One of my students made this beautiful Mariner’s Compass; then I was asked to quilt it! She patiently waited for this quilt to move up the list of quilts to be quilted! I sent her a couple of sneak peek photos once it was loaded. But this did not prepare her for what she would receive – upon receipt of the quilt and shams her note to me said simply “It Came! It takes my breath away!” Another happy client! Her quilt was so stunning to begin with – the choice of classic colors made this an amazing quilt to start with. She had sent me a pieced back originally. Then it was determined she would need to send me a different back; I must say I was so excited to use the new backing as I knew the quilting would be stand out!
Texas is BIG and Houston is HUGE!!! So is the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo! There are many Go-Texan competitions as part of Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and on more than one occasion I have been asked to be a participant in the “Quilts” Competition. Even having a quilt I own – take Best of Show Metro along with several other ribbons that year!
So there is a story that goes with this quilt. I purchased the top at my guild auction in 2003 and it was bidding war to the end. Luckily some folks sitting near by adversary convinced her I was not going to give up and she finally stopped bidding. What she did not know, is my final bid was truly my final bid – had she bid one more time this beauty would’ve gone home with her. I arrived home and tentatively showed my hubby – he wondered out-loud what this had cost him; I don’t think I told him that night! Fast forward to May 2004, I entered my now finished quilt in the Lakeview Quilters Guild show, out of 3 entries in its category it took 3rd. I had it appraised that year and I highly recommend you have your special quilts appraised, this one appraised for 4 x my initial purchase of the top. Some interesting information regarding appraisals – the backing fabric DOES matter. As part of the quilt I was given a beautiful Jane Sassaman for the back; that added value. I used to say “it’s just the back” but not anymore. Also, the number of years you have been quilting, your status in the quilting community and many other little things add to the value of your quilt. I have considered having this quilt re-appraised because my status in the quilting world has changed and it is probably more valuable now. Fast forward to 2006, I was asked to allow this quilt to represent the NASA/Clearlake/Friendswood Go-Texan Region and I of course agreed. Well this quilt, took Best of Show, 3 first places and a judges choice! Be sure to view the photo of the label I included below – I give these women ALL the credit for any ribbons this quilt has received. I am just the quilter and the proud owner!
Another block! The background is a Hoffman 1895, color Havana – I have been known to purchase this by the bolt! All the fabric in this quilt are batiks. The patterns for the blocks were from a book by Jane TownswickA close-up of one of the blocks in ChocolatThis is the second label for this quilt. Prior to shipping it off to Houston for the competition I wanted to update the label to include that it was part of the 2006 HLSR Quilt Competition. This label is significant to me because it reminds me who made each block and/or border. These talented women are members of the Lakeview Quilters Guild and there work is some of the finest I have seen when it comes to appliqué!
For 2016 I was asked to quilt this quilt for the competition. I do love how these wool appliqué quilts quilt up! Be sure to find this quilt when you visit the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo this year – be sure to share your photos! Here are my photos; but they never do the quilt justice because the quilt is not yet trimmed and there is no binding. The binding always just gives a quilt that polished look!
An overall view of Ronda’s beautiful wool appliqué quilt!A dragonfly close-up – doesn’t this make you smile?The border – appliqué and piecingA basket of sunflowersAnother view of the back – more light this timeAnd one more of the back – do you need a drool bib yet?
Wishing this quilt and it’s owner best wishes in the quilt competition for Houston 2016!
I have joined a group of bloggers on Facebook – the goal of the group is to inspire each other to set goals for blogging. I set a goal to post on Monday and Thursday of each week. Today my post is short and sweet!
I may have missed the boat on this one, I should’ve posted it on Valentine’s day, but I didn’t! Do you still love me?
This beautiful quilt uses a technique called “reverse appliqué” It gives a little bit of extra dimension to the piece. Another term used here is “cutwork appliqué” Cutwork appliqué reminds me of when we would paper and then make cuts for snowflakes….do you still do this sometimes? Have you ever done it with fabric? To add additional dimension I used 2 battings, cotton and then a layer of wool.
I hope you enjoy today’s share – even though it is a few days late!
