Strawberries for the Table

Reaching WAY back in the archives, to 2001.  My BFF Sprouty (did we even SAY BFF back then???) redecorated her kitchen with strawberries and asked me to make a table topper. 

Quick, simple, fun!  Mostly machine quilted and hand quilted in the border.  Button-hole stitch applique and good old white muslin. 

Baby Quilt for Daniel

Helped a friend make a quilt like this quilt several months ago and I really liked it.  So with the leftover fabrics I made the same one.  The designs are painted with Inktense Water Color Inks.  They go on like a colored pencil.  When wet with the brush they act like watercolor, but after drying they are ink and permanent. 
It is for a special newborn baby boy, whose parents have loved him already for several years.

Civil War Era Charms

A charm pack and a piece of coffee stained muslin were put together to make this great wall quilt.  Each block has 4 charms in it cut into small HST's (Half Square triangles) and muslin squares.  If I did it again I might mix them up more.  I also liked best the blocks that had all similar colors (gold and red) versus more colors per block. (Blue and brown and gold and red.)
The quilt was stitched in the ditch and finished with a hand quilted border. I put a light weight poly bat (easiest for hand quilting) and I love the way it softly drapes.

2013

Little Doll House Quilt

Made this little nine-patch quilt from the scraps of another quilt.  It was an early lesson in setting blocks on point.  They are 3" blocks.  It is on the wall behind my wooden Barbie Vanity made for me by my Grandfather back in the very early 60's. 

Drunkards Path

The drunkards Path block has always been one I wanted to make but avoided for fear of piecing the curves.  It actually went together easier than I expected and I really enjoyed making this wall quilt for my husband Pete.  I used 2 different grey/black neutrals for the background space.  One was from the set of  6 fat quarter Civil War Era reproduction fabrics I got in a monthly shipment of Fabric Of The Month Club.   The colors looked masculine, and this quilt is on the wall in my husband's home office.

I decided to "tie" this quilt to make it look like an old utility quilt.

Sprout's Little Kitties

Sprout gave me a trio of scraps she wasn't particularly attracted to.   One had some little kitties jumping around and there was some nice contrast to one of the pieces. 
I had purchased some acrylic stamp and those rubber combs for making designs on stamps, so I went to work for a small wall quilt for my "Kitty Bathroom."

Reproductions Kaleidoscope

This wall quilt was an experiment with altering color placement in a single block to make the design quilt wide rather than block specific.  So it's a simple kaleidoscope block made with a set of 6 fat quarters.  The fabrics were late 1800's reproduction, and I set them within a beige neutral from the "Neutral Box."

It was then hand quilted and a sleeve sewn on the back for hanging.

Angel Babies

This Baby Quilt was a joint effort between Sprout, Suzanne, Faye and myself for a co-worker's baby.  The angel skirts and wings is of course Dresden Fan blades.  We placed them on nite-nite fabric and surrounded them with pink clouds in the sashing and borders.  Each baby had a unique face from sleeping to crying and a few spots in-between!  We shopped for the fabrics together, and helped Faye (who had never sewed before!) to make her block. 

1920's Baby Nine Patch

Everyone has seen the pastel fabric reproduction fabrics.  They have small motifs on them and are so well suited for a baby quilt.  I chose a good steady nine patch, and made the block with 2 1/2" pieces for a 6" block.  The coloration was random so I could use a zillion fabrics.  Set on point, alternated with plain white blocks.  I decided to hand quilt this one and put a little design in the plain blocks.

This quilt will be for a grandchild of mine............

A wall quilt in black and solids

This wall quilt was inspired by my desire to design the border that twisted and crossed.  I made geese in solid colors and button hole appliqued teardrops.  It is hand quilted.

A Quilt For Mai Mai

I found the fabric for the border at the quilt run in 2012 (On the clearance table in Valley Center) and thought it would be perfect for the second daughter of Racquela.  It is Little Red Riding Hoods. The bright colors seemed natural, and a monkey wrench was a good, modern selection.

A small quilt made from the scraps for the dolly of Big Sister, Emma.

A Red Haired Mermaid

Made this one for the college graduation of a friend of my son's.  She... collected mermaids of course!  I freehand drew the mermaid on newspaper and used it as a pattern.  The applique was raw-edged button hole stitch.  The water is scrappy blocks arranged every which way.

Hugs and a few Kisses

Drew my inspiration from an old book with a photo of a 1930's Amish quilt for this one.   It's a generous lap quilt, and the batting is a heavy 100% cotton.  I made this quilt for Pete to place on the love-seat in his office.

The circle is made of 4 bow-tie blocks.  The X is simply the same 4 bow tie blocks placed with their centers together.

