Icicles

I was immediately drawn to this pattern that was in a Quilters Newsletter Magazine two or three years ago. It is paperpieced and done in batiks. The first quilting I did on it I took out and then redid it----much better. I have done a smaller wallhanging in this pattern and it is in an earlier post. One of my favorites. (Click to enlarge)

Butterflies

Last summer I found this sweet pattern in one of my quilting magazines. I was immediately drawn to it and wanted to do it in the bright fabrics.

Found the multicolored dot fabric which is perfect for the background. I did the machine buttonhole stitch around all the pieces and bordered it with narrow patches of all the fabric. The little sashing and the binding were fussycut from some fabric with row after row of different colored rickrack. I machine quilted the piece. This was a fun quilt to do. (Click to enlarge)

One of My Favorite Wallhangings

I saw a quilt in McCall's Quilting five years ago (February 2003) and was immediately attracted to it. It was designed by Joyce Robinson. An easy one to do - there is no piecing. You cut the batik squares all approximately the same size but with a rotary cutter and no ruler. Fabric is backed with fusible web. Ditto for the centers. Then iron them on a large rectangle and quilt the piece. I just love the looks of this one and think it turned out well. I was just starting machine quilting and it actually turned out okay. (Click to enlarge)

From There to There to There to Here

From There to There to There to Here was started in Chillicothe, Illinois, and finished in Midland, Michigan.

During it's construction, I lived in four different homes, two different states lost of my dear husband of 48 years.

It started with a piece of very ugly fabric - orange, fuschia, turquoise and green. I pulled fabrics from my stash that went with it and bought a few pieces and proceeded to make the appliques. Patterns were taken from magazines, books and a couple I designed.

This quilt is hand quilted and machine appliqued with the satin stitch. It hung in the 2002 AQS Quilt Show in Paducah, Kentucky.

(Click pictures to enlarge)

A Vintage Skirt

This skirt was made sometime in the early 1980's. Back then, there just wasn't much in the way of pretty quilting fabric - just dots, calicoes and never any beautiful splashy, multicolored patterns. Even though my satin stitch was not very good back then, I really thought I had made something extra special. How I wish I were that small again! The idea was gleaned from this old book which I no longer have but was able to find it's picture on the internet. How cool is that? (Click to enlarge)

Two Very Different Wall Hangings

Two very different styles of wall hangings. This little piece is made up of antique bluework embroidered blocks.

The blocks were embroidered sometime most likely in the 1940's. My sister's mother-in-law is the one who did these, I am almost 100% sure. Her name was Alice. We all lived in a tiny little town in Illinois and I played with Alice's daughter. My sister married her son. I have made three of these little hangings and still have blocks left.

A style completely opposite of the first one. This is paper pieced with the beautiful batik fabrics which I love so much. I also have done a larger one in multi-colors. I love everything about quilting - all the colors, all the methods, all types of fabrics - it's all wonderful. (Click to enlarge)

Lollipop Trees in a Jelly Bean Field

I did this little wallhanging in the summer of 2008. Fabrics are by Kaffe Fassett. Machine buttonholed appliqued and machine quilted.

(Click to enlarge)

Little White and Little Black Quilts

I have done two small wool quilts that are buttonhole appliqued - one in white and one black.

The white one is embellished with embroidery and buttons.

These were such fun to make and both of them were really well received at the guild's quilt shows they were in - in different years. I did minimal quilting on them and they didn't seem to need more. Both are shown before quilting. (Click to enlarge)

Some Challenge Quilts for our Quilt Shows

Each spring for the past few years, our guild has had a quilt show and each fall there is a challenge issued which you may take or not. During the show, the group of challenge quilts are displayed together and there are some really great, clever quilts. Here are mine:

This was 2008 - I got the cart before the horse - the challenge was dots.

This year, we each drew a card and had to make a wallhanging of that card. I did the 5 of hearts.

I think this was 2007 - Old McDonaldKind of a south of the border Fiesta. Stars Log Cabin.

I think this was all of them - but it's a good idea of what we did. Our playing cards will be exhibited at the Michigan Quilter's Network Show this fall. It was really a fun display.

(Click to enlarge)

Attagirl, Carol

My first attempt at the New York Beauty block and I did it by paper piecing. Also lots of curved piecing in this one which I had not done very much of. Very proud of this piece!

Some of the fabrics are incredibly homely , but they all work together and make a pretty quilt.

As I would finish a block, I would stick it up on the flannel wall. I actually did not rearrange them but sewed them together row by row just as they were. One of my favorite quilts.

(Click to enlarge)

Bless Your Heart

This is a wallhanging I did a couple of years ago for the son and daughter-in-law of the best friends of my daughter and husband. It is done in batiks which are some of my favorite fabrics.

The piece is machine buttonhole appliqued and machine quilted in varigated thread.

Three of the individual blocks closeup. Working with batiks is a joy. (Click to enlarge)

A Baby Quilt From Long Ago

This quilt was made sometime in the 1980's from a pattern in a magazine. I scanned the picture but the quality of the photo wasn't very good. The teddies are satin stitch applique by machine and it is quilted by hand. (Click to enlarge)

Lavendar Blue, Dilly Dilly

This quilt was made in the early 1990's and is machine appliqued (satin stitch) and hand quilted.

The blocks were taken from magazines and books with many of them coming from the Quilter's Newsletter magazine. Some of them I have used in other quilts, also.

The sashing took a long time to cut and sew but it was worth it, I think.

I actually designed the border myself. It's a pretty quilt but I believe I would have done it in different colors if I were going to start it today.

This block with the birds I have used in other quilts. One of my favorites.

(Click to enlarge)