So gratifying

Just got this photo from my friends Janet and Jen in NYC. Doesn't it just warm your heart to see one of your quilts in use?

Scrappy Spider Web

After quilting three quilts in the last three weeks, I can honestly say I enjoy free-motion quilting! I thought I'd NEVER say that, not in a million years. I gave myself the goal of quilting three quilts this summer--the two in the last post and this one. They're not perfect, but that's fine with me. My only goal was to get them DONE. I figure a quilt, no matter how it's quilted, is better than a pieced top sitting in the cupboard.




This is the third in my series of "summer quilts," that is, quilts that I made over the last two summers. I knew I wouldn't want to work with these when the cooler weather came. I only like to work with colors of the season. Are you that way too?




Many thanks to Marit for her spiderweb tutorial.

Quilted at last!

The last few weeks, I've been quilting old tops from a year or two ago. This one's called "Green Spools" because it's made from 100% "green" (recycled) fabrics and, well, it's green. If you look closely, you can see the Old Navy signature on the grey spool.



I love fabrics from the 1970's, back when I was a teen and energetic young woman. The border fabric is from that era--you know--peace, love and flower power.



The back is from a garage sale. I love the old wall paper look.





This one I call "Sunshine and Scraps." It's inspired by one I saw on the Material Obsession site a few years ago. Everything came from my stash.







The Amy Butler fabric on the back came from a sale rack a few months ago.

Special thanks to Shelly for her encouragement about free-motion quilting. As she says, "Sit up straight, stick the girls out and breathe."

Play Houses

Thanks to Victoria, I've been playing with my scraps for the last month. Here's what they became, a two-sided wall quilt.



I pulled pieces randomly from my scrap bin, and enjoyed what the "scrap fairy" chose.



One psychological theory says that when a house shows up in a dream, it represents the inner psyche of the dreamer. Hmm.

A Few Finishes

Finally quilted this top, which I made two years ago. It's a stack and cut pattern from the book, Certifiably Crazy, by Janet Nesbitt and Pam Soliday of Buggy Barn Quilts. I made it all from thrift store shirts. The shirt backs work nicely as fat quarters.



This fabric is on the back. I found it at Goodwill, 4 yards for about $2. This really took me down memory lane. In 1973, my high school graduation dress was made of the same fabric!


Here's another one made from those shirts. It's a pattern from Priscilla Bianchi's book, Caliente quilts!


This is the back. I found this fabric at a yard sale, and bought it all--I think I have 12 yards of it.



This quilt just came back from being quilted by the lovely Holly at The Quilting Loft. It's off to NYC for Janet and Jen's 10th anniversary! I thought it looked nice with the Johnson's Blue geraniums.

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?