September 17, 2015

My guild's raffle quilt for 2016 is complete (except for the fancy label). It is the loving work of many hands!

Constant Friends

"In joy or sadness flowers are our constant friends." 

-from The Book of Tea

 We even finished it in time to enter MD state fair. We won third place in the group category.

Tickets will go on sale very soon. Let me know if you'd like one! We are happy to ship the prize.

September 2, 2015

I recently finished a quilt top made from "orphan" blocks.  I have so much fun with these. I love to figure out a way for them to fit together. Like a jigsaw puzzle. I love jigsaw puzzles.

These are the blocks I started with.

I had this stack of fabric to use on the quilt top. I ended up finding a few others to throw in the mix. 

The top row was just a bunch of shipless sails.  So I finished the bottom of the boats first.

At this point, I did some rearranging, and made three more rows of blocks: four patches, easy chevrons and fishies.

Well, it's not masterpiece. But I like the patriotic colors, the fun nautical theme, and I think the quilting will really help tie it all together. I think I will add some fishy eyes after quilting, too.

More adventures with orphan blocks can be found here!

One of my quilts that used some orphan fan blocks jut won a ribbon at Maryland State Fair!

June 7, 2015

Thanks to my amazing team, the raffle quilt is coming along nicely.

Rosa and I finished the appliqued borders.

Amalia and Margaret helped me piece the top. They are fabulous, accurate piecers!

We are getting close to a finished top!

May 31, 2015

I've been steadily working on designing and hand appliqueing borders for my guild's 2016 raffle quilt.

These are the blocks. I started with the large blocks, which are approximately 20 years old. After I picked a setting I like, I asked current guild members to make the smaller setting blocks.

I designed top and bottom borders based on elements in the blocks.

A guild member used her Accuquilt die cutter to cut out scrappy flowers and leaves for us. 

top

 bottom

The applique is coming along nicely. 

January 21, 2014

Starting a commissioned quilt. It is always exciting to start something new, despite the boring necessity of laundering and ironing the fabric.

December 30, 2013

Holiday making and behind on blogging!

 guild exchange blocks

 baby quilt for a friend

 local charity auction donation, quilted by my friend Margaret.

 I designed and carved a stamp to make some ornaments for friends.

 I sewed my printed fabric onto a felt backing, and added some ribbon hangers with decorative buttons.

 I made approximately a bajillion of these felt bacon ornaments.

and finally, a collage for my hubby, made from an Abita beer wrapper, sheet music and various other ephemera with acrylic paint, gel medium and pastels.