Thousand Pyramids - The 30 Year Wonder Qluilt

According to my research, the Great Pyramid took about 20 years to build.  This quilt top took about 30 years from concept to last row joined.  Hmmm, maybe not so bad considering there are actually 1,175 pyramids in this charm quilt.

I think there were five of us who did an exchange that took about 18 months.  We had 4 templates (2 people used the same template).  We planned to exchange 10 fabrics a month in a particular color family.  Each of us drew around the templates and cut out the shapes with 1/4" seam allowances for hand piecing., Fifty quilt pieces were made and exchanged each month.  We were loose on the color families - red meant anything from deep burgundy to the lightest pink, blue was navy to pale blue, etc. Colors like rust might fit in either the orange or brown category.

The templates included a half-square triangle which was used by two quilters.  One (our East Coast native) used a clam shell, one shape was a diamond and then there was mine that was a pyramid shape.

I moved cross country during the exchange and found that 10 of the fabric shapes could be sent in a #10 envelope for the price of a first class stamp, so each month, I continued to send my shapes to each of the others and they sent theirs to me.

A little Amish Influence.

All types of fabrics were exchanged.  There are a few that probably  aren't the best quality and maybe should have been left out, but our stashes weren't as big back then.

Christmas fabrics including a fussy cut Christmas bear were exchanged.

Even a vintage Holly Hobby fabric made it into the top. Notice that it is next to an Irish clover leaf.

There is even an "A" for Arnold in the top.

There may be a point or two that need to be "fixed" or maybe they will be left in even if they are slightly off.  Maybe it's more important to have this quilt done and quilted than it is to have it be perfectly pieced after 30 years or so!

One of the neatest things about the fabric is that even though the original exchange was with a small group of dear friends in Iowa, as I was finishing the quilt, I needed more fabric to make it large enough.  Of course, I used some of my newer stash, but I still needed unique fabrics in some colors, so asked two of my dear Arizona friends if they would contribute the colors I needed and they did!  So this quilt includes fabrics from not only over time, but from more friends than the original group.  

Isn't that part of the culture of quilting?  Neighbors exchanged fabrics, friends contributed fabrics to fill a need and relatives shared their stash.  Today just like in the past, these traditions continue and I'm very happy they do, aren't you?

Here's to Quilting Traditions!

xoxoXOXOxoxo

Lois

Celtic Solstice and Hexie Progress - slow but sure!

Are you a slow stitcher or a fast one?

Do you get things done really quickly or savor the process?

Do you work on one project until it's done? 

Or are you like me with several things going at once?

Here is where Celtic Solstice is today.  The left portion is all stitched together.  The right portion is webbed and ready for the horizontal rows to be stitched together.

I showed you the first two borders here. The final border is a bright blue.

The pieced border is only stitched into "twosies" at this point.

In addition to Celtic Solstice, my evening hand stitching project is hexies.

When the diamonds are added, they will fit like this.

Of course, I have to add some more neutral to the final points before adding diamonds.  And, I'll have to make 5 more diamonds, too!  I cut more neutral fabric this morning for more hexie variety.

Then, there is the pyramid project that I showed you here.  All of the setting triangles are stitched now, so it is just a matter of sewing the diagonal rows and deciding if a border is needed. 

I need to take a photo of the pyramids now that all of the setting triangles are done.

So which are you? Fast, Slow, one project at a time or working on many projects?  I'd love to know so leave a comment below.

Until next time,

XOXOxoxoXOXO

Lois

Sew Day and Pyramid Building

Last week my friends and I had the opportunity to get together for a day of sewing fun!  Joyce was in the valley for a few days to stay with grand kids.  We met at Diane's as her husband had surgery a couple of weeks ago and we didn't want him to be alone yet.

I made Crock pot Potato Soup and carrot cake for lunch so we were set to sew! And sew we did!

Joyce is working on four patches for a quilt for one of her grandsons.

Now doesn't she look happy!  She got all the ones she had ready to sew that day done!

Diane was continuing a tradition of working on a quilt she plans to enter in the Arizona Quilters Guild Show which is in March.  Yep, last minute, but she always gets them done! And they win prizes, too!

These geese are for the border of her flying geese quilt. these are actually the side triangles, the geese are from various prints that are used in the blocks of the quilt.

We are all working on hexie quilts.  This is the beginning of Diane's.  I had mine there, too, but have a lot more done on it now and have not photographed the progress -- next time.  Joyce did not have hers there that day.  She is working on a larger size hexie, but has now purchased the smaller one that Diane and I are using as she likes that size better now that she has seen our progress.

Joyce made this wonderful bag for me to use while working on hexies.  She made Diane another friend and herself one, too.  She's been a busy gal!

Just look at all of those compartments!  She had rolled up 2" strips of fabrics in the colors I'm sewing my hexie quilt in as an extra surprise!  I am loving sing this wonderful bag. Thank you, Joyce!

I was working on setting triangles for my Thousand Pyramids quilt.

All of the blocks are finally sewn together and the top 5 of the setting triangles on the right side.  None of the blocks are sewn into rows and the 7 setting triangles yet to be sewn are just pieces placed on the design wall.  This quilt began with an exchange of fabrics almost 30 years ago.  I won't say there are no repeated fabrics as there may be one or two, but not intentionally.  I think there were six of us who sent each other fabrics 10 per month in the color of the month until we had a thousand fabrics.  Since we sometimes bought the same fabrics, there may be some that are the same.  I'll tell the whole story when the quilt top is done and ready to be off the design wall!

I need it off the design wall so I can put Celtic Solstice up there! All the blocks are done.  All of the pieced border blocks are done, but none of the rows have been sewn together.  It's on the list, but first I want those pyramids off the design wall.  My design floor doesn't allow me to check out the blocks as well, but I have decided that an Oriental rug would look lovely on the floor in the loft once Celtic Solstice is finished!

So, I'm making progress on 3 quilts.  Yay!

Until next time,

sosoSOSOsoso

Lois