Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Froggy Went a' Courting

"Quilts leave messages in signs and symbols."
~Kathy Doughty

This is absolutely the end of the stripe now sewn as the border. The top is quilted and bound. {No more sticking it back in the stash to age some more.} Instead of salamanders, this one features frogs. I finished the other first because it attracted me a bit more but I've changed my mind. This is my new favorite of the pair. Ha. How's that for fickle affection?

Blue, green, yellow, purple, orange, and red fabrics create a modern Lone Star set on a turquoise print background. The navy border is printed with colorful frogs and the corners are another blue print.
Lone Star quilt 9 with frog border

For the back there wasn't enough of any fabric that worked with the front so I sewed WOFs together... and it still came up short. One more narrow pale blue strip was added. If you ignore that strip it looks a bit like a flag, doesn't it?

My now standard spiral was the quilting choice. This time I held it properly so the result is wave-free. Easy peasy if I just remember to position my hands correctly.

Folded quilt shows part of the front and the background sewn of orange, medium blue, and pale blue print fabrics,
Four stripes make the back of this Lone Star quilt

Next up was binding. The top has lots of bright colors. For a while I tried to match/coordinate with one of them but none worked. Then I really looked at the border. At the outside is a dull navy; not at all expected but it makes the brights shine.

Taking that as an example, I pulled the last of the stripe with dull navies, greys, and reds from Kaja. Perfect. And I have an idea for the remnant, too. Fabrics are moving out of the stash and out the door.

A navy stripe homespun is used to bind this Lone Star quilt.
Binding detail on Lone Star quilt 9

Open, folded, or or simply tossed, this one looks cheery and bright.

What happy memories are sewn into this quilt. The frogs are an obvious sign {see quote above} but it holds deeper memories for me. This child especially loved to play at the creek, wandering miles up and down stream. He brought home loads of precious flotsam/junk every trip - from fossils to tadpoles to bits of pipe stuck in concrete. Lone Stars remind me of one house where my parents had a classic example on their bed. I snuggled under it next to Mother while we watched Wizard of Oz, pulling it over my eyes whenever the wicked witch appeared but keeping my ears open for Glinda. Oh, to have a dress like hers!


Folded quilt shows the front, back, and binding.
Lone Star quilt 9 detail

Quilt Specifics
Size: 38"x38"
Design: Lone Star
Batting: Pellon 100% cotton
Thread: Gutermann 50 wt light blue cotton
Quilting: Spiral with a walking foot
Approximate yardage: 3.75 yd


Off the Bookshelf
DD sent me Old Man's War by John Scalzi, telling me I would enjoy it. She was correct - as usual.
The cover shows a squadron of spacecraft flying to a white planet with red streaks.
Scalzi is a long-time blogger but this was his first science fiction novel; there are currently six in the series and I plan to read them all. At 75, people from Earth may enlist in the Colonial Defense Forces and leave Earth to fight aliens. No one knows how their bodies are enhanced but John Perry and his wife sign up anyway.

Scalzi writes confidently and clearly about what makes us human as well as mortality and life extension. He also begins addressing the ethics of war and humanity's inhumanity, concepts I expect to be developed as the series progresses. I've ordered the second book, The Ghost Brigade.


Enjoy the day, Ann

22 comments:

Julierose said...

Nice finish on this one...I hate when I run out!! You did a good job...hugs, Julierose

Marie said...

Love, love, love it!

patty a. said...

Another fun quilt! I especially like the vibrancy of the outside orange and white border on the star. That binding looks great. It has a bit of color but doesn't compete for attention.

LA Paylor said...

I admire how many quilts you finish. I always like the one I just finished best, til the next one. I do have favorites still, overall. The book concept is so interesting... don't you wish you could just have dinner with the author, and find out what he's really like? This is my point exactly on my connection stories... people can be very interesting when you scratch the surface, and find out what makes them passionate in life. LeeAnna

gayle said...

I've loved each and every one of your lone star quilts (as is also true of your coin quilts), and each one is my absolute favorite. Simultaneously. Yes, I can do that.
Longtime fan of Scalzi - I've read his blog for a decade and have read most of his books. Enjoy!

audrey said...

I love stumbling onto the perfect, yet totally unexpected binding choice. It feels like we're wrapping the quilt up with a special bow! lol Another fantastic Lone Star quilt. The froggy fabric is very whimsical and sweet plus your spriral quilting shows up wonderfully well on the blue fabric.:)

Janie said...

This is your best yet! Practice gives good results. Nice use of color and contrast.
Thanks for the tip on Scalzi, his book and blog. It's always fun to read about other versions of reality.

Quilting Babcia said...

You hit the ball out of the park with this little quilt - love it!

Ann said...

Thanks, Julierose. Running out is better in the long run... that's what I keep telling myself.

Ann said...

Thank you, Marie.

Ann said...

Thanks, Patty. The fabrics came together well even though some of the patches are pieced. How's that for using every scrap. Yes, that's it; the binding doesn't compete with the rest of the quilt. Something needs to take a step back.

Ann said...

How true that the recent finish is usually the favorite. My mother used to say she had a favorite child but it changed every day.
Scalzi is such an active writer. I think I will enjoy reading his blog as well as his other books. Thanks for always writing interesting comments, LeeAnna.

Ann said...

How kind of you to write and tell me, Gayle. And how interesting that you're already onto Scalzi. That's a good recommendation in itself.

Ann said...

You have such a way with images in fabric and words, Audrey. I think this quilt is wrapped in a lovely but quiet bow. Everything seemed to come together well on this quilt. It needs to find a special home.

Ann said...

Thanks, Janie. Practice is improving these results. I hope you enjoy reading his books as much as I have. Others have commented they know of them, too.

Ann said...

Thanks. Love the baseball analogy.

Robin said...

My MIL was a quilter and the quilt I picked out, when she was offering to share, was the one with frogs in the sashing. The whimsy of it was unexpected and playful from this down to earth woman. I really like this quilt with it's bright colors and frogs. You may want to keep it around.

Ann said...

How fortunate you are to have a wonderful quilt from your MIL and to have such happy memories associated with it. I think we best like the quilts that show the personality of the maker. I will be keeping my frog quilt until the perfect recipient appears.

Mystic Quilter said...

So lovely to read about your happy memories Ann, we all need those! Love the quilt and I think I have a little of the frog fabric in my stash, it's delightful.

Ann said...

How interesting that we both have this fabric - now a vintage piece! Let me see when you sew it up, please.

Mary Marcotte said...

I'm amazed by your stars. I've attempted them, to no avail. I've also attempted circle quilting to no avail. Man do I wobble! How do you do it?
The frogs are cute and fun. Someone with a joyful heart is really going to appreciate this quilt. The back works, by the way. At one time I used only muslin for backs but love pieced backs now. I have no idea how that even happened.

Ann said...

They amaze me, too. I can't believe I've made so many. Perhaps I should make a quilt with loads of these and get them out of my system. OTOH they make great baby quilts as long as there's enough fabric for a background.
I remember the days of muslin but never did it then and some guild members were very shocked at my backs. I have used muslin on two quilts in the last few years and find it very soft. But generally the back is a great place to use up old fabrics. And we all have lots of that, don't we?
Happy Holidays, Mary.