Meteor Blades' quilt -- CSM's will be in a completely different color palette but the pattern and size of the star will be the same.
We are making a star quilt for Common Sense Mainer, a major project that will take some time, but which will be so fitting for someone who does so much for the community, much of it behind the scenes. He is a star! So this is truly the right pattern for him.
The reasons for this quilt are more fully explained in his first quilt diary from last week but in brief, the quilt is for his service to community including his above-and-beyond actions for Cedwyn, and the fact that he has recently had the unfortunate diagnosis of COPD, something that he will live with now for the rest of his life.
The star will have exactly 200 spots for short messages, no more, no less. Please condense your thoughts to just a line or two. This photo detail of MB's quilt will give you some idea of how much room there is.
A community quilt is a compilation of loving messages from you, transcribed by me in archival ink on muslin. My sister and I then sew the messages together with colorful fabric to make something very special. This one will be a special celebration of love for a real community icon. Let's lift him up!
My process: First, I construct the diamonds for the messages by the paper piecing method. The fabric is actually sewn onto special paper which has been photocopied with the diamond design. The resulting diamonds are then trimmed, and put onto the design wall.
It takes time and expense to make a community quilt and it is a living for me and my sister. If you would like to contribute toward CSM's quilt, here is a PayPal link or message me for an address should you prefer a check. $15/message is suggested for most of our quilts although some give more to cover for those who cannot afford to donate. But this will be a more complicated piece and will take considerably more time to make than our usual community quilt. And I plan to quilt it by hand. Michael's quilt will be worth the extra time, I promise! We can only make one such quilt per year.
When all the diamonds are made and arranged, I begin writing out the messages very carefully, starting from the middle and spiraling out. If I make a mistake, I have to remake the block. I heat set each block as I make it by ironing it for one minute. This makes the ink permanent.
These people have given messages so far:
1. BeadLady
2. Louisiana 1976
3. triciawyse
4. MsSpentyouth
5. BFSkinner and the Overlords.
6. cfk in the Thumb of Michigan
7. lamzdotes
8. kjoftherock
9. gizmo59
10. JaxDem
11. maggiejean
12. Otteray Scribe
13. Cali Scribe
14. The Marti
15. Hulibow
16. NormAl1792
17. raina
18. Metalgirl
19. Debbie in ME
20. TrueBlueMajority
21. Alex Budarin
22. llbear
23. brillig
24. Observerinvancouver
25. birdbrain64
26. angelajean
27. ramara
28. side pocket
29. Jane in Maine
30. shermanesq
31. PerfectStormer
32. asterkitty
33. anotherdemocrat
34. Arenosa and HRM
35. Pam from Calif
36. Klamothe
37. mcjoan and mcmom
38. Floja Roja
39. govib
40. BlackSheep1
41. riverlover
42. LNK
43. ruleoflaw
44. Dreaming of Better Days
45. mommyof3
46. Curtis and Alicia
47. spedwybabs
48. Angie in WA State
49. Damnit Janet
50. navajo
51. Malacandra
52. Puddytat
53. sidnora
54. Vacationland
55. Dash
56. RunawayRose
57. Dee Oliver
58. JG in MD
59. 42
60. Civil Writes Activist
61. Kimberly D
62. blue aardvark
63. kimoconnor
64. sfbob
65. Christina
66. Binkaroni
67. Auntie Anne
68. dmb0857
69. michelewln
70. Irish Patti
71. Kitsap River
72. Land of Enchantment
73. escapee
74. seefleur
75. blue jersey mom
76. Bubbanomics
77. Phil N. DeBlanc
78. ericlewis0
79. JBL55 & Mr. L
80. Shanna
81. radical simplicity
82. Knockbally
83. freedapeople
84. jolux
85. Onomastic
86. FrugalGranny
87. noweasels
88. RubDMC
89. northcountry21st
90. Adam Blomeke
91. 4Freedom
92. Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse
93. TexMex
94. Donna in Rome
95. Carnacki
96. virgomusic
97. Ojibwa
98. greenbird
99. peregrine kate and ProvokingMeaning
100. loggersbrat
101. Schwede
102. jakedog42
103. edsbrooklyn
104. StateOfGrace
105. jwinIL14
106. 2thanks
107. surfermom
108. mjbleo
109. HedwigKos
110. Bugsby
111. Actbriniel
112. surprise message
113. surprise message
114. paradise50
116. smileycreek
117. Monsieur Georges
Once the diamonds have their heat set messages, they are sewn together, carefully, in order, with their paper backings intact.
