Blocks for "Remember Your Family" quilt

"Remember Your Family"

UFO Project #12 for June

The title of the quilt is:  "Remember Your Family"
Last year, when I attended a Family Reunion, I thought it would be fun to have everyone sign a five inch block, along with the name of their clan.  There are 40 signature blocks.  However, if someone found the quilt with just these signature blocks, one would not understand where these people came from or how they were related.  So, I did a little research on Ancestry.com

I began with Herbrand "Herman" Gunderson born in Norway in 1855.  He immigrated to America in 1877.  He was a farmer, carpenter, and a blacksmith.  His wife was Thorina "Rena" Iverson born in Norway in 1864.  She immigrated to America in 1879.  They married in 1886 and settled in South Dakota.  They had 13 children and 8 lived.  

The family members who signed the blocks are their grandchildren, great grandchildren, and beyond....

Next, the Photo Transfers began....
There are 10 additional blocks which include a picture of Herman and Rena,
3 pictures showing the technique of making "Lefsa",
a recipe card giving the recipe for my favorite Orange Apricot Salad and 
several blocks listing Herman and Rena's eight children.

Then, I discovered more photo transfers were needed to include the flag of Norway and
the Norwegian Table Prayer in English and Norwegian.  Just for fun, I included my memories of growing up with their great grandchildren.  My nephews grandmother (one of Herman & Rena's children) made the best Chocolate Chip cookies and when we traveled back to Pennsylvania in 1969, their Grandmother made 100 dozen cookies.  Many to be eaten and some to be frozen for later.  She had 2 ovens going all day long.  

The goal for the remainder of this month is to finish the quilt top, which means I need to make a few more blocks and then sash them all together, so the Shadow Boxes stand out.

I loved working on this quilt--searching the history of the family--enjoying the pictures--and remembering all of the fun we had as children.   

Photo Transfer Quilt

As promised, here is the picture of the photo transfer quilt I created for my nephew and his wife for their anniversary.   They received the package yesterday and loved it.  It was wonderful working with all the family photos and reminiscing.  The lake scene was based on all the summer camping trips our family took through the years.

The lake scene was based on the pattern by McKenna Ryan's Pine Needles Art Quilts.  It is part of the At Home in the Woods-Block of the Month called "River's Bend".  

The fabric for the mountains was from the Ro Gregg Marblehead Stone series sold through Hancock's of Paducah.

UFO Project #2  May

This Sampler Quilt was hand pieced in 1989.  Some of the hand quilting has been done.  The picture was taken over 10 years ago.

April's UFO remains unfinished

April's project; The Neck-Tie Quilt remains unfinished.  Actually, I did not work on it, except to post the pictures on-line.

I used the month of April to work on a Photo Transfer Quilt for my nephew and his wife.  The top is complete and I pieced the back today.  No pictures can be posted on this quilt, until they have received it.  I don't want to spoil the surprise on how it looks.

Springtime and flowers

Out by the mailbox

Our neighbor's Iris

 

Beauty up close

UFO Project #10 April

Lolita's Class Sample Block

Is it April already?  My next UFO is the Neck-tie quilt.  Lolita from our Quilt Guild gave a class last year.  She is a wonderful teacher, so I was quite inspired to get to work last year.  There are several hours of prep work to take the ties apart after being washed.  I found this was a good project while watching T.V.  I did get that part done last year.  However, my problem arose when I tried to get the light-weight fusible interfacing to stick on the back of each tie prior to cutting.  If you get the iron too hot, it won't stick.

Ties cut and ready for sewing