From "Sunshine And Shadow, The Amish And Their Quilts"

A Baby Quilt Sprout's design

I made this quilt after a pattern Sprout came up with.  So I called it Brote's Quilt (Brote being Sprout in spanish!) and when I made it I had no particular baby in mind.  Later, she had her grandbaby visit (This is Chloe!) so I loaned her the quilt for the visit. 

The quilt later was a gift for Ayva, the daughter of Kristina, who then eventually came to my house as a young quilt student! 

Valentine's Quilt

Collecting threads is a hobby and obsession for m.  I might spend a year (or more!) collecting a color or theme, with no idea how I will use it.  So it was with "hearts."  Valentine's and romance themes were purchased at Quilt shows, online, traded for, or some was purchased while visiting my folks in Texas. 

I'll have to take another photo, since I still have this quilt.  It's set with a Vintage Valentine in the center, then wonky, random strips around in a sort of log cabin style.  The blocks were tilted and set in rows.  I made a border of prairie points in the bright themed fabrics, and a sleeve for hanging on the back.

This quilt hangs in the dining room on my hand-made quilt rack that belonged to my mother and was made for her by a friend in Texas.  I put it up in February... naturally!  In San Diego, winter is usually giving up by February, so it's also a symbolic change from cold weather.

Suzanne's Coffin Quilt

Several years ago, some friends and I ran a "challenge."  Each of the four of us choose a theme, or a color.  Then we made a 12" block for each other.  My theme was "blue" and Suzanne choose "coffin quilt" as her theme.  Sprouty choose "fish" and Faye "flowers." 

When we got our blocks, each of us added one of our own and finished our quilts.  Suzanne never got around to finishing hers, so a few years later I took up her blocks and made her the Coffin Quilt she wanted.

Here is a quote on the practice of "Coffin Quilts:" 

 The graveyard quilt is one type of mourning quilt. Mourning quilts were popular in the mid to late 1800s. Aside from the graveyard quilt, other mourning quilts don’t have a particular theme or design associated with the term. After the death of a loved one, quilters (at this point in time, predominantly women) would work on a quilt to help them grieve.

A quilter might choose to make a quilt using a deceased person’s favorite color or favorite pattern. Or, the woman might simply quilt any old quilt block pattern just to keep her mind occupied and to help her work through the grief process. Most of the quilting back then relied on groups of women, so that fellowship also offered help in the healing process.

Suzanne's quilt has:  An upper block with a cross.  The right arm of the layout is a block called grave stone.  The left arm has owl fabrics, another symbol very dear to Suzanne.  Steps to The Altar in the center, Crown of Thorns on the cross body and Coffin Star on the bottom.  The backgroud is filled with little tumbler blocks, symbolizing the shapes of headstones in the graveyard.  The pink lines are tiny skulls, and the border is Day Of The Dead dancers. 

Suzanne's birthday is Halloween, and she brings her quilt out every year in October.

My Mom's Last Quilt

In her last years, my Mother suffered macular degeneration, so her vision was severly limited.  She could still manage her 40-year old Bernina by feel and smell.  When I went to visit she had me take her shopping for fabrics and cut the strips.  Several months later on a visit she asked me to hand-quilt the lap quilt, and attach the binding.  This is a very special quilt, since it is the last one Mom completed.

You can see where my quilting obsession had it's roots.  One of my earliest childhood memories is playing with fabric scraps on the floor under my mother's sewing table!  I would use the scraps to make little dresses for my troll dolls and Barbies!

Red & Green But Not Christmas

Red and green go nicely together, and many vintage quilts are that color combination.  So I wanted to make something in those colors but NOT Christmas. Plus, the stripes fascinated me when I first saw them.
I chose the good-old 9-patch; an easy, versatile quilt block, in many different patterns of red and green, set square in a square in those great stripes, then offset by half a block in each column.  Another delight was the border stripe, I love buying interesting stripes for borders!

Texas Hills

This was an early quilt I made for my mother.  I had a software program that printed templates for blocks.  I would print them, pin them to fabric and cut them out.  (Like sewing patterns) without ever seeing how blocks might look!

My parents had retired to the "Hill Country" of Texas, so that is what I was representing in this lap quilt.  Texas is appliqued, the texas flag and state flower (bluebonnets) are on there as well.  I placed dates important to our family on the ground blocks, weddings and births.
Next time I visit I will try and get a better picture.  This is was taken with a 2006 Cell Phone!

Wall Quilt For A Housewarming

This little quilt was made for a friend who purchased a new home.  The fabrics came from a reproduction sampler of fat quarters titled "The 1970's."  (Same era as my young friend!) Woah, boy, now the 70's are Vintage???  But, yes, don't you remember those browns?
I machine raw-edged appliqued the leaves for some excitement. 

