Donna's Quilts 4U2C: The Story of Quiltmaker's Scrap Squad 2011

The Story of the Quiltmaker’s Scrap Squad 2011
And How the Scrap Squad Stars & Bars Quilt was made for Diane Harris

By Donna Amos

November 15, 2011

The Quiltmaker Scrap Squad 2011 was formed in December 2010 when Quiltmaker sent out emails to subscribers to see if there were quilters that would like to get a quilt pattern to try it out before the magazine was published. The Scrap Squad members could make the pattern in any size, fabric, color they wanted, and include their ideas into the quilt. They had to have a quilt top finished before the magazine with the pattern was printed. The magazine is printed every two months, so there would be 6 quilts in one year.

Quiltmaker suggested that each of us have our personal blog and post pictures and how we made our quilts, including any problems we encountered.

Many entries were received by Quiltmaker. The following were selected to be the Quiltmaker Scrap Squad 2011.

1.    Linda Ferguson              California
2.    Carol Vickers                  Ohio
3.    Jane Jacobson               Tennessee
4.    Ruthie Wasmuth           Indiana
5.    Donna Amos                  Arkansas
6.    Kimberly Brandt            New York
7.    Pat St-Onge                    New Brunswick, Canada

8. Dionne Gordon Washington

The Scrap Squad quilts would be posted and reviewed on Quiltmaker’s blog, QuiltyPleasures. Diane Volk Harris, Interactive Editor would supervise the group. All photos, patterns and instruction were done through e-mails.

There have been literally hundreds of emails between the Scrap Squad members and Diane, sharing photos of what we were doing, asking and giving suggestions and advice, just enjoying talking quilts and getting acquainted.

The patterns selected by Quiltmaker for us to make quilts were:

1. Rhapsody in Bloom by Doug Leko – Mar/Apr 2011

2. Raspberry Dessert by Julie Herman – May/June 2011

3. Spinout by Barbara Cline – July/Aug 2011

4. Linkin Logs by June Dudley – Sept/Oct 2011

5. Dream Weaver- Artist Unknown-Collection of Joanna S Rose-Nov/Dec 2011

6. It’s Hip to be Square by Elizabeth Dackson Jan/Feb 2012

We all have enjoyed the projects this year and as we started getting closer to the end of our time with the Scrap Squad we started to think about what a good leader that Diane had been to all of us. She always had words of encouragement, did wonderful reviews of our quilts, came up with several “stash enhancements” for each of us, and is just an inspiration.

We decided that we wanted to make a friendship quilt for Diane. Ideas flew over the internet. As we put out ideas, voted on them, and agreed that we wanted to each to make a star block with our name in the center and would like to use some of the blocks that Diane had designed for Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks magazines. Paula, from Quiltmaker sent a pdf. file with Diane’s patterns and Jane began her magic with Electric Quilt and made several patterns for us to look at.

We all agreed on the pattern Jane drafted with Diane’s Bar None Block, Writer’s Block, Block Positive and an individual Signature Star Block each of us could choose. The quilt would be blue and yellow. Jane let all of us know how many blocks to make, contacted Paula about Quiltmaker helping us with the backing and borders, which they did. Linda volunteered to set the blocks together, Donna volunteer to machine embroidery the Scrap Squad center block, Pat volunteered to provide the batting, to quilt and bind the quilt.

The group decided that we wanted to give this quilt a name. Several made suggestions, actually there were 11 possibilities put out. We voted on a name for the quilt and we called it Scrap Squad Stars and Bars.

Scrap Squad Stars and Bars has got to be one of the most traveled quilts ever! Fabric from Quiltmaker in Colorado was sent to each of the states mentioned above. Blocks were made in the different states, and then sent to California to be set together. Linda sent the top to New Brunswick, Canada to be quilted and finished. On November 8, 2011, Pat mailed the finished quilt to June in Colorado for a surprise presentation to Diane. And then, Diane will take it home to Nebraska. All made with much friendship and love.

The Label for Scrap Squad Stars and Bars made for Diane Harris by Quiltmaker’s Scrap Squad 2011