A Christmas Wallhanging

The pattern for this wallhanging came from Quiltmaker magazine two years ago.  I had most of the batiks in my stash.   This now hangs in my daughter's home at Christmas time.  A favorite of mine.  (Click to enlarge)

Small Wallhanging

Here is a small batik wallhanging I did several years ago from a pattern I found in Quilting Arts magazine.

I was just starting to do a little bit better in machine quilting.  This is raw edge applique and it turned out okay.  (Click to enlarge)  





Hitch Your Flowers to a Star

This is the quilt that is shown in my header - Hitch Your Flowers to a Star - that I finished in 1988.  It is machine satinstitched appliqued and hand quilted.  I found the idea in an old Quilt magazine that used a large star with an applique in each empty block.  The blocks are large - about 17 1/2 inches square - with a wide sashing and border that is quilted with a feather row 

The center of the quilt with a feather motif quilted on each point around the block.

 

More of the blocks in the quilt.  I quilted motifs in the centers of the designs that had a space.

In later years, I did the wallhanging over the bed from some of the leftover fabric that I still had and machine quilted it.  I have always loved this quilt and have had it on the bed for lots of years.  (Click to enlarge)

Really Old UFO

Some time in the early 80's, I found a pattern for a quilt in one of the few magazines devoted to quilting back then. It was in the style of "quilt as you go" which was championed by Georgia Bonesteel. You would make blocks or sections of quilts, quilt them, then assemble them afterwards. A good idea but a pain in the neck! I did one quilt that way and didn't get this one finished.

This is a good representation of what was available in the way of fabrics back then - small prints, calicoes, pin dots, etc. None of the gorgeous fabric we have now. And most of the backgrounds were plain. Still pretty, though.

This is one of the borders - I think I have one or two of them finished and the other two still need to be completed. Maybe someday someone will find this and think the old "antique" quilt would be fun to complete. I doubt if I ever will since I haven't by now. (Click to enlarge)

Challenge Quilts for the Guild

At the first meeting of each year, we are given a challenge to be ready for our yearly quilt show in the spring. This year it was Mother Goose, which is shown in a previous post.

The year before we each drew a playing card and had to do a wallhanging to depict that card.

This was another challenge in an earlier year and I think I called this one "Flying to the Fiesta" which referred to the subject of the challenge.

Can't remember the specific challenge but I did this wonky log cabin hanging. There were always so many fun, really cool wallhangings that the members came up with. Wonder what the one will be for this coming year? (Click to enlarge)

Fluffy Ruffles

There have been some of these little ruffled quilts popping up here and there and they are so cute. I recently bought a specialty foot for my machine that gathers with the speed of light. You first have to finish the edges, though, and that takes some time zigzagging along each side using a wide stitch that is quite close together. Seems to almost turn the raw edge under and works great. After that the gathering goes like lightning. I put the entire quilt together, ruffles and all, then made the quilt sandwich and did the quilting. It was kind of a wrestling match but turned out well. Next time, after a suggestion from one of my blog readers, I will do all the prep and quilting and, then before binding, will add the ruffles. It will make it much easier and much less bulk. I really like this little piece! (Click to enlarge)

Two of My Quilts in our 2010 Quilt Show

Here is my little Mother Goose wallhanging which I did for the challenge for our quilt show about two weeks ago. It did come in second in that category in Viewers' Choice. A fun quilt to make - I did it with fabrics I had on hand except for the backing. And above that is A Tisket A Tasket, a block of the month quilt taken from the website of Anne Sutton which came in third in it's category of wallhangings. It does make you feel so good to be receive recognition especially when there were so many beautiful quilts in the show. (Click to enlarge)

Some Old Hand Applique

I have always admired the work of Nancy Pearson - her applique is glorious. I haven't seen many things by her in quite a few years, but this book is one that I think is beautiful.

Back in the 80's or maybe early 90's I hand appliqued this basket of flowers and never did a thing with it. A couple of weeks ago, I was going through lots of things in my basement and found this. I also found the striped fabric that I had bought to go with it. So, I put it together and machine quilted it and now have my pretty little basket wallhanging.

During that same period, I hand appliqued this pillow - and this one is hand quilted, also. The fabrics back then were so much different than they are today. Applique has always been my number one love and I think it will always be. (Click to enlarge)

Small Appliqued Wallhangings

Made in the mid 1990's, this little piece is hand quilted and machine appliqued. From a book called Fairview Meadows by Jeanna Kimball.