This is the body of work of the Community Quilt Project so far:
1. othniel (cellulitis and ensuing complications, RIP)
2. exmearden (cancer of heart and lung, RIP)
3. MsSpentyouth (brain tumor)
4. Moe99 (lung cancer, RIP)
5. Michelle Caudle (ovarian cancer, RIP)
6. BFSkinner (lupus)
7. Kitsap River (long wait for kidney donor that ended 2/18/11)
8. Frederick Clarkson (blood clots)
9. Dreaming of Better Days (lymphoma)
10. one bite at a time (lost house and belongings to fire)
11. Timroff (cellulitis)
12. Sol Fed Joe (multiple cancers and health problems)
13. Brubs (AIDS, immune reconstitution syndrome)
14. rserven (gall bladder infection with dangerous complications)
15. grndrush (brain tumor, RIP)
16. ImpeachKingBushII (needs liver transplant)
17. andsarahtoo (lupus)
18. Frank Cocozzelli (muscular dystrophy)
19. luvsathoroughbred (breast cancer)
20. Predictor (stroke and HIV)
21. Austex54 (caretaker to othniel)
22. Theodore Olbermann, RIP
23. cskendrick (antibiotic resistant infection)
24. Keith Olbermann (caregiver to father)
25. Juan (cancer, RIP)
26. Ana (a young horse belonging to Juan, hit by truck)
27. MA Liberal’s mother (Alzheimer’s)
28. Charles CurtisStanley (caretaker to Kitsap River)
29. Lorikeet (cervical cancer)
30. Dr. Lori (metastatic cancer)
31. ulookarmless (cancer, heart condition, stroke, RIP)
32. riverlover (caregiver to husband suffering from liver failure, now widowed)
33. Melody Townsel (caregiver to dying father, now deceased)
34. dadanation (AIDS)
35. Dr. William F. Harrison (leukemia, RIP)
36. Larry Bailey (sudden loss of partner to heart attack)
37. ramara (adopted son with fetal alcohol syndrome)
38. Noor B (herniated disk from car accident)
39. Louisiana 1976 (fibromyalgia, severe arthritis, depression)
40. stumpy (MS, stroke, RIP)
41. bleeding heart's niece (cancer, RIP)
42. escapee (failure of corneal surgery)
43. SarahLee (lymphoma, Lyme Disease)
44. Bustergirl (ovarian cancer, RIP)
45. mimi's niece (cancer, RIP)
46. ZenTrainer (breast cancer)
47. Miss Blue (severe injury to shoulder, anxiety over coverage for surgery)
48. Granny Doc (bladder cancer, RIP)
49. mango (heart attack)
50. nudger (ovarian cancer, RIP)
51. DaNang65 (heart condition)
52. Lt. Choi (exhaustion)
53. Nurse Kelley (spinal stenosis)
54. Ben Masel (lung cancer, RIP)
55. Otterary Scribe (caregiver, grieving grandfather, grieving widower)
56. Aji (autoimmune diseases incl. fibromyalgia, inflammatory arthritis, & Chronic Epstein-Barr Virus Syndrome)
57. JaxDem (suddenly widowed)
58. DavidW (AIDS and other undiagnosed illness)
59. Jester the Marine (facing amputation of leg)
60. peregrine kate (endometrial cancer)
61. mimi (grief due to family illnesses)
62. alliedoc (endometrial cancer, RIP)
63. labwitchy (diffuse scleroderma)
64. Daily Kos (celebrating community)
65. belinda ridgewood (sudden loss of her mother)
66. princesspat (blood clots, deep vein thrombosis)
67. Scott Olsen (severe head injury)
68. SensibleShoes (caring for sister with brain cancer)
69. Joanna (cancer)
70. cany (grieving caretaker of mother with dementia)
71. Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse (breast cancer)
72. Scottie Thomaston (intense chronic pain from spine, kidney stones)
73. paradise50 (throat cancer)
74. woodtick (caregiver to mother with Alzheimer's)
75. BeninSC (mulitple fractures from bicycle accident)
76. Adrian (colon cancer)
77. Smoh (breast cancer, stroke, depression)
78. slksfca (sudden onset of arthritis requiring hip replacement)
79. arizonablue (grief and exhaustion)
80. Lorikeet (grieving widow - this quilt was a gift from the Rescue Rangers)
81. remembrance (breast cancer) and Glen the Plumber (her caregiver)
