What I Found in the Leftover Bin

'America was built on inefficiency.' ...The price for efficiency was paid by the bookstore, the hardware store, the sporting goods store that closed on... main streets all over America. These stores had helped to build their towns. But, compared to Amazon, they were all inefficient.

~Brian Alexander, The Hospital

Quilting

Do you recognize these blocks? There are leftovers from three different quilts. The center, of course, are the absolute last of The Square Deal blocks. Intellectually I wanted to do something else with these blocks. They were going to be a border until I pulled the second set of blocks. Those were the row from the first attempt of Optical Illusion. Now the first set must be the center {again} and I couldn't find an arrangement I liked better. 

The four photos below highlight some of the ways I laid them out. While there's a little wonkiness because they aren't sewed together, most of the serration comes from the four different lengths of the Illusion {border} blocks. 

Four possible border layouts

In the end this was my favorite choice. Opposite sides have the same block lengths - long on top and bottom and short on the sides. Two medium-length blocks turn each corner. And the square blocks in the corner? Those are the last four blocks from our #AHIQStringTulipQAL. How's that for using it all up?

You can also see in the first photo some of the fabrics I considered to make the center cross but in the end chose a blue and white stripe. It's a whole yard so it was difficult to cut into it and use less than half. 

Square Deal 3 with final border arrangement

Quilters build supplies over time. Whether stash or scraps, we are always attracted to beautiful fabrics and simply must keep them around. Additionally, many of us keep sample and extra blocks from previous projects. {Sometimes I think the smart quilters donate all this stuff.} I save/collect all three of these categories but I have less patience with the crowding they create in my sewing areas. Hence, my constant efforts to sew them up and move them out. What do you save and how do you use it? Or do you? Do your savings inspire you or weigh on you?

FUR (Fabric Use Rate)

No finished quilts this month so it's still 59 yards this year.

Reading

This pair of books is an interesting commentary on current medical care in the US. The Emergency written by Thomas Fisher, MD, recounts the difficulties of care and paucity of resources in poor sections of Chicago while The Hospital by Brian Alexander reprises similar problems is a rural Ohio town.  Personally, I think undermining the Affordable Care Act shows tremendous lack of concern for all Americans. We are not living in the 18th century and every person deserves some level of health care. If we don't provide it collectively, we will never be able to afford it individually. Both books could start conversations about our future as human beings. 

Enjoy the day, Ann

String Tulips Quilted and Gone

Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs but not every man's greed.

~Mahatma Gandhi

Quilting

Taking a {hopefully short} break from the baseball quilt. Family members asked for quilts for their friends having babies and this quilt was the easiest to finish up. The top was completed in April. It's better to quilt them soon after. What looked good becomes indifferent with time. 

String Tulip baby quilt 3

The tulip petals are outlined and echoed. The white background is stippled.  

String Tulip 3 stipple quilting detail

The ESS blocks are free-hand quilted in a zig zag design that moves easily from one to the other because nothing shows in all this business. 

String Tulip 3 zig zag quilting detail

The outer border is a free-hand loop. And it's done.

The back is three purple {approximately} half yard pieces sewn dark to light. Not clever but easy and adds more color. Because this quilt was so quiet... ;-)

String Tulip 3 quilt back

One more photo of it folded ready to roll into a mailer.

String Tulip 3 quilt folded

Quilt Specifics

Size: 47" x 47"

Design: String tulips and string block border

Batting: Mountain Mist Cream Rose cotton

Thread: Gutermann 50/3 light and dark green cotton thread

Quilting: SID and FMQ

Approximate yardage: 6.5 yds

Previous posts:

1. String Tulips QAL intro

2. String Tulips QAL Month 1

3. String Tulips QAL Month 2

4. String Tulips QAL Month 3

5. Previous String Tulips quilt 2

It's already reached its forever home and will be well loved. Several more have been requested. I need to search out some stashed blocks and bits. 

Enjoy the day, Ann

String Tulip QAL Month 3

A party without cake is really just a meeting.

~Julia Child

Quilting

So many household repairs needed attention that it was hard to push forward on the tulips. How did you all do? It's no problem if you're behind; we're all working at our own pace. And several quilters have branched in their own directions. For example, Kaja pieced tulips and Julie created an applique so lively I can see the blooms blowing in a breeze. Not only are her colors gorgeously bold, but her tulips are strung horizontally across the petals rather than vertically. Be sure to take a look.

