"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!

Sneak peeks

Sometimes tiny bits of a quilt make the neatest little compositions.



These are bits of a small quilt I'm taking to NYC and hand deliver to Victoria!



Shh, don't tell. It's a surprise!

Maybe I'll slow down and quilt them all by hand. Ha!

I've been hand quilting this little number all weekend,

and thinking about how much I love to quilt by hand.


It makes me slow down and contemplate the important things in life,



like friends and family,


warmth and good food,


safety, health and laughter.


And the encouragement and support of all of you!

Ode to Matisse

I just finished hand-quilting this piece. It's a rendition of "Ivy in Flower," made by Henri Matisse in 1953. His was 112" square. Mine is 38." It's one of the many wonderful collages he made late in his life. It's my first attempt at hand-applique.



The stitching isn't perfect, but I don't mind. I would never make anything if I was striving for perfection!




This is the first time I've used a facing, instead of binding. It's really just a binding, turned all the way to the back.



After a year of working on the Matisse piece, I've become addicted to hand-work. I get fidgety if I don't have something to stitch in the evenings. Do you? This weekend, I started hand-quilting this. It should take me up through the end of the year at least. Phew!



Meanwhile, look what came in the mail from Tonya over at Lazy Gal! We'd been talking about thrift store finds, and I'd been drooling over her sunny, Florida plaids. These bright, clear colors are almost impossible to find here, in the moist Northwest. So I sent her some of my "b__uglies," in trade for some of her plaids. And she threw in the labels too! I tell you, I got the good end of this deal! If you haven't already, make sure and visit her to see the happy stars she's making with these.