So....all these pictures are messages from my phone, so the colors are kinda messed up. Think Christmas. I have one true red, one cranberry and one wine. I have 2 holly leaf greens and one lighter green, one gold and one true yellow...and a cream on cream tone. This is by far the most advanced piecing I've ever done...I might be an intermediate or an advanced beginner by the time I'm done with this sucker. Lots and lots of triangles.

My late mother in law made a wedding quilt for all her boys when they got married. We never got one and we had a pretty rocky relationship until my 2nd son was born. Her way of apologizing for not making us one, and accepting our marriage, was getting the quilting bug to bite me. She ended up as close to me as a mother and was a cherished friend. We will be married 10 years this year and this is "our" sampler. Each block means something to us...either him, me or us together. I'm making this thread like I did Gramma's Sampler last year....a quilting story in the making. Whichever blocks aren't obviously about love and marriage, I'll explain as I go.

I have 6 blocks made so far. 25 total, so 19 to go.

Bridal Path-- We had no path or aisle as we got married by a JOP...but it's a pretty sounding block.

[IMG]http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...1265595450.jpg[/IMG]


Baton Rouge--We have two "our songs". One by Aerosmith and "Callin' Baton Rouge" by Garth Brooks

[IMG]http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...1265595451.jpg[/IMG]

Pennsylvania--He was a truck driver for 25 years before his job now in the warehouse. We spent a TON of time crossing Amish country from Indiana to Pennsylvania. We saw a bear cub in PA and have spent a lot of time driving through it over the years.

[IMG]http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...1265595465.jpg[/IMG]

Four on the Road--On the road...that's where he always was..on the road

[IMG]http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...1265595466.jpg[/IMG]

Cross "ball" and chain---it's a cross and chain, but all I could think of was "ball and chain"

[IMG]http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...1265595513.jpg[/IMG]

Contrary Wife---hee hee...this block would be about me.

[IMG]http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...1265595514.jpg[/IMG]

What an awesome idea. Can't wait to see the next batch of blocks.

I think this is a wonderful idea! Very clever. I love your blocks and fabrics you have chosen. Looking forward to seeing more. Thank You for sharing.

What a wonderful quilt that is going to be. It will tell the story of your lives. Great job.

Your blocks are wonderful. What great quilt this is going to be!!

can't wait to see it all together

What a great way to have memories of your marriage path. It will be fabulous when you finish it. I can't wait to see it.

Very pretty blocks!

Such special quilting memories and a wonderful story quilt! <wave>

Everybody else said it, but I'll have to repeat, what a great idea!

What fun!

What a great idea. I LOVE what you've done so far and I can't wait to see more. It's a story that can be passed down for ages.

Here is the next installment in blocks. I was so excited to be posting here, that work seemed to drag on all week. I wanted to hurry up and get to work so I had something to post. Sure keeps me motivated! :mrgreen:

Arkansas Crossroads: My late MIL was born just outside Ft. Smith, AR and we weren't too far from AR the three years we lived in OK. We can't go visit family or friends without crossing the roads of AR. It's a wonderful addition. I will always think of my late MIL when I look at this block. The "cross roads" portion will have my name, hubby's name, and the date of our wedding written in later.

[IMG]http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...1266192498.jpg[/IMG]

Patience: Hubby and I have very similar music tastes....except for Pink Floyd and Guns and Roses. He likes both, I don't like either. Originally, I was going to add this block because of all the patience you have to exercise when in a relationship....turns out I had this blasted song stuck in my head all day!!!

[IMG]http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...1266192508.jpg[/IMG]

State of Illinois: I'm from there, originally....in corn/pig country. When we met, I was a waitress out there. Just had to add it:

[IMG]http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...1266192637.jpg[/IMG]

Gentleman's Fancy--such a cute name for a block:

[IMG]http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...1266105463.jpg[/IMG]

We spent several years traveling together for his job. Every week, we would go through Amish country from Illinois to Pennsylvania. I always admired their work and their lifestyle. Amish Star:

[IMG]http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...1266105504.jpg[/IMG]

Love in a Mist: just cause it's lovey dovey

[IMG]http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...1266105523.jpg[/IMG]


I've never made so many quilt blocks with triangles and I can't get over how great my points look....for the most part anyway. :lol:

Pretty, pretty!
Can't wait to see more!

