My Fun Tablerunner is DONE! Quilt History, Bluework and Blocks

This morning I got the binding made and machine sewn on!

Then tonight while watching "A Lesson Before Dying" which I have seen before and read the book...(still sobbed, sigh) I handsewed the binding down. I love the crazy lemon backing! It is already under my laptop while I type and the cat is laying on one end of it. Yay for one done UFO!

I also got the binding made and machine sewed on the A is for Adiminaby...so soon I will hand sew that too. So relaxing while sitting in front of the telly. (I have always wanted to use that word, lol).

Randy and I made a run out to JoAnn's where I picked up some blue DMC floss and pearl cotton thread for bluework...one of the gals at the quilt history group told me to get #412 (or at least that is what I wrote down) but upon getting to the store I saw that there wasn't a 412 slot much less thread! So then I wasn't sure what to get and there were no books I could find to tell me and the staff didn't even know what bluework or redwork was! So I took a chance and got 412 (which I most likely already have upstairs!) in case I just didn't have the number right. Then I saw Perle cotton--the only blue one was 823 so I got that too...it is WAY too dark. A navy really but I am sure I will find a use for it. Meanwhile I just did some quick internet research and discovered that bluework is 797 (dark blue) or 813 (light blue) according to at least one source, while other sources listed them and 798, 312, 824 and 311 Perle cotton and in case you want to know for redwork DMC 498 (turkey red) or 321, 304 and 817. Now you may be curious just what bluework I suddenly am undertaking...my quilt history group is planning to do a few of these Colonial History blocks each month since Roberta (fabulous quilt historian in our group) has a quilt with them on it. She is drafting up patterns for us though some are hard to see on her quilt and even in this picture I found online. I can't make it much bigger without a lot of distortion so...the first block she is having us do is the third row down, second block in.

It says "One Penny" on it. I am not sure what the significance of that is, it looks like a coat or arms or emblem but google didn't tell me much. It will be fun to learn more about colonial history while stitching these up (if I like it lol). I was thinking that Mackenzie (my 16 year old son) might appreciate the end product which maybe wil be done in time for his graduation in 2.5 years. He is a son of the American Revolution on his dad's side and loves history so I think of anyone he would enjoy this quilt. Ruby Short McKim was the designer of all this redwork and apparently her granddaughter is recreating and redistributing her patterns but hasn't gotten to this one yet. http://www.mckimstudios.com/04treasures/quiltspecial/quiltspecial.shtml

I have it all traced out here.

I also got the block together for next month's quilt history class as much as I can since I am supposed to do some stitching in the center "Zoe's Trunk Quilt History" and a design picture. I am thinking about leaving out the pictures and enlarging the words. I don't want to get too crazy, lol. The block is called "Double X" and was designed by Marie D. Webster, Brackman Block Number 2179. Here it is on the design wall...will straighten it out when it gets sewn together!

And we voted and decided that there would be all three of these choices every month (a pieced, a bluework or two and then the ladies). I am not real experienced with applique as we all know but decide to give this one a try. Not sure I will do one each month for two reasons...1) I am not sure I will be great at applique and I have other applique stuff to do and 2) I have no idea who this one would go to when it is done. Not my daughter's tastes, nor mine or anyone I can think of! Some of the gals were really smitten with doing this one though! Well if you stayed with me all the way to the end of this post you are a true friend! Happy quilting!