Aug 23, 2006

another block find

Seesaw Brackman#1336 from Gutcheon's Perfect Patchwork Primer. 1973.

What brought this up? Well, I flipped the 365 Quilt Blocks perpetual calendar page that sits atop my computer and there it is. LOL, after I just asked Karen about the one she featured in her post dated 8/20. The fabrics are blending at bit in her blocks and the flying geese units are less prominent then in the colored sketch. I can see how using a no waste, 4 at once flying geese pattern would come in handy for making this block especially if you were doing a whole quilt.

Judy had asked where I was coming up with the numbers on the previous post--which book etc I was using. BlockBase software which is just Electric Quilt's version of the Barbara Brackman book, actually more like the quilting bible in my opinion, Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Blocks. The software is probably easier to use than the handdrawn quilt thumbnails but I still pull the book out occasionally.

I really enjoy learning about the history of quilt blocks--their names, where the blocks came from or when they date back to. The other night, as bedtime reading, I was looking at Young's Civil War Diary Quilt that I recently purchased at a quilt shop closing out sale and reading the diary entries.I may never make a block in that book but I can still enjoy their stories. What a connection we all have to those quilters who proceed us whether we consider ourselves traditional or maverick quilters! They are just geometric shapes, after all, endlessly rearranged and recolored. New methods perhaps for arriving at an end is all.

No sewing or binding got done yesterday--too much computer playing, I'm afraid. My husband thinks that now that I have high speed internet that I can get my computer time done quicker and wonders what I will do with that "extra time" HA! not extra when you just do more of it, faster. I was finding all kinds of fascinating things like the satellite view of my house--though they put the address in the middle of the main road. It must have been done in the fall or winter as everything looks brown or red dirt color plus it is about two years back because those houses across the road are not there either. I can watch video now--quilter's news network, anyone--which was never possible with dial-up. Still, I managed to slog through two chapters of my nursing continuing ed stuff (Elaine, just to keep my license current just in case--too expensive to re-instate) with another printed up for today's "hour". Three more to go after that so some progress is being made.

An errand to run and back at it---- Posted by Picasa

10 comments:

  1. Good for you! You keep plugging away at those cont. ed classes so you can stay current! It's a very good thing to keep your options.

    Thanks for the info on the EQ thing. Is this another one of the EQ packages you can by to add to the main stuff? Like I added the Dear Janes? If it is I will have to search that out as I think it shounds like a perfect thing to have available to me.

    I'm off to search for a pattern I found, then lost. One for your boy's ranch quilts and NOW I can't find it to save my life. Maddening! Happy day!

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  2. After your posts yesterday I surfed around until I found a site that offered the book and software. Gonna be adding that to my wish list *s* Love high speed internet, too.

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  3. I'm with you - I find quilt history fascinating. I've purchased as many of the state search books as I can afford, as well as other quilt history books. Do you know there is a quilt history list on Quiltropolis? I've learned some really interesting stuff there. It's fun to trace how the names of various blocks changed as the settlers progressed across the country - "Ducks Foot in the Mud" becoming "Bears Paw", etc.

    Keep up the good work with your nursing stuff - it's important!

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  4. love that block. It is my center for Peach Quilting ostrich challenge. It was an orphan block. I haven't posted it on my site yet but will soon.

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  5. wonderful block -- you always inspire with them :-0

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  6. I know what you mean about too much computer playing. If I didn't have the high speed access, I would spend a lot less time on the Internet and on the computer 'cause dialup is just abysmally slow in comparison.

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  7. I really like my fast internet connection too. I spent days sitting watching qnn until I finally managed to get away to make my own quilts. Luckily, they play reruns. I like the history of anything anyway, and particularly quilting.

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  8. When we got the high speed, I got lassoed in very quickly. It was like a whole new world opened up.
    I have the Civil War Diary book, but haven't really sat down with it yet.
    We have EQ5, but Mike uses it. I haven't even touched it. Guess I should, huh?

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  9. Much better to take your classes then,especially if it will save money for more fabric.LOL! How time flies when you're at the computer doesn't it? Miss seeing the beautiful quilts produced by you and your quilting group.

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  10. Hey, LJ...look up my house online and I will go out in the yard and wave to you *¿*

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