Another Ruth B.McDowell quilt that didn't make the cut 02-02-20

This is the quilt that is on the cover of Ruth's book "Pieced Flowers" published in 2000 by C&T.  There are patterns for various flowers constructed with straight piecing, curved piecing, with set in corners, or with faced flaps.  An excellent way to learn the different piecing possibilities that can be applied to anyone's work.  

DETAIL

DETAIL

There was just not enough room for all of Ruth's quilts in the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection exhibit at Visions Art Museum.  But you can see 27 of her wonderful works there through April 5th.  

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"America From the Heart" 07-04-19

This afternoon I was looking for a book on my quilting bookshelves and came across the book "America From the Heart: Quilters Remember September 11, 2001".

It seems so sad on this day of saber rattling in Washington, DC. to page through those quilts made to help each of us endure the shock, horror, and pain of that terrible attack on our nation and the murder of so many innocent civilians.  

The quilts first appeared together at the Quilt Festival in Houston in October 2001.  The book originated there and was supported by Karey Bresenhan who wrote the foreword and published by C&T Publishers in 2002.  There were about 300 quilts and I am proud that mine was one of them.  It isn't my best work, I did a lot of crying at that time in my life and found it difficult to concentrate on anything.  

The book is full of flag images which seemed somehow reassuring to me on this rather frightening 4th of July with tanks rolling on the Mall in Washington.  We are, I think, skating on thin ice these days in our relations with other countries.  I fear what may be in our future and these quilt certain represent what could happen.  

If you have a copy on your shelf, take a look at these works of our hands and our hearts.  

"New Growth"  Del Thomas  2001  14"x14"

Commercial and hand-dyed cottons, cotton thread and batting.

Machine pieced and quilted.  Fusing.  

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Puzzling occupation 05-14-15

I do Jigzone jigsaw puzzles almost every day - they are relaxing and challenging; I am a "medium" puzzle solver online.  But I haven't worked on an actual cardboard puzzle for years.  So, when I arrived in San Juan Bautista and found that Mary had a puzzle in progress, I couldn't resist.  It was even more of a temptation since the subject was one of Ruth McDowell's quilts.  The quilt "Blue Tree" was made in 1990 and the puzzle produced by C&T Publishing in 1997.  It is a hard puzzle, if only 550 pieces, because of all the plaid fabrics used in the background.  Five people worked on it and Mary and I finished it the night before I left to drive on to Oregon. 

 

Mary has this great "pan" she used for dyeing that makes a great puzzle table.

Two other contributors were Mary's daughter Linda and g'girl Heather.

"Blue Tree"  Ruth McDowell 1990  75"W x 78.5"L

"I'm looking for a red piece with a little green on the corner."

 

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