Small Americana Flannel Flag Quilt

A friend is getting married this spring.  No registry anywhere.  This friend and her fiancé live in South Carolina so I thought a small quilt featuring Americana might make a nice token gift.  The quilt is made using an 8.5 in X 10.5 in flannel flag.  Flannel flags were used as tobacco premiums. [see my earlier post]  The practice of inserting advertising in tobacco products and packaging began about 1870 and continued throughout the late 19th Century into the first decades of the 20th Century.

The above premium features an American flag in the center with 48 stars.  As Arizona became the 48th state on Feb 14, 1912, this one had to be made after that date.   The other flags (from top left, close wise) are Costa Rica, Peru, Cuba, Hayti, and San Domingo.

Here is a photo to show the hand quilting

Here is the back.  I used the “fast finish triangle” method to allow easy hanging.  See the wooden skewer used as a rod.  This allows using a simple picture hanger hook to hand the quilt.

Another close view to show some of the quilting.  The back fabric is closer to the tan color to the above photo than this one.  I signed and dated  the back before mailing it.

Some Reference:s:
Textile Tobacco Inserts and Premiums used in American Quilts, and Related Household Articles; By Laurette Carroll, Quilt Maker,
Quilt Collector and Quilt Historian
"Better Choose Me: Addictions to Tobacco, Collecting, and Quilting, 1880-1920"; Ethel Ewart Abrahams and Racheal K. Pannabecker from Uncoverings 2000
America's Quilting History; Tobacco Premium Quilt History: Silks, Ribbons & Flannels -- womenfolk.com
A Flag Quilt Launches a Search into the Past; Merikay Waldvogel; Quilting Today, Issue 68, pp 26-28
Museums & Quilts; Attic Treasures for Everybody at the Bowers
Museum of Cultural Art; Carter Houck; Quilter's Newsletter Magazine, Jan/Feb 1995, No 269, pp 40-41

Finished the Scrappy Log Cabin Quilt

Here is the finished scrappy log cabin quilt.  I have given it to a colleague to use for his grandchildren.  The quilt measures 41.5 in X 53.25 in.  It is machine pieced and quilted. 

Here is are a few photos to show some of the points of interest.  This one has a cat, a dog, flowers, a moon, and cat-related words.

This one had a cowgirl, a car, a planet, a ladybug, and more.

And this one a squash, an oil well, Winnie the Pooh, and more dogs.

The back is a blue print.

Thinking of You Scarf

I  love the way this scarf turned out.  Finished in time to share for Valentine's.  The pattern I used is Thinking of You Scarf by Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer.  The  sale of the pattern raises money for WomenHeart, the organization devoted to improving the quality of life and healthcare for women living with heart disease.

The yarn is  Fyberspates Scrumptious DK in cherry red.  It measures 6 in X 60 in.

Here is a photo of the two ends lain out side by side.   The hearts go up one side to just about a third of the length.

And here is a close up of the hearts

Also, check out this recent post over at Quilt Alliance blog.  It features some of my quilts.

Scrappy Log Cabin Quilt -- WIP

I finished  two additional scrappy log cabin squares for a total of 12.  Here they are.  I love the little cowgirl on her tricycle, the red convertible, the ladybugs, the thread, the planet.

This one has a blue car, flowers, lemons, and lots of colors.

I decided to set the squares with a simple sashing and border.  The cream fabric sashing is 1.25 in wide (1.75 in with seam allowances).  I used some left-over 2 in green squares which I recut.  Then added a 3 in (2.75 in without seam allowance) blue border with orange square in the corners.  The quilt top (prior to doing the quilting) measures 42 in X 53.75 in.

So now I have to put the top together with the batting and backing and quilt it.