On My Wall

is Block 5 of the Pat Sloan 182 Day Solstice Challenge - Gramma Anna's basket.

It is suppose to have a basket appliqued in the middle, like this drawing on the right.
I did not really care much for the basket and I really didn't want to do the applique. So I decided to make a smaller paper pieced basket. It seemed too small so I was going to reprint the foundation papers at a larger size, but then I remembered the 6 inch basket block I had shown at the fair this summer. It has been pinned to my wall since then. Whenever I looked at it I wondered what I could with it.

It is made in batiks, not Civil War reproductions, but I think it will work. The colors match much better than the picture shows. I am glad to use it, but now I have a tiny basket block. Maybe it will sneak into the 365 Challenge. :)

Also, from this box of shirts...

... to counting and measuring ...

... a layout ...

This picture was taken this summer at the school where I work. It is a large enough area to lay out a quilt. All the classroom carpets go to the gym for a spa day. The stage doors are open in this picture. Half the stage is storage (to the left) and the other half is my work area. There are stairs to the right. It is easier to move things, especially big things like furniture/desks, on and off the open stage rather than the stairs. I am thankful to have this area to work. I used to work with students at a small desk in the hallway and had to store my materials in a cabinet drawer in the break room. This area is closed off, much more quiet (less distracting) and has plenty of room for a desk and other storage cabinets.

... quilting ...

... binding ...

... to finished.

This picture shows the backing.

I did not wash the backing before quilting so I decided to throw in a few color catchers.

The ones on the right were pretty dark so I washed it again.

The ones on the left, from the second wash, were darker than I liked, 

but there was no bleeding in the white shirts so I think it will be ok.

This is why I almost always wash fabrics before using them, even though I keep seeing reports that fabrics dyes today are set and bleeding shouldn't be a problem.