winterquilts

Tumblers

2012-01-21T15:40:00.000-08:00

This is the beginnings of a large wall hanging. I began with 6" squares. I've cut a dark two " inner border and six" outer sage border.

The colors - sage, navy and beige.

This is a great stash buster project.

Feathered Circles

2011-05-20T08:06:00.000-07:00

This vintage red and muslin quilt top was completed with hand quilted feathered circles in the 7" blank squares.

1970's applique quilt

2011-03-08T13:30:00.000-08:00

The 1970's applique quilt was completed adding 8" borders to the 12 blocks. Another row of cables was hand quilted then lines 1 1/2" apart. This twin size piece is now with Inga for binding.

Companion Piece

2011-02-28T09:47:00.000-08:00

This sofa quilt is the ultimate stash buster. The fabrics are all leftover from the sampler I made this winter. It was quickly pieced. Hand quilting done in the ditch and 1/4" outside the ditch. Borders hand quilted with 2" cross hatching. The 1/4" echoing and cross hatching were also used in the sampler quilt.

1970's applique

2011-02-24T15:17:00.000-08:00

I received 12 large blocks appliqued, embroidered and hand quilted. This project had been started by a lovely Maine woman in the 1970's in Georgia Bonsteel's quilt as you go method.

First the front sashing fabric is sewed together in rows.
The batting is trimmed and whip stitched together.
The backing seam is hand sewed.
A cable was hand quilted centered over the sashing seam.

Sampler

2011-01-05T15:00:00.000-08:00

I rarely buy quilting books, patterns, magazines. However, about 15 years ago I bought a multi page sampler pattern. I used the size of the blocks (9 1/2" x 12 1/2") and some of the blocks (Log cabin, 12 patch, tree of life, hearts, stars, bird house and sunflower). I added a few blocks of my own (goose, basket of apples, basket of flowers and checkerboards).

This wall quilt has been made to match my father's chair. I gathered all my navy, beige and maroon fabrics. I have added a thin navy inner border and a wider maroon second border.

I am making a companion piece using leftover fabric pieces.

Antique Grandmother's Flower Garden

2010-12-02T08:14:00.000-08:00

This customer quilt was shipped yesterday. Each hexagon was hand quilted 1/4" inside the seam.

Traditional Hand Quilting

2010-10-04T03:40:00.000-07:00

This twin schoolhouse quilt features 1/8th of a inch quilting around the houses, featured circles and chains.

Scottie Dogs

2010-07-27T03:54:00.000-07:00

Reproduction 1930's print dye cuts from Keepsake Quilting. Hand appliqued and hand quilted.

A Piece of Persian Stars

2010-05-12T11:55:00.000-07:00

This small portion of Persian Stars shows the background echo quilting. Echo quilting 1/4" apart.

A mini

2009-10-19T14:59:00.000-07:00

This is a portion of a series of hand pieced minis done by a wonderful long term customer. Her hand piecing amazes me. The circles are approximately 3 inches each. The green tape was used as a guide for the hand quilting. Echo quilting done every 1/4 inch.

Sailboats II

2009-10-16T11:33:00.000-07:00

This is the second in a series of sail boat baby quilts. It has 4 sailboats by 4 sailboats with no border.
For the next one I want to add more water to the design with clam shell quilting lines.

My IBOL

2009-09-06T03:38:00.000-07:00

This week on my day off besides quilting I worked on putting together my Bundle of Love. I read about IBOL on Lakeside Quilting and got to work. My APO box is filled with 20 yards of cotton fabric, sewing notions and knitting needles. As always Squeakey supervised my choices.

Silk Repair

2009-09-02T03:52:00.000-07:00

My brother-in-law, Rob, an avid antique collector found this old silk quilt. It was severely worn. In the middle there was a hole through all three layers - probably from a mouse.
I appliqued silk pieces on top of the worn areas and hand quilted the same design.
The border and binding was in good shape.
The hardest part of the project was finding the silk to applique.
I understand it is now hanging over a second story railing away from the dogs.

Spring Flowers

2009-05-25T15:10:00.000-07:00

This is a portion of a customer quilt. Echo quilting is 1/4" apart.

One of many current projects

2009-05-19T04:09:00.000-07:00

Hand appliqued scottie dogs on muslin. All dogs in 1930's reproduction prints of yellow, blue and green. Scottie dogs bought from Keepsake Quilting.