PS – if you would like to see this quilt in person; it is part of the “Best Little Quilt Show in Texas” Fayette County Fairgrounds – La Grange, TX. February 26 & 27, 2016
For many years I have been a member of Lakeview Quilters Guild! My first meeting was in August of 1997, they were talking about a retreat. Sounded interesting so I signed up and a couple of weeks later I headed to Round Top TX with a new friend on a new adventure. I was attending a retreat with 65 quilters, most of whom I had never met. Pat and I were assigned to the 3rd floor but the a/c was not working on that side of the 3rd floor. There were a couple of beds for us in the other house, the stairs to our second floor were the old fashioned, teeny tiny steep stairs and we both opted to stay in the other building on the 3rd floor with no a/c. We opened the windows at night and it really was quite pleasant. We were really lucky because future years with heat hovering in the high 90’s we would’ve been toast trying to sleep with no a/c.
This retreat holds a special place for me – it is always held the weekend after Labor day and the facility is amazing – the friendship we enjoy there is even better! Over the years I have been able to share this special event with my sister, nieces (from GA and UT), my daughter-in-law and numerous friends. I love to walk from room to room and house to house just visiting with friends and learning from each of them. Sometimes I even sew! It is always very inspiring!
I love to do block swaps and one year (2002 or 2003) I gathered a group to swap 16 blocks, they had to make 16 beautiful fall blocks AND add sashing with a corner stone on two sides. The rules changed and while we did make the sashing and corner stone we did not attach them. We had 1 year to make our blocks and sashing. We had no deadline for finishing the quilt. I received a call in 2015, one of the group was so excited, she had finished her quilt and needed it quilted. She used a technique by Sharyn Craig called Twist N Turn to set her blocks.
“Side Note” – Sharyn Craig was the first speaker I saw at the Lakeview Quilters Guild and her program was the best thing I had ever seen, her quilts were beautiful and she was so funny and inspiring and genuine! When she came back to our guild several years later I was worried that she would not be as good as I remembered since that had been my first guild meeting ever! Well, she did not disappoint the second time around, she was even better!
I have not been able to visit my old guild since I 2014 when we moved to the “country”, however, in bringing everything full circle, I will be participate as a vendor at their bi-annual quilt show May 13 & 14. The women in this guild are the reason I am opening a quilt shop to share my passion with other quilters. My guild is full of inspirational women that have always shared their gift and passion with me! Thinking of them makes me smile!
So I guess you want to Cherie’s quilt now? It is beautiful!
These blocks were amazing, Linda A. made the feathered stars, Karla made the pine-burr blocks. Several chose beautiful blocks designed by Carol Doak.
Do you do block swaps? I know so many quilters that don’t because they don’t get back a “perfect” block. What I get back are memories! That is why I love doing block swaps! Perfection can be over-rated!
Go make someone’s day special! Give them a smile! It’s free and it will make you feel GREAT!
2015 was a busy year for us. We had just moved into our new home.
In the studio we had shelving to build, peg board to hang, cabinetry to place. Lots of rearranging as I decided to tweak things, 256 sf of design walls to put up.
Join local groups; Luling Fiber Arts. Create new groups; Settlement Magnolias. Just to name a couple…
My travel included a cruise where I was teaching, NQA in Little Rock where I was teaching and vending, Montana for a tune-up and so much more. My treasured time is when I am quilting with long-time friends and we are enjoying each others company (or when I am with my hubby!)
48 Retreat/Quilt To You Wilt/Cruise days, most of these where a taught, but a couple where I was a lucky participant! 6 visits to guilds to provide lectures and workshops! 22 workshop days at various shops usually involving 2 or more hours of travel each way! 6 shows including NQA in Little Rock. 1 Guest Artist appearance at a show where I was a vendor had a special exhibit and daily bed-turnings.
4 days of Farm Camp for the Grandkids, 7 days of Camp Dee-Dee with the Grandkids! Enjoyed 2 plays that my granddaughter was in, baseball games for the grandson as well as other family time events!
And along the way I finished a few quilts, a couple of them were started prior to 2015, but many were started and made it to top stage in 2015. I also quilted several quilts for customers (but not as many as I used to!)
Here are most of the finishes for 2015….
