Saturday, December 15, 2012

2013 Block of the Month: Dixie Diary


Dixie Diary by Sandi Brothers
Quilted by Lisa Olinger
For a Quilt of Many Colors

A few years ago I did a limited edition block-of-the-month pattern titled Dixie Diary for my Moda Civil War reproduction collection Civil War Homefront. A few shops kitted it up in that line of fabric in 2010.

Sandi Brothers pieced it as a BOM for her Indiana shop A Quilt of Many Colors. I read that she and the members of her guild Sisters of the Cloth were invited to demonstrate quilting at last summer's Smithsonian Folk Life Festival in Washington D.C. She brought the Dixie Diary sampler with her.

Sisters of the Cloth
Sandi's on the right.
 
http://www.quiltofmanycolors.com/index.html

I thought I would rework this sampler in my current repro line Metropolitan Fair in pinks and browns---one of my favorite mid-19th-century color schemes.

Here are a few pink and brown antique quilts
for color inspiration.
 
 
They are all from about 1865-1885
This color scheme was quite popular
after the Civil War.
 
 
You better join. It's only 12 BLOCKS--- once a month---first Saturday of each month in 2013---right here. And the blocks are EASY. I really designed it for beginning quilters from 8 years old on up. The blocks will be in two sizes: 12" and 8"

Each block is an original combination of simple piecing and applique. The piecing is basic (One has Y seams---but even beginning quilters have to learn to do Y seams!) and each block has an optional appliqued star or heart in the center. You can opt out of the applique because it's stitched to a finished pieced block.


Each monthly block includes a story taken from one of the great Civil War documents---Sarah Morgan's Confederate Girl's Diary, first published 100 years ago in 1913.

Do check out the first block on January 5, 2013. It'll be right here at this blog address.

If you want to start thinking about fabric: I'm going to focus on pinks and browns so you can go through your Civil War reproduction stash and pull out the double pinks and the madder browns---


I'm going to do it in new Metropolitan Fair prints





 
But any of your Civil War repros will do. I'll show Sandi's and my blocks in the blues and reds of Civil War Homefront. As we've learned from looking at the finished Civil War samplers here you can use anything---batiks, solids, WHATEVER. Put your own stamp on it.

Look for the first block on the first Saturday of January.

20 comments:

  1. hmm delicious chocolate covered strawberries!

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  2. Thank you! I'm looking forward to it! My mom will love it!

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  3. That is going to look wonderful in your new fabrics, can't wait to see how it comes out.

    Debbie

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  4. Looking forward to it, I missed not doing a quilt with you in 2012

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  5. I passed up an antique pink and brown quilt that I could have bought a few years ago. I've regretted it ever since. I liked that quilt so much I've been looking for a pink and brown reproduction to make. Your quilt here looks like just the thing! Thanks!

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  6. I love pinks/browns color combo too. This sounds like fun! Can't wait!

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  7. Last year I made a pink and brown quilt for a friend who had breast cancer and had surgery, chemo and radiation. She used it all through her treatment. I loved the color combination, and would love to make another quilt with these colors.

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  8. Thank you so much! I love block of the month :)

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  9. My mom and I are looking forward to another quilt-block along. Thank you so much.

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  10. Looking forward to starting another BOM! Could you give me an idea of how much fabric I should gather in total? I was hoping to use the 1862 Battle Hymn charm pack I have. Thanks!

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  11. Oh Raina
    I knew someone would ask about fabric. During early January I will post two setting ideas & yardage for two block sizes. I think you might need a few bigger pieces than a charm pack---some of the pieces are cut 8-1/2" and 6"--- but you can get by with a Charm pack of 40 pieces 5" square, I bet with a few other scraps.

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  12. Dixie Diary Block of the Month sounds like great fun. This BOM will be a first for me and I'm looking forward to getting started.

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  13. I've already purchase Metropolitan Fair in layer cake - can't wait to get started!

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  14. I have been looking through your blog . I want to make a quilt for my grandson. My son and his wife do civil war re-enacting and has requested a quilt from the civil war period. All I find is dull quilts not suitable for a 6 y/o. I could use your help. Thank you Debi

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  15. Debi---dull, huh. Use some very bright fabrics---lots of stars and stripes. It's the fabric that makes a quilt and Civil War era reproduction prints tend to look brown to us. Use bright reds, blues and golds.

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  16. Wow I look forward to learning from this blog and this quilt along.

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  17. I would love to do this quilt of the month to make the Civil War Quilt for my husband. Please let me know when you will start and where I could purchase Civil war reproduction fabrics also. Thanks a bunch! anaflan2@gmail.com

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