Wednesday, April 1, 2015

"Jersey Girls" for the Quilt Alliance

Every year the Quilt Alliance hosts a contest/fundraiser, where people create 16" X 16" quilts around the theme for the year.  The quilts are auctioned off after winners are selected by a panel of judges, and tremendous prizes given!

I have loved making these quilts over the years, and have learned a lot from them as they are small enough to free me up for great experimentation.  For a detailed overview of my Alliance quilts, check out this post on their blog for lots of process and pictures:

https://quiltalliance.wordpress.com/2013/05/11/growing-quilts-harvesting-support/

This year's theme is "Animals We Love".  The contest rules are here.  You still have time to enter!  Deadline is May 1.

Most of you know I spent ten years as a dairy farmer and I still love Jersey calves the best...I miss them!
So I loved making this quilt, "Jersey Girls", because I could look down on their sweet faces the whole time I stitched.

I started by printing up a photo and playing around with the lay-out.  Those white flowers were crocheted for me by my daughter-in-law, Esther, for Christmas.  I really love them and had to use them.

The antique block was perfect, cut in half, to make part of the frame.
I ended up using the lace a different way, though.

Here we are midway through. I've quilted around the calves' faces before appliqueing the photo to the background fabric and surrounding it by trim.
Those little green dots you see are stuffed velvet circles...

...that became the centers of silk ribbon flowers, made with 13mm RiverSilks.  I had to really restrain myself on the frame, not overdoing it or making the colors too bright.  I wanted all the attention to be on those darling girls.

This was a quick 3 day project...you don't have to always spend a lot of time to realize your vision..or enter the contest!

10 comments :

cauchy09 said...

Aww, I especially love your title for the quilt. Sweet girls, indeed.

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Jerseys have always been my favourites too. I grew up on a farm but we had holsteins. I always hoped my dad would get just one jersey so I could make a pet of her. Didn't happen, unfortunately. Love your wee quilt!!

Glenda said...

Love Jersey cows my dad had a heard in NZ when I was growing up and they were so so gentle I rode them so often when I was small. They would let me sit on them as long as I wanted too. Its a lovely quilt of them. Cheers Glenda

DH said...

Allie, In the last photo it looks like the calves are walking right out of the quilt towards me. I just love it! Thanks for sharing this. I didn't know it was even possible to make such a special quilt in just three days! Dawn

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

I just love this creation of yours. Cows are such gentle creatures. They look so peaceful,like they don't have a care in the world.

Happy Easter ~ FlowerLady

Jenny Jo said...

I love how the stitches around your girls changed the appearance. That's neat! Looks beautiful

Lisa Boni said...

What a delightful little quilt! So many fun elements brought together! Just love it!

Annette-California said...

I read your title and then saw those girls - they cracked me up! You made a gorgeous mini quilt! Those crocheted flowers by your DIL are amazing & beautiful. What another fabulous creation by you Allie.
love Annette

Arlene Delloro said...

Absolutely adorable!

Rebecca Grace said...

Allie, what a darling block -- and I LOVE your idea for cutting the antique block in half diagonally and using it to frame the corners of your project. I usually make extra blocks for my quilts so I can choose the best ones for the quilt and cast the spare blocks aside for free-motion quilting practice or whatever. But now I have a new potential use for those "orphans!"