LEGACY

 This is the last of the unfinished projects hiding out in my closet! It was a quilt top I made in a class at Quilt Colorado '98 entitled "Mason-Dixon Memories" taught by Marianne Fons. It was a great class about the fabrics and quilts of the Civil War.  We were instructed to bring to class fabrics and an idea using a Civil War era block.  There was some trading back and forth with other class members of fabrics in our efforts to construct quilt blocks under Marianne's tutelage. I loved the class and finished up the quilt top when I returned home, but never got around to quilting it.  Now is the time to quilt up the last of my favorite Betsey block projects.

THE STATS:  Legacy, 1998-2022, 50"x50", Machine pieced on my Singer Featherweight in 1998, Machine quilted in 2022 on my Bernina.

I enjoy quilt history; I enjoyed Marianne's class; and now I finally have my finished quilt to enjoy!  After so many years in the making, I regret only that now my shoulder and eye issues prevent me from quilting it by hand; or at the very least, doing a more condensed machine quilting design.  As the younger generation say today, "It is what it is!"

BETSEY'S BLOCK

I've been in love with this block since it first came to light in 1985 in Linda Otto Lipsett's book, "Remember Me, Women and Their Friendship Quilts".  Ms. Lipsett details the history of this quilt made between 1846 and 1875 by Betsey M. Wright Lee, plus details the struggles Betsey endured during her lifetime.  All of us in my small Wednesday morning quilt group studied and loved this 1800s quilt. When one of our members moved to California in about 1987; we duplicated the friendship quilt for her.   The quilt below is now owned by Tere Simonson.

Below is a quilt top I made in 1989 in a class on civil war quilts taught by Marianne Fons.  We were to bring scraps of fabric and a 6" block pattern reminiscent of the Civil War era.  Of course, I thought of Betsey's block.  I left off the outer triangles for a straight set. This was a great class where I learned so much about fabric of the era.  I enjoyed making this quilt top in class; even though I have never managed to quilt it.

When a member, Laura Kozubik Nagel, of our night-time quilt group moved in the early 1990s; we made her a quilt using Betsey's block, but I think these are four-inch blocks.  The block is great for friendship signatures.

  This is Laura's quilt.

In about 2005, I had an urge to revisit Betsey's block and made this top of 100 three-inch blocks.  Once again, I truly love this quilt; but it has remained unquilted.

I know -- I must have the ten-year itch -- can't help myself -- last week I made another quilt top of 49 three-inch Betsey blocks.  They are so much fun to make without much thought!

Do you think I should get busy and finally quilt up one of my Betsey quilts?  

If you are a quilt history buff, I highly recommend Ms. Lipsett's book.  It contains many wonderful stories that will enrich your quilting life.  This one story about Betsey Lee and her quilt has given me 30 years of enjoyment and thankfulness for the era in which I live and quilt.

I'm joining the following:

Love Laugh Quilt for Monday Making

Cooking Up Quilts for Main Crush Monday

Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday

Sew Fresh Quilts for Let's Bee Social Wednesday

Quarter Inch from the Edge for Throwback Thursday (1st of month)

Quilting Readers Garden for WIPS Be Gone Friday

Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop Friday

Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish it up Friday

A Quilted Passion for Whoomp There It Is! Saturday