One of My Finished Projects

This quilt was made by my friend Sara, her second, of a favorite antique quilt in her collection that was beyond repair.  She says this will be the last one which she will keep for herself.  I love the simplicity of the design and the beautiful reproduction fabrics she has used. The half-square triangle border lends a air of playful irregularity.  As always, I enjoyed working on Sara’s quilt.

What’s it worth?

Here’s food for thought regarding the cost and worth of quilts!

What’s it worth?.

Another T-shirt Quilt Done!

T-shirt Memory Quilt

 

At last!  I delivered this quilt to a very patient client on Tuesday.  She was thrilled to receive it.  I had made one last year for her brother for his Christmas present and would have finished hers a lot sooner had my husband’s cancer not reared it’s ugly head again.  It is a memory quilt containing not only her t-shirts but her mother’s blouses as well.  This type of t-shirt quilt is very challenging.  Going up and down the step stool from the design wall to the sewing machine, the ironing board and back up the stool is also great exercise!  Now, on to the next one.

Giveaway Items and Quilting Finished

Giveaway #1

These are the giveaway items won by Sara C. of Scrapbasket in my first ever Giveaway.  I just thought that you might like to see them in their finished state.  Sara, as it happens, is a fellow quilter and creative type whom I have known for  quite a number of years.  Her quilts are a mix of traditional and contemporary and everything in between.  She has an eye for color and imaginative use of prints.  In fact, I just finished quilting one of her quilts last week shown below.  Now, don’t get the idea that the drawing was rigged.  In truth, I know many of my subscribers personally.  Who knows, one of you whom I don’t know could be next.  Let’s see those comments!

Sara’s Africa Quilt

Year-end Musings

Rosemary's Churn and Dash

The past couple of months have been difficult.  I have spent most of the time taking care of my husband and not making much art or doing much quilting.  And, I have forgiven myself for not posting.  My priorities shifted when they discovered my husband’s brain tumor and a subsequent suspicious area of his liver (low density is good, right?).  Today he had yet another CT  scan.  Next week he sees the oncologist and we will know (hopefully) what the outcome is and whether he will need more treatment.  On the good side, his hand is getting better and his writing is starting to become legible again.

The photos are of the two quilts I did manage to deliver before Christmas.  I cropped the red one pretty heavily since it was not bound and the other I tried an automated crop and straighten tool in Photoshop.

2012 is around the corner.  Let’s hope that it is a healthy, happy, safe and prosperous New Year!

Combination T-shirt and Memory Quilt

A Little Show and Tell

Rosemary's Irish Chain Quilt

My latest finished project is Rosemary’s Single Irish Chain quilt destined for a little girl whom she knows.  I was told to do whatever I wanted in terms of how to quilt it. Sometimes I find that daunting and take my time until I find something that just feels right.  This time I found an old Amish pattern that I scaled up to fit in the alternate blocks. Here are pictures of the whole quilt and a detail.

My Latest Quilt

Here is a photo of my latest T-shirt Quilt finished recently for a client’s son’s graduation present.  I had the usual challenge of making the randomly sized shirt parts fit together in a balanced and pleasing manner.  I think that the red binding really sets off the whole quilt.  My client was very happy with the outcome.

T-shirt quilts have unique requirements when compared with woven cotton quilts.  The t-shirt material must first be stabilized with a lightweight fusible interfacing to minimize  distortion while piecing and quilting the  quilt.  Much of the time that it takes to make a quilt of this nature involves the  preparation of the shirts, fusing and designing.  Even though this type of t-shirt quilt is more demanding than a straightforward  block set, I enjoy making it and find it more rewarding from an esthetic point of view.  The best part is seeing the response I get from my client when I show the finished quilt!  That is it’s own reward.

 

Quilts in the Library

If you get the chance, visit the Central Branch of the Berkeley, CA Public Library.  The 30th annual quilt show is on now until early June.  There are some wonderful quilts, several of which are “out of the box” creations that use unusual materials like paper,wood, metal and plants.  Shredded bark as a batting in a paper quilt is about as unusual as they come.  Many of the quilts are post card size contained in display cases so you can get a close-up look.

I took a shot of my quilt “Sunshine” draped over my bed.  Sorry that the whole quilt isn’t shown.  I was in a hurry to deliver it and will have to wait until the show is over to take a better one.  My inspiration came from a book on decorative painting.  I started it several years ago and had a much bigger quilt with several borders, pieced and applique´d in mind.  The quilts could be no larger than 36″ square. I needed to finish it in a hurry, so there is minimal quilting.  I will add more later.  I am glad that I completed it in time!

Sunshine

Below is a shot of  a quilt I completed recently.  String quilt blocks are made of many small strips of fabric sewn to a foundation, most commonly newsprint, and in earlier times, muslin.  Plain alternate blocks and sashing set off the string blocks. The more fabrics used, the better.  It’s a great way to use up fabric scraps.

I am working on a client’s T-Shirt quilt for a graduation present and another ALN art challenge altering a city guide-book with 2 folded flip out maps, (I chose Paris).

Detail of String Quilt

May Special

Please see the May Special page in the list to the right.  I have changed the format for the special to a dollar amount instead of a percentage.  If you have a project that you have been thinking of getting completed or would like to consult on the restoration of a treasured quilt, please give me a call or send an e-mail. Or, if you just have a quilting or restoration question, please use me as a resource.  I enjoy helping my fellow quilters and quilt enthusiasts.

Spring is a time of awakening and renewal.  Good wishes to you all in all that you do.  Just remember to take some time to relax and just BE.  I’m also speaking to myself here!  It is so easy to let the to do list overtake one’s life.

May

Where is the year going?  It’s May already and I have missed posting here.  I have had a lot on my plate as many of you know.  There are some good things happening, though.  I have completed an art challenge and have finished and delivered my quilt to the Berkeley Public Library for their yearly quilt show.  Can’t wait to see it hanging.  Here is a picture of the challenge piece.  The box was found in the recycling bin, also found were the hoop earring, the chain, the washer and the small hanging object.  My saved, embossed needle threaders that had lost the threader part complete the piece.  I save all kinds of odd bits and pieces.  They are all art materials to me.

Trash into Treasures ALN Challenge

I will show a picture of the Lotus quilt later.  I still have to take it off my camera.  The snapshot will have to do until I put up my new design wall.  I hope to construct it in the next week or so.

What projects are you working on?  Leave me a comment!  I enjoy hearing from you.