( I'm didn't intend for the photo to be on its side).

Finished baby quilt

2009-02-13T15:48:00.000-08:00

The pink/yellow baby quilt was finished last week. The white squares are hand quilted with a feathered heart. Click to enlarge photo to see hearts.

Pink/yellow baby quilt

2009-01-24T06:08:00.000-08:00

This baby quilt is my current project. It is 42" x 60".

I started with a 4" floral block. Added 2" white strips with yellow cornerstones. Then a 2" pale pink with the same yellow cornerstones.

The quilting has begun. I chose a feathered heart for the white squares using white thread. I use soap to mark quilting lines on most fabrics. It is getting extremely hard for me to see the markings on the white. But I'm too afraid to use colored markers or pencil on the white.

Tee Shirt Quilt completed

2009-01-21T10:10:00.000-08:00

This quilt is made with tee shirts all from the same college.
The only request was to use light blue fabric. The jersey
squares are hand quilted and the sashes are echoed with a
1/4" stitching. The border was also hand quilted with blue thread.
Chloe who spends 20 hours of each day hiding in my bed
took a fancy to this project.

Productive Vacation

2009-01-19T09:41:00.000-08:00

I am lucky enough to get 4 weeks vacation from my day job. Usually they are spent quilting 6 - 10 hours a day.
This morning I finished a tee-shirt quilt. I hope to finish two other projects before next Monday morning. Photos later this week.

Feathered square

2008-12-17T03:36:00.001-08:00

This lone star customer quilt features many quilting motifs from the 1980's.
During the 1980's it seemed like there were feathered circles, hearts, etc. in almost every piece. It's been awhile since I've done any feathered motifs. There were only eight in this project - a manageable amount.

Country at its best

2008-12-11T08:41:00.000-08:00

This is my current customer project. Although it is reminiscent of the 1980's and early 1990's, it is a classic country piece.

There is a lot of hand quilting in this project. I am currently quilting the small baskets. This is a project I will miss once shipped.

Signature quilt

2008-12-06T04:28:00.000-08:00

This small quilt top is designed to be a signature quilt. Once sandwiched with batting, the cream diamonds will have 1 1/2" quilting lines ready for people to sign their name or add a message.
I have given signature quilts for retirement parties and baby showers.

This picture does not do justice to the beautiful blue print fabric.

To be quilted after the holiday rush.

Thread Play

2008-11-18T03:58:00.000-08:00

This is a small piece of a customer wall hanging. Each wild flower of the batik is outlined by quilting. The thread used is dark green to blend with the background. The other half of the square is 1/4" echo quilting with tan thread.

The black batting is wonderful - no bearding and easy to needle.

Geese

2008-10-11T11:08:00.000-07:00

Over a year ago I completed a double size quilt from geese square made during the 1930's by a twelve year old girl from a NH farm. The squares were calico geese button stitched on heavy muslin. I enjoyed finishing the piece for the sewer who lives in a nearby assisted living home and her family.
I have worked on many antique animal motif quilts before - butterflies, scottie dogs- but this was the first goose quilt. SO I made a little plastic template of one of the geese.
This baby quilt is made from the template. I choose a favorite yellow print on a heavy muslin. For quilting I outlined the geese and echoed 1/4" inside the geese, outlined the seams and started to crosshatch. The muslin was so heavy I cut the crosshatching short. It was like quilting through cardboard.
I plan to make more of these animal baby quilts.

Plaid Quilt

2008-09-25T06:34:00.000-07:00

I have always loved plaids. Making a plaid quilt has been on my idea list for a couple decades. This is the beginning.

10" squares with the solid navy appliqued by hand. Each square is different - primarily plaids with a few stripes. Color ranges in blues, maroons and dark tans.

Not sure yet how big this project will be. I'll go until I run out of fabric. It will probably be lap size.

Progress with Rob's creation

2008-09-08T11:34:00.000-07:00

During a few days off from my day job, I worked on adding more layers to this wall hanging. The white horseshoe crabs will have black eyes and shell details.

The center quilting has begun with ditch and 1/4" lines quilting. The dark blue will have wave quilting lines.

The only layer left to add is a ring of sail boats on the dark blue ring.

