Sunday, July 31, 2011

My YoYo Bedcovering

Back in the early 1990's, my sister, Jo, who was in Illinois, was very ill.  She was a woman who also loved to make things and was so vital and energetic all her life.  She started making yoyos since it was good handwork for someone not able to be as active.  After I went to visit her one time, I came home and cut lots and lots of circles from my stash and sent them to her to play with.  That got me to doing yoyos, too, and this is the result.  In this picture there are also three teddies I made back when teddies were the craze.  They even have wooden joints.  The little pillow was made by my youngest granddaughter in home ec in junior high.  I don't think they call it that anymore.  The bigger pillow is one that I hand appliqued and quilted.
Close up of yoyos. I put it together as a grandmother's flower garden and used all scraps that I had.  I did lots of quilting with blues!

I think there are 1184 yoyos in this - I am certain there are over 1100.  It is very heavy, also, and very pretty.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Black Magic

This is Black Magic - done ten or more years ago and the last quilt that I hand quilted.  The background fabric is a lovely tone on tone black that I bought in Arcola, Illinois.  Based on a pattern in a magazine, I used oriental fabrics with highlights of gold in each in the blocks that are the drunkard's path pattern. 

The border was found in another magazine and the leaves are  machine buttonhole appliqued with a fancy stitch as the vine.  The flowers are hand appliqued.

I hand appliqued the drunkard path pieces and quilted it in gold thread.   Although not very big, it is one of my favorites.  (Click to enlarge)