Rings of Posies
I purchased at auction, this beautiful unfinished quilt top with lovely cross-stitching and embroidery. I fell in love with it and had to have it. I layered QD wool over Hobbs 80/20 and used Superior So Fine threads.
I had a difficult time with finding just the right color of fabric for the binding, so I used some hand-dyed cotton sateen that I made while at Jamie Wallen’s quilt class I took a couple of years ago with some friends. It came in so handy for this quilt. I love how this turned out. It’s the wedding colors of my stepson’s wedding, so this will eventually live with them in Missouri. In the meantime, it’s won several ribbons (both national and regional shows).
When I prepared to enter it in the shows, I knew I needed the name of the piecer. I contacted the coordinator of the auction to obtain her name and the city/state where she lived. I then googled her and found her phone number. She was 86 or 87 when she finished these stamped embroidery blocks, which her mother had purchased prior to her death in the 80s. So the blocks were old, but the embroidery was just finished the prior year. I hunted down the pattern publisher and obtained written permission to enter it into shows (a requirement for nearly all national/international shows). After winning a 3rd place ribbon at MQX-Midwest, I sent her a letter with her ribbon telling her how our quilt had won it’s first ribbon. It’s gone on to win 1st place and other ribbons and each time I mail her an update. (She doesn’t have internet or a smart phone, so I’m doing this old school. I think that in some ways that makes it even more special.)
It’s currently on it’s way to the Wisconsin Quilt Expo this month.
