Jan came through for you guys! She has America For Me ready for you to buy and not only that – she has a kit! There are some wonderful new wovens out there besides some really nice navies. You might plan on using your red, white, and blue fabric collection. I know I could make several quilts with mine. I think this link will take you to Jan’s site to purchase the pattern and/or kits.
And someone asked to see a picture of my quilt again. I could only stand to throw it on the fence and take one picture since the heat index was over 100 at the time!
Isn’t it just wonderful? My dark fabrics are fading but then so am I – ha! In this heat I’m really fading. When you open the door it’s like stepping into a furnace! Chores in this heat are miserable – just as bad as when it’s 25 below zero. Hard, very hard!
Remember the new rule/guideline about sending photos to my email. I will be happy to post them but if you want to be identified as the maker of the quilt, please write your name large and pin to the quilt. It would be so much easier if everyone printed their name, rather than write in cursive but I’ll post what you send me.
I did finish my #8 it it can never live in a home with pets! I told Rick it was another funeral quilt. Every hair will show on this quilt so I will never use it. I enjoyed making it but that’s where it ends. Some of these blocks were already made and most were already cut out. This fabric is almost exclusively Japanese fabric that is just beautiful – black, charcoal, dark brown, dark teal, light tans, grays, rose – it’s all such wonderful fabric that I really did want to finish it. I just don’t want to use it. Haha! If you love it, come to my funeral and sit on it. It can then be yours!
See those rectangles in the border? Those were my #10 project which I decided I couldn’t stand to make again since I made the original with the same size rectangles. These were leftovers. Guess what I did! Oh, this is so good! I sent them to my friend Rose! She cranks out quilts like a crazy woman so she was just the right person to send them to. Rose will make something wonderful and I’ll be able to show you sometime.
Here’s the back where I used the rest of the blocks to enlarge the backing. It is such a good feeling to use up yardage on a project, isn’t it? I know I’ll die with lots of fabric in my sewing room. I asked Reed if I could leave it to him – ha! I hope I don’t die before he gets his own place because I know his mom would not be thrilled – hahaha!
Do you know how hot this quilt was today? Yuck! I’ll have to stage it again when the weather cooperates. It would be beautiful next fall.
Rick’s son Eric, wife Nikki and daughter 3 year old Camber are coming this weekend. Erick graduated from Forest City 15 years ago so he will attend his reunion tomorrow night in conjunction with the town celebration called Puckerbrush Days. They live in Greenbush, MN – the northwest corner almost in Canada. It’s a long trip for them and we don’t see them very often. This will be fun!
Our fair starts next week – forecast says it’s going to be in the 80’s – won’t that be a nice change! Becky and I played for the birthday party this afternoon at Concord and after that some of the 4-H kids brought their projects to show the residents. Reed brought his quilt – I was so proud of him!
I LOVE your “funeral” quilt but hope that is a very long way off. The colors are super and the extra blocks on the back is a stunning idea.
Mary thanks for sharing your América for Me quilt.
I love the scrappy way you did the backgrounds around your flags, Mary. Great choices!
Really enjoyed seeing your #8, front and back! Now I need to get my #8 finished!
Off to the sewing room!
I LOVE your quilt!! It’s beautiful!
Jan’s kits for America for Me are already sold out. You snooze, you lose. I snoozed, unfortunately! I like yours with more blues, so will continue to collect fabrics and do my own version!
It’s hot here in MA but not that hot – at least where I am. We are very fortunate to often times get a little cooling effect from the ocean which is about 10 miles away as the crow flies. I absolutely LOVE your #8 quilt! I haven’t seen a lot of Japanese fabrics as I’m just getting back into quilting. The fabric you used is really really beautiful. I’ll have to start cruising around to different quilt shops and see if they carry these fabrics. Do I remember taupe being a Japanese thing also? I think a shop in NH had taupe fabrics a couple of years ago but I wasn’t quilting then. Even at that I remember thinking how beautiful those fabrics were. I’m waiting for delivery of Jan’s America for Me pattern that I ordered a few days ago. I wish I could afford the kit but the pattern will have to do. It will be fun collecting fabric for that quilt! Enjoy the visit with your family! Hope it cools off a little. Jan in MA
Great quilt Mary. Visited Little Red Hen today in Muscatine- whew, so much fabric.
Mary Hawk – all that fabric! Did any come home with you?
So glad you finished this #8, LOVE it!!
I love both your quilts. I have finished my #8 so I’ll try to get a picture sent soon before we go on vacation. I love the “dirty dozen” idea. Can’t wait to see what the next # will be.
