"Housetop" is Finished!

"Housetop," 60" x 60"

I finished hand-quilting this just in time for picnic season!

The top was made in a class with Gwen Marston back in February.

It's called "Housetop" because its inspiration came from the  

Gee's Bend quilt designs that go by the same name.

I quilted it with Barb's big fan stencil and #12 perle cotton.

It includes an old linen napkin and a scrap of polka dots from a friend in New York.

A lovely floral dress,

An old skirt,

An apron from the 60's or 70's,

And two tablecloths from the same era. 

Both were round and had 4" white fringe.  

Remember those out on the patio table?  

This wonderful Jane Sassaman print was perfect for the back. 

I made a wide back to front binding, like the Gee's Bend gals do.

(If anyone wants a tutorial on this, let me know.)

And it's already been launched with the first picnic of summer!

Happy summer--or winter--to you!

New Book!

If you love African American improvisational quilts as much as I do, you'll want to get this book! Better yet, see the show at the Mingei International Museum in San Diego through November 6.


I know I won't be in San Diego soon, so I ordered it from the Museum store for $18.95. Well worth it! (Back cover)



It shows about 50 quilts collected by Corinne Riley of the Chicago Art Institute. She bought them on many trips to the South over 35 years. This is the first time these quilts have been shown in the U.S. (Back flap)

Back from NYC!

This weekend I got to go on a quilting retreat in NYC, hosted by the lovely and talented Victoria. She set up a perfect sewing space in her loft, cooked for us, shared all her scraps, and set a wonderful tone of warmth and good humor.

I made this quilt, which I think I'll call "New York Scraps." It's 72 x 80. I brought only a few solid fabrics, and used scraps supplied by everyone else.

Victoria and I did a trade, where she sent me this poppy, and I made this for her. Yes, those are buttons from old shirts on the white polka dots.

I sent her this piece of vintage fabric, and look at this exquisite piece she made!! I absolutely LOVE it.


Everyone was so much fun and so creative! Bonnie sat next to me and made these cool scrappy hexagons.


Karen was across the room, quietly whipping out these masterpieces from scraps.


Helen pieced together these colorful scraps and will soon be wearing a very fun vest.


It was great to see Victoria at work--cut, sew, cut, sew--then...

Wa-la! Like magic. She's completely amazing.


Kim made this cute owl for a future Halloween quilt.


Jackie masterfully put together a paper-pieced table topper, then played with Victoria's Mary.



I didn't get a photo of Jessica's new quilt, but she brought this HAND-PIECED finish to show. Incredible!

Here's another stunning show and tell, this one from Andrea.

Thank you, thank you Victoria and everyone. I will hold a warm smile in my heart from this retreat for a long, long time.

Anna Williams inspired

Someone asked for a larger photo of the quilt top I recently started hand-quilting. It's inspired by one made by Anna Williams. I saw the photo in a Nancy Crow book, can't remember which one. I counted something like 80 different fabrics in Anna's. I don't know how many are in mine. My rule in choosing the fabrics was that they had to be scraps. It's 42 x 55".

Whole Lotta Scrap

At last I finished piecing this wild and crazy, scrappy thing. Every piece tells a story of my quilting process over the last five years. Victoria got me started cutting five-sided pieces and adding to them randomly with her 15 minutes play blog.




Karen inspired me to throw in some selvages with her Selvage Blog.



Many of you cheered me on, as I was looking at this pile of scraps, wondering if it would ever amount to anything. Somehow, the whole queen size quilt barely made a dent. After finishing this quilt, I couldn't stand the mess any longer. I sorted the scraps by color.






I like the way the colors look together so much, I think I'll do some "one color" quilts. We'll see if I can restrain myself this way. Ha!




So far, the yellow/orange one is getting started.



And here is Our Lady of Scrap Quilting!

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.

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?

Inspired by Gee's Bend

Last summer I got to be in a short workshop with some of the Gee's Bend gals in Sisters, Oregon. It was nothing short of a spiritual experience--truly!

There were about 7 of the ladies there, all ages. First they sang some rousing gospel-type songs. Then they scattered around the room and started working with us. No lecture, no introductions, just gather the inspiration and start.

China Pettway came over to our table, and began to work with my sister-in-law, Bonnie, and me.

The first thing she said was, "Where are your pieces?" I pointed to my nicely folded stack of fabrics. She said, "Well, we'll need to cut some pieces first." OK. I grabbed my rotary cutter and mat. "What are doing with that thing?" she asked. "Get some scissors over here." Lesson one--no rotary cutters.

She took the scissors and cut two rectangles, free-hand, one peach and one red. Then she said, "Sew these together." OK. Then she cut a piece of turquoise and said, "Sew this onto there." Yes, Mam. Then the red polka dot.

I asked her how she decided to put these particular fabrics together. She just ignored me. I asked THREE times over the next hour. No response. Lesson two--let the spirit move you.

As I added fabrics in the same way, she kept saying, "Now that's beautiful, just beautiful." I felt like a little girl with the most encouraging mother at my side. Lesson three--be sweet to yourself.

We made two blocks this way--the top two in this piece. She offered her signature. I went straight back to our cabin and made the other two. I was hooked!



I came home and kept going, humming one of those Gee's Bend songs.


I just finished quilting this one for my sister, Kimber, who lives in Idaho. The back includes a strip from a shirt that belonged to our Dad. Now she can wrap herself in a hug from him--and me--anytime she wants!