Congratulations, Kimmy, on owning your own home in So. Cal!

Crayon Stenciled

Made from fabrics from a reproduction era (but I can't remember the details!) with Regular Old Crayons.  I placed a stamp behind the fabric and colored, transferring the stamp's raised edges onto the fabric.  Then covered the image with paper towels and ironed to heat set the wax.  After washing, it faded, so I was disappointed.  If I use this technique again, would be on a quilt I don't plan to wash.

Sprout Moves To Hawaii

I avoided making this quilt for some time.  My dear dear OG Sprout had resigned and was moving to her retirement home in Hawaii.  I gathered scraps from quilts Sprout and I had made together, and hand-me-downs from her scrap bags (she was downsizing to move!) and started putting these scraps into blocks. I wanted plenty of light space so all our friends could sign this rememberance quilt.

It was a wild, well attended party.  Needless to say, the retirement lasted only a few months.  The house is still in Hawaii, and retirement is again on the horizon, but Sprout moved back and got her job back and has begun asking me if she will get another retirement quilt!

My Mother's Scarf

I hand quilted this scarf of my Mom's after she died.  I have simply pinned on many of her costume jewelry and pins and crosses.  I like it on the wall.

Ryan, an active little boy!

Poor Ryan was nearly a year old before I got around to making his baby quilt!  The flip side was I asked his Mom Annette to describe her son to me.  She said he was active!  (Maybe even a little wild.....) so these colors from my stash shouted out to me.  The quilt pattern is from Ricky Timm's Convergence Quilts.  It is a technique of cutting strips from 2 fabrics at a time then merging them and resewing them.  Quick, fun and easy!

Prayer Quilt for my Dad

Many years ago, my Dad faced kidney cancer, and it's been nearly 10 years.  Hehas had a recurrence, but is again in a solid remission, enjoying a great, active life in his late 80's.  Whooping It Up, even!
When first diagnosed, I made this quilt from scraps that included scraps my Mom had given me when they retired and left California.  I took it to church where it was blessed.  Members of the congregation tied knots in the quilt with each knot signifying a prayer someone offered for my Dad.  Later on, my Mom hand quilted the quilt to strengthen the fibers and fabric of this quilt. 

I took it to him in Texas, while he was in ICU after surgery.  He used it during his stay and after as he healed and recovered at home.  He still keeps it at the foot of his bed.

Olivia, a very happy baby!

Olivia is the delightful daughter of my cousin Bridget.  A Happy Quilt for a Happy Baby!

Lyla's Baby Quilt

The daughter of one of my nursing friends bravely took cooking classes with us when she was17.  She really enjoyed her time with us and I got to know her.  Charming young lady.  So many years later when she had her first baby, I wanted to make her something.  Her Mom told me she likes lilac.  I stenciled the flowers with waxy wall stencil paints and quilting stencils for patterns.  The purples and lilacs were simply "from my scraps."

A Musician's Quilt

Linda has been singing with my husband since she was a teenager.  They have played for several churches around San Diego, and have a very close friendship based on their Christian Band.  We wanted to mark her 21st birthday with something very sentimental to us.....

Baby, It's Cold Outside! and a SnowMan!

A table runner/wall quilt made in the cold of January (well, OK, "Cold" as defined by San Diego's few cold days in January!) It's a layout of my own design, squares and half square triangles.  the quilt takes shape by the layout of the colors.  A little red hot spot!  Freestyle snowflakes (like we used o cut when we were in grade school!) Machine quilted with "scribbles" to help hold the snowflakes down.

From the scraps, I made a little wall quilt for my friend Sharon's birthday which falls right after Christmas.  Sharon always decorates her house in January with blue, white and snowmen. 

P.S. It's not like we really have a clue about "SNOW!"  hahahaha

Stenciled Hawaiian Quilt

The background was dyed onto white muslin with acrylic watered down paints (my favorite, cheap fabric staining method!)  with peach, yellow and a little gold.  Cut the stencil and used the oil based paint sticks to stencil with a toothbrush.  The border is a great piece I bought on a trip to Texas to visit my Dad.  Hand quilted in the echo style (represents the water lapping around the islands of Hawaii) and gifted to my friend and quilt companion Sharon.  Sharon's husband was born and raised in Hawaii.

Hibiscus is Hawaii's State flower, and is seen as a sign of hospitality. 

Hawaiian Applique

Worked on this quilt off and on for around 9 months.  Bought the fabrics for the applique at a quilt show in San Diego.  Patterns enlarged and traced from a Hawaiian Applique book.  Needle turn applique, hand quilted.  Spilled a cup of coffee on it near the end....... so some stains add to the authenticity..... (or so I tell myself!) Actually they only show on the back.

