Making the Maryland AMB Sail Boat Block

To follow up from Yesterday's Post, here's a little behind the scenes look at how I made the Maryland block for the American Made Brand Blog Hop...

First I chose a few of the lovely colors that looked to me like they'd make great water and sky...

...and I also pulled out white and navy for the sail boats in Barbara Burnham's design depicting boats on the Chesapeake.

I used Heat n Bond Feather Lite to trace the applique pieces because it's so light that I didn't have to cut out the fusible behind the center of all the pieces.  (Tip: I traced the sail boat shapes reversed so that when I apply the fusible to the back of the applique fabrics and then lay them down to fuse they will be facing the right direction.)

I also cut four 3 inch strips (approximately) of the fusible, one for each of the "water" colors.

Using the Creative Grids 3" Wave Ruler, and a smaller rotary cutter, I cut a wave on one side and straight across the other to make three inch wide strips with a wave on one side.

The strips were laid out overlapping, and with the dips and crests of the waves randomly staggered. Then when I was happy with the placement, I fused them in place with an iron. Then using a micron pen, I traced the Maryland name across the top, off centered to the left making sure to stay more than a quarter inch from the edges to allow for seam allowances when the block gets sewn into a quilt.  Using matching/coordinating thread colors, I blanket stitched across the top of each wave.

Finally I fused the little sail boats down and blanket stitched around all of the applique shapes to complete the block :)

Now you can go to the Free Pattern Page at Spring Water Designs to download your copy of the Maryland Sail Boat AMB Block to get the applique templates :)

And if you haven't already, head on over to Yesterday's Post and leave a comment for your chance to win a bundle of American Made Brand cotton fabrics from Clothworks!

...And follow along the AMB Hop each day thru June 20th to see all the 50 State blocks...and get in on a chance to win there too!   ~ At the end of the Hop all of the state blocks will be set into one large amazing American Made Quilt :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Welcome to Maryland!!

Today is my day on the American Made Brand Fabrics Blog Tour!  I'm so excited to be taking part in this 50 State virtual tour of the US sponsored by Clothworks to kick off their line of fabrics made in America from Farm to Fabric!  My good friend Barbara Burnham and I collaborated on the Maryland block below.  Barbara designed the block, and I made it :)

But before we get down to business, I thought I'd give you a little pictorial tour of my beautiful state over here in the Mid-Atlantic region on the East Coast where I was born and raised...  

Because of where Maryland is situated between the mountains to the west and the ocean to the east...the bustling Baltimore/Washington DC corridor in Central Maryland... the Chesapeake Bay running through the state...and it's rich history dating back to our earliest settlements...Maryland offers something for everyone.

The mountains of Western Maryland are simply beautiful.  Hiking, skiing, and plenty for history buffs with many Civil War battlefield sites, including Antietam National Battlefield at Sharpsburg Maryland, the site of the bloodiest single day of the Civil War.

One of my personal favorite places to visit is the Western Maryland Scenic Railway in Cumberland :)

Then within just a few hours drive, you can go from the mountains to the beach!  The Chesapeake Bay Bridge connects Central Maryland to the Eastern Shore. 

 The iconic Boardwalk at Ocean City Maryland...

 ...And you can go camping at charming Assateague Island.

Both the Eastern Shore and Southern Maryland are known for the beautiful farm lands. 

 And here in Central Maryland, my home county hosts the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival every year the first weekend in May at the Howard County Fair Grounds :) 

There's the culture and happenings in Baltimore City...

...And history.  Fort McHenry is located on the Chesapeake Bay just outside of Baltimore's harbor and is where the Star Spangled Banner flew during that night in 1814 when Francis Scott Key wrote the words that would later become our National Anthem.  The Maryland Historical Society is home of the original document, and the original flag resides in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC.  The Maryland Historical Society sponsored the Stitching History Project that I was fortunate and honored to take part in last summer where we stitched by hand a reproduction of the Star Spangled Banner. 

Maryland is deep in history with it's first settlement at St Mary's City in 1634, and became one of the original 13 Colonies.  It was granted Statehood as the seventh state to join the Union in 1788.

That's when Annapolis became the State Capital.  You can not visit Annapolis today without walking down to the City Dock and enjoying the beauty of the sail boats on the water.  

...That's why I thought the sailboats in our block really had the feel of Maryland :)  

So anyway, now that you're familiar with Maryland, can feel the breeze on the water and smell the sea air, leave a comment below for a chance to win a bundle of Fat Quarters of the American Made Brand Solid Cotton fabrics from Clothworks!  I'll choose one random winner on Monday, May 26th to receive a bundle of fat quarters from Clothworks, and then I'll pick another winner to receive a pack of 5" charms from me :)

...And then come on back here tomorrow for some tips on how I made our block, and a to link to the pattern!  And every day you can visit all the Blogs on the AMB Blog Hop from all 50 states and collect their blocks as well :)  

Enjoy the day!

~ Dawn

PS ~ Another kind of Maryland tour is the Maryland Row by Row Shop Hop going on this summer.  You can Click Here to see a list of participating shops, and visit in person our very own Brick and Mortar Spring Water Designs Shop for your Free Row pattern anytime between July 1st and September 1st :)