I love #8! I love the interplay of light in the background and the wonderful colorr the rectangles add to the border. Lovely!
You did a great job getting the quilt pictures. It’s pretty hot in Texas and I would not lug quilts around today. Still working on my #8. Have a blessed week.
I love your project for this month! Beautiful quilt!! I am having fun with this game. I may not get my #8 finished but I have decided as long as I make progress it is all good! Thanks for your fun and interesting posts!!
Mary, your #8 is beautiful, and I don’t usually go for such dark quilts. The Japanese fabric was espcially striking. If everything goes right maybe we can all come to your funeral…..and fight to see who sits on the quilt?? But I’d rather think that we’ll all die in the middle of all our fabric with a smile on our face! What a way to go.
It has been hot here is SD, but not nearly as bad as the rest of the country. We’ve fot the Days of 76 Rodeo and then the Sturgis motorcycle rally so there will be LOTS of people all over the place.
I love the idea of Reed getting all your fabric. Makes me smile just to think about it. Betty
Your #8 is very pretty. My #8 is at the quilters! When I try the Jan Patel link, it crashes! Very frustrating as I want to order the pattern. I’m not home so I’m hoping when I return that won’t happen!! Stayed cool by staying inside today…sewing….yeah!! Keep cool and enjoy the fair. Our county’s starts tomorrow with Entry day and then officially starts Monday. I’m entering some projects so will see how I do!!
Your number 8 is very gorgeous as is your original America quilt! I love the large variety of fabrics in both. I can’t seem to find a size for Jan’s America for Me quilt pattern or kit and I noticed yours has more blocks. Would you mind telling what size yours is? I like bigger quilts.
Debra Miller – I haven’t measured it but it’s queen size. More blocks than the original and the rest the same, washing and borders.
Oh, Mary, your quilt is drop-dead gorgeous. The back the same-I am talking about #8.
Short and sweet, Cindy
Your #8 is beautiful!! Love the fabrics and what you did for the backing. It really would pick up a lot of pet hair so your idea will have to work out. Maybe you could hang it on a wall for awhile so you can enjoy looking at it. My #8 is at the quilter but I hope to have it done on time!!
Oh, Mary….your #8 is so beautiful. I usually shy away from dark quilts, but yours is just stunning! At first, I thought you quilted it in both directions, but the close-ups show that you did not. Lucky person who sits on this one. That said, I hope that is a very very long way off. I like what you did no the back, too.
I just love your #8! I hang most of my quilts on the wall because of animals. I’ve had a few quilts on beds damaged by our cats, so I tend to use store bought ones there. The dark colors are beautiful, maybe because they are my favorite. I’m missing the Puckerbrush Days parade, my favorite during GNR. We always go to the parade and then to the Methodist Church for their lunch. I especially love it when the bring in all the old and new tractors from all eras. I’m sure that’s because my father worked for John Deere for 40 years, so I’m used to seeing and hearing all things John Deere. There was one huge tractor a few years ago that must have cost as much as a house. Can’t wait to hear about your parade experiences!
We are ALL proud of Reed!!! I have discovered if I get up really early and go outside to do chores as soon as it is light out it is at least “semi” comfortable. Growing up, as I did, in San Diego temps over 80 are awful. But in my new part of the world I have learned, I hope, to compensate. ‘ I love your #8 quilt. I am afraid, I won’t have anything to show for #8 or the next one as we are just doing too much traveling. I tried crocheting in the car and it didn’t work. (Never mind quilting) I did make a crocheted potholder while sitting at the bluegrass festival but it was slow going as I was enjoying the music so much!!! LOL
Both quilts are stunning. Your funeral should be a longggg way off, I hope. I think Hazel hair on your #8 would be hard to remove! It is hot here in Central Ohio, too. Our heat index was 106* yesterday and that was hotter than Columbus which is 45 minutes away. Stay as cool as you can, Mary.
I have a soft spot for young people who sew from my early days of 4-H so thanks to you Mary for keeping that skill fun for Reed by providing fabric and encouragement. We Too are just as proud of him as you are by going to the fair with his quilt so very excited to see those pic’s next week. Enjoy your family time this weekend. I too did not know much about Japanese fabrics either so it was good for me to see that combination. I had taupe associated with Japanese fabrics and didn’t know darks were used. I see pictures from the Houston show and the award winning Japanese appliqué ones appear very light colored, almost muted, so seeing your gorgeous quilt was a lesson for me.
There’s a quilt shop in Tacoma, WA, ShiboriDragon that specializes in everything Japanese. Check it out!