Pinks for Kaileena & Leslie

Leslie is a lovely friend, who planned a move to New York to join her husband.  We were all so sad o see her leave, but excited about her joining her husband and beginning to work on making a family.  This is the Going Away Quilt I made and we all signed it and filled it with good wishes as she left. She likes fans, so Dresden Fans seemed a good choice for her pink and brown quilt.

Not so long after Leslie discovered she was expecting her first child.  Then to our delight her husband's situation changed and back they were in So. Cali!  So several months later I got to make a baby quilt for her daughter Kaileena.  Again, pink and brown, but this time (to celebrate her middle name!) a surprising sprinkling of Jade jewels and sweet chocolates in the border.

Celtic Symbols

I made this little quilt to learn/practice several techniques.  Cutting paper stencils; using oil based wax paint sticks on a toothbrush to stencil on hand-dyed fabrics, dyed with watered down acrylic paints, and hand quilting.  I made it for my husband's brother Chris.

Emigrant Trail

I subscribe to a "Fabric Of The Month" club, switching the theme frequently.  I LOVE getting my monthly surprise!  One of my favorite categories is "Fabric Reproductions."
This quilt carries fabrics from America 1840 - 1860, during which time there was a large Western movement.  The block is typical of that era.  Of course mixed in with thises and thats from the workroom floors!

Chaos

Made from a delightful journey of collecting "stripes" for about a year.  Every stripe I found I purchased a little piece of and then used an idea from a "Strata Quilt" book to cut and place my blocks.  I made about 3 quilts using this idea.

The next quilt I made using this idea was for a baby girl, daughter of a childhood friend of my son's.

The original quilt of the three was made from a "strata" (That's where I create the stripes in the fabric by sewing different widths of strips together and making the blocks from these.)  This quilt was made for my Dad's (now wife, then girlfriend) Ruth, who gave me the fabrics she had won in a raffle, as a gift when I first met her.

I like "Chaos" (the last one i made) the best!

Saint Francis

When I found the focus fabric in my favorite fabric warehouse in Anaheim (M&L) I was pretty excited.  Anaheim has THOUSANDS of fabrics and many are several years old and very unique.  They are piled in flat folds to the roof, and have a kind of dusty feel and smell to them.  The quality ranges from top-of-the-line to old, odd, poor quality finds.  Some of my favorites are mis-printed fabrics... truly one-of-a-kind!  Anyhow, this fabric had little scenes of Saint Francis!

Anyhow, in 2009, my husband and I found ourselves lost after our church closed, and we searched for a new home.  Despite not being Roman Catholics, we found a friend in a monk from the Franciscan Mission in Oceanside, who helped us heal from the loss of our church family of many years.  We were very sad when he left for his next assignment.  I made this quilt for him to take when he left.   We are able to see Brother Mark about once a year, and he still treasures his quilt and says it keeps him warm in Northern California, where he lives and works with homeless farm workers.

Blue And Yellow Sprout

This utility quilt is one of my very favorites!  Made from leftover scraps my friend Sprout gave me, along with scraps from my own collection.  The fabrics are not really related, though there are some plaids in common, and of course the colors are so great together.... blue and yellow.  The batting is warm and natural and it's just the right size to drape over the end of the bed and use as an extra winter blanket; or for my winter naps.  (I work nights so I nap a lot during the day!)

I like the un-related colors and patterns; the random placements, and most of all that they were  hand-me-downs from my good friend Sprout. 

An Abstract Wall Quilt

Made as a housewarming gift for my friend Emely, this was an experiment in free form random pieces, see what happens, no real color scheme..........

I got the basic ideas from Ricky Timm's "Convergence Quilts" design book.

Several Dog Quilts

I adore my dogs!  each dog in the home gets a quilt.  I have never had a dog chew up their quilt........ their BED, yes, other blankets, yes, but never their patchwork.
FRANNY'S quilt was from a fabric with squares with dog pictures, and for the border; pink wiener doggies!

And Jazzy has a quilt made from the TUMBLER pieces I have a bag full of.  The border for my Jazzy dog is musical notes!  Anytime I find a FQ or an eighth of animal fabric I snatch it up; cut tumbler blocks, and then go through them for the next dog quilt I make.  How many dog quilts have I made like this?  Hmmmmm  My Manfred, my Jazzy.  Sharon's Emily, Suzanne's Lucy and Ben's Roxy.  I guess that's 5.........

Roxy... is Ben's Good Old Girl.  He rescued her at advanced Doggy Age, and she adores him like only a dog knows how to do!  For Christmas, I made her her very own warm Tumbler Quilt!