SHOO FLY BLOCKS AMONG FRIENDS
86” X 97”Cherrywood Hand Died Fabric
Machine Quilted by Ione Ewert Whitney
WEST SOUND QUILTERS GUILD (Raffle Quilt)
2013
This quilt was constructed by West Sound Quilt Members, Adele Ewert, Linda Martin, Karen Whitney and Ione Ewert Whitney. After several attempts to work on the quilt during the day that failed, we finally decided on Friday evenings at Adele’s home. The evening started with dinner and visiting and then we would get to work.
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| Shoo Fly on Point |
But the story of this quilt starts years ago:
Marlys from Minnesota flew out to go to the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. While there we saw artist, Dianne Phalen. She had been a vendor at West Sound Quilt Show several times. Marlys purchased a package of note cards that had quilts on the cover. Several months later she had been given some tie died fabrics to make a mission auction quilt. She struggled to find a pattern and one day she noticed the package of note cards laying on the pile of fabric and the quilt that caught her eye was the Shoo Fly block. But on the note card the color placement was reversed from the traditional pattern. She made the quilt and brought it to Washington State in 1998. Variegated thread was just becoming available for longarm quilting machines and this is what she wanted in the black solid blocks. After quilting half a block I loved the look and decided that I should make a quilt like this as well. Cindy loved the pattern as well and made a quilt for a mission auction in Fresno, that quilt was the top bid quilt that year. The quilt was also made one year for the Gig Harbor Quilt Festival for Cancer. This quilt had pinks for the background and black for the shoo fly. The straight setting version of this quilt has become a go to charity fund raising quilt for Ione. We decided to set the Shoo Fly Blocks on point for this quilt.
When the question was asked who would do the 2013 Raffle Quilt I thought of the Shoo Fly Quilt. I raised my hand. In the mid 1990’s I had taught classes several years at the quilt shop in Staples, MN. My cousin, Lorna and her friend, Linda A. owned the shop.
When they sold the shop Linda became part owner of Cherrywood Hand Died Fabrics. Now on my trips back to Minnesota I would stop at Cherrywood to see their new colors and then would drive down to southern Minnesota to visit with my 2 aunts, Lena and Anna. They are fabulous quilters, everything was hand quilted beautifully, they weren’t so sure about machine quilting when I got my machine but we quickly showed them I was using my machine as an electric needle and we made them each a quilt they were suppose to cuddle under and wash when needed. Several times while we were working on this quilt phone calls happened between these aunts and Adele and I. On February 6, 2013 this quilt was revealed at West Sound Quilt Guild. I took pictures of the quilt to send to these special 2 aunts. On February 14, 2013, 4 months before Aunt Lena was to turn 90 she passed away at home while listening to classical music which she did every night with her sister Anna who just turned 99 in January.
I sent an email to Linda A. to ask permission to use the Cherrywood Fabric for this raffle quilt and was given permission. Since that time Linda has retired and gets to spend more time with her grandchildren.
Karen did the reverse appliqué in the corners of the border.
This pattern came to me from Aunt Anna and Aunt Lena. They had been given a suitcase of needlework things when their cousin, Marie, passed away. In our family stories there is a note that Marie was known for her needlework before marrying the widower. One year while visiting in Minnesota I found the grave markers and learned that Marie was in her late 30’s when she married the widower who had 6 small children. He died a year later, hence no more needlework for her. I am honored to have 2 paper patterns she used for whole cloth quilting and the designs on this raffle quilt are from one of her patterns. These patterns are from the 1930’s. The reverse appliqué was reduced in size for the alternating blocks quilted with Signature Variegated thread and enlarged for the quilting in the outside border with Superior So Fine thread.
Linda M. embroidered the label for this quilt.
So many lives intertwined in the making of this quilt and new friendships and old friendships grew. We encourage you all to write the stories of your quilts. Quilts are more than just fabric stitched together.
To the winner of this quilt. We hope you enjoy this quilt for years to come.
Ione Ewert Whitney
Port Orchard, WA
PS: The Original Quilt was sold at the Twin Cities Mennonite Central Committee Relief Sale for $800 and Cindy's quilt was donated and sold at the Fresno MCC Relief Sale for over $2,000. There are additional quilts and connections that have been made across the US from these friendships/quilt. (by: Marlys)
