Blogger's Quilt Festival and Sandy

Thank you to Amy for sending a reminder email about the Bloggers' Quilt Festival! I've been connecting to the internet sporadically since Hurricane Sandy blew through our coastal Rhode Island town. We have been without electricity since about 2:30 Monday afternoon. Fortunately, we still have running water and a gas stove, so we can shower and cook a little. My mother's building never lost power, so I moved some food to her refrigerator.  We are so grateful that all our friends are safe and sound. Restaurants and friends with power and wifi are so helpful! I'm posting this from a Staples hot spot.

It is heartbreaking to see the damage that has been inflicted on our beloved beaches, but it is a drop in the bucket compared to the devastation in New York and New Jersey.  Our prayers are with all of you who have lost so much.

On to the quilt!  Almost two years ago, my Girl Scout troop had an idea to make a traveling quilt for when they would all head off to college.  (Like the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, but with a quilt!) Each girl chose her own fabrics from my stash and a pile of Girl Scout prints that I was hoarding for just such an occasion.  We also dyed our own fabric with Kool Aid in the microwave, so some of that fabric was used, too. The girls all chose their own block patterns, some from books or online sources, and others were original creations designed on graph paper.  The hexie block is mine!

Since the blocks were all different sizes, I "sashed" two sides of each block with Girl Scout prints to make them all the same size.  I was happy to have enough of the green cookie print for the border, but I wish I had not used that same print to sash Maia's pretty paper pieced block in the top row.

The quilt was completed in time to hang from the rafters in the South County Museum quilt show.

I named the quilt Girl Scout Sisterhood! It is currently keeping Liz cozy at the University of Richmond. It will soon travel to Emily at the University of Maine. I can't remember the exact order after that, but here's the rest of the list:

Julia at Siena College in Loudonville, NY

Ashley at University of Massachusetts in Fitchburg

Genevieve and Ashley at Rhode Island College

Catherine at the University of Rhode Island

And back to Maia for her Gold Award ceremony in June.

Thanks again, Amy, for hosting the festival. I can't wait to have power restored so I can visit all the inspirational entries!

Blogger's Quilt Festival Stats
Girl Scout Sisterhood by Girl Scout Troop 554

Completed size: 60 X 75"
 Techniques used: paper piecing, fabric dying
Best Category: Group or Bee Quilt, Throw Quilt
Home Quilted by: Tina Craig, troop leader