82. MassHarry (colon cancer, RIP)
83. Regina in a Sears Kit House (severe immune problems from Lyme Disease)
84. nannyboz (grief for father, crippling back pain requiring surgery)
85. raina (grief)
86. earicicle (breast cancer)
87. AntKat (cancers of the throat, RIP)
88. Alma (breast cancer)
89. DarkHawk98 (lung cancer)
90. llbear (brittle diabetic)
91. michelewin (grief and trauma)
92. Dave in Northridge (grieving widower)
93. racheltracks (complications from knee surgery)
94. Ebby (grief and stress)
95. Leaves on the Current (cancer)
96. Carol in San Antonio (cancer)
97. commonmass (grieving widower)
98. Clytemnestra (DES daughter, debilitating abdominal pain and bleeding)
99. Oke (survived life threatening pulmonary infection, COPD, depression)
100. shanikka (diverticulitis, intestinal abscess and life threatening infection)
101. Serpents Choice (grief)
102. smarx (caregiver to mother who has dementia)
103. FloridaSNMOM (COPD, chronic pain, anxiety over access to health care)
104. Timaeus (enormous hernia requiring major surgery)
105. paradox (cyclic vomiting syndrome, PTSD, depression)
106. UnaSpenser (Lyme Disease)
107. LoreleiHI (reversals of fortune, homelessness, hearing loss, PTSD)
108. Vetwife (caregiver to husband and other family members)
109. namvetkato (PTSD, Agent Orange related illnesses including heart disease, spinal stenosis, and intense chronic pain)
110. Annalize5 (lung cancer, diabetes and other chronic ailments)
111. The Packhorse (heart disease and diabetes) and irishwitch (caregiver)
112. Phil N DeBlanc (grieving widower)
113. hopeful (breast cancer)
114. 2thanks (caregiver to wife)
115. Unit Zero (throat cancer)
116. triciawyse (childhood abuse survivor, seizure disorder, sadness, reversal of fortunes)
117. newpioneer (grieving the passing of his husband, Juan)
118. high uintas (sister is slipping into dementia)
119. Meteor Blades (a tribute -- there was a heart attack, too but this is really a tribute!)
120. winglion (survived sepsis), quilt made by Pam from Calif
121. edgery (broken ankle and finger, both required surgery)
122. PerfectStormer (renal failure, in need of kidney transplant)
123. Cedwyn (cancer, RIP)
124. Yasuragi (chronic pain and feelings of depression)
125. MrsBadger (grieving widow)
126. ruleoflaw (harsh therapy for kidney rejection)
See also these three posts about the community quilt project:
KosAbility: A Virtual Quilt for Sara and Ann, from Community Quilt recipients
We Have Something to Say to YOU, Sara R and winglion!
Community Quilt FlashMob Brightens up NN13
Community Quilt Testimonial Videos
remembrance
ramara
paradise50
shanikka
cskendrick
Then the background fabric is added. There are some Y seams involved so this is a bit tricky. Once this is done, we lay the top out, upside down, and with tweezers if necessary remove all the paper backing.
These quilts are planned. If you would like to propose someone for a quilt, just drop me a line.
RubDMC's wife (Alzheimer's)
byardl (fibromyalgia, pnuemonia, widow)
dangoch (newly widowed)
MA Liberal (caretaker to her mother who has dementia)
Ellinorianne (rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia)
MsGrin (life long heart problems requiring multiple surgeries)
Then the quilt is layered -- backing, batting, and top, and basted together with special safety pins.
PAYPAL LINK FOR COMMONSENSE MAINER'S QUILT - THANK YOU!
Then I start quilting it by hand, from the center out. I use a lap hoop. It is kind of like a big embroidery hoop.
When the quilting is done, the quilt is trimmed and bound. Embellishment with sparkly beads may occur at this point. This is how I make a star quilt!
Namaste.