The original “One” was my first finish of 2015. Be sure to look at the close-up photo of the beading a fellow quilter added for me!While in Little Rock a delightful quilter offered to bead my quilt for me – it was already quilted but she very carefully hand stitched each bead on, only going through the top layers! She even put the binding on it before shipping it back to me! I just love quilters! Pattern “One”My 2nd “One” of the year! I have another one that just needs the leaf stitched down! I look forward to teaching this quilt again and again! It is fun!Paradise in Blooms, started, finished, quilted and bound in 2015! WooHoo!A beauty that was started this year – but I may need to go visit my friend Lisa at Compass Point Quilts in NH to finish it!Tea Time Placemats. I love making these leaf quilts. I have kits and patterns available at my online store.Vintage Compass – made as a sample for Pinwheels and Posies in Dickinson, TX. They have kits!My 2nd Prismatic Star of the year. I cannot get enough of this quilt! It is so quick and easy to make. Kits and pattern available at my online store.Paddlewheel using Judy and Judel Niemeyers fabric collection, Reclaimed West. Pattern is still available at my online store. All fabrics were donated by Timeless Treasures and I did a 2 part blog tutorial for how I made this quilt. See part 1 here.Landscape table runner made and kitted for the cruise I taught on in May. All kits are pre-cut ready to sew! Including the papers for one table runner. Kit includes papers to make 3 more quilts, they just aren’t precut! I have included a photo of the back of this quilt so you can see my “upside down” quilting!The back of my Landscapes Table Runner so you can see the quilting. This backing fabric was approx 24″ wide, purchased on Maui in 2001, just waiting for the perfect quilt.A small sample made to show the fabrics in kits I have available when teaching Seasonal Table Runner/Table Topper.This quilt is at Hancocks of Paducah right now so I am using the new coversheet for the photo. I made this quilt for Quiltworx, while I was there in July. Constellation is from the book Geese Migrations; available on my site!Vintage Compass made for Certified Shop Pinwheels and Posies. Kits available from them!Osprey’s Nest, downsized. OK I got really tired of making geese – so I figured out what I could make with all those fabulous log cabin blocks and the geese I had done. So far 1 table topper, 1 table runner and 2 placemats. I will also have the mirror image of the table topper when I am done! Pattern available on the site!Dancing in the Moonlight! A silhouette of my granddaughter from a photo where she was dancing at camp in 2014. A friend took the tiny photo and made it life size for me. The blocks in the background are Garden Wall and available on the site. I used an ombre for my backgrounds and a Judy Niemeyer Bali pre-sorted Pops set for the accents.Some of the piecing for this quilt was started many moons (aka years) ago. AndSewItBegan asked me to come teach this at her retreat house so I figured I better get it together. I used a Kaufman Khaki for the background and hand-dyes for the accent fabrics. This pattern is Southern Beauty aka Sleeping Beauty by Sue Garman. Don’t you love Sue’s work?This year I joined the Luling Fiber Arts group and our leader, Kelly, taught us how to make this fun convergence quilt. This quilt is small but was made in 2 hours, including all cutting!Those are all silks on the wall, my WoodCarvers star is in progress! Any bets on a finish date? Pattern uses the new lone star technique and is available on the site!I cannot take all the credit for this one. Most of the paper-piecing was done while in Montana, but not by me. My 3 Australian friends did not bring enough of their own projects so they worked on mine! This quilt is called Chasing Rainbows and can be found in the Geese Migrations Book (available on this site). I used 2 different ombre fabrics for the color and black batik. I hope to have kits for this quilt very soon.These 4 quilts were completed by me to be donated to our local first responders! They will be quilted very soon!My version of Prairie Pinwheels. This quilt was fun and easy to make and I was able to use all stash fabrics! What a great quilt for a young child! Pattern available at my online store.Not finished but wanted to include it. I need to piece and add the borders. This pattern is called Indian Summer and is available at my online store. This sample is made with lots of Kaffe Fassett fabrics and black/whites. All purchased at Pinwheels and Posies Quilt Shop.Diamond Wedding Ring NEW version! I made the original version many many years ago and let me tell you it was not for the faint of heart. There were at least 8 billion Y seams! This quilt is assembled with ZERO Y seams. Quick and easy paper-piecing and custom creative grids rulers make this quilt a snap! Rulers and patterns available in the store! All fabrics (except the outer border) were purchased in June 2015 from Valli and Kim in Dripping Springs, TX. The background has all kinds of appropriate sayings for a couple in love!Fractured Paint Box – she’s a little loud but was so fun to make. The center is made from a very dark green accent and Kaufman solids strip set. The border was left over backing from a wedding quilt I made a couple of years ago; purchased in Maui when we attended the wedding! I love destination weddings – how about you?I have ended the year with “Three” I started this on Christmas Day, it went very quickly. Kits will be available on my site soon! This one is called Lemons, Limes and Satsumas; we had those 3 trees in our backyard before we moved. Picking fresh fruit around Christmas each year and burying your nose in the fabulous blossoms each spring. I miss those trees!A year in the review. Of course there are other quilts that are started but I did not include! I have to save something for next year right? (as I look at this photo I realize there is one here that did not get featured above)
I recently quilted a quilt for Ronda from andsewitbegan, I have quilted more than a few of this same pattern. Many of us have been in a bee with Lakeview Quilters Guild, called Friendship Bee, each month we make one block for another member. I think our most popular block as been the Guiding Star Block. A friend had seen this quilt in a shop and asked for the pattern, she was told there was no pattern so she came home and drafted it. We have loved it – in fact I have 25 beautiful blocks of my own to make into a quilt “someday”.
