Baltimore Album Quilts, Stars Upon Stars

Tuesday, Feb 15, 2022

Suffering some sort of sinus infection that is effecting my teeth. Yikes the pain has been unbelievable and no help from the dentist. What a waste of my time and insurance money. It seems to be subsiding for which I am very thankful, again no thanks to the dentist. Rant over about dentists.

I am actually feeling better and am building up my motivation to work on my Stars Upon Stars quilt. There are many components to this quilt and I am breaking it down and working on one component at a time. There are 42 sashings required and I have made 31 and have put them aside. I am now putting together fabrics for the 15 star blocks. My plan is to make 5-6 star block diamonds this week and next week make the corresponding setting mini stars and half stars. With what I have already made that will put in at the halfway mark. Progress. This is a very challenging quilt for me. I am honing that “Y” seam 8 pointed star technique and I am also working with fabrics I am not naturally drawn. These are civil war reproductions and are darker fabrics. I am usually working with bright vibrant fabrics. Yes, it’s a challenge to shift gears. I keep wanting to throw in a spicy bright fabric. I am also challenged by the kaleidoscope feel of the stars. My thoughts wander to how am I going to quilt this? Toying with ideas. Need more practice in this area.

There are still patches of snow and ice in the shadowy areas that remind us we are still technically in the winter season. Yesterday we reached temps of almost 60. So nice. Rain in the forecast later in the week. That will take care of lingering snow and ice.

Friday February 18, 2022

Wooo chilly morning with a bit of snow/sleet accumulation. When I lived up north this would have been called a skiff. Just a dusting on the ground. Some trees have some ice on the branches. The ice had the appearance of tear drops. So very pretty in the sunlight. Good news is supposed to get close to 50 today. Here today, gone tomorrow is my motto for this crazy weather. I’m considering walking in this crazy mess today. To be determined.

I had the opportunity to participate in an awesome Zoom presentation on Baltimore Album Quilts while it was live. It has now been uploaded to You Tube. I highly recommend this presentation. So informative on the historical origins and the impact it continues to have with today’s quilters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i00oWzdphug Textile Talks – Quilt Alliance

I learned much more than I had thought. I thought I knew the history behind them. So much more has been uncovered. The panelists were Debby Cooney, Nancy Kerns, Ronda Harrell McAllen and Mimi Dietrich all very accomplished and informed ladies.

My head was swimming with this new information and I was an absolute sponge trying to absorb and formulate this information into my brain. A question came up, Why did this style of quilt fall out of favor? Different opinions were discussed, invention of sewing machine 1854, political unrest (civil war on horizon) ; major participants left the area. Too bad we are not able to time travel to get those answers. Quiltfolk magazine # 21 Maryland is dedicated to covering these quilts and has interviews recorded. I ordered my issue right away. When the presentation concluded I sat mulling over what I had heard and I realized that I am now a member of this very special sisterhood as I have completed my own Baltimore Album style quilt. It is a very humbling notion that I am associated with all the talented ladies who have come before me and who are now actively working on and teaching this style of quilting.

I am still working on Edyta Sitar’s Stars Upon Stars pattern. I am focusing on the 8 pointed star segments for the 12” block at this time. I am planning, imagining and discarding layouts. It’s like a kaleidoscope and difficult for me to imagine the finished product. So each one is a surprise for me as it is nothing like I had imagined it. There are 15 whole stars in the project. 4 completed and 5-6 works in progress so that will leave 5 to make. It does require fussy sewing (precision). A challenge for sure. Today I am hopeful of completing this compartmentalization of work and get a total of 6 completed. I have 2 ½ left. Totally doable today.

Have an awesome day.

Sissy Malone

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Finishing Projects, Stars Upon Stars

February 7, 2022 Monday

It’s been an emotional week. My sister has taken ill with pancreatitis and possibly a perforated ulcer (we had no idea she had an ulcer). I took her to the ER on Friday and on Saturday she was transported to Springfield where personnel are trained to treat her condition. As of yesterday they were taking another CAT scan to better determine what’s going on in her tummy. Hopefully today we will have answers and a course of action. It’s been an emotional roller coaster.

We had a winter storm and were blessed with a bit of ice/sleet and 5-6 inches of snow. Pretty much everything shut down. I have 4-wheel drive so I was able to navigate without any problems. They just plowed our road yesterday 5 days after storm.

I have not had the opportunity to walk and I am struggling with my weight loss. I have lost 30 pounds but am having a problem getting past that. The good news is I am down a size in clothing and have started the process of going through my closet and weeding out those items that are too big. Very nice feeling. I feel better, look better and have more energy. My goal is 60 pounds in 1 year. I’ll keep at it.

Not sure where I was when life got crazy but I finished the Savannah quilt and made the label. I am very pleased with the results. I had taken a machine applique class with Jody at Merrily We Quilt Along in Springfield, MO. I have been s self taught machine appliquer but needed to learn some finer tips on points and curves etc. I also learned about some of the uses of fusibles. I translated those lessons into my label for the Savannah quilt. I found a cute Orangutan print on Pinterest and translated it into my label. I hope I am not breaking any copyright laws by doing that.

I had planned on taking it for show and tell at our Saturday Sampler group but that got canceled and rescheduled for next Saturday. I will take it then.

Now its on to the next quilt on my list which is a BOM from Homestead Hearth Quilts, Stars upon Stars by Edyta Sitar. It is a very challenging 8 pointed star quilt. Very tiny pieces. I think that’s what attracted it to me was the challenge. I wish I could be appliqueing but my hand has not quite healed yet from being crushed by a window dropping on it. Still don’t have full range of motion with first finger. X-rays say not broken so soft tissue injury and they do take time to heal. In the meantime I am having fun with my quilting machine and sewing machine.

When I have been receiving my BOM packets in the mail I have been breaking them down into 1 12” star block; 1 3” corner block; 1 half star block. Now that I have several months of fabric and 3 month’s behind I am at a place where I can make multiples. I need 42 sashings for this quilt. I am focusing right now on making as many of those as I can so I can set them aside. The center of each sashing is a civil war pink color. I will use up what I have and wait for more pink fabrics to come. I have cut strips for 22 sashings. That is my project now. Mindless strip sewing. Good practice for accurate ¼” seam allowance.

AQS is coming to Branson in March. I have signed up to work 1 day through the Ozark Piecemakers Quilt Guild. I have also signed up for a machine quilting class with Cindy Sietz-Krug. Excited to learn anything new for my Q16 and any new designs. I am taking my cute little camper and have reserved my site.

AQS Paducah my absolute favorite quilt show is in April and I have signed up for a sit down machine quilting class and am on the wait list for Susan Cleveland’s Piping Hot Binding class. I also have my reservations for a campsite. This time I am going Sunday thru Sunday. Very excited about that.

April sent an updated photo of the border quilting on my Missouri Splendor quilt. The finish is heading our way. It’s beautiful.

Praying every one is safe, healthy and happy.

Sissy Malone