More Belated Thoughts on July 4, 2017

This is too late for a July 4 project, I know, but this is the best I could do this year; don't really know why.  Just didn't get into it!  However, yesterday I finished my Block Heads Week 16 block, and today I finished my Week 18 block.  I'm fairly happy with the way they both turned out.

I must admit I cheated a bit on Week 16. You know how I dread applique.  Well, while selecting my fabrics, I came across this bit of red/white stripes, little skinny stripes!  When I measured it against the pattern, 13 stripes measured exactly what the pattern did.  Eureka!  That will work perfectly! Thirteen stripes is exactly what our flag has, and I won't have to applique those few stripes in the pattern!   Then I found the navy with stars; not perfect, but it will suit me!  So I appliqued the navy onto the stripes.  I had a hard time with the top of the flag poles, but hey, the block is finished!

Block Heads Week 16

Actually the most difficult part of the block for Week 18 was fabric selection for the center block, but when I discovered the little heart would fit, the rest was easy.  It made me happy to be caught up again, until next Wednesday.

Block Heads Week 18

Can those count for my 2017 patriotic additions?  I hope so.

Ruth of Country Log Cabins asked if I still have a quilt I made a few years back, and I do; this is it.  Ruth, it is hanging on the wall over the cedar chest in the sunroom, and I didn't see it when I took the other pictures in my last blog.  It really is one of my favorites.  I used my Curvemaster foot to piece the Drunkard's Path blocks.

"The Wave Salute" from the June-July 2009 issue of "Quilt" magazine
 (minus the applique stars)

While looking that one up, I came across several more posts of  my patriotic quilts, and I think I'll just show a few more from the past.  I took these pictures of quilts out this year, but made years back.

My own creation, except the quotation

Given to my BFF (Wish I could still write as well.}

If you are still with me after all those, I'd like to take you back to my personal favorites of all the patriotic quilts I've ever made, or ever will, I'm sure.  That will be another long read, so be forewarned.  You can read it  here .  (Thanks to all of you who made comments on that post; wish I knew how to delete them just for this post, but I don't.)

At the time I came up with the idea for those quilts, I was very concerned for our nation.  I must say I'm still very concerned for our nation, for many of the same reasons, and for many new and different reasons.  Somehow, things have just got to change.  I keep going back to II Chronicles 7:14, and "The Big IF", another quilt I felt led to create.  You can read about it again here .  Again, thanks for the comments there; I don't know how to delete them from the link.  I wish I had bought this one back at the auction!

Now with that one, I'll close this rant, and just say July 4 was still very important to me in 2017; I just didn't say so in a timely fashion this year.  Anyway, I now have my favorite patriotic quilts referenced in one place, right? *giggle*

If you read all this, go get some eye drops and then go rest your eyes!

---"Love"