In 2012, for our quilt birthday this year, Pieced by the Master's Hand Quilt Group did something completely different. Each participant gave a completed quilt block to you, of your choice. There were 12 of us, so we each made one block and received 11 blocks of the same design. We choose our block pattern and the colors to be used in the block. Of course, you had to make 11 different blocks, one for each participant in addition to making your own block. And we had one year to complete our quilt.
For my block, I chose the colors brown and pink, which are so wonderful together, and the block was from Stars Over Fort Sumter, a Civil War inspired quilt pattern from Bonnie Blue Quilts. The pattern was a vintage look, but I used bright fabrics to modernize it. Even though it is a scrappy quilt, I distributed the background fabric to my friends so the background was consistent throughout the quilt. If you can't pick out the block in this quilt, it is because there are 2 blocks. My quilt friends made the single star block, and I made the four star block.
More blocks were added than the original pattern because I wanted it full sized--quilts are more versatile this size, I think. When choosing fabrics, I tried for brighter, clear colors with both pink and brown predominate in the fabric.My quilty friends did an excellent job of choosing fabrics to complete their blocks, each one complimenting the other so well.
Not only is it dear to me due to my friends gifting me the blocks, but also it is only my second quilt that I quilted on the Millennium longarm machine, using Warm and Natural cotton batting and Aurifil Mako 100% cotton thread.
Neapolitan Monday is aptly named, first, for the colors, after Neapolitan ice cream, and secondly, our quilt night is Monday.
Such a successful birthday project will be difficult to top. The question is, what to do bigger and better next year?
