Phillies Baseball Quilt, Soldier Quilts and AHIQ 26

Perfect timing. The World Series starts tonight between the Houston Astros and LA Dodgers. Neither FO’s Phillies nor my Giants made post-season appearances but his quilt is bound, washed, and gifted. This is the final quilt for the Great Debaters. Remember those adorable friends of my youngest who wrangled over who should have received a graduation quilt?

Front
I alternated left- and right-handed ball players. On my first attempt I turned the templates over but between front and back of fabrics and templates got myself turned around. It was easier to make two template sets: one for lefties and the other for righties.

The gloves were originally drawn with curves but I quickly found that unnecessary. Simpler is better. Sashing color seemed a difficult choice since the team colors were covered by the red shoes and blue caps. Happily this two fabric choice worked wonders. The true whites strengthen the quilt by pushing the value range. The outer border might be a bit wide. I simply cut the fabric into four equal lengths and didn’t want to trim it off in the end. After all, FO is a grown man. He needs the size.

Making the field of different greens added life to the top. Still, this quilt uses far fewer fabrics than most of mine.

What fun to design and sew! But... I've created a bit of a monster: every guy in my family wants one celebrating his team and several people have written asking for the pattern. There aren't many patterns of guys. Mostly we buy camping fabric or plaids and call it a guy quilt. Not that hearts and flowers are only for girls but this one has struck a chord with many people. I'm going to try to write up a pattern formally. After the holidays. Stay tuned. And thanks for the encouragement. :-)

Phillies Baseball quilt 

DH thought team patches would be the cherry on the top. He insisted until I agreed he could buy one. He bought four. Plus four more for the Giants quilt he wants. {Someone doesn't want me to forget my promise.} One is the Philly Fanatic, probably the best mascot in all sports. He alone is worth the trip to a Phillies home game. Another celebrates their 2008 World Championship.

Back
FO's name is behind the red-bordered box. Next is his university and graduation year. {Yep, this has been in the works for quite a while but he says it was worth the wait.} My son came up with the third line. Philadelphia is home to the Liberty Bell so the screen flashes, "Ring the Bell!" after home game home runs. The final four lines are a quote by Aaron Rowand.

The white and beige background fabrics include stripes, plaids, spiders, power poles and lines, and boat building plans.

Phillies Baseball quilt back, owner's name whited out in photo

Quilting
Detailed quilting might have showcased each section with a different designs but this quilt will be used heavily and {hopefully} washed frequently. After stitching in the ditch along the sashing, a curving, allover design will be the sturdiest choice.

The Baptist Fans come courtesy of Quilt Diva Julie who generously shared pointers. I couldn't have done it without her help. The only other time I sewed fans they were a disaster - misshapen, missized, mistaken. With Julie's encouragement and advice these worked so well I used them on the border as well as the players. {Why miss another place to practice?}

Phillies Baseball quilt, quilting details from back

Quilt Details

Size: 86" x 92"

Pattern: Original design

Batting: Mountain Mist Cream Rose 100% cotton

Thread: YLI nylon monofilament with white Gutermann and Presencia 50 wt grey cotton 

Quilting: Walking foot straight line and free motion Baptist Fans

There are quite a few previous posts about this quilt:

1. An idea to celebrate baseball
2. Field of Dreams
3. Appliqueing Phillies in cursive
4. Free-hand piecing letters for the back
5. Making sentences
6. Applique numbers
7. Sewing the back together
8. Baptist fan quilting

NYC
DH had an unexpected meeting in NYC. Guess who tagged along? So many things to see and places to go. First up.

War and Pieced: Quilts from Military Fabrics at the American Folk Art Museum showcases Soldier Quilts created 19th century British soldiers who served in Crimea, India, and South Africa. Calling them quilts is a courtesy classification as these are only one layer and frequently intended as wallhangings or gaming boards.

Soldier quilt with elaborate borders, India c. 1855-1875

British military uniforms were made from milled wool broadcloth which was also felted to produce a raised nap. Since the fabric could be cut without fraying, tailors and soldiers could cut it into complex pieces without seam allowances and hide the overstitching in the nap. Except for the embellishments on the front, they look the same from the front or the back. It's believed the fancy-cut fabrics were ejected from buttonhole punches or created with special die.

Detail of the elaborate border. Fabric may have been ejected from buttonhole punches.

Facings were dyed in regimental colors which included black, white, blue, buff, green, purple, and orange. Although many of the soldier-makers remain unknown, the theater they served in can be identified by the colors used in their quilts. For example, the mid-blues in the quilt above were only used by British regiments in India.

