Americana - Pieced 12/06/2016. Quilted 12/08/2016.

This is for Joan Taylor's RWB collection.
From the very beginning, working with & for Joan has been a delight.
​It is a joy that I can be a part of her special project.

Aug 22: Been toying with some ideas for one of Joan's veteran's quilt. This is a modification of my Sharp Sewing Supplies Logo Quilt design I did back in early 2015.
Aug 23: Fabric is ordered.
Aug 24: Working on a cutting guide for strips & squares. Specs are in my Strip Tubing book.
Aug 25: Stonehenge Eagles fabric is here. 
Aug 26: Can't find the ruler I used to make half square triangles from strips but found one better suited for this project & ordered it.
​Aug 27: Fabrics are here.
Aug 29: Practicing & testing my cutting chart.
Aug 30: Pre-washed the fabrics. Ruler is here.
Sep 01: Cutting strips & corner squares.
Sep 02: Strips are cut. Tubes are sewn.
Sep 03: Cutting half square triangles. Only cut one strip of each color combination for now.
Sep 04: Working from the center star out. Finished the center 1/3.
Sep 05: Added sashing above & below center section.
Sep 11: Where does time go!! Cutting more strips into squares.
Sep 14: Piecing more stars ...
Sep 18: Piecing more stars ...
Sep 19: Have cut out everything I need for the last 5 stars.
Nov 21: Finally got back to this quilt and finished the last 5 star blocks. Sashing & borders left to do.
​Nov 22: Today we shall know. The sashing will tone down & make this quilt, I think. Got the vertical sashing & rows done in the midst of an otherwise chaotic day.
Dec 04: Adding horizontal sashing & inner blue border.
Dec 05: Quilt top is finished. Will use ZZag Mine with Bottom Line #654 Oatmeal thread & Warm & White batting.
Dec 06: Backing is ready & half loaded. Stopped to illustrate my process for cutting the batting. If I forget to do this before I start loading, I do it before I pin the bottom side of the backing so nothing is in the way. (Yep, I have been known to finish loading the backing, realize I am ready for the batting & it is not cut.) Trimming threads before I load the top. Loaded. Need to program then ready to quilt.
​Dec 07: Quilting ... mostly without hassles.
Dec 08: Quilted. Joan will do the binding. This will go to one of her high school class veterans.