Paradise Quilts

I made this quilt about 6 years ago, and have not tended to my blog at all. More to come...

After the break for an international move in 2017, I spent most of my time in my glass studio. Happy to say I eventually was once again busy at the sewing machine - making hot pads, quilts, cushions, etc. 

Because there isn't a pattern available for what I've named Framed Bouquet Quilt, I had looked carefully and closely with a magnifying glass at a photo of a Kaffe quilt in a magazine in order to mimic the design. My floral prints are different from the original, but I'm very happy with the color scheme. 

I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed creating it and it looks fantastic on my bed. Everything about it is appealing to me: The fussy-cut flowers, the shot cotton frames, and the gorgeous OOP border that was offered to me for purchase...the same border shown in the original quilt ~ I was ecstatic!

This one brings me such joy!

Rice Bowls

A quilt I gifted to my son Casey and his wife Areli for Christmas in 2020. They really enjoy Asian cuisine so Kaffe Fassett's Rice Bowls pattern seemed an appropriate choice. And because today is his birthday, I chose to show this one. (Is he really 40?) 

Blue is a favorite color and I loved working with the variety of blue fabrics, both with the bowls and the backgrounds. The technique is needle-turn applique.

I mailed it to them prior to Christmas and received this photo soon after delivery; I think she likes it!

New Quilt

My...it's been over 3 years since I posted and I could say that it is due to being so busy quilting. That's partially true, but without belaboring, I'll start posting the quilts and other items I've created over that time, in no particular order. Hoping to do one post per day.

2021. My younger son, Christian, asked me for a quilt. I showed him some options for quilt designs containing fabrics I had in my stash. He chose the woven stripes fabric and the Optical Squares pattern from a Kaffe Fassett book. Chris added that he'd like a cat, a castle, and a jack-o'-lantern. Happy to oblige, as I love a challenge.

I'd been wanting to make a quilt like this and had oodles of the woven stripes. You can see the 3 objects he requested, but here's a few close-ups:

I had the brick wall fabric on hand from a previous quilt that required a castle. I drew out the design and cut fabrics from that template.

Same for the pumpkin.

I thought black for the cat would be appropriate since we had a jack-o'-lantern. And I added a spider, knowing his disdain for them. Haha!

I chose a mottled purple for the backing, here shown with the light coming through. It was quilted on a long arm by La Casita del Acolchado (The Quilting House), here in Costa Rica. I requested an single outline on each square, and Isabel suggested quilting each square many times, which you may be able to see. I really like the finish!

Such a fun quilt to make! And did I say he loved it?

More posts to come!

Well Owl Be

I made this quilt for my other sweet niece (Ali's sister), Kendel, who is an owl lover. 

For the entire owl body, I used flower petals: Kaffe Fassett's Dahlia Blooms, Philip Jacobs' Leopard Lotus, and a couple of other KFC collective fabrics for the eyes and brow.

I snipped a tiny bit from Philip's Curly Baskets for the talons. Tail Feathers, also by Philip, complete him. Even his beak is a petal!

And Kaffe's Jupiter fabric created a great tree. This was a fun project, from sketches to auditioning fabric, from design wall to sewing, quilting and finish. She loved it!

Wonky Quilt

I made this one for my sweet niece, Ali, whose personality is reflected in the is design: She loves growing big bold blooms, is a colorful character, and a bit wacky! A Christmas gift of 2019.

Where we live, there aren't any quilt shops, and the 2 fabric shops didn't have black and white cottons. Hardly any cottons really, mostly polys. So I headed to the thrift store and purchased a skirt and 2 shirts to cut up for the wedges. 

After completing this quilt, I purchased a jelly roll of black and white prints, and some yardage as well. I plan to make this quilt again.

I fussy-cut the blooms from the Kaffe Fassett Collection of fabrics.

A shot of a single block and the quilting, which I did on my standard Janome Memory Craft 8200QC.

Photo of quilt back. I had this on hand, and it seemed to meet the criteria of a floral theme.

Such a fun to make quilt!

A Wee Quilt Project

A few years ago an old friend and I reconnected from the days of our youth. This year he celebrates a milestone in life ~ reaching the age of 70. And still working every day.

As I've been wanting to try my hand at a landscape quilt, I decided to make a surprise to celebrate this life event and his Scottish heritage, by using a photo from his family's trip to Scotland to create an interpretation of 

"Fort Ruthven" ruins in Cairngorms.

After sketching it out on paper several times and labeling colors, I then created paper pattern templates for the structure using graph paper. Then to the fun part: 

Selecting fabrics!

With the exception of the brick fabric, I was only able to choose from what was in my stash.

As you would expect, not everyone made the "cut".

I was especially happy to find this particular "brickish" stitch on my trusty Janome machine ~ perfect for castle walls.

For fun, I designed and constructed a wee bagpiper, 

complete with tassels!

Again, here's the front....

The backing was also selected from among my stash. This black watch plaid happens to be one of his clan tartans, but not having enough of it, I improvised to extend the size with a shot cotton pale green border.

Photo taken before labeled

I was instructed early on to label my quilts for the sake of future generations. 

I call it the 4Ws -

Who, What, Where, When.

I learned more than a wee bit from this landscape quilting experiment, especially how NOT to do things (rip, rip). Taking notes as I went along, the next one will be executed in a manner that limits mistakes!