Did you know that different dyes were used for different ranks? The uniforms of common soldiers were dyed with madder and could turn purple or pink over time. NCOs, sergeants, and volunteer corps got "mock scarlet" created from a variety of dyes while true scarlet from cochineal dyes was reserved for officers.

Bright fabrics from military uniform facings

With longer periods of inactivity during Indian service, soldier quilts from that continent were brighter, more complex, and - inspired by that ancient Indian art - often included beading. Several are thought to have been made by orderlies who were frequently Indian tailors.

Quilting was promoted as a healthy antidote to the "canteen culture" of war and to provide employment to wounded soldiers. Who knew quilting keeps alcoholism at bay?

The simpler construction and limited color palette of the quilt below suggest it was made by a convalescing soldier. The four crosses at the bottom may mark graves of fallen comrades.

Soldier's Quilt: Square within a Square

; Crimea, India or UK; c. 1850-1880

The final two photos below reminded me of Fort Ticonderoga. The blue design on the left looks like a star fort to me. On the right, the visible white threads are exactly what the soldier-guied used to sew uniforms at the Fort. I noticed all the threads that showed or mended these quilts were white.

Two examples of the Soldier Quilt exhibit that reminded me of Fort Ticonderoga

The book Wartime Quilts: Appliqued and Geometric Masterpieces from Military Fabrics accompanies the exhibit and includes many more quilts. I had it shipped home to save luggage space. The Magazine Antiques posted an article last month explaining current understanding of these masterpieces. It has great photos, too.


Fourth Quarter AHIQ Invitation
We've all been busy. At first I thought it was summer vacation, then back-to-school but now realize we are all overcommitted for the year. Hardly anyone has time to comment. Perhaps we are disheartened by world politics which seem to focus on war and rumors of war. Fortunately, this vacation as it helped me realize I need to slow down, breathe, and reevaluate.

We considered another invitation but decided now is not a good time. Check Kaja's post for details. It's just what we all need.

What have you quilted this month? We could use something pretty to look at with details to enlighten.

Enjoy the day, Ann

InLinkz removed because it was hacked.

AHIQ25: Use Your Words

Today's the last day for this invitation to use your words on quilts but it won't be my last time to use this technique. Summer vacations put quilting on hold but hopefully you had some time to work on a project or at least to think about a future project. There are so many ways to incorporate words and letters: applique or pieced, free-hand or accurately.

I've been focusing more on the mechanical "how" of adding words but what you choose to add is even more important. What moves you to creativity? A poem, a family scene, a political commentary? There is no ambiguity about your meaning when it's written.


Phillies Quilt Back

This is becoming a two-sided quilt. I made the words into sentences, added a new phrase, and now need to fit them all into a back. It must be large enough yet not cut any words off so I pieced it with the top underneath.

Pulling all my neutrals, I first placed smaller bits where they might best fill in. I'm finding I like the effect of turning the corner with the same fabric. Look at the white above and to the right of Phillies for an example. Odd, because my original idea was to NOT sew same fabrics together.

Arranging sentences to fill a quilt back

Probably because they were left-adjusted on the wall, that arrangement became my favorite. Except the "for who" line was too long. I considered right adjusting the answering line but... No, that's too much trouble.

There was one puzzle piece, the stripe below "my teammates" which required partial seams. Not too hard. Fortunately, I had switched to ruler use and squaring the fabric as soon as the words were together. It was easy to determine the size of that rectangular bit.

At this point, the back is still too small by about ten-inches lengthwise and fifteen-inches widthwise. Since I've never been very interested in matching front and back (and don't want to risk cutting off any letters) I intend to frame the sentences. Here are three fabrics I considered for for a border. While I like the black and white best, I don't want anything to compete with the words. The red might disguise the beginning letters too much. What's left? White.

Choosing fabrics to frame the quilt back

Unfortunately there wasn't quite enough white so the lower right has the last bit of that white-and-blue from the sashing plus two shirting remnants. I know one is from a trip to NYC but have no idea where there other came from.

Finished back for Phillies quilt

Yes, I'm deliberately cutting off the top line again to give the recipient privacy. Above his name is a band of white. The top and back are ready to go and the back is larger than the front by at least two-inches on each side. Hopefully this will make basting a breeze.

What does the front look like? Here it is, covering the design wall.

Philadelphia Phillies quilt

Woo hoo. I'm ready to baste and quilt!

PS: I know there are two sixes on the shirts. One is for a Phillies player while the other played at LSU (Louisiana State University) when the FO was there. {Actually, three of these numbers represent LSU players.}

Enjoy the day, Ann

InLinkz removed because it was hacked.

