QUILT TOP ASSEMBLY BY KAREN BROWN

The winners of the Early 'Dale No. 2 Drawing are:

No. 2A - "Sully" is Libby Karier of Chicago, Illinois

No. 2B - "Bad Hair Day" and Airedale Key Chain is Kah Lin Wormell of Prymont, New South Wales, Australia

Congratulations Libby and Kah Lin!  Thank you for supporting the 2014 Airedale Quilting Bee Fundraiser.

This year I had the privilege of assembling the quilt top. One by one the 18 blocks and the centerpiece block arrived in the mail over a two-month period. Each block member anxiously emailed that their block had shipped and the watch began. Since I still work full time, my partner Jim was on mail delivery watch. Each carefully packaged tube cocooned a beautifully crafted block with an Airedale head sporting a charming hat. It was like Christmas!! Each time I marveled at the artwork, choice of fabrics, and the lovingly stitched design. With each block I believed it couldn’t get any better and with each block I continued to be amazed.

When I had received about two thirds of the blocks, I made a pilgrimage to one of my favorite quilt shops in Ballston Spa. They have a wonderful selection of batik fabrics. When I arrived there was a group of women assembled for a class in the work room adjacent to the salesroom. As I began to unfurl the blocks on the fabric cutting table for the shop owner, the quilters began to trickle out of the work room when they overheard the shop owner’s oohs and aahs. Soon the cutting table was surrounded by quilters. The shop owner was asking if I would like to display the finished quilt in her shop during the Saratoga Springs summer season to sell tickets. The quilters who began as spectators started pulling bolts of fabric off the shelves and placing quilt blocks against them. One of the benefits of being a member of the quilter’s sorority is that you never have to select sashing and borders alone. Whenever you go into a shop, you always have 3 or 4 people who want to collaborate with you on the project you are working on. You always have a variety of opinions. I narrowed the selections, made my purchases, and headed home full of enthusiasm to begin trimming the blocks and putting the top together.

Block by block and row by row, the top came together. I could not wait to lay it out on my bed to take photos. I went through withdrawal when it was time to pack it up to mail it to Lydia Ross in Washington State.

Quilt Top assembled with sashing

Quilt top assembled with sashing - another view

Quilt top assembled with border material

Remember that Early 'Dale Drawing No. 2 ends TONIGHT, at 8 PM EDT.  If you make a donation toward the quilt during this time, you are eligible to participate in this Early 'Dale drawing.