Quilting is a hobby of mine, a favorite pastime, a passion
-- begun at a young age and developed over fifty years.
What inspires me to quilt? Joy -- the joy found within the
process of creating a quilt and the nostalgic memories of learning to sew
beside my beloved Grandmother.
These cherished memories of sitting at my Grandmother's
Singer sewing machine -- smelling the
fabric finishes, dust and machine oil -- the faint scent of fresh cut grass and
the plum tree in bloom wafting in on the gentle breeze through an open window
-- the feel of my Grandmother's gentle presence and her soft words of
instruction and encouragement -- bring me JOY.
Creating at my own machine evokes these memories and offers
me the opportunity to feel my Grandmother and express her love for me and
sewing through my quilts.
It is my pleasure to
share with you some of my
favorite quilts.
This charming quilt was pieced in the late 1990's. I made it
for my daughter's bed to compliment the white picket fence headboard her father
had made for her. Well, life rolls along and it wasn't until 2015, three homes
later and a daughter now in her twenties, that I unearthed this hidden treasure
and had it quilted.
It felt wonderful to handle the quilt and work with it
again. The slightly dusty aged fabric scent tickled my nose and my memories --
of my young daughter playing while I worked on this quilt.
Pink -- the color of unconditional love and nurturing -- the
color that attracts my eye in this quilt. A gift of love to my daughter.
Sunbonnet Sue
The delicate simplicity of the Sunbonnet Sue, a popular
quilting design from the early 1900's, has always appealed to me. Prior to beginning this quilt project a
refresher course in hand appliqué was necessary as was increasing my
"stash" of 1930's reproduction fabrics. Tasks joyfully undertaken. As
I hand appliquéd each block I envisioned "Sue" tending her flower
garden creating a story, in my mind, for each.
Green is a restful color -- signifying life, growth -- the
color of my garden; therefore the perfect balance for the offsetting 9-patch
blocks.
1930's Strip Twist Quilt
I selected this pattern to develop my technique in
consistent seam allowances, pressing and block assembly. 1930's reproduction
fabrics seemed the perfect fit -- I had
fun creating this playful quilt -- I like the movement the blocks create and
how the colors pop!
Yellow is a cheerful color -- bringing me satisfaction -- of
happiness and hope.
Double Wedding Ring Table Runner
Ah, the challenge of the Double Wedding Ring quilt; a design
not for the faint of heart. I have long
admired this quilt pattern, with its many tiny pieces and multiple curves, and was eager to attempt one. I wisely
decided the best approach was to begin small and use the blocks to create a
table runner. Amazingly it wasn't the daunting task I let myself believe it
would be.
Selecting a red and white color palette was a new experience
for me. Red is an energizing and exciting color -- and I love the result. I
will use red again with confidence!
Appliquéd Butterfly Quilt
Several years ago a dear friend shared with me an antique
Butterfly Appliquéd quilt she inherited. It was made as a wedding gift for her
parents by her grandmother. What a lovely tribute. The movement of the
butterflies and the sentimentality of the quilt reverberated through me as I handled the quilt and listened to my
friend share her memories of this quilt. Instantaneously, I knew that I would create one -- and began my quilt
two years later.
Soon after seeing my friends quilt I began supplementing the
1930's reproduction fabric "stash".
And, also, researching butterfly
templates. I selected a butterfly template
with softer edges and a more delicate appeal than the original. Many
months went into the creation and hand appliquéing of 54 plus blocks -- months
of wondering if I'd totally lost my mind to undertake the project -- months of
daydreaming -- months of contemplating the ease and joy of a butterfly flitting
in the sunshine from one flower to another without a care in the world.
Purple -- the color of imagination and dreams -- a perfect
choice for the border fabric!
Dresden Plates
In the upstairs of my Grandmother's home was a linen closet
that contained, to my child's mind, many wonderful treasures. It was truly a
special occasion when my Grandmother would let me explore the contents of this
closet. My favorite treasures were her Dresden Plates which I inherited at her
death. She knew they were my favorites and always let me handle them.
To this
day I appreciate the fragile, delicate fabrics and the knowledge that she
created these beautiful pieces with her own hands. My love for the 1930's
fabrics no doubt seeped into my soul from these childhood experiences -- from
my Grandmother's influence -- a privilege that will always be dear to me.
Quilts speak to me -- the soft but vibrant colors, the faint
scents of fabric finishes -- the peace and joy found in the process, in the day
dreaming, the memories evoked and in the gifting of my quilts to family and
friends -- they touch my inner being, my heart.
A close-up of original 1930's fabric
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