Although I'm sharing directions, this is improvisation. Do what you want whether they are tulips, strings or something completely different. My directions are there simply to help people who are more hesitant and the many people who asked how I made the ESS blocks. 

This month we'll appliqué the center and put the top together. As usual, these are just suggestions, hopefully enough to get beginners started. There are many ways to accomplish these steps; this is just the one I used. Look at YouTube for other methods.

String Tulips quilt

Sew the Borders

We left off with the center cut two-inches larger than the finished dimensions of the ESS blocks. Remove the paper from the ESS blocks and lay them out as a border. Sew the four sides together so the lengths can be verified. Press the borders carefully {NO ironing and NO steam} because all the sides are bias. 

For ESS string block borders sewn

Find the Center

Once the length is established, fold the center {that  was cut an inch or two wider} into quarters and press. 

Center of String Tulips is quartered and pressed

Marking a perimeter keeps the tulips from creeping into the seam allowance. The center may shrink up a bit once the appliqué is done which is why a washable marker was chosen and why we added an inch or two extra to the center. If your string blocks are a different length than mine, change the measurements.

Center the ten-inch marks of the ruler on the center crease then draw the perimeter with the marker. {Or half your personal border width.} Repeat for each quarter of the center. 

Marking the center perimeter with ruler and washable marker

Prepare Tulips

Previously I needle turned the tulips but this time I hand basted the seam allowance. Or use raw edge appliqué or any other method.

Basted seam allowance of tulip

When they are all ready, pin them to the center background. Eyeball the location or measure with a ruler as long as they are inside the marked line. Try to position the center petal along the main diagonals with the point toward the corner.

String Tulips pin basted to the center

Prepare Stems

Measure the diagonal distance between two tulips to calculate how long the stems will be. Add an inch or two to slide under the flower bases. It can be trimmed back later but it would be a shame to run short.

For sturdy stems use binding remnants. Stems can easily be changed to any width you like. Mine were cut 2.25-inches and finish about 1.125".

Stems don't have to be green. Try unexpected colors to see what happens. 

Four possible stem choices for String Tulips

Open the binding and press both edges to the center. 

Pressing the tulip stems

Position the Stems

Fold the stems in half to locate the centers. Place the centers of both stems on the center of the background and extend each stem diagonally so they make ninety degree angles. Pin or glue the bottom one down. Pin or glue part of the top one down but leave one side loose to fold it back while sewing the bottom one.

Pinning the stems in place

Once you know there is sufficient seam allowance for the stems, tuck the ends under the tulips. 

Check that everything is well placed. If you are adding leaves, etc, lay those templates temporarily in place to ensure there's enough room. Adjust as needed {which could mean scooting something over or increasing its seam allowance. Note: A narrower tulip like Julie's {link at the top} leaves more room for additional appliqué pieces. Think about it.

Appliqué

Use your machine's edge stitching foot or blanket stitch to appliqué the bottom stem, starting and ending  under the tulips.

Applique the stem under the tulip

Then repeat with the top stem. 

Applique the tulip stems

Finally stitch around each tulip. Choose thread to match your fabric or not. I found it easier to start at the top right point. Slow down at the base where there's a wad of seams. Repositioning the presser foot by lifting it momentarily will help ease the sewing.

Applique the tulips

Add Additional Appliqué

I added eight circles but you could add anything you want... or nothing at all. Since I own a set of Karen Buckley's Perfect Circles, that's what I used to choose circle sizes. Look around your house for any circles... bobbins, spice bottles, etc. Place your templates on the background to check the size.

Possible circle templates

These fabrics from my stash repeat colors on the white print. I cut a few of each to test which would work best. 

Possible circle fabrics

Cut them out, then pin or glue them in place. Check the position then appliqué them in the same way as the tulips and stems.

Adding a circle above the tulip

Sew the Borders to the Center

Once all the appliqué is finished, it's time to re-measure the center. This time, mark the cutting line. In my case, that's a perimeter 10.25-inches from the center for each quadrant. I lined the ruler up with the 10.25 line on those pressed lines on the background. 

Mark the new sewing line for the center section

The appliqué pulled my center in about an eighth-inch. As a check, the cutting line you are marking now will be a quarter-inch or more than the previously drawn line.

Then cut the center along that line, pin the borders to opposite sides and ease them onto the center.

