Faith, Folklore, and Friends

Those of you who know me well know that I'm just not a beige kind of woman. I am not afraid to use red in my quilts.  I don't make many without a little red to liven things up. At antique auctions, I have noticed that the red quilts always sell first and are the most expensive. Apparently, I'm in good company. Yesterday, I finished machine quilting this string quilt with red fabric.  I made the quilt top a couple of years ago by piecing large string blocks, cutting them into half square triangles, and adding the red fabric to complete it. Can you see the windmills?  Which did you see first, the red ones or the scrappy ones? Just curious.  I always see the scrappy ones first.   I wash my red or any bold color fabric before I use it to see if it will fade;  a lesson I learned by experience from my early quilting days.  

I don't usually buy pre-printed fabric panels for quilting, although there are lots of good ones on the market.  Last week, while at Joann's Fabric, I spotted a panel with a world map.  It was bright, colorful, and the lines of longitude and latitude were perfect for quilting lines. When I was in school, the USSR was united and easy to spot on the map.  Since it broke apart,  I have never been able to keep all my "stans" straight, and they are all printed on this panel.  The quilt is the perfect size to cover a sleeping mat like the little ones use, and  a great learning tool for them and the rest of us. For those of you looking for a quilting project that is not too hard, give this a try.  I think the panel was about  $7, and I used batting and a lining that I already had.  There is still plenty of time to get this done before Christmas! The map even includes Easter Island.  Know where that is in 2 seconds or l...