State Quilt

 I've been 'mum' about this from the onset, but decided I just had to share. As I have posted previously, I am in charge of the annual quilt challenge for the CCCQ guild. In honor of the 250th Anniversary of our country, the challenge is to pick the name of a state from a hat, and make a quilt about that. 

The state that I drew was Delaware. I did a bit of research. Delaware's State colors are buff and colonial blue. Delaware's flower is the peach blossom. Delaware is the 2nd smallest state, after Rhode Island. 

For some reason, I searched online for a Delaware 'doll'. Lo and behold...a doll showed up on eBay. She won a blue ribbon in 1961 at the Delaware State Fair. 

OMG, she was darling. I am not a doll person, but I had to get her. I won the eBay bid and she was on her way. As far as I can tell she won the ribbon for her hand-made outfit. It is all delicately stitched by hand. When I get brave enough, I will wash and iron her dress and pinafore.

Next, I decided, since Delaware is a small state, a small quilt is in order...one using the state colors and the state flower. A quilt that would be a perfect quilt for this doll! 

So began the collecting phase. I picked up fabrics in California and locally, and finally settled on a pattern.

Here are a few of the early contenders.

I decided that my doll quilt would be made of two different blocks. The first, a nine-patch that finishes at 1.5 inches, and then another square within a square,  with the center set on a diagonal. 

I experimented with doing some embroidery for peach blossoms, the state flower. 

Although I liked the way it look, I decided to use the floral fabric I had found. 

I began cutting, stitching and ironing. 

It slowly came together. 

Now to decide whether to go with the norms of turn of the century, and have no border, 

or whether to add one. Your thoughts?