Add Outer Border

The ESS blocks are all bias so I added a narrow outer border to stabilize the quilt. {The other choice is to stay stitch an eighth-inch from the edge.} Cut strips 1.75-inches by WOF and seam together as needed. My first two sides are 40.5", the length of eight ESS blocks plus two seam allowances. The second two sides are 43". Measure your blocks to determine your personal lengths.

String Tulip 3 quilt top

Pin or mark the length and the center then pin each to a side and sew.

Ta da! Top done!

On a personal note, I'm fully Pfizered. Hopefully everyone will be vaccinated soon, the only way we can kill off this virus.

Enjoy the day, Ann

String Tulip QAL Month 2

The main thing is to have a gutsy approach and use your head.

~Julia Child 

Quilting

Welcome to the second month of the #AHIQStringTulipsQAL. How did the first month go? I anticipate many inventive variations of the ESS blocks. And explosions of color and creativity. 

Three people have already shared the blocks they've finished to date. Look at them all and compare how the choices they made change this block. Each has interpreted the basic directions to suit herself. None is "more right" than the others. It's simply a matter of choosing your own way.

1. Sharon at ascensionheart already finished all her ESS blocks. Wow. Her light sides make the Xs stronger and the colors are bright and cheerful.
2. Maureen posted hers on MysticQuilter as well as on the AHIQ blog. If you read her blog you'll know she's a master gardener and this shows in the sophisticated prints and selections that make her Xs look like flowers in bloom.
3. Kaja's blocks frequently use of a blue and white plaid at or near the center strengthens her design. Her free-spirited placement of values make the Xs weave from side to side.

This time we'll decide on the center background, and cut and sew the tulips. More thinking this month and a bit more time to finish the ESS blocks. 

String Tulips quilt

Size the Center

Before making tulips, we need to calculate the size of the center of the quilt and choose a background that works with the borders. Remember we are working like a kawandi - from the outside in. Measure your blocks to determine the center size. For my baby quilt, the sum of four string blocks finished is the finished size of the center. Add seam allowances. 

Then add another inch or two because sewing the appliqué often causes the base fabric to shrink a bit. Just remember to re-square the center when the the appliqué is finished. {I learned that from Audrey. Thanks!}

My blocks are 5.5" unfinished or 5" finished. Four of them equals twenty inches finished or 20.5" for the unfinished length. I cut my center 22" and marked a 20" perimeter with washable marker inside it to locate the maximum extent of appliqué. If it pulls the center in, there will still be a bit more "open space" before that seam; i.e., the final seam will be between the marked line and the outer edge.

Choose the Background Fabric

Over-planning kills creativity. My quilts are more creative when I just play with the strings first. The end result is much freer than if I plan the center and try to match strings to it. So now that you have a free-spirited collection of blocks, look through all your stash with open minds for unconventional and unexpected combinations... as Rod would say.

A twenty-two inch square is larger than a fat quarter. Some choices. 

1. Use a larger piece of fabric like String Tulips 1 which I cut from 2/3 of a yard.
2. Piece the background from a single fabric like String Tulips 2 where I sewed the extra width from a half yard to enlarge the background.
3. Piece several different fabrics together. These could be four quarters or an off-centered arrangement. Audrey’s Seedpod quilt is a lovely example. 
4. Sash the center.
5. Think of another way yourself.

Lay the ESS blocks around an open center and place different fabrics inside until you find one {or more} that pleases you. It's surprising what pops so try many values and colors. Don't worry about the tulips until the background is settled.

Create Tulip Templates

Because the crossed tulips are radially symmetrical, I only needed a quarter of the design {in my case that's ten inches of paper} to plan my tulips. I taped two sheets of graph paper together, marked off the side measurements and added a main diagonal to keep it symmetrical.

I wanted three separate petals that filled up most of the space. My working sketch shows how I enlarged the tulip repeatedly to fill the area and create larger outer petals. If you don't want such full-blown tulips, adjust your sketch. Paper is cheap.

Tulip sketch fills
a quarter of the center

If you choose to use leftover ESS blocks as your side tulip petals {as I did}, double check that the templates {and seam allowances} fit inside a scrap block by laying them out and making sure there's room for the seam allowance. Here's mine laid over a string block on my light table. 

