Yippee! Number nine is finished, and in the same month I started it. We had to take my car in to get fixed (see recent post) and I thought taking photos at the auto body shop would be something different. I’m calling it Walk Around the Block.
First, a cool picture from @bymariandrew:
It’s been this way this month. I’ve kind been working all the time to finish up this and that.
I’ve been helped by listening to this excellent book, Forty Autumns, by Nina Willmar, about one family separated by the Berlin Wall. I got down an old guidebook from the bookshelf in our family room, and sure enough, it shows the two Germanys, and the “island” of West Berlin. The Forty Autumns cover photo shows the Brandenburg Gate trapped in East Berlin, a fitting visual reminder of the difficulties of this time. I recommend it highly.
The squares had no HSTs–hallelujah! so I whipped right through them, and the directions were easy to follow in both cutting and sewing.
After switching the blocks around a bit, I found an arrangement I was happy with.
Now to mark off the triangles to make the flying geese borders. I usually put on a gizmo on my sewing machine to make that sewing easier, but I was talking to my Mom, and it seemed a nice quiet way to keep my hands busy.
And then, just like that, I had it quilted and done. I did loopies in the octagonal parts of the block, filling in with little petaled flowers. I kept the quilting to a minimum, so the quilt is soft. I always think there is a baby coming right around the corner who might need this.
When I sewed on the the snowball squares, I did a double seam, so that I was — in the end — left with lots of little half-square triangles. There are four per block, and two per triangle in the border, so you can figure out how many I have.
I’m now three-fourths of the way through, and I often wondered if I would make it this far. Thanks to all those supportive comments; I do appreciate them.
A Stack of Frivols.
One is missing and is now the property of a wee girl named Halle.
It’s been All Frivols, All the Time.
Now for a break!
OccasionalPiece--Quilt! 
Inch worm, inch worm, right? this one looks lovely and almost makes me wish I had jumped on the Frivols train, but……
Beautiful quilting.
You did an amazing job on all those quilts.
Congratulations! This one seems to have come together quickly and easily compared to a few others. 🙂
It is another great finish. Do they all end up the same size? I always love seeing the quilting on the backs of quilts. Terrific job. I can’t believe you are nine months into this already.
Wunderschöner Quilt. Wie groß ist er?
Congrats on another finish. It must be quite satisfying to see that stack grow.
I like that one, and it is always good to have a baby quilt ready to go!
Nine months….36 weeks….three fourths of a year. Measuring your life in quilts. Seems a good thing to me. You do beautiful work. Very inspiring. 🙂
A lovely quilt. Your quilting design is very nice. Such a great photo of all (well, almost all) the Frivol quilts folded and stacked Thank you for the book recommendation, too.
Good going, Elizabeth! Wish I could say I’d been as productive. Maybe I’ll make this a goal for 2019 and see if that will help. I have doubles of a couple of the frivols that I intend to use as gifts. I’m amazed at how far your machine quilting has come. I remember when you were in agony over every decision about what to quilt in the next section of your quilt. Which frivol quilt did the wee one choose (or you choose for her)?
Hi Elizabeth – I’m going to take a look at the book you mention. This one (linked) about East Germany, I read some years ago. Great original reporting & beautifully written; it can be harrowing. I still think about what Anna Funder learned, how she wrote about it, and that she has never again written another non-fiction book.
So happy you have another Frivols finish. You’re chugging right through them. Love that you took the picture of it at the auto body place, though under not-so-good circumstances. Your loopy quilting is SO pretty! Spot on! I’m impressed that you could do that evenly, in a circle. Wow! Your book sounds good too, and now I appreciate and understand your timing of reading it. I saw the Brandenburg gate from the East Berlin side, and have to say that being there was quite sobering, especially for a 20 year-old (at the time) like me who had no real appreciation of the world outside the Midwest. I will add “Forty Autumns” to my reading list.
Another fabulous finish! LOVE your idea of sewing the double seam to get half square triangles— and SUPER LOVE the photo at the garage!! Why let real life get in the way of quilting and blogging? Two thumbs up. Xox
We were fortunate enough to be able to be stationed in Germany (Air Force) from 1986 to 1989. We were able to take the troop train to Berlin and go into East Berlin several times. It was quite an experience–like going back in time only knowing that you were being watched the entire time. Lots of rules on what you could/couldn’t take pictures of, no shopping in grocery stores because there wasn’t enough food for the residents, etc. I am thankful that our sons were old enough at the time to remember those trips…and proud that they are both veterans (one still active duty). I would be very interested in that book so thank you for sharing.