Quatrefoil For The Principal

 Ms. Sarah has been the most supportive principal you can imagine for Ezekiel from kinder through 3rd grade. She welcomed us during the pandemic, and supported us through his second grade diagnosis of ADHD. 

So this year when we learned of her promotion we were of course thrilled for her career advancement but so sad to see her leave!

I used a Missouri Star tutorial to construct the blocks. 

https://youtu.be/7TrbzGJwQgQ?si=gbf7s4ABkFkozdUi

Quilted on the frame in a clamshell.

It is a generous 68 x 54

I delivered it to the school and it was sent to all the classrooms for students, teachers and staff to sign.

Ms Amy's Sunflowers

 Ms Amy created Springs Dual Language Academy in 2014. On opening day she had 13 students. Now, 2023, there are more than 200 in Tk through 8th grade. Ezekiel is thriving in the second grade. 

Ms. Amy retires this year. I made this special quilt to be signed by teachers, parents and students in her honor. 

All the fabrics making up the blades are sunflower fabrics! 

A few orphan blocks from another project matched the colors. 

A generous sized lap quilt with a thick cotton batting. 

Retirement Quilt for Suzanne

 

My earliest NICU team consisted of Sprout, Suzanne and myself. We made a well balanced team, leaning g on each other for support and skills. 

Suzanne has always loved Halloween, and throws the greatest biggest parties every year. Of course I needed her retirement quilt to be a Halloween theme!

I will deliver it to the hospital tomorrow and all her friends will write their inscriptions. 

https://youtu.be/LDT1a2oHleU

Road To Tennessee Quilt

 I made this soft lap quilt for a nurse who is retiring from the same Neonatal Intensive Care Unit I retired from a year ago. She has already bought a new home in Tennessee so the Road To Tennessee quilt block made all the sense in the world. 

I'll take it to work and have all the nurses and doctors write a greeting or memory on the back in fabric ink pens. 

The blocks started as 5 inch squares in solids combined with a pretty white on white. The border is a very subtle cream on white and the binding white. 

Lisa G retirement quilt

Nursing Career Memory Quilt

 

Each and every quilt block is made from a scrub top and pant that I wore during my 29 year nursing career. There are a lot of tags, a patch with a TCMC logo from a jacket I earned working on a project. And yes, every nurse at SOME point came home from work in a hospital-issue scrub. 

Most of my years were spent in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, so these scrubs went to births, they were at resuscitations, they were worn on busy nights and on quiet nights, spent just holding babies. 

They got sweat upon during intense procedures. They got peed on, spit up on, cried on. By babies as well as by me!  If you are a nurse, you know it's true. A careers worth of memories made into a quilt. 

In August 2021, we gathered along with 3 other nurses I started my career with: Janice, Vicia and Debbie, for a celebration by our fellow nurses. The quilt was signed and filled with good wishes and more memories. 

Pinwheels and Four Patches, Double Square Star

 This sweet lap quilt was inspired by a tutorial by Jenny Doan named Pinwheel Frolic... but inspired only, I changed it up a bit. It was fun to make with a charm pack and some pink and peach yardage. 

Dedicated for JANICE  in 2021 for her retirement from NICU. We shared a retirement party! 

Lap Quilt from Vintage Linens #3

 This is my third such quilt. I made myself a lap quilt, a baby sized one, and then this one from leftovers and scraps. The fabrics are from garage and estate sales, goodwill and second hand shops, my mother's collections, other random boxes of scraps. 

Gifted to Debbie in 2021 after being signed and dedicated by the nurses in NICU. 

Happy Half Square Triangles Quilt

This happy quilt was inspired by a quilt I saw while browsing Pinterest,  who had it as a pattern listing from etsy.  But as soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to make it from a charm pack so that each HST would finish at 2".  I used a crisp bright white floral for my plain fabric and a lavender pattern for the rings.  This pattern is known by the name Single Wedding Ring. 

Here is the etsy link: 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/236545715/robins-nest-quilt-pattern-traditional

Completed in 2021 and signed and dedicated for the nurse VICIA who retired with me. 

Rail Fence Signature Quilt

It's always bittersweet to make a quilt for somone I have known and worked with for some time, as they spread wings and fly off to new adventures.  Good Luck, Alyssa!

This simple rail fence was cut from low volume prints and sewn with plenty of white so it could be filled with good wishes and cheer.

Memory Signature Quilt

I got a LAST minute notice that our Nurse Manager of many years would be retiring at the end of the month, Oh, and could I finish the quilt in a few days to go to a party and be signed?

Whew!

So, into the cupboard of UFO's I went.  (UFO= Unfinished Objects) I found this great nine patch quilt top I made last summer with lots of white space.  In fact, so much white space that when I completed the quilt top, I thought it was too simple and plain!  It's made from a charm pack, some pale icey blue/green and a nice amount of pure white muslin

Zoom zip, backed, quilted, bound, and it's ready to be enhanced with signatures, drawings, good wishes and memories!

Happy Summer Quilt

Happy is how I feel when I finish a quilt.  Actually, I feel happy when I plan one, sew on one, think about one, or shop for fabrics.  Quilting is the ultimate meditative pleasure, my mind wanders freely and peacefully while I work on a quilt.
This quilt was inspired by a You Tube Video Tutorial by Missouri Star Quilt Company.

"Cutting Corners"
https://www.missouriquiltco.com/land/tutorials/cutting-corners-quilt/index.html?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=lp&utm_campaign=t119

I used exactly 20 jelly roll strips and a couple of yards of white muslin.  I had 19 strips from a clearance collection I paid a couple of bucks for from Connecting Threads, (connectingthreads.com) and I added a solid green strip to make 20.  There were 5 (2 1/2") binding strips.  Straight line quilting between each block, down the center of each block, and 1/4" away from the seam on the white diagonals.  Finally, I chose my favorite thin 100% cotton batting (I buy it on a 50 yard roll from JoAnn Fabrics once or twice a year.)  I like it because it's thinner than "Soft and White" so after washing, the muslin back gets soft and the quilt has a very soft drape.  I mean, the quilt hugs you back!

This quilt became a retirement quilt full of happy inscribtions!

Little Flags Quilt

This design is simple hourglasses, 3 of the 4 positions are white muslin. They were then arranged to simulate little flags blowing in the wind.  Instead of the usual random color placement, I tried a rainbow effect, one color gently flowing into the next.  Machine quilted in horizontal waves, it's a generous lap quilt for spring or summer.  I used a fluffy, poly quilt bat to make it snuggly but not too warm.

Bow Tie Charms

Since becoming a full-time GrandNanny, quilt finishes are much less frequent.  This delightful lightweight summer quilt was made slowly block at a time with 2 charm packs and white muslin. Fun!

C.f.This quilt was filled with loving greetings and gifted to a retiring coworker nurse friend in 2018. Happy Retirement, Candace!

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!

An exceptional doctor

Another group commemorative quilt, made from fabric purchased from a "persian" collection to honor Dr. Movahhedian our NICU director and wonderful, compassionate leader.  We signed it and presented it to him at a party celebrating his many years of service.

A Cross of Charms

Quickly put together with 5" squares set on point.