Piecing Sentences

Still working on the Phillies quilt but I have progressed to the back where I'm adding pieced words. And it's so much fun. Why did I hesitate so long before trying it?

After piecing his name one letter at a time, I totaled each remaining letter and sewed batches. It worked well until the m's. There are two, right next to each other. For some reason I pieced them exactly the same. It looks a little dorky. Oh, well. Dorky is good.

Each freehand pieced letter should be slightly different, especially when they are sewn sequentially.

Of course, adding these sentences to the back is a major point but, as importantly, the back needs to be filled. So why cut fabric from the sentence below when I'll just sew more back onto it? Instead, I simply straightened the seam line between the two words and squared up the perimeter.

I thought this would be enough but it still needs something else. One more sentence or phrase.

The "For who?" quotes Aaron Rowand who played fearlessly for the Phillies until signing with the Giants in 2008 and helping them win the 2010 World Series. {Yes. I searched until I found a great quote that has a link to the Giants. Even if they are in the cellar this year.}

Enjoy the day, Ann

African Boxes and Eichler Homes

Words on Quilts

As I mentioned several times, I'm probably the last person to add words to quilts. Bad to be so far behind the curve. Good that there are so many excellent examples to spark ideas. One of my favorite quilters is Lynne at Patchery Menagerie. Her work is beautifully executed and usually humorous. For example, take her Chicken quilt. Here are the results of a Chicken search on her site. Taking the time to read through these posts will enlighten you on her process and certainly generate ideas of your own. Thanks, Lynne, for sharing so generously.


African Boxes

This quilt started from a photo sent by Sujata with a casual challenge to make a quilt from it. That was back in 2015. I had an immediate response to the structure and red color. By happenstance I was already making sets of long skinny triangles. It struck me these could easily substitute for the red boxes.

It's been finished since last year but I kept it to put in our quilt show this spring. I finally had the opportunity to personally give it to the recipient.

African Boxes

I stitched in the ditch down each side of the "strings" as well as the triangles. Then I casually echo stitched the piecing with a walking foot.

African Boxes, detail

The back is also muslin. This is one of the softest quilts ever. That muslin makes it so comfortable to snuggle in.

Detail of stitching from the back, African Boxes

Construction details.

Quilt Details
Size: 63" x 71"
Design: Original based on antique Ghanaian textile
Batting: Mountain Mist Cream Rose 100%cotton
Thread: Gutterman 50/2 white cotton and YLI invisible nylon monofilament
Quilting: Walking foot 

Eichler Homes Exhibit

I saw this intimate exhibit at the Los Altos History Museum last week. Joe built open occupancy, post-war subdivisions in northern California with wide streets, parks, and community centers that are still treasured today. Open occupancy meant all races and cultures were welcome. In fact, he resigned from the National Association of Home Builders because they would not support this standard.

They are mainly one story homes with walls of windows on the back or side and frequently included an atrium. Perfect for California.

The museum had several current and vintage photos of Eichler homes...

Photo of an Eichler home in the 1960s

Photos of Eichler homes today by Marika Reed

floor plans {I always love these because they're like maps.}...

Eichler home floor plan

Eichler home floor plan

and accessories from the 50s and 60s.

Home accessories from the 1960s

Enjoy the day, Ann

AHIQ 24: Pieced and Appliqued Words

Wasn't the solar eclipse exciting? I hope you had a good view of it, too. If not in person then at least on the news. NASA had an entire series of telescopes set up to view the live event as it crossed the US. Here's a feed from Madras, Oregon.

This is the second month of #AHIQwords invitation.  Part of improvisation is trying new techniques even if we must push ourselves. I may be the last quilter to add lettering to a quilt but it's something I always wanted to try. This is the time for me to check it off my list. The thing is: it's so much fun I can't wait to start another! Who'd a thought?


Baseball Quilt

The blocks are pieced and sewn with sashing. After realizing blue would dissolve the hat and red the shoes, I chose a white-and-blue stripe combined with red-and-white make a wide sashing. The quilt is getting livelier by the day. In baseball, the team name is on the front while the player's name and number is on the back. I could put numbers on each player or simply a "P" but haven't decided yet. {In part because FO hasn't sent me a list of his favorite players.}

Phillies baseball team with sashing

Words on Quilts

This is as good a place as any to add words to a quilt. My first idea was to freely piece words around the borders until I realized the Phillies name is usually red in an upright cursive.  That's a machine applique job. After many attempts, my script finally looks similar to theirs. 