This is fused rawedge applique in batiks and is machine quilted. The picture does not show the beaded centers in the geraniums that I did later. It was from a pattern I purchased while on a "shop hop" with some quilting friends and is one of my favorite little pieces.

This was done in 2008 0r 09. (Click to enlarge)

Whirly, Twirly, Round and Round

I did this quilt several years ago. I first saw a picture of it in..........................

the above book

and was so intrigued by it. After studying the article, I decided to give making one like it a try.

These are the templates that you use to make freezer paper pieces. It is basically freezer paper and gluestick that makes the block. And it is sewn with invisible machine applique. I used batiks for my quilt. The maker of the quilt in the publication is Dee Doebler.

In the January, 2004, Quilters Newsletter, this article and how-to for a similar quilt is featured. I am quite proud of this quilt. (Click to enlarge)

Another Wallhanging

This wallhanging featured in an old book that I have has always fascinated me.

Several summers ago, I decided to put one together.

It is fused and machine buttonhole appliqued and machine quilted.

If I were to do it over, I would have picked different colors even though I think these go very nicely together. It is rather like an optical illusion - sometimes the dark seems to be on top other times the light.

A long and narrow piece, it would look nice in an entryway with high ceilings or over a fireplace as in the first photo.

I had almost forgotten this was in the closet. It was a fun piece to do. (Click to enlarge)

A Little Watercolor Wallhanging

Sometime after moving to Michigan, I took a watercolor class at the quilt shop and made this small piece. I really enjoyed doing the shading and think it turned out pretty well. This is one of my first machine quilted pieces. I really like the way the quilting radiates out from the center. My stippling in the border is pretty crude but it is done with the invisible thread so that helps a bit. All in all it isn't a bad little wallhanging. This was done probably in 1994. (Click to enlarge)

A Small Wallhanging from 1990

Here is a small piece I did in 1990 that is appliqued in machine satin stitch and hand quilted. The little blocks are about 6 1/2 inches. The house we lived in had brown carpeting and lots of blue - so things I did reflected the colors in our homes in the early stages of my quilting. Lots of dusty pink and blue.

These little blocks came from a book of miniature blocks that I had that was by Pat Andreatti. I still have that and also several big books that she did. I so loved her designs.

I was also starting to use decorative stitches for the vines and stems and they really worked out well in blocks like this. Makes me feel good to see the hand quilting that I did back in those days. (Click to enlarge)

Blooms in the Night

Sometime in 1991, I started this quilt - machine satin stitch appliqued and hand quilted. It's background is a lovely cotton satin with a pretty, soft sheen. I used patterns from magazines, books and even designed some on my own. The border was my design, also. It turned out to be a lovely quilt. I finished it in 1992. I decided to send in some slides to the American Quilters Society for their annual quilt show. It was accepted! A thrill to be sure. My husband and I had booked a bus trip to go to Paducah to see the show. The night before we left I got a call saying I had won second in Amateur Applique. That was the thrill of my quilting life to be sure. Ten years later, I sent in slides for From There to There to There to Here. It was accepted to hang in the show but did not win a prize. However, just to have a quilt there is as good as winning.

The above is a picture of the lady who won first prize, me and the two girls who represented VIP fabrics, the sponsor for that category. This was the picture in the issue of the magazine that contained the contest pictures. (Click to enlarge)

Hand Quilting

Back when I first started quilting (approximately 1975), it was all hand quilting - machine quilting had not become the force it is now. How the finger beneath the quilt hurt! It was hard to get a callous thick enough to protect against the sharp little needle attacking that finger. I did learn to use a thimble on my quilting hand. One day, I tried putting a thimble on my underneath finger. After some clumsy tries, I finally got the hang of it and wow my troubles were gone. I was able to "feel" the needle against the thimble and return it to the top of the quilt. It actually helped me to become quite a good hand quilter. My stitches were small and evenly spaced.

However, I no longer hand quilt and probably could not quilt as well as I used to. I do have a lot of quilts that were done in the hoop. I will say this, I think machine quilting is just as beautiful as hand quilting and actually harder to master. There is a place for it all. I have been machine quilting smaller pieces - will never be able to do a large quilt on my machine - and in the past year or so have finally become to feel more comfortable and a little more confident of my quilting. If I do a large quilt, I will have one of the girls with a long arm quilter quilt for me. (Click to enlarge)