Checking template size against ESS block size

Once the tulip looked okay, fold the sketch along the diagonal and cut both sides at once, choosing the side that looks better to you as the cutting template.  Or make both sides different. You're the designer here.

Tulip template folded and cut

Trace that tulip on a new sheet for backup. Adjust as needed. {That's where the copy came in handy.}

If you want room for additional applique {such as those circles, leaves, or birds which may be centered between two quadrants} make the tulip smaller.  If you don't want to use ESS blocks for a petal, the templates can be longer. A narrower center template will draw the tulip together. 

Templates with seam allowances on all sides

When you're satisfied, cut your template into the three pieces, trace them, and add seam allowances. If you choose to raw-edge applique your tulips, they only need seam allowances between the petals themselves.

You are welcome to use my tulip template for a twenty-inch center. Cut and add seam allowances as required.

Pick Tulip String Colors/Values 

Consider what values will show up best on your background. The green and chartreuse center of String Tulips 1 is a dark medium which meant the tulips needed to be much darker or lighter to contrast. The medium values of most of my ESS blocks got lost. So I sewed more blocks before making all the tulip petals. {That's how the black tulips were born.} On the other hand, lighter tulips fit String Tulips 2. No new blocks were needed. 

My current ESS blocks work well with the pink background but the prepared tulip {in the middle} gets lost. If I want to use this background, the tulips should include strips like the dark set or possibly the whites. 

Strip choices for tulips
against a pink background

Determine Strip Direction

Most antique tulip quilts run the strips across the petals but I ran them vertically the length of the petal. What would other directions look like?

Tulip petal template on ESS block

Warning 1: Because several seams crowd the bottom of the tulip, vertical seams can make it difficult to turn a seam allowance on the outer edge. If you choose vertical strips, try to space them so bulky seams are minimized. Remember there are two more seams when you sew the three pieces together.

Warning 2: The 1.5" rule for the corners of ESS blocks applies here, too. Is there enough room to turn the last string under or will it just be multiple seam allowances?

The center petal can be more strips running the same direction or perpendicular. Or it can be a single piece of fabric. {I chose the latter.}

Pin the templates to your fabric or strip sets and cut them out. OR cut paper templates and sew new strips on top of each of the eight petals, remembering that the side petals of each tulip are mirror images. 

Two string tulip petals,
back of left side and front of right side

Prepare the Tulips

Sew the side petals to the center petal. Pin together matching start and ending points. Start a few stitches from the first pin and backstitch to it. 

Backstitch at the beginning
and end of the seams

Then sew straight to the final pin and backstitch a few stitches. This stabilizes the sewing and makes turning the seams under an easier task. 

Stabilized seams with
more ease to turn seams

I folded and pressed seam allowances around the tulip. I like the end result but it is bulky. There are many other choices. You can needle turn the tulips, finish with raw edges, sew them with interfacing and turn. What else? Use a method you like. And I'll try to write more about this process.

Tulip on light background

Next month we'll attach stems and tulips to the background. In the meanwhile, play with your ESS blocks and choose an exciting background. Then seriously consider the strips that would create a showy tulip. 

 There are many ways to imagine the center. Consider what else you want to add and make sure you have enough room. There was a beautiful applique quilt from Pennsylvania at the American Folk Art Museum a few years ago. Do any of these motifs strike a spark with you? Would your tulips prefer to be in a vase or set individually? Have fun!

Reading

PBS picked up a new series from the BBC, a remake of All Creatures Great and Small. I've been watching weekly. The scenery and costumes are wonderful, the cast is great. The storyline is still amusing and has been updated to include backstories of the women. {And the original series is still good.} It inspired me to re-read James Herriot's memoirs about his Yorkshire veterinary practice which started  in the 30s. It's a respite for these past few weeks. 

Vaccines

As I drove by the VA on my way to pick up groceries I saw a long line of cars extending into the street and around a corner. Of course I slowed down for a looki-loo and am sure it was a vaccine site for our veterans. Congratulations to them all!

Enjoy the day, Ann

String Tulip QAL Month 1

"The world will still be imperfect, because men are imperfect. 

Good men will still be killed by bad, or sometimes by other good men, 

and there will still be pain and disease and famine, anger and hate. 

But if you work and care and are watchful, then in the long run 

the worse will never, ever, triumph over the better. 

And the gifts put into some men... 

shall light the dark corners of life for all the rest, in so brave a world."

