alphabet top completed

Many, many thanks to Quilts by Cheri for her delightful posts about her alphabet quilt.
I think about half of my letters were made by her descriptions; the other half I went my own way.
My sashings were cut 3 inches, finishing 2 1/2 inches. I cut 4 inch border fabrics.
I used about 5 different solid red fabrics in this quilt, giving it a dappled look.
The children depict my siblings and me, wearing clothing of scraps from my mother of outfits she sewed for us.
Measures about 56 by 62 inches.
Thank you, Cheri!
What a lovely summer diversion.

tea at the Palmer House

block party 2012! with ponies!

alphabet coming together

mom and dad, August 2011

my father's family

The Dykstra family about 1950   Hull, Iowa
left to right:
Marlene, Leroy, Cynthia (Meerdink), Elizabeth, Jurrien, Joel, Donald

My sisters and I are with mom, taking apart the house.
Watch for more from the archives.

2012 Dykstra corn, August

Stressed, but there is a crop.

an extravagant welcome: comes home!

Look what I picked up from the long arm quilter today!
Just a peek for now.
LOTS of binding ahead.

alphabet, extra blocks and starting the sashing

Working on the sashings--ran out of red yardage, so there will be yet another shade introduced! I like how that is looking.

For the corner blocks, I made children with scraps from my mother of clothes she made for my brother and sisters and me. The pink dots are from a dress she helped me make for the 4-H fair.
This quilt is for my sister who is finishing her doctorate in education.

a barn is found wanting

From an application form submitted by my grandfather, Jerry Joe Dykstra, to the War Production Board requesting permission to purchase materials that were rationed. It was filed in Sioux County, Iowa and approved by the office in Chicago.
August 2, 1943 (possibly August 24, 1943)
With the present barn being very old and small, it is impossible for me to properly house my livestock, and in the winter time my stock nearly freeze, and fact of the matter is that the past winter the ears were frozen so badly on my calves that they later fell off. I have a son in the armed forces, and I feel it my duty to him and my country to produce all the food that I can, and cannot with present facilities.
This project is for a new livestock barn, I intend to tear down all of the old barn, and will salavage (sic) and use all the lumber in it that is fit to reuse.
The size of this barn will be 36' by 50' and 8ft to plate. I intend to use cement block or clay tile to the plate to save on critical material.

Below the open door is my father and his dog.

We found this form in my father's papers.