Updates, late (better late than never...)

It has been a couple of weeks since my last posting.  My time being taken up with some family stuff.

But I did manage to get "some" sewing done.  The first lot of photos here are more of my blocks from Barbara Brackman's Grandmother's Choice BOW, that I have called Votes for Women.

 Another project I'm working on is a hand sewing one - to take along when I go to Guild and my local sewing group.  The centre is an appliqued quite large square surrounded by hexagons.  I have chosen to keep with a colour scheme of blues/browns for the hexagons to compliment the centre square.  I have sewn the strip of hexagons down yet - I need to trim the centre and measure the next strip of hexagons to make sure the fit the sides.  But you can see how it will look.

When the surround is finished there is another round of applique finishing with another round of hexagons.

Votes for Women next set of blocks

I have completed another set of 8 blocks from Barbara Brackman's BOW acknowledging the strong women of the Suffragette movements around the world. Please excuse the edges as I'm not trimming until all the blocks are completed, so at the moment they look a little ragged, poor things!

I'm really pleased with my choice of sticking with the original colour scheme that the Women's Movements at that time had chosen for their message. With the addition of gold/cheddar which the Australian movement and some of the American women used it's adding a bit of 'zing' to whole scheme. I'm starting to get a tad excited about this quilt and want to work on it all the time.

At the moment I'm having an enforced rest from machine sewing - my dear Pfaff is at the doctor's - not well at all - the motherboard needs to be replaced. She just ran out of puff while I was sewing the other day and just stopped.  Just as well I had finished what I was doing and went over to the iron to press, came back and found the machine had 'turned off'.  Tried a number of different plugs and, nope she wouldn't work.

For the next couple of weeks it is hand sewing for me - and do I have a lot of that!!! 

Civil War, Reproduction and Barbara Brackman's BOW

Last year Barbara Brackman of Civil War fame published another Block of the Week (BOW). Every time she has done this, I tell myself, must do, must do!  But - while I downloaded all the patterns I have never started one - you know, one day etc etc.

With this last one that she called 'Grandmother's Choice' and after reading the preamble for this BOW, I knew this was one I would HAVE to do!  She chose to represent women and their fight for equal rights, in particular the right to vote.  Every block is a representation of a particular woman in different countries around the world.  Even though I'm not a 'feminist' I do believe in equal rights.  As I wanted to make it in colours that represent the various Suffragette movements and also to keep to fabrics that weren't 'too modern' I began collecting (as if I don't have enough anyway!!)

The main movement used the colours - Purple (for Dignity); White (for Purity); and Green (for Hope). The Australian women used these colours but also included Gold/yellow, but very little white.  The gold that was used was very similar to what call today 'cheddar'.  I based my choice of fabrics around these colours.

A fortnight ago I went to a quilt camp and looking for a project to do, I gathered up all my sorted fabrics, printed off the patterns and took the project along.  Not a lot of sewing was done, but heaps of chatter, laughter, eating etc.  But I did manage to cut and sew 4 blocks.

This weekend I made another 4.  These are in no particular order - just as I printed off the pattern/templates and chose the material I wished to use.

None of the blocks have been trimmed - leaving that until the last one is made, then will do the lot at once.

My plan is (??) to complete two blocks per week. That's the plan I hope!!

If you wish to read more and see all of the blocks, go over to Barbara's blog 'Grandmother's Choice' here, or check out the link on my side bar.

New Block of the Week

Barbara Brackman has done it again!  Another Block of the Week has started - on 1 September 2012 and will go for 49 weeks.

How many of you followed her Civil War BOW?  I did, but unfortunately didn't keep up with making the blocks although I have saved them all on the computer!  Another 'to do' quilt on my never ending list.

This BOW she has called 'Grandmother's Choice' and will be relating stories of the Suffragettes and Women's Rights in those early years.  Barbara has started another blog for you to follow and get the patterns.  I have put it in my Blog List on the right or you can click on any of the links in this posting.  This is one project I really really want to do.  I feel very strongly about the rights of women and the abuse some suffer in other countries (and here in the 'civilised' society as well - mostly within their family units).

Not sure how I want to make this one.  Do I use the colours of the Suffragette movement, purple (for dignity), green (for hope) and white (purity);  (if I can find enough reproduction fabrics in these colours, it might be the way to go).  I have always wanted to make a red and white quilt, (which by the way was the English women's colours);  will I chose this option?  Australia's Women's Right Movement chose the colours green, gold and white - another good option.  I could just go with scrappy and use my civil war and reproduction fabrics that I have.  But to honour these women I feel I should use their colours.

Decisions, decisions.  Which way would you go?  When I have made my decision I will let you know.