Design Wall Monday--Memorial Day

Today is Memorial Day, and I will remember our departed family members who served and lost their lives, the ones I knew, and those who fell before in defense of this nation.  This day of remembrance is mostly credited to Union Army General John Logan, years after the end of the Civil War, as an extension of Decoration Day, when graves of the fallen Union soldiers were tended and visited. My paternal great-grandfather was named after General Logan, and Logan has remained a family name ever since.  My uncle, brother and son's middle name is Logan; that uncle named his son Logan.  My great-grandfather's fraternal twin brother was named Grant, and his other brothers were also named for Union Generals.  

On this Design Wall Monday, I'm continuing work on a quilt for a family member who is a Veteran, my dad's fraternal twin brother (he's not a Logan, though!)   Yesterday I got the last rows stitched into sections and the sections finally became a top.

This is my smaller brown version of Bonnie Hunter's Narragansett Blues from her book More Adventures with Leader Enders.  I used border pieces as leader-enders to assemble the center.

My version simplified her pieced border with single pieces and I assembled them into sections as I went.  However, the proportion of the quilt bothered me.  With borders, it is long and skinny at 57x87.  I cut more brown rectangles for two additional rows, but couldn't face making all the four patches yesterday.  My husband told me I was "overthinking it" and I had nearly discarded the idea of additional rows, but when I laid it out this morning to take a picture, it seemed to need them. 

The sides will then match with a single center four patch as on the top and bottom.  It really is not that many four patches, 13 for each row.  I'll feel better when the quilt is closer in proportion to the 60x80 size I prefer when giving quilts!  It will look nice on Uncle's single bed. 

See more Design Walls on Judy's Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.

 Last week we were called in for an emergency babysitting session, our daughter's car had a flat tire when she was leaving work and her husband was with the kids.  We finished feeding them their dinners and had another hour or two of play. 

 Hunter, 2, is totally enamored of his safety goggles and wears them everywhere. 

Cove, 4, likes to pretend he is a dentist and helpfully put gloves on before attempting a procedure on a somewhat reluctant patient.  I'm not sure what Hunter thought the leaf blower might be needed for, perhaps sound to cover the screams?  So funny.