~Susan Cooper in The Silver on the Trees

Quilting

Welcome to the first month of the String Tulip QAL. 

String Tulips 2 quilt

At AHIQ we issue biannual prompts to focus our creativity and our discussions {somewhat.} However, this time we are trying a QAL. Using my String Tulips as a starting point, I'll post directions here and on AHIQ the first Tuesday of the month. 

We have the whole month for each step which helps it fit in between the many projects we all have. You can try it or not. Change it up to suit yourself - larger blocks, different flowers, flowers in the border. Whatever. That's why it's improv. 

This month we address the string blocks, the ones in my border, because that was the first part I made.

Four ESS string blocks form an X

Block Plan

There's no way to figure every size and variation of these blocks. I'm writing what I did previously. Make your own alterations. My 42-inch square baby quilts used five-inch finished string blocks. The X shows up when you put four blocks together. Even if you make a different size quilt, keep that fact in mind.

As I wrote last month, you will need 64 string blocks to make only Electric Socket Shock {a quilt of all string blocks} or 48 string blocks to make the String Tulips quilt variation but it always helps to have some extras. 

Cut paper foundations 5.5" square. Use newsprint or even copy paper and cut with paper scissors or an old rotary blade since the paper will ruin it for fabric. Here's a sample Electric Socket Shock block to scale with a 1" marker to check. It looks like the sketch below. 

The foundation has a quarter-inch seam allowance; however, bulky seam allowances may require wider seams.

The diagonal lines are merely suggestions but drawing a few on each sheet serves as a reminder of the direction of the expansion. {Ask me how I know.} Your actual seam lines depend on the width and shape of your strings. All of mine are different widths. I found the sequence of values more important than the widths. 

The critical part is the way the strings widen from one end to the other. They don't need a huge difference in the width; most of mine differ from a quarter-inch to an inch at opposite ends. I.e., the wide end might be 1.5" while the narrow end is 1.25". Just ensure that the narrower ends are all at the same end of the block.

My sketch has the seam along the main diagonal but my blocks have the first/main string {more or less} centered along that line instead. Either way is fine. 

Strip Sizes

The red lines on the foundation point out is how little fabric will show {and how much extra bulk will be added to the seam allowance} if you aren't careful. I learned {the hard way} that the width of those outer strips should be 1.5" or more. That doesn't mean you can't use narrower strings; just put them closer to the center.

The three center strips need about eight inches to cross the diagonal while the shortest ones are about four inches long. {The longer length of the side strips took me a while to visualize. I kept trying to put little HSTs there. While they work with regular string blocks, they don't work with ESS blocks.} You can certainly use even longer strings and trim after they are sewn.

Sorting

Because my scraps are often short bits, I pulled strings long enough for the center and set them in one pile. That ensured there were enough long ones to finish my blocks; they weren't used up early in shorter lateral positions.

After that I pulled randomly but generally left the lights for the sides. I usually put darks or bright mediums in the center but there are multitudinous ways to order the strips. What should you do? Whatever tickles your fancy.

When there is a value difference between the center section and the sides, the X shape shows up better although it's not very visible until four are set together.  Light and dark are relative; they depend on which fabrics you're using. If you are hesitant, consider using a Grey Scale Value Finder. 

It's hard to visualize how well your blocks are working until you put four together. So make your first four, and look at them before making adjustments.

Here are my first 12 blocks. No rhyme or reason in their construction. Narrow "blades" {the center of one section of the X} and wider corners or vice versa change with the value choices. A strong value contrast creates a defined edge of the "blade" in the center while a subtle value contrast widens the blade... or causes it to disappear. Where do you see the "sides of the blades?" What do you think made that happen? Does it help or hurt to alternate darker and lighter fabrics in the corners? Your opinion is the only one that matters in your quilt.

Twelve Electric Socket Shock string blocks

Matching colors on each side of the center strip could be an interesting idea but, as has been written in many scrap quilt books, value is more significant than color.  Or consider alternating light and dark strips. So many possibilities.

The yellows on the first ESS made the quilt vibrate. And it didn't take many to achieve that result because of yellow's high intensity. 

Blocks that don't seem to work can be used for tulip petals later on. Or they can go on the back. Or you can donate them.