Here is Ronda’s Quilt after quilting
The block!Overall – love how this quilt gets sashed!Love her borders!Another viewThe back!
I loved how Kaye’s quilt turned out – this one was quilted several years ago!
Close up of the quilting and the sashing!Kaye’s quilt – love the fall colorsThe back of Kaye’s quilt
And this is Holly’s from 2 years ago!
I have 25 of these pretty blocks to make a quilt – “someday”Lots of feathers!Getting inspired to make my quilt!It even won a ribbon! One of Holly’s first ribbons – she got 2 at this show!
I have not posted for a several days – there is a funny reason for that. This is POST #100 and I was thinking it should be special……
So I may just jump around on this post and let you reflect on what is special to you……
With this electronic age and social network we are made aware of happiness in our friends lives, but we are also aware of their struggles
A young family who is told their toddler has leukemia, we live in different states now and without social media I would not have known. While this breaks my heart in many pieces for my dear friend and her family I am so grateful that I can occasionally send a note of encouragement or in my private moments shed a tear for their young family.
News of a horrific traffic accident reminds you that while you may have moved on to a different pasture in your life, you still have planted many roots along the way and I watch as my former sister-in-law (my son’s aunt) watches her son recuperate as the sole survivor of a wreck that claimed 6 other lives. While I cannot be next to her to hold her hand, I am able to now and then send notes of encouragement to her and her family.
Every day is special and hopefully we see much more happiness than we do sadness, take those great moments of sadness to reflect on your many blessings – because if you are reading this – then you did wake up this morning! And that my friends is a blessing.
As a quilter I am often tasked to help complete a project that will mark life events, such as weddings, births and often in memory of events. There is a quilt that is designed by my friend, Sue Garman. It is titled “Oh My Gosh” and it is an amazing quilt. The quilt got its name because as she worked on it during a guild quilt retreat each person that would stop by our table would remark “Oh My Gosh”. If my memory does not fail – this retreat was after the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster and it just seemed to me that because of Sue’s close ties to the space industry and her love of quilting this quilt was her journey through the grieving process. Another friend made her Oh My Gosh quilt as she grieved the loss of her daughter who left this world way to early.
So when I am asked to quilt one of these beautiful quilts, I not only am in awe of the incredible amount of work that goes into these quilts, I am also reminded of these special moments when we were able to share another’s grief, maybe help them carry their burden for a few moments. This beautiful quilt was made by Delores as part of a block swap with friends.
994 – 9 Patch Units – finished size 1 1/2″63 – 4″ feathered wreaths with rosette centersFeathers in the borderClose-up of the feathered wreath
2 years ago when sissy had a quilt in the quilt show Mr. B said he wanted to do that, he was 3. I said OK, you will be 5 for the next show and we will do that! He has now made 2 quilts, the first when he was 4 and he helped draw lines for me to sew on and then he say on my lap while I sewed at the machine.
One of the blocks he made when he was 4!
This time he was able to guide the fabric, with a little help and understand the process much better. He thought it was cool how we could sew each piece together to make it BIG, like a puzzle.
Today I am going to sew!With a little bit of help from DeeDee it will stay straightThe “puzzle” is put together
When it came time to quilt it, asked if he wanted to draw with thread from the front of the machine or use one of the boards on the back. He like the swirlz board from Circle Lord so we used it.
As I learned in my first longarm class, it is important to finger trace the design, so we did that.
Finger tracing the designI can do it myself
Then he stitched the first 2 rows (we needed 4). He watched from the front while I stitched another row. He liked that watching the stitches appear on the quilt.
watching the swirlzconcentrationThe scary part for grandma – he is actually running the machine and I am on the other side taking photos!
