!

Trying To Make It Fit

I got the parts of the eagle pattern all pieced together to make  this final freezer

paper one.

The fabric yardage calls for a fat quarter for the eagle,

and as you can see I am just barely going

to squeak by…..I'm hoping!

I've done a little trimming here and there on the pattern to get it to fit.

I'm showing the back of the fabric, the way the freezer paper will be ironed on, but you can see a peek  

of the front there on the right side of the eagle.  I like to use the starch method to prepare for my

hand applique.

I'm using 2 pieces of freezer paper ironed together for extra sturdiness since this

is such a large piece.  I'll see how that goes.

Here is the quilt the eagle belongs to.  You can read my previous post to learn about the 

quilt along using this pattern.

Each block represents a particular flag that was used during

the American Revolution.

I. LIKE. THIS. QUILT.

Cross your fingers my eagle will fit on the fat quarter when I go

to press it down!!!

It's The Black Eyed Peas Fault…….and THE squash……and THE okra!

I joined the Flags of the Revolution quilt along over at Lori's blog.  This is my first quilt along and guess what?  First rattle out of the box I'm behind. 

The quilt is in a book by Jan Patek published in 2009.  I finally found a copy of the book and

started digging through my stash and discovered I had about 5 fabrics I

thought looked primitive-ish.  This is my first primitive/patriotic style quilt and I just didn't have these 

style of fabrics.

I finally got the fabric issue solved (maybe).

 Isn't this a GREAT quilt!?  I was really excited to get to it.

AND THEN

 the squash was over flowing and the okra began to

jump up and down and demand my attention.

The bossiest of all this last week has been

the

black eyed peas!

Yep,

Luuuuvvv me sum black eyed peas.

Seeing everyone's eagle blocks shared today at Lori's blog lit a fire in me to get my

black eyed peas finished up today. (at least those that were picked and ready, we have a friend who has a w-h-o-l-e field of peas so I can have as many as I want)

I finally made it upstairs for some fun fabric auditioning and play.

I think I have a plan.

I WILL get caught up with the others.  The other ladies blocks are great and it's fun to see 

the different variations of fabric used.  Run over to LORI'S blog and have

a look see.

My thumbs are so sore from all the pea shelling I hope I can still hand appliqué!! Ha!

Thanks so much Lori!!  I always wanted a patriotic style quilt and your little

quilt along has inspired me to finally sew one!!