Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Resurrected UFO

My local quilt guild has been involved in making quilts for American Hero Quilts, an effort that was begun by a woman who lives about as west as you can get in the state of Washington. We received a plea for more quilt tops this weekend as they are getting more requests for quilts than they can fill. This reminded me of a UFO that has been in the back corner of my closet for years. Time to get it out and put it to good use!

This began as a round robin project with about 8 other guild members back in 1997. I think each participant was encouraged to make a 12" block and some four inch filler blocks or units. I do remember the challenge of setting those blocks and parts into a cohesive whole. There were several arrangements before this heart shape showed up.


The problem was that I didn't know what to do with it after that. It's a horizontal orientation, 63" wide by 57" tall. I had less studio space back then than I do now, and no-one in my family had any strong desire for a patriotic quilt. So it went into a box.

There were some extra blocks in the box when I opened it up today. I suspect I must have made a couple of them well after the top had been put together but I never pursued incorporating them into the quilt.


Actually, the four patch blocks and the sailboats were separate little blocks (4") that I set together today into a 12" block. I still have plenty of the navy blue print that I used to finish up the top originally. With the experience I now have under my belt it didn't take long for me to see that I could make a couple of columns of blocks to add to either end of the existing top and bring the whole thing up to the required minimum size of 63" x 87."

These columns have now been added and a bit of the navy blue sewn all around for a final frame. It's as big as it needs to be now but it's too big for me to get a decent picture of it by myself. The plan is to get together with a couple of my friends later this week; maybe I'll be able to get a good picture then. And one of them can turn it in for me so it can be quilted and bound and sent to a soldier in need. :- )

3 comments:

  1. Sue, you "did good" on this quilt. Generally, I don't get very excited about patriotic quilts, but this one is especially nice. Someone will be honored to have it.

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  2. What a marvelous ending for this UFO . . . some lucky recipient will LOVE this quilt!

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  3. What a wonderful final chapter to the story of this particular quilt top! It seems almost like destiny for all the various elements to come together just now.
    I love what you had done, and even more how you got it to where you wanted it to be. That sort of thing is exactly in the wheel house of the Orphan Train quilt tops! Good Job Sue!!! Hugs, Finn

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