Your blocks are as lovely as your story. I think your past the "advanced beginner" stage. Give yourself a pat on the back!
Blessings

What an awesome sampler this is going to be!

Can't wait to see your next installment of blocks. Your first 2 sets are awesome

I LOVE it!
Being able to name a block and explain what it means to your life and living is just really special. So, you ARE keeping a journal for the quilt as you go along, correct? You are doing it here, but you really need to be able to pass it down to future generations with the wonderful story of your life, love, and marriage ...
I am really enjoying your sharing with us. I like your color selections, too!
Thank you! <wave>

Week Three was very challenging. I tried Paper Piecing for the first time. I learned a lot of things. Most importantly, take one's Paper Piecing to club meetings to get on the job training. My blocks turned out ok I guess. They'll do. The one I thought would be really easy because it was only one seam for the PP, was very, very difficult. I did several SIAS blocks out of scraps using the PP tute here and the templates from Quilter's Cache. Then, I made a block I thought would be pretty complicated, and while tricky, it seemed much easier than the other one. I made hour glass pieces and pin wheel pieces this weekend for the first time since my one and only beginner's quilting class 7 years ago. I'm thrilled with how they turned out!!

Here they are:

All Ways (or Always) the eternity idea of it made me think it would go great in an anniversary sampler.

[IMG]http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...1266721355.jpg[/IMG]

Chinese Quilt Block--We play Mahjonng a lot on the computer and I can't think Chinese anything without thinking of the little symbols on the tiles.

[IMG]http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...1266721371.jpg[/IMG]

Union Squares -- Picked more because of the men in both our families who were life long union members than the idea of marriage being a union.

[IMG]http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...1266721430.jpg[/IMG]

All Hallow's Eve -- Why put a Halloween block into a sampler when we got married at Christmas?? DH's birthday is Halloween.

[IMG]http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...1266802784.jpg[/IMG]

Card Trick -- Before all the kids came, we played cards a lot, and now he shows the boys all sorts of tricks with them. It defines him well.

[IMG]http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...1266802795.jpg[/IMG]

Streak of Lightning -- more an inside joke than anything else. Frequently someone makes a comment at which someone else will say, I'm leaving before lightning strikes you...etc.

[IMG]http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...1266802806.jpg[/IMG]

cute blocks

Love them all. I cant wait to see what your going to do with them.

Here's the installment from last weekend. Firstly, I wanted to say there is a boo boo in the All Ways blocks. I rotated some HST when I shouldn't have. I'm not ripping it out...I'm leaving it there. While making the Road to OK block last weekend, I seriously messed it up. I wasn't going to post the pics from last weekend until I got it fixed. I remade it much better so here are the pictures from last weekend. Only 2 blocks left now!!!

Solitaire....we love it. We have it on all our phones.

[IMG]http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...1267315406.jpg[/IMG]

Four Corners...there's that phrase the four corners of the globe....Hubby has trucked over the four corners of the nation. He has ran trips in all 48 of the main states.

[IMG]http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...1267315421.jpg[/IMG]

Christmas Star....we were married in December, so I have a few Christmas blocks and the whole quilt is in Christmas colors.

[IMG]http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...1267315382.jpg[/IMG]

Road to Oklahoma....we've gone a lot of places in the last 10 years. We moved to OK a few years ago to be closer to my in-laws. My quilting improved among many other things. It was a good step in our journey. We came to a place where we moved back home to Nebraska, but we will never forget the time we lived there.

[IMG]http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...1267757686.jpg[/IMG]

Here is the final installment of blocks. Originally, I was going to add X-Squared from quilter's cache, but I could NOT figure out how to cut it without using the templates. It had too many smidgen measurements like 16ths and 32nds.

I have the Winter 2009/2010 issue of Quick Quilts. Inside is an anniversary quilt...go figure. I liked the blocks, but not on point. So I drew it out and figured that one was pretty easy to make.

