Philip's Quilt

I let Terri pick out the fabrics for this quilt when she was pregnant for Philip. It was a challenge to come up with a pattern that would work with the pieces she sent. I remember coming close to running out of one fabric -- I think I had to do some creative piecing. The pattern I chose was called "Aunt Vina's Favorite".

My mom and I were able to make a trip to North Carolina shortly after Philip was born and I ended up finishing the quilt while I was there.


That was five years ago -- this year Philip started kindergarten.

I haven't seen him in way too long -- looking forward to a visit Thanksgiving weekend!

Hugs and Kisses

This year I've been trying to finish up some old quilt tops that have been hanging in my closet.
This quilt, a pattern by Patrick Lose, has been waiting to be quilted for several years. When I first completed the top I had some idea that I would embroider the grandkids names on it with their birthdays. I finally decided last week that it would never happen and I needed to just get it quilted so it could be used.



I machine quilted most of it with straight line quilting. I then added some hand quilting with pearl cotton around the appliques.



I found a soft yellow polka dot for the back. It's finally ready to snuggle any little ones that come to visit.



I just have to add another picture, totally unrelated to this post. Yesterday Barb and I took ma for a ride to enjoy the fall colors. We stopped to get a view from the lookout on Quincy Hill. I love the picture I captured of ma -- I hope I have such a mischievous glint in my eyes when I'm 90 years old!

Flashback Friday

I started quilting about 30 years ago, but by then I had already been sewing for quite a few years. This was my first sewing machine, a high school graduation gift I received in 1963.

My nephew has been putting some old slides onto a CD for me and he sent me this sneak peek of what he's found on those slides. I don't remember seeing this picture before, but it sure brings back many good memories from that little corner of my childhood bedroom.

Another Traverse Finish

I was able to complete this quilt while I relaxed at Traverse with Barb and Ann. This one was started the day after Kevin and Shannon became engaged and was delivered on Saturday at Shannon's wedding shower.

I think that was record time for me to complete a quilt -- probably because I was so inspired. I'm really looking forward to their wedding on November 27.

Kevin's comment when Shannon showed him the quilt "mm, nice. But I still want the brown one.

Pattern used was "Candy Bar Road" by SuzGuz Designs.

Weekend in Traverse

I look forward to every September with the hope that I'll be able to spend another weekend at Big Traverse, enjoying some quiet time to quilt with my sister and sister-in-law. A big part of the joy is wallowing in the memories of my childhood when my Aunt Mary and Uncle Ed lived at this spot and we spent many days here every summer.

Whenever I see the seagulls on the beach, I also see my Aunt Mary walking down to the beach in her housedress holding a treat in her apron for the gulls.

On Sunday morning I was lucky enough to open the door and look out just as the sun was coming over the horizon -- a beautiful morning and a beautiful day.

I love the peacefulness of the river, especially at this time of the year when the pace seems a lot slower than normal.

We did spend some time sewing -- Barb really went to town and assembled this quilt top -

Ann also managed to get a lot done -- I'll let her share when she's ready.

I spent a good part of the weekend assembling 4-patch units and flying geese that will eventually get sewn together into blocks and into a quilt.

I started putting the four patches and flying geese together, but decided it was time to quit when I totally messed up that block in the middle. Someday I'll rip it apart and do it right. The pattern calls for twenty of these blocks, so I have a ways to go before I have something complete to share.



Every now and then we had to leave the machines and talk a walk to the water, sometimes the river, sometimes the lake.

Then it was back to the cozy comfort of our September weekend home. Thank you again, Jim and Ann!

Inspired by Wendy

My sewing room has been in a disaster state this week so I haven't gotten much done there, but I was inspired by Wendy who recently decided to have her bedroom painted -- one wall orange, one wall turquoise, one wall pink, and one wall yellow. I needed a quick and easy project, something to bring some brightness into the gray, cold, and rainy days, so I whipped up a cheerful pillow.

After work today I'll be heading out to Traverse for our annual quilt retreat (Anne, Barb & I) -- I hope to make some progress on a couple of projects I have going. We've been doing this for over 15 years and it's always a great time. It's a special treat if the water is still tolerable and we can take a dip into Lake Superior. Has anyone been in lately?

Miniature Quilt Show Part Two

The pattern I used for this quilt is Triple Irish Chain and it's made from some fabrics that Sharyn and Terri put in my Christmas stocking one year. I remember working on this one at one of our Traverse quilt retreats. Lots of memories are sewn into quilts.

The little squares finish off at 1". With so many seams, I didn't dare tackle hand quilting and sent it off to Ann Made Quilts.

The basket quilt is made from fabrics that were purchased somewhere between Howell and Raleigh when Sharyn and I made a trip to Terri's and took a detour along the way to visit a quilt shop. It always brings to mind so many things about that trip, especially how glad I was to arrive in time to be there when Anna was born.


I enjoyed handquilting this one. I don't do much hand quilting anymore. Sometimes I enjoy taking the time to handquilt the baby quilts, even knowing machine quilting would probably be more practical. The larger quilts have been too overwhelming for me to think about handquilting, but as I get closer to retirement look forward to taking the time for it.

I definitely love the finished product.

I don't know the name of this pattern, but I love how it turned out. It's probably the handquilting does it for me. I plan to use the same quilting pattern on my next handquilting project -- it's my favorite.

Here's another quilt that was a Traditions challenge project. I never did finish the quilting on this one. Now that I found it while digging for some fabric, maybe I'll finish it up for fall.

Whenever I look at this quilt I wonder "what was I thinking?" I loved the border fabric and the background fabric worked well with it. I must have made it at a time when I couldn't afford to go out and buy something I liked to add to those fabrics. Because I really don't like the pink fabic and the green only a little bit. This one will get shoved back somewhere where I won't see it again for awhile. Although I do enjoy the handquilting on it.

Now I guess I better think about filling in the pinholes on my front door that are left after my amateur photo shoot.