05-26 Sub-Committee Meeting

We had a small group gather to piece the top together, and we couldn’t be more proud of the girls.  (I will probably express the exact sentiment after they quilt it next month . . . and I will mean it just as much.)  We never dreamed the top would look this fabulous.  Seven girls with minimal sewing experience, and different ideas, plus three moms, all came together to create something quite beautiful.  Here’s what happened:

• Mrs. T programmed her fancy machine to add TheSquid’s desired quote:  “TIME WAITS FOR NO ONE” on the Forgiveness block.
• Live and learn!  One or two of the blocks were a tad short of the 12.5×12.5 inches unfinished size.  Therefore we trimmed the majority down to 12×12 inches.  However, one block (the schoolhouse) was still a bit short horizontally, so we added a muslin strip on one side.  We also added a blue button as the doorknob because we found it in our supplies.  Why not?
• The rows were distributed and the green strips were added in-between each block and the seams pressed.
• The rows were then sewn together and of course the seams pressed.
• Next, we divvied up the work:  one sewed green strips together with the red blocks, one pressed, and one sewed on the sashing between each row of blocks.
• We carried this method into adding the outside borders.
• Finally, we used the leftover green, to make binding strips for the outside.
• Finally, we chose a backing fabric.  While there was not a unanimous love for the fabric, we agreed that it has several benefits:  it is historical looking; it blends with the reds and greens in the quilt; it will hide the imperfections of our quilting stitches; and no one will see it anyway!

At our next meeting, each girl will hand-quilt at least one of her blocks.  The plan is to quilt around the outside of the square block and around the outside of the major designs in the block.  Each girl has access to one of her blocks on the outside of the quilt.  As for the inside blocks?  Well, let’s see how it goes!

We agreed on the final layout . . . AGAIN!

Quilt Top with Inner Sashing

Quilt Top with Borders Added

Does It Look Nicer When Pressed?

A Peek at the Backing Fabric

The Procrastination of Penny525

My blocks are done!

Embroidering Chimney Smoke

Windows attached with embroidery floss.

 

Finished Shelter Home-Life Block

Attaching the leaves using embroidery floss.

 

So many leaves!

Securing the tree trunk with embroidery floss.

Embroidering the path of the bee

 

Appliqueing the hills by machine

The Finished Global Conservation Block

 

 

 

 

 

05-19 Meeting Update . . . Seeing the Light at the End of the GIRLtopia Tunnel!

Today was unusual in that we had more sewing machines and more adults than girls!  But that’s a good thing as many of the girls are done with their blocks or have taken the blocks as far as they can.  So . . .with the two girls at hand, and the three moms, we put the finishing touches on just about all of the blocks.  Here is a status report:

1. Peace:  complete!
2. Love:  Fused, needs some applique.  On task for end of week.
3. Relationships / friendship:  done!
4. Respect for all humans:  done!
5. Shelter / homelife:  needs some hand sewing of a few details.  On task for end of week.
6. Safety:  done!
7. Equity / equality / balance / fairness / justice:  needs some applique and some more embroidery chain stitches; on task for end of week.
8. Education:  done!
9. Career / hobbies:  done!
10. Self-assurance / self-respect / courage / strength:  done!
11. Unity / solidarity / togetherness:  done!
12. Freedom:  done!
13. Happiness:  done!
14. Independence:  done!
15. Values:  kindness / forgiveness / honesty:  done!
16. Global conservation:  needs some hand stitching of a few more leaves; on task for end of week.

Proposed Layout:  Can you tell which block is which?

Believe it or not, it was not easy for our little group to decide how to arrange the blocks.  The two hearts looked better apart, as did the two trees.  The browns looked better separated as well.  The colors in certain blocks complemented each other.  Eventually this is what we settled on.  The missing block up top is Education which came together below.

Youkilis’ Education Block

The group overruled Youkilis’ design and added red chimneys.  After all, we did agree as a troop to try to use the red and/or green sashing colors somewhere in the block.  Youkilis’ freedom block was exempted since it was so historically traditional; however, we thought the red chimneys look awesome on this block!

TheSquid, Kamam, and Mrs. S were very focused today and finished Forgiveness, Independence, and Happiness.  Yay!  The group also convinced Kamam to add a cloud to her Safety block.  Doesn’t it look fabulous?

Kamam added a cloud to her Safety block.

TheSquid hard at work finishing her Forgiveness block.

TheSquid and Kamam were the only two girls in attendance today.

A small but focused group.

FSCsoccergirl was home working on her math homework but sent her Love block in for us to admire.

FSCsoccergirl’s LOVE block

Penny525 did not attend the meeting but did work very hard all morning on her blocks.  Here is a timeline of her progress.

Testing different methods for attaching small leaves.

Cutting out lots and lots of tiny pieces!

Attaching the leaves

Penny525’s Global Conservation block with many of the leaves sewn in place

Last-minute design changes to Shelter/Homelife

TheSquid and Linds’ Respect Block all complete

The Respect block center hand-sewn in place so as not to lose the details of the GS emblem face

French knots added to complement this symbol

May 5 Meeting Summary

Well . . . our meeting did not get off to the best start but some progress was made.  We had “the case of the missing key” fiasco (again!) and needed to wait for almost 30 minutes for someone to arrive with one.  This time of year is so busy and with girls involved in track, lacrosse, soccer, softball, and church confirmations, the parents are coming and going and the girls are trying to keep up with homework.  It seems like homework was weighing on the girls’ minds this afternoon.  We had five girls in attendance but only two machines.  Technically, we had three machines but only two that have an adjustable zigzag stitch for applique.  Only one (broken) iron today as well.  (It prefers to drench fabric in lieu of steaming it.)  Here’s what happened:

Mrs. S continued with the final details of her HAPPINESS block but I did not get a photo.  Sorry friend.  I will do better next meeting.

Kamam fused all of the pieces for her INDIVIDUALITY/INDEPENDENCE block and the colors look fabulous.

Individuality / Independence

TheSquid05 did not have access to a machine to finish her applique but she learned a few embroidery stitches and added the minute and hour hands to the grandfather clock.  She also decided to add the dates of the establishment of Girl Scouts and the introduction of  Title IX.

Kindness / Forgiveness / Honesty

Linds also had limited access to a machine so she learned how to embroider using a chain stitch to add the chains for her weighing baskets.

Penny525 is a bit of a perfectionist and spent as much time using a seam ripper as she did using the machine to applique.  She finished the outline of the house, doorway, roof, and chimney.  Unfortunately, she is not pleased with the doorway and plans to re-do it either by sewing over it or ripping it all out.  We tried to convince her to move on to the heart . . . but it was no use.

Shelter / Homelife

AS1898 finished her second block today and is all done.  Here is the individual COURAGE block and then both COURAGE and UNITY / TOGETHERNESS next to each other.

Courage

AS1898 has finished both UNITY / TOGETHERNESS and COURAGE.

Since all of the girls were busy and self-sufficient, Mrs. W took advantage of the large open space and worked on tying her personal quilt.  She has spent seven years working on it . . . but only during school breaks and is finally in the home stretch!  The photo makes the yellow look tan.  Oh well.

Mrs. W tying her quilt