I think Piecemakers used to refer to this pattern as America, America or God Shed His Grace…, but now they just call it the 2000 Piecemakers Times and Seasons Calendar. I ordered this pattern from them in 2004–before I even knew how to applique–because I liked it so much. There are 15 blocks that are embellished with embroidery and silk ribbon and 3 or 4 different trains that run through the whole quilt design.

Design ©Piecemakers

Design ©Piecemakers

I bought the focus fabrics for the quilt in 2005 from the small quilt shop here locally. It takes about 35 different focus fabrics and then scraps and bits for plants and birds and rocks and things. [Name that tune…] My selection was limited and I substituted with some batiks and fabric colors that weren’t in the original pattern. When I started to put the blocks together in 2012, there were a few of my fabric choices that I wasn’t happy with. The fabric would look okay in one block but not with the fabrics in the second and third block. I started substituting some of them for fabrics in my stash. The challenging part is that most of the same fabrics are used across the blocks in each row and what is the foreground in the upper row becomes the background in the lower row. I would start to substitute one fabric for another only to realize that I didn’t have enough or that I’d forgotten to switch the old for the new in one of the blocks in the row. I was making a mess. I finally decided to put the background together for each block and then go back and add in the details. That way I could double check that the fabrics from top to bottom and left to right matched and that I had enough.

I photographed the partial and completed backgrounds this week [23 July 2013]. I have 9 backgrounds done [either appliqued or just basted], 3 partially completed and 3 more to start. Seeing the blocks together like this really gives me incentive to keep going on this one!

Row 1 Block 1

Row 1 Block 1

America, America Row 1 Blk 2 - Joy Cometh in the Morning :: Erin Klein @ crookedpathdesigns.com

Row 1 Block 2

America, America Row 1 Blk 3 - Standing Ovation :: Erin Klein @ crookedpathdesigns.com

Row 1 Block 3

America, America Row 1 Blk 4 - Jewels of Autumn

Row 1 Block 4

America, America Row 2 Blk 1 - Thine Eyes Have Seen the Glory :: Erin Klein @ crookedpathdesigns.com

Row 2 Block 1

America, America Row 2 Blk 2 - Morning Has Broken

Row 2 Block 2

America, America Row 2 Blk 3 - There's a Train a Comin' :: Erin Klein @ crookedpathdesigns.com

Row 2 Block 3

America, America Row 2 Blk 4 - Behold, All Things New :: Erin Klein @ crookedpathdesigns.com

Row 2 Block 4

America, America Row 3 Blk 1 - All Trails Lead Home :: Erin Klein @ crookedpathdesigns.com

Row 3 Block 1

America, America Row 3 Blk 2 - Time Was... :: Erin Klein @ crookedpathdesigns.com

Row 3 Block 2

America, America Row 4 Blk 1 - Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree :: Erin Klein @ crookedpathdesigns.com

Row 4 Block 1

America, America Row 4 Blk 3 - The Watering Hole

Row 4 Block 3

Update 18 November 2015:

Backgrounds are appliqued or basted for all the blocks. I need to do something about the gray mountain spreading across the blocks in Row 4. It’s too dark and the details disappear. It will require some unsewing… DONE! The new blocks are all pictured below as of 22 November 2015.

Row 1 Block 1

Row 1 Block 1

Row 1 Block 2

Row 1 Block 2

Row 1 Block 3

Row 1 Block 3

Row 1 Block 4

Row 1 Block 4

Row 2 Block 1

Row 2 Block 1

Row 2 Block 2

Row 2 Block 2

Row 3 Block 3

Row 3 Block 3

Row 3 Block 4

Row 3 Block 4

Row 3 Block 1

Row 3 Block 1

Row 3 Block 2

Row 3 Block 2

Row 3 Block 3

Row 3 Block 3

Row 3 Block 4

Row 3 Block 4

Row 4 Block 3

Row 4 Block 3

Row 4 Block 2

Row 4 Block 2

Row 4 Block 1

Row 4 Block 1

 

The backgrounds will look something like this when all the rows are put together:

onenote

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My focus in 2017:

Sewing in 2017

  • 1 Year of Stitches embroidery project
  • Hexiflowers (aka Grace's Garden)
  • Death Star pillow
  • Tonopah Nevada topographical map
  • 1855 Wales Center map
  • Winnie the Pooh map
  • Ethan's Quilt
  • Thea's Quilt
  • Rachelle Fae CQ block
  • Machine quilting with a walking foot

Inklingo: What’s New?

Colonial Garden Collection

Judy Martin's
Waltzing Matilda


6, 9 & 12 inch blocks


The traditional size: 1 inch Patchwork of the Crosses


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