Day 29 - SEWvenire Quilt Block

SEWvenire Quilt Block
Originally uploaded by Pictures by Ann

I made this for the SEWvenire Quilt Block swap on Swap-Bot. The goal was to create a quilt block that represented one's state.

By participating in the monthly swap, ultimately each participant will have enough blocks to make a quilt made from SEWvenire blocks sent to her from different states, maybe even different countries.

I'm combining the blocks that are sent to me with ones that I make (a copy of the quilt block I sent to someone else). So, eventually the quilt front will include half the blocks made by others and half by me.

The items written in fabric paint were required elements of the swap.

This quilt block is 12 1/2" square. The 9 different fabric pieces were ironed to the background fabric using iron-on adhesive. I then did free-motion quilting to secure the pieces to the quilt.

Once it was done, I added the written words and the yellow centers to the ladyslipper flowers with fabric paint. For the quilt block that I will be making for myself, I'm going to embroider the words since the background fabric I'm going to be using is lighter and I can trace some nice lettering.

Last month for the SEWvenire quilt block, I chose Minnesota's state bird (the loon). This month, it is the ladyslipper (Cypripedium reginae). Also known as the showy lady’s slipper or queen’s lady slipper, it was adopted as the state flower in 1902.

Found living in open fens, bogs, swamps, and damp woods where there is plenty of light, these flowers grow slowly, taking up to 16 years to produce their first flowers. They bloom in late June or early July. The plants live for up to 50 years and grow four feet tall.

A century ago, the flowers were a favorite adornment in rural church altars during the summer. Since 1925 this rare wildflower has been protected by state law (it is illegal to pick the flowers or to uproot or unearth the plants).

The flowers are difficult to find. Apparently there are some that can be found on the bog at Beckman Lake in Isanti County. May be worth the trip some summer to see what they look....particularly if there are ones that are 4 feet tall!

(As a side note...this was one way that I used my creativity today as part of the "Art Every Day Month" challenge.)