Hoping to visit Caledonia myself one day, but content where I am for the present.

~ Pura Vida ~

Traffic Jam

I made this quilt for my niece's baby boy, born in November of 2016, and it was delivered way back then. (I'm so late posting!)

What a fun project, using mostly fabrics from the Kaffe Fassett Collective for the pattern. I do love this boyish design: 

"Traffic Jam" by Pauline Smith, from the book 

Quilt Grandeur by Kaffe Fassett.

I always like to put some kind of label on the back with recipient's full name and the date. This one is framed with sweet little cars ~ a feature stitch on my Janome.

I really have been sewing a lot between posts ~ more to come!

A FINISH!

Remember these blocks? {link} that I started way back? Way back, even before I had a design wall!

It's been - well I won't say how long ago...the link reveals my shame. :-)

I had been quilting less than a year when I started it.
The pattern is Summer in the Park {link} by MSQC and finally, the blocks are a quilt.

A fun batik jelly roll and some white-on-white, cut and sewn to create tubes that are then cut into squares that look like this.

When so arranged, 4 of them can take on the appearance of large diamond blocks, and there's more than one option for lay outs.

The finish measures 52 x 52, a good sized lap quilt. I did piecing a while back, on an ancient blue Janome. The quilting was done on my Janome machine which has a throat (or bed) large enough to accommodate a queen size. For the white sections I used white, and then some fun variegated thread to quilt the border. Too bad I didn't snap a pick of the border, but here's what I used:

I pieced the backing using a variety of white-on-white fabric scraps.

This quilt was a gift for a friend's new home. I like the pattern so much, I would love to make another. Next time, it's fabrics from the Kaffe Fassett Collection in my stash!

"Matryoshki" Quilt Finish!

I began this quilt over a year ago using a pattern called "Bella Babushka" by Cinderberry Stitches.  Completing other projects in between, I finished this one the last day of February 2015.

You can see the beginnings and progress of my piecing in a post HERE .   

Quilt backings of 108-inches wide make for shorter work ~

love not having to piece it!

I altered the original twin size pattern to create a large queen size with extra borders for extended drape over my thick mattress and box springs,

and added an extra row of dolls along with another row of squares.

My friend Alice and I long-armed this one, during the short-lived ice storm. 

(Thank you Alice!)

I chose a leaf and flower design for border to border quilting on the squares,

 and a single daisy for the dolls' tummies.

I did backing-turned binding and machine stitched it.  Was thrilled to find this stitch pattern on the new Janome!

I've named my quilt the proper (plural) word for Russian stacking dolls...

Matryoshki

and we shall sleep cozily under while dreaming of our years in Russia, and the life-long friends we made there.

Pandora's Vox

During most of December, every day I had Pandora playing one of the Christmas stations of choice.  I enjoy the carols and the classics, but one song in particular intrigued me:  It was an orchestral instrumental with a hauntingly sweet melody.  
I wondered what it was but never caught the title, and snippets of the tune would play in my head day after day.

The evening before New Years Eve, a tv ad had a song playing while requesting donations.  I recognized the melody and now heard words to the song in question for the first time:

In the Bleak Midwinter

Frosty wind did moan

Earth stood hard as iron

Water like a stone

Snow had fallen, snow on snow

Snow on snow

In the bleak midwinter

Long, long ago

Over thirty years ago, my dear mama did this cross-stitch.

It had adorned her house at Christmas since heck was a pup, and for the last 10 years has graced my holiday door.  I've always loved what the poetry says, and the humble little drummer there.

It turns out, it is the last verse of the song!  How is it I've never known this poem was part of a song?  And how did I never even hear this song?

It has inspired me to return to my music:  Piano, guitar, voice, flute, and to tune my Minstrel's harp, which Mama gave me for my birthday one year.  

I dusted it off and tuned it that very day, even managing to pluck out the song on it.

There are several renowned artists who have recorded the arrangement I refer to, from Susan Boyle to Dan Fogelberg, from Sissel to James Taylor, as well as plenty of choruses and boys' choirs.  Dan, Sissel, and Susan are among my favorite renditions, and it's hard to choose just one to share, as some singers include more verses.  

I do love how things are sometimes revealed multifaceted and with an unrealized history about them.  All along, Mama's handiwork - a stitched short poem - was part of a beautiful song I was unaware of. 

To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven. (Ecc.3)   

A new season and a new year, may we all realize a renewed purpose.   

KF Finish

I had another lovely weekend spending time with a my quilty mentor-friend and enabler, the Empress of the Universe.  It was such a blessing to stay with her and visit while attending a workshop at Linderella's Quilt Works (link).

So now, it's finally time to reveal the finished project using the Kaffe Fassett fabrics shown in my last post.  Did you guess what the tent would be?

A TUFFET!

View from the top; I adore the center button

 Bottom

This 2-part class totaling 6 hours is so satisfying. There is homework in between the weeks, and what a sense of accomplishment to come away from class with a finished piece of furniture!  Sharyn, the instructor, is loads of fun and carefully guides each participant step by step. 

A wonderful group of ladies worked together in the construction stage.

If you're in the NC area, I highly recommend signing up for this class.  You can check Sharyn's teaching schedule at Tuffet Source (link), and be sure to browse the website for more tuffet beauties