Denyse Quilt Top is Done

This is the quilt I started in the Denyse Schmidt workshop in Sisters, Oregon, a few weeks ago. I just finished it this weekend. I do love improvisational piecing!





Each block started with a small piece of orange or yellow. The rest of the pieces were picked randomly.

Denyse suggested I quilt it using black yarn ties. I think that's a great idea, and a good fall project.

Vintage Quilt Rescue

I've fallen in love with vintage fabrics! In Sisters, I bought this quilt top for $39. The little rosebuds and paisleys really caught my eye. This quilt contains four different rosebuds and three paisleys. Apparently they ran out of one and added another. That adds all the more charm.




The sashing appears to be newer than the blocks. Both are machine pieced. I almost didn't buy the top because of the sashing. Then I realized I could salvage the blocks and replace the sashing!



My very talented friend, Shannon, at Fabric Crush, found this fabric. I can't wait to put it all together!

Happy Birthday, Mom

Today is my mom's birthday. She hasn't been with us for many years, but I always think of her on this day. As I was driving home this morning, thinking about how to celebrate her life, I came upon an estate sale.

Inside was a TON of good quilter's cotton, all pre-washed and ready to sew. I had stumbled on the "mother-load," so to speak! Although my mother never grew old, or sat at a sewing machine, she was big on supporting my sewing interest. She was also a great supporter of those in need.

So, in her honor, I bought most of the fabric. It will be donated to my quilting group who makes quilts for hospitals, nursing homes and recovery residences. This way, she can do what she would have done if she were still here--spread a little comfort to those in need.

Denyse Schmidt and the Sisters Quilt Show

Just returned from a very fun four days in Sisters, Oregon. I got to take a two-day workshop with Denyse Schmidt! Here's my piece.




She's designed experiential exercises that really get you to loosen up and improvise. Here is what the class made before lunch on the first day. Isn't it amazing how they all go together?



And here is the highly talented and fun Denyse. I totally recommend her workshop!!



The next day, the whole town came out to hang quilts for the show--1,300 quilts for 13,000 guests. I hear it's the largest outdoor quilt show in the world. Even the fire fighters hung quilts.



These are all quilts by employees of the Stitchin Post quilt shop.


Every business contributed space.



Even this car dressed up for the occasion!




These are a few of the many beautiful quilts made by the Stitchin Post owner, Jean Wells. Her latest book, Intuitive Color and Design, is fabulous.




This is made by a group of gals who come from California, Georgia and Canada for quilt week every year. Each one made her own basket and traded with the others. Don't you love the fish basket?

String Quilts

Happy Independence Day weekend!

I thought it would be fun to celebrate with some good old fashioned string quilts.

My favorite part of making quilts is the pile of scraps at the end. I love to sit at the machine with a mess of scraps and sew them all together, design-as-you-go style. The results are always a fun surprise!



This quilt was inspired by one on the cover of the book, Georgia Quilts, by Anita Zaleski Weinraub. The original quilt was made by Annie Parham Howard in Morgan County in 1960.


This is your basic Spider Web design.



This one is great for using those little pieces. This sashing is 2" wide.
I plan to quilt both of these this summer, so stay tuned!



One of my all-time favorite quilting books is Liberated String Quilts by Gwen Marston. It includes many photos of old string quilts that are truly amazing!