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BLOCK COLLECTION
OTHER QUILTS
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 Quilters with a Tulip Basket quilt in the frame. Quilting groups enjoyed setting their frame up and quilting outside. Natural daylight provided for smaller stitches and less eyestrain than quilting in a house with no electricity. Photo courtesy of the Kansas State Historical Society. This is the fourth book on the Clothier family’s history and quilts. I want to continue telling Reka and Wilford’s stories and share women’s history and a set of quilt designs from 1900-1929. Reka’s quilt group of friends and relatives maintained a long history of making quilts for Navaho Indian missions, World War I victims, and political support for the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) and women’s right to vote. Friendship blocks and quilts represent long lasting ties with the Peace Creek Kansas community in Reno County, Kansas.  Brotherly and Sisterly love. I discovered this collection of 26 blocks over twenty years ago. For years I laid these blocks of all different sizes out on the floor, thinking they were made for a sampler quilt. As hard as I tried, the blocks never looked "right" together. "Why would women make a stack of quilt blocks in such a variety of fabrics and sizes?" Quiltmakers historically have made a "test" block before cutting into their fabric. Because patterns were passed around her circle of friends and paper gets torn or distorted, ladies would lend their "pattern block/test block" to a friend and let her make a pattern. For this book I chose 12 designs I thought most interesting. The hand piecing is exceptional. The blocks are shown with the vintage block on the left and the new block on the right. These quilt blocks require different levels of sewing skill and are labeled for beginners intermediate and challenging. Use any color palette you prefer, they look good in any color scheme. World War I was a life changing event. Included in the book is a fascinating interview with a nurse who served in the war in Brest, France. Her first hand account of war and all of its hardships and horrors give inspiration to three projects included in the book. The Red Cross Quilt, Red Cross Bag and Nurses Apron help remember this time. The Ragged Robin Quilt was a quilt top I purchased in Colorado several years ago. I estimate it was appliqued c. 1920-1940. I loved the bright and cheerful colors and the skill of the unknown appliquers. I asked the Legler Barn Quilters in Lenexa, Kansas to hand quilt the top. They used a thin batting, marked the quilt with a 1" square grid on point, and quilted with white thread. There quilting is lovely and consistent for group quilting. Thank you ladies.  Laundry Day When I saw this quilt top I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The unquilted top contained hearts and octagons (my favorite geometric shape). At first I thought the rings were appliqued, but upon closer inspection I could see it was actually pieced. The hand piecing surpasses anything I have seen, wiht accurate settings of odd shaped pieces and set in hearts, where the tiny stripes in the heart fabric are lined up and matched. I attended a quilt study group in Wichita, Kansas this last summer and challenged anyone who could draft the pattern and make a model for this book. Thank you Cheryl Harp, Barb Nicholson, and Chris Claridy. I decided to present their piecing directions and also suggest a way you could applique part of the heart wreath onto an octagon block. This project is "Not For The Faint Of Heart". "Aunt Reka and the Peace Creek Quilters" contain full size patterns, color suggestions, yardage and instructions for all projects. If this is the first book you have in the series, check the listing of all my books to acquaint you with the members of my large pioneer family that came to Kansas in 1874.  |
 Conesoga Quilts |
 Lewis & Clark - Volume One - Quilts for the Journey |
 Lewis & Clark - Volume Two - Quilts Inspired by Bird Woman |
 A COWBOY CHRISTMAS |
