Category: Door quilts

Time for a new door quilt. As you might recall from my earlier posts, I needed to find a solution to the problem of putting a wreath on my front door and then squashing it when I closed the screen door; not enough clearance. Flat door quilts have solved the problem. Here are the previous ones I’ve made (starting with the Christmas stocking, the Heart in a cathedral window pattern and the spring quilt in the Dutchman’s Puzzle pattern).

I seem to be continuing with a seasonal quilt about every three months. I have also discovered that three months exposed to the sun has faded the fabric some so it was time for something new.

With some major patriotic holidays coming up like Memorial Day and the 4th of July, it was time to try a patriotic theme.

This quilt pattern is called Fifty-Four Forty or Fight. You’ll see several color variations below.

This phrase was the famous 1844 presidential campaign slogan of James Polk that contributed to his unexpected victory. The slogan was named after a line of latitude that served as the northern border of Oregon at 54 degrees 40 minutes. The slogan was not actually coined during the election but appeared only by January 1846 and was promoted and driven in part by the press. Women often stitched their political views because they weren’t supposed to voice them. That’s where this block comes from.

By altering the color arrangement of the pieces it has also been called Grandma’s Star, Railroad Quilt, Nine Patch Star Quilt, Garden Walk, Garden Patch and An Old-Fashioned Pinwheel.

When colors are arranged like in #265 below, it has been called Bird of Paradise.

As you can see, the same arrangement of blocks and triangles can be called something else if changing the colors gives a different impression.

I always want to check from the front yard to see if I have the colors right (meaning, light around the outside so it can be seen through the screen door). I think it works!

Please comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net. Enjoy!

If you would like to be notified when I post, sign up on the Welcome/Home page and you’ll be sent an email automatically by this wonderful program. Your email will never be shared! Thanks!

I know it’s still snowing but this is the time of year I need a touch of Spring color in my life. Usually I pull out a forsythia wreathe that has seen better days. It looks similar to this one, except mine has been squished between the doors over the years.

I learned with my first two door quilts that because my door is a dark red, the decoration needs to be light. Thus, on the Christmas stocking the only thing that showed up a distance was the cuff. However, on the Valentine one the heart showed up beautifully from a distance. See the difference?

So, since I decided to decorate with small quilt blocks, I chose a yellow background for the Spring quilt. The quilt pattern is called Dutchman’s Puzzle, Dutchman’s Wheel, or sometimes Wild Goose Chase.

When seen from a distance, the shape really stands out. Take notice, Mr. Snowstorm…your days are numbered!

If you have any suggestions or comments, please email me at marykisner@comcast.net or leave a comment on this page. Thanks!

Right now I’m creating a series of quilt blocks that I can hang on my front door instead of a wreath. I’m limited with only a few inches of clearance between the door and the storm door, so a fluffy wreath ends up getting squished between the doors. From that, I will find an assortment of broken twigs and other materials on the floor! So, time for a new solution!

I started at Christmas time with a Christmas stocking made of assorted recycled neckties. In January I decided to try a quilt block using the Cathedral Window pattern. That should look OK until after Valentine’s Day. The next one will be a spring quilt block of some kind…still under construction!

This all started with being frustrated trying to find a door decoration that would work! And…of course…it’s keeping me busy during this continued lock down situation. That’s a win/win! See you next time! If you’d like to chat about this post with me you can email me at marykisner@comcast.net.