Civil War is finally finished!

At the beginning of the year my sweet husband asked it my Civil War Sampler Quilt would be finished any time soon.  He thought that he would love to have a writing desk positioned in that location.  While you may think that was a lot to ask, he had actually been very patient.  I had slowly been hand quilting that quilt for years!  I began to make a real effort to finish it up.  It became my project during BYU basketball games.  And soon the end was in sight!

Then it was done and removed from my mother's quilting frame where it had languished for five years.  In 2011 Barbara Brackman began an online sew along of Civil War blocks.  Each week she would release another pattern as well as some Civil War History in remembrance of the beginning of the Civil War 150 years previously.  I came to the party a bit late but by the end of the year had completed all 52 blocks plus a few more so that my layout could be 6 blocks by 9 blocks.  I sewed it together with sashing and borders and made a big decision.  I felt it needed to be hand quilted in keeping with how it would have been done 150 years ago.  I learned that hand quilting is a long process even with a lovely hard wood frame.

So a husband's gentle request brought an ending of a Civil War Remembrance project that took longer than the Civil War.  I used left over backing fabric for the binding.

Those are 8 1/2 inch blocks, each one different.  I fussy cute all of the star corner posts.  I love its patriotic vitality.

The creamy paisley background hides many of my stitches, but that is a good thing!

Special thanks to my sister, Lynette, who quilted with me during BYU football season.

This project was a challenge for me.  It taught me the importance of an accurate 1/4 inch seam as I lost point after point.  I found myself buying a new Bernina 750 which helped greatly with my accuracy after finishing this quilt top.  This project gave me the courage to try harder things.