Fish baby quilt top

2008-08-11T14:52:00.000-07:00

Another quilt top finished and waiting for autumn weather quilting. Quilting lines will be clam shell design to look like ocean waves on the aqua. Fish will be quilted in the ditch and scale designs on fish.

Each of the four large fish is being followed by three or four smaller fish.

Tee-shirt quilt

2008-08-10T04:43:00.000-07:00

This is the third tee-shirt quilt I've made. It is tied in each corner and quilted in the sashing and border. There is 25 tee shirt squares. The mottled batik tan border was added to give height (the owner is over 6'). It is quilted with cross hatching.
Batting used is cotton. This is a very heavy quilt.
It is finished with a month to spare.

Color in the garden

2008-08-09T05:07:00.000-07:00

Finally some color in the garden.
After what seems like weeks of rain, the day lilies are blooming. This garden has a yellow/ pink/ white palette. I'm considering removing the coneflowers to the back purple/blue garden.
No rain forecast for today. I'll be weeding, removing thousands of slugs and snails, and generally helping that beaten down look of the gardens.

Signature quilt

2008-08-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite gifts to give is a signature quilt. The cream rectangles are ready for people to sign.
Through the years I have made them for events like baby showers and retirement parties.
This piece is hand quilted in the ditch with 1/4" quilting also in the cream rectangles and cornerstones. Its size is 42" x 60"

Golden Eagles in progress

2008-07-09T08:50:00.000-07:00

Three years ago I joined Keepsake Quilting's Gold Membership. Apart from the coupons, etc. I received many 10" squares of gold fabrics. I have never been a fan of gold fabric, but with each years' membership the pile of 10" squares was adding up. A few years ago I received the medium blue bamboo floral with a touch of gold.

Slowly, I've been putting this together. I started with the flying geese and bamboo print. The first set of rectangle/square borders were made with left overs after cutting the flying geese. One or two more borders are needed for a twin size quilt.

The time I have spent with this piece, the more I admire and like working with the gold fabric. I'm actually looking forward to my next gold membership renewal in November.

Fabrics for Fish

2008-07-02T03:02:00.000-07:00

While working on LD's Hibiscus I was reminded of my wish (from 1993) to do a series of pieces using the soft colors of Bermuda. Not my usual colors. I have collected some soft aquas, blues and yellows through the years.
This first project will be a baby quilt . Soft Aqua watery background with bold jeweled tone fish.
I spent 6/30 making 40+ fish.

Theresa's Scrap Pinwheel

2008-07-01T04:56:00.000-07:00

This winter/spring I hand quilted two pinwheels for Theresa Gagne - the Patchwork Boutique Lady who had a quilt shop in Saco, Maine for over 20 years.

This one has each pinwheel done in a different medium or dark fabric, unbleached muslin is the background. Each pinwheel was quilted in the ditch and also 1/4" inside the pinwheel. The threads matched each pinwheel .

The other quilt was also a scrap with a solid navy background. It had a totally different look.

What a difference a month makes

2008-06-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of growth during the last month, but not much color.

Squeaky can not resist a freshly ironed quilt top

2008-06-19T08:58:00.000-07:00

Leaves
This project started with the batik print which is a leaf print. I really enjoyed the Robbing Peter to Pay Paul applique work.
I started with batik and the three solids and just kept working until I was closed to being out of fabric. I have enough blue for binding. It has turned out to be 62"x62". A nice size for the back of a sofa.
The longer I worked on this top the colors reminded me more of sea glass than foliage.
To be quilted in the autumn.

Hibiscus complete

2008-06-09T12:19:00.000-07:00

This is the top one-third of the Hibiscus wall hanging. It was finished recently and sent to its designer. I was told the piece is hanging in an eye doctor's office in Southern Maine.

The free hand echo quilting shows well on the blue background and black border. The lines of stitches are 1/4 inch apart.

Variegated thread

2008-06-01T03:43:00.000-07:00

I tried something new on this customer quilt. Along with the supplies she sent, there were two spools of variegated thread.

My echo quilting has always been done with thread that closely matches the fabric. This variegated thread was so lovely I decided to showcase the thread. Each heart is outlined with a stitch in the ditch done with a matching cream thread. About a 1/2" outside the heart, two rows of quilting is done with the coral/peach thread 1/4 " apart.

I would use variegated thread again, especially on white or off white.

