Chookshed Challenge July and Charlie

 

I don't know about you girls but my Chookshed Challenge list is so discombobulated I don't even know where I am anymore!  I've had to rearrange my numbers and projects practically each month so the list is full of cross outs, arrows, rearranged numbers.  But this morning I was thrilled to see number one chosen because I did number one months ago in preparation for this day:

Number one on the list was Charlie's quilt.  It was machine quilted and needed to have the binding sewn down (that was the easiest one on the list.)  Well, number one wasn't being chosen by the spinning wheel so I had to move it up the list. 

Back to the quilt.  Charlie chose this design.  When he was just a tot he saw the Blue Angels for the first time and it was love at first sight.  I am not sure but I think he's seen them every year of his life since then.  

The middle of this quilt was just a square from a much larger quilt in the photo I showed him.  I tried to contact the person who had the pattern but got nowhere.  Emails not answered, phone calls not answered, so I went to Friend Barb for help.  She did the math for the section, drafted a full size pattern for the planes and we measured to get the border size I wanted.  

As I worked the quilt I told you the stories about putting the land and sea border on upside down so the planes were going in for a crash landing,  how I was so nervous about the intense blue outer border I washed it and washed and washed to get the color to calm down, and then had to take the planes off to wash THEM because they were the same fabric.....I essentially made this quilt twice. 

Because it had so much open space I knew I had to have it machine quilted because I just couldn't do what I wanted by hand and do it justice.  The woman who quilted this did a masterful job.  It's what you machine quilters call custom quilted.  She made the light blue sky look like clouds with movement, the grass and water are Baptist fans and the outer borders linear.  It is stunning up close.

So, by my reckoning I am going to continue trying to make some progress on a few other UFOs before I meet with Friend Barb to discuss and plan Elizabeth's graduation quilt.  I told you she wants a Baltimore Album and again, the help I need I think is more mathematical. I am personalizing the individual squares for hers with motifs that mean something to her. 

And that brings me to the rest of the challenge numbers.  I think there are only three left, there are three things not crossed off and three months till October so three it is.  BUT this Baltimore album will more than likely take up the space.  Depending on how many squares I end up going for this one will take up all of my time....till next June!  As I said, I look at my list now and one of them is a stranger.

Wish me luck on the BA.  I know once I get my ducks in a row it will be fine.