Pan-American Exposition Redwork Quilt Top Compete

Years ago I purchased reproduction fabric of Pan-American penny square Redwork blocks reproduced by Blue Hill. I embroidered the blocks and then created additional ones by tracing blocks on my antique Pan-American Redwork quilt. 

I am finishing up UFOs and decided to set these blocks with fabric from my stash. It is not what I envisioned when I started, but it is another quilt top done!

The blocks are set with plain blocks from Buttermilk Basin fabrics left from my Hospital Sketches quilt.

Note President McKinley ant President Theodore Roosevelt are on the quilt along with their wives Edith Roosevelt and Ida McKinley. There were also blocks for George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Buffalo Bill, and a Native American. And, a Buffalo which I suppose stood for the city that hosted the Exposition.

The reproduction blocks included common motifs from the era of children, a mother and child, and natural motifs.

Here is the quilt made with the penny squares sold at the Exposition in 1901.

President McKinley was shot while standing on the steps of the Temple of Music. At his death, Theodore Roosevelt became president.

Buildings for the fair are depicted. Below is the Johnstown Flood.

The Temple of Music "Where President McKinley was shot"

Bostock's Trained Wild Animals was on the Midway

Learn more about the Pan-American Exposition at "A Guide to Buffalo's 1901 Pan-American Exposition" here.

See Thomas Edison's films of the Exposition and President McKinley's death at the Library of Congress here.

Read  my review of The Electrifying Fall of Rainbow City by Margaret Crieghton here. Learn about Tesla's contribution to the electric lighting of the Exposition in Tesla by Richard Munsen.

Jo Morton's Little Favorites II: Small Quilts With A Big Impact

Author and Moda Fabrics designer Jo Morton is a familiar name to quilters who love reproduction fabrics and quilts. Her new book Jo's Little Favorites II: A Classic Collection of 15 Small Quilts are perfect for home decorating.

The quilts are photographed in charming settings.

Raspberry Swirl can be used for spring or Christmas
and finishes at 25 1/2" X 25 1/2"

The instructions are top notch, with visuals along with instructions, hints and tricks, and quilting plans.

Foursquare finishes at 27" x 31".
Note how the border fabric add a lot of texture

Jo's Little Favorites was such a success she culled more quilts from her collection to offer another book of patterns.

A great easy nine-patch variation,
Manassas finishes at 49" x 551/2"

New quilters will appreciate Jo's great techniques chapter in which she talks about prewashing fabric, the importance of accuracy and her clipping trick, back-basting needle-turn applique, applique hints, and how to make single fold binding.

Courthouse Steps finishes at 15 1/2" x 201/2"

Jo has great advice for planning color schemes, especially important for the Courthouse Steps quilt seen above.

Holiday Inn is named for the movie.
It finishes at 43 1/2" square

I loved her medallion quilt Holiday Inn, seen above. The floral wreath shapes are traditional and easy to work with. Jo's instructions for the multiple borders are great with an easy Flying Geese method.

I am also tempted by the scrappy Half Square Triangle, seen below. I have never worked with such small pieces. I think it would make a great hand piecing project for summertime.

Half-Square Triangle is a diminutive
13"  15 1/2"

Jo's Little Favorites II has something for every quilter.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Jo's Little Favorites II
by Jo Morton
Martingale
$24.99 paper cover
Publication May 2, 2017
ISBN: 9781604688405