5.. complete quilt as you go Westalee quilt

I have finished the sampler quilt using the Westalee rulers.  With some trial and error (taking careful notes and making samples), I seem to have identified the right settings for free motion on my Pfaff, and these work on the Westalee foot and rulers as well.  (I still need lots of practice).

I finished the last block, just filling it up with linked circles. Then I did the quilt as you go sashing, which was surprisingly time consuming.

I originally made 14" blocks, but only used 12" interior block space for the quilting.  That left an inch seam allowance all around.  I used 2.5 " sashing, so the 1 inch of seam allowance filled up those 2 inches.  On the outer sashings, I sewed an extra 1.25 " strip of batting to the seam allowance so the outer borders would be full.   the mistake I kept making was forgetting to sew the sashing on both sides at the same time.  The nice thing is the quilt is totally reversible.  it's about 45 x 45.

Gingham sunflower

I just finished hand quilting and binding this quilt.  It has an interesting story.

In 1985 we went to a family reunion for my husband's family. We had been married 3 years and our daughter was about 10 months.  We stayed in the old officers' quarters in Ft. Robinson State Park, which were 3-story duplexes build in the late 1900s.  One evening we had dinner in a local restaurant that had art and quilts for sale on its walls.  I had always loved quilts but didn't own one,  I splurged and bought the quilt. ("Quilt One").    It was the pattern shown above.  I fell in love with it because of the blue and yellow, which is one of my favorite color combinations.   I was not yet a quilter and really knew nothing about how quilts were made.

For years we used the quilt on our bed, and our children played on it and took naps on it. 

In 2001 we moved to a bigger house just a few blocks away, and somehow Quilt One never showed up when we unpacked.  I kept thinking that it was in a box that we hadn't opened, or in a box we had put in storage. Our lives were busy with 2 law careers, kids in high school and college, elderly parents, etc.

I finally starting quilting myself around 2007, and I have made many quilts.  In 2017 I finished my Grandmother's Flower Garden, which I hand quilted.  I also finished cross-stitching a stamped pillow case.  So my mind went back to missing Quilt One.  I did more searching in storage boxes, but to no avail.  So then I thought maybe I could find the pattern and recreate Quilt One.

I started searching on the internet and found images of the quilt and learned it was a Bucilla embroidery kit.  I then searched on eBay.  I didn't find a kit, but I did find a completed top for sale.  ("Quilt 2"). The maker of the embroidery had passed away, and her daughter had posted the completed top for sale.  I was so excited and bought it on the spot. 

I had my long armer, Maria Hall, create the quilt sandwich and backing and baste it together for me.  So I started the hand quilting in the fall of  2017, and I just finished the quilting two weeks ago, added the binding, and washed the final product.  It really turned out beautifully.  I am so grateful to the quilt artist in Missouri who created the top.  (I have misplaced her name but have sent a letter to the daughter who sold the top, so I will update with her name when I get it. ) 

Somehow I didn't have this project on my 2020 goals! 

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