It's a clear, crisp morning here, and I just discovered our tomatoes are finally turning red! (yipee!) I was beginning to think I was going to have to learn how to make Green Tomato Pie. I'd been eyeing the recipe in my Fanny Farmer Baking Book (page 87) for awhile now. Maybe you have been too. Not a great year for tomatoes I hear. Apparently, this pie taste nothing like tomatoes after the addition of raisins and spices. One of these days I'm going to have to give it a try.
But even with the sunshine here in the Willamette Valley, there's definitely an autumn nip in the air. Time to pull out our light sweaters and jeans, cozy plaid flannel shirts--and the lap quilts. I was digging through my closet and found this one I made way back in 1994. I wouldn't have remembered that, except that I signed and dated it on the back. For that I am giving myself a little pat on the back, however, I must credit one of my quilt teachers, Evie Stonewall, for repeatedly saying in class, "Always sign and date your quilts ladies, for the day will come when you'll appreciate it more than you know, and so will the ones who inherit it." She was right, of course, and this proves it.
I love this quilt and don't know why I never shared it before. It's nice for these cool evenings reading (or stitching) curled up somewhere. Or just sitting out on the porch watching a golden sunset. BTW, this pattern makes a fantasic "man-quilt". Especially when done in muted tones and plaids and stripes like this. Perhaps made from his old shirts if you have them. Mine is made from cotton scraps and good quality unbleached muslin. Lined it with 60" wide heavy cotton flannel; the backing is also unbleached muslin that is cut a little larger than the quilt top, then turned over twice and stitched to the top to make a self-edging. It looks really nice if you mitre the corners with a bit of blind stitching just inside the folds.
Joseph's Necktie is easy piecework and goes together quickly, but should not to be confused with "Bow-Tie" which requires a square in the middle and can be a bit fussy to sew. For example, here's a good tutorial for that one here. See the difference? Anyway, I did a bit more digging in my pattern files and found the pattern I used, then turned it into a PDF that you can print out and use if you like. Follow this link: Download JOSEPH'S NECKTIE QUILT BLOCK.
Have a great weekend!