Time for a quick photo and then he was off to ride his bike and explore the neighborhood with grandpa!
First off, I am not an Austin Powers fan, not even in the slightest! However, I do love “Mini Me!” (Silver lining in every cloud). Sunday was a Mini Me day. Each of the grandkids will be displaying quilts in our local quilt show in May, it is their choice, they are not forced to do this. I am a firm believer that kids can do pretty much anything to some degree.
Little Toot’s adventure began at an early age, here she is working on the featherweight to help momma make Aunt Jess’s wedding quilt. She is 1 in these photos!
Getting ready to help momma make a quilt!Have to get everything setup!Sewing with Momma – I hope Aunt Jess loves her quilt! Little brother is in the lower right!
At age 3 I taught her how to use my embroidery machine. She would choose her design, select the threads and was able to rethread the machine for each thread color change. All I had to do was hoop the fabric and set up the design.
She put a design on a shirt for Grandpa! He still wears this shirt!
What a model!
She had her first quilt in our local show when she was 4.
It is important that they do as much of the project themselves as is safely possible. I chose prairie points for the quilt because a 4 year old can fold a square to make a triangle and then fold it again, now they may have gotten straightened out a little bit when I ironed – but she did it! We also used glue AND pins so as she sat on my lap and pushed the go button and pulled pins I didn’t have to worry about the fabrics slipping. For this quilt we did it on the domestic machine, not the LongArm so she could participate by helping guide the fabric under the walking foot.
She wanted butterflies, I asked how we would do that, she pointed at a stencil I have on my wall and said “with that” I showed her to mark the design and then I quilted it (no easy feat for me on the domestic!)
Marking her quilt!The proud winner – she still thinks she won the quilt show – don’t you tell her any different!Even little brother was proud of sissy – this year he will have 2 quilts in the show!
All of the blocks in this quilt below were machine embroidered by Little Toot, starting at age 3. She chose placement of the blocks and all of the coordinating fabrics.
She sewed the blocks together and when she had long rows to sew together I sat behind her and helped with keeping the fabric feeding straight. I had planned another border around the outside, but, said she was done with the top – OK! This is her quilt!
Once the top was done we headed to our local quilt shop for some fabric for the backing and binding. Grandpa commented that he was surprised there wasn’t something in my stash that would work – I reminded him that this was her quilt and all of the fabrics for the top did come from the stash! At the shop Miss Sally was very helpful, but in the end the decision was up to Little Toot! She went with her first choice! (even though she had auditioned at least 20 fabrics)
Here is her quilt and a few of the photos (not the most flattering of me – but that is life!)
What?Oops, she got off her 1/4″ because I distracted her – time to learn how to unsew!Feeding in the longer pieces!
Once we returned from fabric shopping, she realized she was going to quilt this quilt all by herself! I asked what she was going to quilt on her quilt, she said butterflies, I asked how she would do that. She showed me on the whiteboard, then I said OK – now draw that design without the pen leaving the board – that is how it will work on the quilt machine. Then we practiced for a few minutes on a piece of muslin – then MAGIC! I was STUNNED! I was AMAZED! I was reminded of the shear pleasure of whimsical quilting and quilting just for fun!
Outlining the blocksOh happy dayShe really had fun in the plain blocks!Oh this one has nothing to do with quilting – we had the music up a little loud and “Do You Want To Build A Snowman” came on – we had to just stop and enjoy the moment!Do you smile like this when you quilt? You should!I could not be any prouder! And if it is a sin to be prideful, then call me sinful!Showing GrandpaLook right here grandpa!They don’t teach cursive in school, and especially not in 1st grade, but she does it anyway!Yup! Me Too!Not too Shabby! She might even win the quilt show again!
Don’t be so busy making a living that you forget to have a life! Enjoy these moments, they can be gone in the blink of an eye! Create those memories, for in the end that is what it is all about!
My niece made this beautiful quilt as a fundraiser for her son’s school. When she was trying to decide colors she wasn’t sure what to do and I suggested neutrals as this would appeal to a wider audience. Stripped piece in batiks – I think she made a very striking quilt! The is her 2nd Colorwash Trip Around the World. The first one she made was also for a fundraiser from when she was a “Rainbow” girl. I love that the young women in my life enjoy sewing, quilting and crafting as much as I do.
Richness in colorSuch a fantastic overall effectWouldn’t you love to have this quilt in your collection?The back is pretty too!Close up of the quiltingAnd an even closer look at the corner
