Grandma Loves Red

Maybe it's because this is the view today out my front window.

Maybe it's because I am a proud Indiana University alum (Class of 1976).

Maybe it's because I got this wonderful book, Infinite Variety:  Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts, for Christmas.

Whatever the reason, I have gone and done it again.  I made another red and white quilt.

It started out like this.  After the Allietare mystery quilt reveal, I was putting the red, cream, gray and black blocks together.  All those scattered pieces go to these blocks, which Bonnie named Echoes of Pisa. The other block (the star) is the main square, and the red ones were meant as alternate blocks.

But I really liked these blocks on their own!

What if I surrounded them with shirting print sashings and red cornerstones?

What if I added a 3-strip border?  With 9 patches in the corners?

So, here's the top.  It's not a big quilt.  It's not a show stopper, like Bonnie Hunter's Allietare.

It does brighten up the room!

The top's done, and now I have to contemplate the quilting.
(When I was well into setting this quilt together, I discovered this was the third quilt in less than 2 years that I have set in this exact way!  I might have some sort of a problem.  At least the borders are different on all 3 quilts.)

Meanwhile, I have some other quilting in mind.

It's a small redwork quilt, made from old blocks I bought at a flea market.  (Are you seeing a theme here?)  There were 24 blocks, and they cost 50 cents each.  I washed them in the sink, pressed and starched them, and chose the best 20 of the bunch.  I set them together with new fabric, which is as close to the old turkey red as I could find.

The squares are all hand-embroidered, mainly with farm animals, although there is a jack-o-lantern and a witch flying on a broomstick, among other things.

This one has a deadline.  I'd like to get it finished this month, one hundred years after it was started.  I'm hand basting it, because I'm going to hand quilt it.

I'm glad to bring some warm, bold color indoors in January in Wisconsin.
Stay warm, and stay in stitches.