Your #8 turned out beautiful. I love the rose accents. You do have such a good talent for putting fabrics together. I love the America quilt you made with the blue fabrics. That’s the color combination I like. Still just an observer, can’t seem to get back to sewing. May make a table quilt with the My America pattern. Just dreaming.
I finished number 8.To me finished means the top is done.Unforunately I got a spot of something on the top.Will I ever learn not to sew and eat? I soaked the quilt and hung it in the sun.The spot faded but did not come out.Do you have any suggestions?It is a red work quilt.I ordered my pattern from Jan today. Thank you for sharing the pattern source. I have never done any of her designs. I am now a customer. I love the designs you share. I ordered the Countdown to Christmas book. It is way too hot in Indiana to do anything outside..I love hearing the news from Iowa. I lived in Iowa for my first twenty-seven years. Take care.Please reply if you have any suggestions about removing a spot from fabric.
Sandra, When I was helping some friends learn to make table toppers, one of them sewed an orange section into her topper!! We laugh about that often:)
Sandra – I will have to ask the Readers about spot removal because I can’t help you. I’d just consider a part of the quilt making process and live with it – but that’s me.
I used the website you gave for Jan Patek to order the pattern but it says the website might be for sale and anything I click on takes me to other websites. Help?
here’s the direct link to Jan Patek’s website with the “America for Me” pattern:
http://janpatek.blogspot.com/.
I love your funeral quilt but that’s a long way off! I’ve also been adding left overs to the backs of my quilts…I think it makes a more interesting back. I know this heat is just horrible! I really worry about all the animals and pets out there. There are some pretty unreliable people out there! Have a great day! Love the posts!
I have a question about America For Me, I’m hoping you can help me! I have the original pattern from many moons ago. It was buried in my stash because I couldn’t figure out how to make the flags with the random shaped stripes! Am I being stupid? Are you supposed to paper piece it? I guess I needed more directions! Any help anyone can give me would be greatly appreciated! Roasting here in central Illinois and really need some rain. Hopefully tomorrow! I just love this blog and all your beautiful quilts and pictures from the farm!
Susan McCabe – I have to be honest – this quilt was a gift so I’m not sure which method our staff used but if it were me, I’d probably paper piece it. My suggestion is to ask Jan – she’d be the one to ask.
Thanks Mary! I’ll probably just give paper piecing a try. I don’t love that method but I guess it’s a chance to get better at it!
Your America quilt is beautiful! I really love your #8. Have a fun time with the kids! Take pictures!
72 ads closed on my way back through the blog to see what kind of binding you put on your “Summer” mini quilt. That may be a record for me! I was on a roll today getting projects to the next step–pre-washed a bunch of fabric I’ve purchased recently, basted and quilted “Summer”, basted another baby quilt. Getting ready for a trip to MN, so there won’t be much time to sew for the next couple of weeks.
Looking forward to having Jenica home again after her internship in CA this summer. She is anticipating going to the barn to ‘face the empty stall’ with Pete gone. Patch will be good therapy for her. I am anxious to see her riding again.
I am super excited that my son and daughter-in-law will be back in Colorado for the next two years after he finishes up his Captain Career Course in Virginia in November. After a deployment last year, having them home again is an incredible gift. They will be about 2 1/2 hours south of me at Fort Carson (Colorado Springs).
Diane Bauer – how in the world did you find 72 ads to close! Holy cow! Thank you! Sounds like you got lots of things “worked on”. Are you going to be in Rochester? I’m 2 hours SW of you but you have an open invitation to visit the farm if you have time. Email me if you need my phone number and/or directions. Are your dogs traveling with you or will somebody stay at your house? Jen won’t be done yet, will she?
Thanks again for going to the bother of closing all those ads!
I was moving back through your posts one by one to find the photo you posted of your Summer mini and each post I opened had more ads, so I just closed them all! I so appreciate and look forward to your posts!!
I will be in Rochester much of my visit, with a weekend in River Falls, WI for my Uncle Dean’s memorial service. I would love to visit the farm again and will take you up on your kind invitation the next time I drive back. I’m flying this time because Jen is still in LA and that means about 4 days less that the pups will need to be boarded. They go back to our breeder when Jenica can’t stay with them. Both still have sibs there and it’s all one big party of Golden Retrievers. Jenica will get home several days before I do so she will pick them up and bring them home. I think she’s coming home more quickly than she would necessarily need to because she misses the dogs so much (not me mind you, but the dogs! 😂).
I love your #8.
I had a Siamese cat when I was little that never did shed. My big kitty now just sheds and sheds and I don’t care!
I think gray and white cat hair looks good on my church pants – ha!
I love your #8 quilt! And you finished a week early – very impressive 🙂 The dark colors are gorgeous!