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!

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!

Another Hawaiian Shirt Quilt

My sister-in-law, Bonnie, just finished this baby quilt. I love the mix of stripes with the print! She also enhanced the print with hand-quilting.

Hawaiian Shirt Quilts

Don't you love the Hawaiian shirts you find at the thrift store?
Just one will inspire a whole quilt!



I just finished this one. It's on its way to NYC to live with friends, Janet and Jen.

I made this one a few years ago. It's made of 100% thrift store shirts.






Here is my very first quilt. I bought a packet of pre-cut squares at Hasegawa General Store in Hana, Maui in 2005, sewed them all together, 10 rows, 13 squares each. Somehow, the quilt measured 4 inches wider on one side! Then I signed up for a quilting class.

Quilting/Recording Studio

Here, in my first post, I'll tell you a little about myself. I'm the mom of a teenage son. This weekend, my sewing room looked like this. My son's band had transformed the space into a recording studio (with my permission.) The boys had the brilliant idea of hanging quilts over the walls and windows as sound insulation. Little did we know that quilts could serve an important purpose for a rock band!