Biblical Blocks Quilt, Finished

The Biblical Blocks quilt is finished.

Here is a recap of this quilt's story:

My daughter-in-law Amy found the partially-done quilt and the pieces that went with it when she and other members of the family were helping her grandparents clean their house, which had gotten out of hand, especially after a water leak.  The fabric smelled mildewy, and Amy considered throwing it out; but then, seeing that it was Moda, one of the better quilting fabrics, she decided to carefully wash it.  It came out beautifully.

Amy asked me if I would finish it, and I said I would be glad to.  The elderly couple, who have been friends of ours ever since I can remember, are not well, and I was pleased to be able to do something for them.  When our children were still living at home (we have 9), Elaine would sometimes bring us produce from her garden, or something she had baked.

After their house was clean, Elaine began asking if anyone had seen her ‘lighthouse quilt’.  No one had seen a lighthouse quilt.  BUT!!! – a couple of weeks ago when I pulled out all the pieces from the tote they were in, lo and behold, I discovered that the outer border, already cut, was a lighthouse print!  We think this must be the quilt Elaine was worrying about.  If it is, she started it in the early 1980s, she said.

She does not know I have been quilting it.  We did not want her to be troubled all over again, wondering if it would be finished properly... or if it’s actually the quilt she was worried about... or if she’d get it back soon.  Amy will surprise her with it.

This quilt pattern, Biblical Blocks, by Rosemary Makhan, was not an easy pattern.  I think Elaine cut all the pieces with scissors rather than a rotary cutter, which would explain why some of the patches were not uniform.  The pattern uses 16 blocks in the quilt, and there are a number of alternate blocks.  Elaine had made 20 blocks.  16 of them were partially put into rows, and one of the rows was attached to the central Tree of Life section.  Four were unused, probably because they were of varying sizes, from 8 ½" to 10".  Not wanting them to go to waste, I added a skinny sashing to the 8 ½" block and trimmed the 10" block.  The too-big one lost a bit of its points, but it's still pretty, I think!  I then set these four blocks into the corners of the quilt.  I had to add the red border in order to make them fit.  The other borders were already cut.

The blue inner borders, in particular, had proved troublesome for her, what with the points of the first one being hand-sewn onto the next, and that second one having mitered corners.  When I see how striking and lovely the quilt has turned out, I kind of wish I had've dismantled it a little more and tried to fix that mitered border that caused so much trouble, and which was very likely the reason for the quilt being put aside, unfinished. But... there was no more of that particular blue fabric; I just don't know if redoing it would've done any good or not.

So... I doused the trouble spots with starch... pressed with a hot iron... and quilted as best I could. There are a few unavoidable tucks, and the quilt does not lie perfectly flat... but it's square, surprisingly enough.

Anyway, too late for regrets!  It's done.  Tomorrow Amy will take it to Elaine, and we'll find out what she would like the label to say.  I will machine-embroider it, then take the label there and sew it on for her.

The quilt has now been washed (in order to get all the starch out of it, and to make it have that soft, crinkly, heirloom feeling).  Right this minute as I type, the quilt is in the dryer.  It'll take a good half an hour to dry, as I only spun it on medium-gentle in the washer, so it's quite wet, and I have the dryer set on 'cool dry'.

Quilt details:

The quilt measures 97 ½" x 97 ½".

The batting is Quilters' Dream wool.

There are several different colors of thread in the top.  Some is Omni 40-wt., some is Signature 40-wt., and some is So Fine 50-wt.

I used Bottom Line 60-wt. in the bobbin.

Quilted with rulerwork and free-motion.

I spent 54 hours finishing this quilt, with 41½ of that in the quilting.

Here are pictures of the quilt in its entirety, plus highlights from the quilting of it.

Tree of Life center medallion 

Heavenly Problems

Cross & Crown

Heavenly Problems

David & Goliath

Children of Israel

Joseph's Coat

Jacob's Ladder

Joseph's Coat

Garden of Eden

Robbing Peter to Pay Paul

(That's not a Bible story, in case you're wondering.)

Solomon's Puzzle

Golgotha

Tree of Life

Job's Tears

Bethlehem Rose

Cross within a Cross

Star of the Magi

Carpenter's Wheel

Road to Jerusalem

Hosanna

Crown of Thorns

Jacob's Ladder

This is the one I had to add sashing to.  And... either the sashing had to be lopsided, or the block had to be trimmed lopsided.  I chose to lopside (should be a word) the sashing instead of the block.