So, until one of you all is nice enough to tell me what block this is, I'm calling it Anniversary Block

[IMG]http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...1267929632.jpg[/IMG]


And finally, hubby and I married in a court house in front of a judge. We could never iron out the details of a bigger wedding. We had a small ceremony with the judge and two witnesses. Now that I'm making this quilt, I'm rather glad for it because Steps to the Altar looked like a hard block!

Courthouse Steps:

[IMG]http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...1267923185.jpg[/IMG]

This will be the last installment of pieced blocks. I'll post pics of sashing and such as I go. I want the whole top completed by the end of March so I can get started quilting on it right away. I'm so far ahead of schedule I might be able to quilt on it at night and piece different projects on the weekends...yeegads more than one at once!

How FUN. they are all beautiful. Nice job.

So very nice to make such a meaningful quilt. Just make sure you write down somewhere the meanings and name of the blocks...It will be a treasured heirloom.

Here is the final installation of blocks. The block I lovingly call the Anniversary Block looks a lot like a block called Chained Star. I ended up liking the Chained Star block more, so that's what's going into the top.

[IMG]http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...1270397805.jpg[/IMG]

The Paper Pieced Chinese quilt block or Chinese Solitaire block, as I've seen it with both names, was a royal pain in the you know what. Paper piecing is one of those things were I'm going to have to take a class or something. I just can wrap my head around the process sitting by myself in my dining room. The blocked ended up very wonky and cutting it down didn't do anything but make it too small. I got out my paper and calculator and just remade it without the paper...and it's a bit more subtle too, which is good.

[IMG]http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...1270397841.jpg[/IMG]

Yesterday, after going without my machine as it was in the shop, I was able to stitch together all 5 rows containing blocks. Took me 4 hours to figure out placement of the blocks. I really need EQ6 or something so I don't have to spend all that time on the floor. So, all the rows that contain blocks and sashing pieces are done. Today, I'll be stitching all the rows that are just sashing and corner squares. Found out yesterday that mysteriously 26 of my 60 sashing pieces are 1 1/2" too short. I do not know why...must be that mean scrap fairy who decided my strips would look better as scraps. I went back to wally world in a panic for more fabric. Luckily, they had a bolt. I usually buy extra fabric, but the extra I had wasn't enough for 26 more pieces. I'll post pics as I can, cause this quilt is going to be very big.

It's coming along really nice.

Wonderful blocks!

Thank you. Now that it's coming together, I'm a bit nervous!

What a wonderful stoy and quilt blocks, can't wait to see the top!!!

I know you all have been waiting forever, but you all know how sometimes life can get in the way.

I've had the quilt top done without borders for weeks and got busy with other stuff, and it wasn't even fun. Slapped the borders on last weekend and today I'm make a trek to a very nice LQS which normally I can't shop at cause their prices are rather extreme, but I gotta get flannel for the backing.

Here are the last two pictures I'm posting to this thread until I present the quilt in December. The quilt is queen size, so it was very difficult to get people to hold it up and try and get it all in the same picture.

Beautiful!

Not only is it going to be a beautiful quilt all the blocks have a story or meaning behind them. Are you going to put a list of the blocks and their significance on the back, I would.

Wonderful quilt...neat way to tell the story of your life together.

I do hope you will have a little booklet of some type that will note the information about each block so that some day your children will be able to recognize each block and recount the part each tells of your lives together. I can't wait to see the next squares and learn more about your adventures through your marriage and life together. Such a treasure. Never have known a quilt that tells a story the way your does.

Absolutely Beautiful!!!! Great way of telling your story! What a treasure to have and pass on!! :D :thumbup:

I have a little folder with all the drawings I made to test out the colors...each has the name of the block, the test colors, and the reason I picked it. It is sooooo hard to find extra wide flannel fabric. If I can't find it soon...I'll have to start checking my online resources!

This is the first I've seen/heard of your project...and it's so lovely! What a wonderful (and sneaky!) project!

wowww....it's so beautiful, hope your finger recover soon.

I posted after your first installment of blocks!! I'm just amazed at the finished top!! What a truly meaningful quilt this will be for you and your DH!!