Windswept I

2008-05-29T04:09:00.000-07:00

Thread Play

2008-05-27T03:40:00.000-07:00

Quilting can be more then anchoring three layers of fabric together.
This hibiscus is a piece of another stunning wall hanging by LD. The quilting lines outline each flower (and in time each leaf) in hopes of making each flower pop. Then each petal is outlined. The flow and direction of the petals are emphasized with fuchsia thread free hand quilting.

Windswept III

2008-05-24T08:24:00.000-07:00

Windswept I and II were done with only metallic thread quilting around the blue on blue leaves. Windswept III is a much smaller project (6"x7") and has no blue on blue leaves.

As an experiment I did all the echo quilting in the blue/silver metallic thread. Thank goodness this was a very small project. There was a lot of thread breakage (sometimes every 6 inches). So much stopping and starting. I won't try this again. Any metallic thread I would use for a project, I would try out first on a small accent piece.

Gardens in May

2008-05-18T14:38:00.000-07:00

My gardens have always been an inspiration for my quilting.

These pictures were taken Mother's Day. The back yard has no color yet. It will be full of vegetables in raised beds. The left side perennial garden is full of blues, purples, whites.The front cottage perennial garden has past the daffodil days and now is waiting for June. The color theme is yellow, pink and white. Today I added more perennials - yellow lupines, kelways, pink dianthus, mixed coral belles with lime green foliage, lemon balm for scent. Also planted a front door basket of yellow African daises, yellow million bells with a a airy white and green foliage.

Growing leaves

2008-05-17T04:02:00.000-07:00

There are so many things about this project that I love. It is an ideal warm weather project. Instead of my being draped in three layers of fabric on a warm day, each 8" square is hand appliqued. I am machine sewing strips together. It is portable. Each square of the batik has different colorings. When I want a mindless project, it's there.

The beige appliques are the center of the piece. Once the medium blue rows are complete, I make a decision about where to go next - repeat the beige or aqua? borders?

Windswept I

2008-05-15T14:37:00.000-07:00

This is one of my all time favorite projects. This is another design by LD.
Silk panel 15" wide. Soft gray narrow cotton border. All gray, pink and yellow outlined in matching threads. Indigo flowers outlined with metallic/navy thread. The remainder is 1/4" echo quilting in navy. Border quilted with gray 1/4" concentric rectangles.
I found that silk thread on silk fabric is slippery work.
Windswept I is the largest of the series.

Beginning of Leaves

2008-05-03T10:14:00.000-07:00

Most of my work is client quilting and repairs. This is a rare example of a start to finish quilt done by me. I hand quilted a beautiful Robbing Peter to pay Paul customer quilt this January. As I worked on it, I admired the applique construction instead of curved seams. Every time I went to my fabric stash I was thinking about st arting one with this applique technique. I came across this green/teal/beige leaf batik and thought of a friend I wanted to make a quilt for.

This is the center of the quilt. I will be working out from this center changing the applique piece colors.

Interrupted Rail Fence

2008-04-07T14:45:00.000-07:00

Interrupted Rail Fence

Size: 40" x 48" Baby quilt

Yellow, blue, white

Butterfly quilted in center of white blocks

Backing fabric blue & yellow butterfly print

This project started as a stash buster to use up many small print fabrics

Rob's creation in progress #1

2008-03-27T12:40:00.000-07:00

A few years ago my brother-in-law, Rob, designed a queen size quilt for me to make to be auctioned in Chatham MA. The auction quilt was a huge success.

This 45" square wall hanging is a replica of his original design to be given to him next Christmas.

Construction is done with layers appliqued on a base fabric.

Lorayne's LH in progress

2008-03-21T16:20:00.000-07:00

Lorayne's design, applique and work is so lovely, it is a joy to quilt.

Asian inspired appliqued wallhanging

Purples, cream, pinks

Quilting outlines all applique, three circles surrounded by 1/4" echo quilting

pink single Irish chain

2008-03-11T15:34:00.000-07:00

Single Irish Chain

45"x60"

Pink, white, yellow floral print

white

soft pink batik

backing fabric soft pink batik

machine pieced, hand quilted

made during autumn 2007

The Start

2007-11-12T12:39:00.000-08:00

After writing over 100 pages for The Council of Accreditation for my day job, I realize it is time to record my creative outlet - quilting and my quilting efforts.