Heavenly Stars

Heavenly Stars

This is the one that got its points cut off.  But I'm so glad I saved it!

Backing after washing and drying.  Oh, it's sooo soft and warm, and smells so good!  Perfect to cuddle up in.

Quilting Done, Biblical Blocks

 The quilting is done on the Biblical Blocks quilt.  Now for the binding.

Block No. 3 is 'Jacob's Ladder'; Nos. 1 and 4 is 'Heavenly Stars'.  There are two 'Jacob's Ladder' blocks.  This was one of the four extras, and the lady evidently made a new one because this one wound up at only 8 1/2" instead of 9 1/2" (unfinished size).  I added a skinny border (which had to be a bit crooked, in order to make the block the correct size.  The Heavenly Stars block, on the other hand, was 10" and had to be trimmed.  It lost a few points in the ordeal; but I think it's pretty, even so.

I didn't want to waste those four extra blocks the lady made, so I put them in the corners of the quilt.  I had to add the red border in order to make the blocks fit.

The last picture shows that I had more than enough green thread for this quilt!  😬😄

Last Row of Biblical Blocks Quilt

 I just finished the last row of blocks on the Biblical Blocks quilt.  Four more borders to go (and a couple of blocks in the corners).  There are several ripply patches in these blocks, but I think I managed to avoid any tucks.  It should be fairly smooth sailing from here on.  Maybe I can get this quilt finished tomorrow!  Maybe.  

Names of the blocks, from photo No. 2 through No. 6:  Hosanna, Crown of Thorns, Star of the Magi, Carpenter's Wheel, and Road to Jerusalem.

The last shot is the view from my north dormer window -- a blossoming redbud tree just across the lane.

Troublesome Spots, Biblical Blocks Quilt

 I have just plowed my way through the worst of the trouble spots in the Biblical Blocks quilt.  No amount of starch and steam could prevent a few tucks and rumples.  So there they are, in all their glory.

The first two blocks are called 'Bethlehem Rose' and 'Cross within a Cross'.  Photos 4 through 7 show the problem areas in that blue inner border.  The right side is worse than the left.  There was a good inch of excess fabric, not in the length of the border, but the width.  The left corner is not at all square, as the mitered corner seam is too deep at the outer point.

I'll betcha this was why the lady put it away unfinished, all those years ago, whataya bet?

Well.  It's not going to be perfect, by any means; but it's a-gonna be a quilt!

Oh, the last picture is the snack I had this afternoon.  That's the biggest strawberry I ever did see in my life!  It was as big as an apple.  And it was totally scrumptious, into the bargain!

Past the Middle of Biblical Blocks

I've passed the midpoint of the Biblical Blocks quilt.  The batting is a good 8" off the floor!  Photo No. 1: Job's Tears. Photo No. 3: Golgotha. No. 4: Tree of Life.  The entire middle has too much fullness in it, and does not lie flat.  There are even a few little individual patches that are too full.  How did that happen, I wonder?  I'm guessing it was cut with scissors rather than a rotary cutter, for starters; and things went south from there.  Starch and pressing with a hot iron is helping, and the Quilters' Dream wool is helping, too; but nothing is going to totally eliminate the trouble.  I could quilt it more heavily, but I don't want to.  I'll just keep doing the best I can.

Starting Center of Biblical Blocks Quilt

 I've begun the center of the Biblical Blocks quilt.  Pictures 3 and 4 are Before & After shots of a trouble spot.  The sailboat strip is quilted; I'll get pictures of it tomorrow.  Surprisingly, it came out fine.

In looking at these pictures, I see there is a line of stitching missing in the green triangles on the left.  That part is already rolled into the take-up bar; I'll have to add the stitching after the quilt is done (and before I cut it from the frame).

Photo No. 2 is called 'Joseph's Coat', No. 5 is called 'Solomon's Puzzle', No. 7 is 'Jacob's Ladder', and No. 8 is 'David & Goliath'.

Joseph's Coat

Solomon's Puzzle

Those Problematic Areas

The lady had troubles with this block, which is called 'Robbing Peter to Pay Paul'. (That's not a Bible story, in case you're wondering.) I doused it with starch, pressed it, and quilted. The final result is not quite as ripply as it appears in the picture; I was taking the shot from a low angle without overhead lighting. I could smush it further with a little more quilting; but I don't want this quilt that heavily quilted. I call it 'good enough'. 😏

This is the blue border that had problems. I had to quilt it fairly heavily, as it had way too much fullness in it. And the worst is yet to come -- the part below the center block. Anyway, I managed to avoid any tucks, so far.