Cutting

There are some choices for cutting. {That's why it's improv.} If you have wider strings/chunks, consider cutting them diagonally like this. Not corner to corner! Try for a 3/4" or greater width at the narrow ends of the strips to leave room for seam allowances, to reduce the bulk on the edges, and to better utilize all your scraps. I call this a wedge. Remember, it doesn't take much difference from end to end; the cumulative effect of several wedges increases the expansion.

Cutting a strip into two wedges

If you have a chunk of fabric, you can cut several wedges like this. They don't have to be the same widths.

Cutting several wedges from a chunk of fabric

If your string is already a wedge or triangle, just leave it.

This string went in to the scrap
bag as a wedge/triangle.

If you have a long {WOF} string, leave it until you are ready to place it. Then you can cut it to the appropriate length and create a wedge.

Sewing

Shorten your stitch length to aid when removing the paper later. 

Place a long {eight-inch} wedge on the main diagonal and sew another wedge each side. {If you choose a different-sized block, the longest string is about 1.5 times a side length. Yes, technically the correct measurement is 1.41 but 1.5 is easier.}

If your string is already a wedge, just sew the regular quarter-inch seam. 

Two wedges sewn with quarter-inch seam

Or sew a seam allowance that starts with a quarter-inch at the wide side and increases a bit {3/8" or 5/16"} at the narrow side. The excess seam allowance can be trimmed back by hand or by flipping back both the string and paper and trimming. You can leave the excess but I found the extra fabric at the narrow end makes the block's seam thicker which becomes hard to iron down once blocks are sewn together.

Because I frequently use any paper lying around, I always fold the papers back {and then straighten them out again} after every seam. Call it pre-creasing. They tear more easily later. Don't do this with fine or fragile paper.

Fold paper back after every seam
to help it tear later

If using a really narrow string simply sew the quarter-inch seam; it's only one tiny string and won't lose the expansion effect.

The Corners

As you reach the corners, it's often easier to use a rectangle at at least 4" by 1.5" or more. There will be some waste but it may be better than sewing a wedge on the wrong side. {Ask me how I know.}

A 2.5x4" rectangle
completes the lower corner

Pre-test your strip placements by overlapping the seams to ensure it reaches as far as you want. Sometimes the string covers the corner but frequently the last strip doesn't quite reach. 

String in lower left won't
quite cover the corner

Here are three ways to handle it. 

1. Use a larger wedge or chunk instead.

Don't worry about it being too large. It's easy to square up later... even if there's some waste.

A wide wedge or chunk
covers the corner with extra room

2. Adjust your final trim to avoid the problem.

Here, the paper peaks out a smidge behind the final strip on the right. 

The lower right strip is a bit short
of the width needed

Turn the block over to evaluate if it can be eliminated by trimming a bit differently. In this case, moving the 5.5" ruler to the right and down for the final squaring up resolves the problem. 

Back of "a bit short"

This solution does not work for precision piecing; however, these are improv blocks and seam lines don't need to match up. 

3. Move the final strip closer to the center

If the last open space on the foundation is too small {less than 1.5" wide} consider moving the final strip towards the center and sewing a new quarter-inch seam allowance based on the top strip. 

Give the corner strip more room 
by moving it towards the center

Final Details

Press after every pair of strings is sewn {one on each side of the first.} If the foundation is heavier paper I steam the back {paper side} each time, too, to weaken the paper for tearing later. 

Blocks can be trimmed to any size, larger or smaller than the foundation, as long as the fabric extends that far. Trim from the front or back of the block, whichever wiggles less. The paper does not adhere as well to the mat or the ruler so take your time and be careful. Mine get  trimmed as soon as they are finished; however, because of all the bias edges, I don't remove the paper until I'm ready to sew them into the top. I just keep them in a stack where they won't fray or stretch. 

Special thanks to Gayle, Sharon, and Maureen for proofing and testing this post. Their suggestions improved the clarity. For more information, Maureen kindly agreed to post her impressions and samples on her blog, MysticQuilter. 

Please post photos on the AHIQ blog if you can. Feel free to post your progress anywhere - on whatever social media you use and your own blog but we'd appreciate tagging it with #AHIQStringTulipQAL so they can easily be found. We always enjoy details about how you personalized your version. The process is more interesting to us makers.

String Theory at the Iowa Quilt Museum

The online gallery tour is available for $6. It's set for a single viewing so get your coffee ready and use your largest screen. I feel very fortunate it's available for us at home. 

Enjoy the day, Ann