I traced Phillies onto red fabric then prepped the entire 8"x 25" rectangle using Lara's method in Crafted Applique. Years ago, Cindy England told me the best way to make sure a word is straight is to cut it out after it's laid on the background. And Audrey at Quilty Folk keeps writing that she appliques before sewing the border to the quilt. Isn't it helpful to have such smarties around? It's certainly made the job easier.

After lining the word up with the edge of the border, I pinned it, pressed it, then machined sewed along the pencilled lines. Then, taking a very deep breath, I cut about an eighth-inch away to remove the extra. 

Starting to cut away the applique

Mel at Piece, Love & Happiness loves Havel snips for this. I tried hers a few times but couldn't get enough control. Fortunately, Havel has another pair that remind me of nail scissors. The curved blades made cutting around the curves a snap; I simply turned the scissors back and forth in my hand to match the seam. Thanks, Mel!

With some relaxing music while sitting at a sturdy table with good light, I finished in about an hour. 

Continuing to cut away the applique with Havel scissors

The FO's name and graduation year need a location - border or back.

They won the World Series in 1980 and 2008. Their mascot, Phillie Phanatic, is considered the best in baseball.  Features of their ballpark include:

• The Angle
• Ashburn Alley
• Liberty Bell {lights up for home runs}
• Veterans Memorial
• Memory Lane
• Rooftop bleacher seats

Also under consideration are these sayings by Phillies players and announcers:

• Moon Shot.
• Ya gotta believe.
• Swing and a long drive. That ball is outta here.
• When it is time to go out on the field, we all go out through the same door.
• For who? My teammates. For what? To win.
• Half of this game is ninety percent mental.
• Root, root, root for the Phillies

Looking at this increasingly long list, piecing them on the back might be the best plan. It seems very hard to keep creating this wide, even cursive. Besides, I've been itching to try free-piecing letters.

What words have you found for your project? How are you planning to add them to your quilt? Kaja and I created a new Pinterest board, Alphabet, with a variety of pieced and appliqued words and letters. It's a good starting point to spark your own ideas.

Just in case you're still working on with Chinese Coins, take a look at Patricia's quilt for Nora combining Coins with words. Wish I'd thought of that.

Eli Leon, African American Quilt Collector

A friend forwarded this article about Eli Leon. In the 1970s Eli began collecting African American quilts in Berkeley CA. After winning a Guggenheim fellowship, he travelled across the South to research and purchase more of this art. Eli posited, "There were African survivals and enduring African influences in African-American quilts, and that quilts made by African-Americans reflected the survival of a cultural identify under siege." He mounted several local and national exhibits from his extensive collection. Sherri Lynn Wood wrote more about him here and here.

Enjoy the day, Ann

InLinkz removed because it was hacked.

AHIQ 23: What Would You Say?

CCII

I'm continuing the multi-color border around all sides of this quilt but still have doubts. No matter what color is added, it needs something else. Right now it feels like it needs more blue, navy and perhaps purple. But I've cut too many reds. Although the yellow is much lighter, it adds some fun to the pennants. Maybe...

Continuing multicolor outer border, CCII

#AHIQwords

Kaja and I discussed some ideas and I spent even more time wondering what invitation to extend this quarter. We don't want to push specific blocks. Much as I love scrap quilts, this is not a scrap challenge. AHIQ encourages people to look at their fabrics for the story; to step away from perfect purchased designs and instead explore patterns that speak to your own heart, to discover your own voice.

Several times I've written about my desire to try new-to-me techniques. Although I frequently thread write and even quilted school chants over one quilt, I've never pieced or appliqued words. Why? Well, it's time to change that.

I love Janet Stone's abecedaries. Each is so different. I've read she plans to make twenty-six, one for each letter in the English alphabet. Ricky Tims interviewed her for TQS at the 2016 Quilt Festival.

Then there are phrases on quilts. Some, like Audrey at Quilty Folk and LeeAnna at Nifty Quilts, add nouns to the border. Others, like Monica at Lakeview Quilting, piece a poem or joke. Em enclosed one sentence inside another. Lynne at Patchery Menagerie lists many uses for leftover chicken.

Lorina Bulwer embroidered such long messages or protests across her quilts, they appear to be pamphlets.

Of course, you could simply write your name as Gertrude Knappenberger did on this quilt now in the collection of the American Folk Art Museum.

From the American Folk Art Museum collection,
possibly by Gertrude Knappenberger

Let's raise our voices. Consider how different it would be if we actually stated our goal or reason on our quilts instead of waiting to see what others read into it. Whatever way you choose, I hope you'll consider adding letters to a quilt this quarter.

Enjoy the day, Ann

InLinkz removed because it was hacked.