Since I like to use my blog as a journal for quiltmaking activities, I thought it would be fun to snap some shots of the process along the way for the Civil War Diary Quilt.
First off, the pattern is traced from the book onto freezer paper. Each shape is cut apart and ironed on to the wrong side of the fabric. I have a tubful of Jo Morton fabrics leftover from Little Women Club days and am happy to have a nice selection of color coordinated reproductions. After the pattern pieces are adhered to the chosen fabrics, a line is sketched around the shape with either an eversharp pencil or a General's marker(pencil sharpener nearby!) .
The pieces are cut out leaving a 1/4 " seam allowance all around the edges. I labeled the pieces dark, medium and light to help with the confusion at the ironing board! The block is laid out on my handy-dandy clipboard that has thin batting glued down (great for small piece blocks at the sewing machine, too--and applique parts).
First off, the pattern is traced from the book onto freezer paper. Each shape is cut apart and ironed on to the wrong side of the fabric. I have a tubful of Jo Morton fabrics leftover from Little Women Club days and am happy to have a nice selection of color coordinated reproductions. After the pattern pieces are adhered to the chosen fabrics, a line is sketched around the shape with either an eversharp pencil or a General's marker(pencil sharpener nearby!) .
The pieces are cut out leaving a 1/4 " seam allowance all around the edges. I labeled the pieces dark, medium and light to help with the confusion at the ironing board! The block is laid out on my handy-dandy clipboard that has thin batting glued down (great for small piece blocks at the sewing machine, too--and applique parts).
The pieces are then handstitched into blocks. My first two are (left) John Morgan pg. 144-145 and (right) Abomination of Desolation pg. 172-173, both from the first book, Civil War Diary. I have ordered the second one, Civil War Love Letter, from Amazon and am so anxious to get it!!!
Here are a couple of other wonderful books I have in my quilting library about Civil War quilts and women. Both are by Barbara Brackman and just chockful of great stories and patterns. I've had them both for quite awhile so don't know what their availability is. I am definitely appreciative of the efforts these women put forth in troubled times to keep their families warm.
