I digress. Here are the blocks I finished yesterday:
This is the block I worked on a couple of days ago:
and this is the fourth of the 6" blocks that will go in the corners of the outer border. It's not paper pieced but appliqued quarter circles. After all the struggle I went through to make the 3 blocks above, I needed something simple and easy to finish off.
Although I was finished with the paper pieced blocks, I wasn't finished for the day. I had time to make 2 of the 4 blocks I need for Row 5 of the PPP--Puss in the Corner 3--and here they are.
I really had to squeeze and fudge to get enough of my background fabric for these last four blocks. Each block will have 2 pieced sides and 2 non-pieced sides in the neutral that I've used throughout the quilt. Also, for one of the blocks I had to use strips that were a hair shy of 2 1/2" wide but I figured I'd make adjustment for that when I sew the blocks together. No one will ever know that the seam allowance is a slimmed down a bit.
Since I used up all the neutral fabric that I'd set aside for this quilt, I need to find something that will coordinate well enough to make sashing between rows 2 and 3, and 4 and 5. I'm sure I have a few 2 1/2" strips in my stash that will work.
After an early dinner, I went with a friend to the Mabel Tainter Theater here in Menomonie for an evening presentation by Eva Schloss, a survivor of the Holocaust.
She was a friend of Anne Frank and lived across the street from her in Amsterdam. Like Anne, Eva's family went into hiding for several years until they were discovered by the Nazis and sent to the concentration camps. Eva was 15 years old and she and her mother spent about 9 months in Auschwitz. Her father and brother were sent to another camp and they did not survive. I'm so glad I went to the presentation last night. It's good to keep the history of the Holocaust alive in hopes that it's never repeated. Before her talk, we watch a documentary, No Asylum directed by Paula Fouce who was with Eva and also explained how the movie was created. It's available on Netflix and Don and I plan to watch it tonight.
As for the Mabel Tainter Theater, this is a jewel box of a theater nestled in our small town here on the Red Cedar River.
Above is the refurbished exterior which was done about 5 years ago, in conjunction with restoration of the interior as well. Below is a view of the interior from the back of the balcony looking onto the stage. All the designs on the ceilings and walls were hand painted during the restoration. It's just breathtaking!
This is the Tainter family box. Andrew and Bertha Tainter were wealthy residents of Menomonie from the 1840's and 1890's, and had acquired their wealth through the lumbering industry at that time. Their daughter, Mabel, died suddenly in 1886, likely of a ruptured appendix or possibly a botched abortion, and the theater is her father's memorial to her.
Don and I go to performances at "The Mabel," as we refer to it here in town, several times a year and I'm always blown away by the beauty of the place. Right now, the building is in need of about $70,000 to make repairs to the leaky roof and I had the idea last night that maybe my guild would be interested in making a fabulous quilt for the theater to raffle off to help a little in reaching the goal. I think I'll check with the theater and if they're interested, bring it up at an opportune time at the guild. See what they say.
I've said enough for one morning. I have to run some errands this morning and then want to finish the last 2 blocks of the PPP and call it done--for now.
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