Simple Country Style

The Latest Sewing Room Project: ~

My client (and gardening friend), Mrs. Ann L,

wanted a country style guest bedroom.  I've done several other projects with my sweet friend, but she wanted this room to have a more masculine feel. 

She already had this fabulous wrought iron bed, painted ivory.

L.O.V.E.

Perfect fabrics for a (manly) country bedroom:

Natural flax color linen,

deep red burlap,

with taupe ticking stripe.

I made the duvet and shams with the ticking stripe.

I wish I could take credit for that FAB red & taupe quilt on the foot of the bed, but I believe it was from either Rich's or Macy's.  It was the perfect inspiration, and all of our projects were designed around that.

The linen drapes were tab top, and hemmed just below the lower edge of the window.   The valances were finished with a simple linen stripe a few inches from the lower hem, with center pleats.  The toss pillow on the bed was finished with the same linen stripe, as was the bed skirt. 

I didn't get a photo of the bed skirt, 

because Mrs. Ann wanted to share a little history, and some of her treasures with me,

and this is the kind of history that I love.

Her grandmother's name was Matilda.

She was born on December 26, 1862.

She passed away on Dec 18, 1940.

And she was a Quilter.

This quilt is almost 100 years old.

It is quite delicate,

but there isn't a single hole in this quilt, anywhere. 

It is in pristine condition.

A real treasure.

Mrs Ann has stacks of these incredible quilts that were made by her Grandmother, Matilda, as well as her Mother.    Matilda continued to make quilts until she was almost completely blind.  I feel absolutely honored that Ann allowed me to finish the last quilt top that Matilda ever made.

She made these quilts entirely by hand.

The precision on these points...

well....

I'm all about precision.

Especially when it comes to quilts. 

Hundreds of tiny little triangles, and diamonds, perfectly stitched.

And all of that perfect applique,

makes me swoon.

You fellow quilters know what I mean.

Anything worth doing, is worth doing well.

And this is the work of a true artist.

This next photo is the back of the quilt.

You can really see the quilting on the back.

Those tiny little stitches...

so perfectly spaced...

I am in awe...

My quilting is all done on my trusty Bernina.

But one day, when I'm old(er)...

I hope I can slow down enough to master the art of hand quilting like this.

That's one for my bucket list.

My dear friend has entrusted me to finish several more quilt tops that were made by her Grandmother.  The next one is more beautiful than the last.

I will have photos to share in a few weeks.

Stay tuned!!

Every Quilt Tells A Story

This quilt is one of the latest projects I've been working on.

Quilts have to be the projects that I love best. 

Every quilt tells a story, has a history.

Most of us have quilt tops that we've inherited from Mothers, Grandmothers, or Aunts.  This quilt top was made by my clients mother.  I'm working on the 2nd quilt at the moment, and I'll share those photos as soon as it's finished. 

The quilt blocks are simple. 

And simple can be beautiful.

The design isn't intricate or complicated.

Yet... this is a treasure.

You can see in the following photo, just how many pieces of fabric that she used, in order to make the size needed.  For example, if you'll notice the brown triangle in the lower left of the block.  She used 6 tiny pieces of fabric, hand sewn together, just to make a 3 inch triangle. 

It reminds me of how much we take for granted.

And how plentiful our lives are. 

I can only imagine what she was like...

She didn't waste even the smallest scrap of fabric.  Some of the pieces are only 1/2 inch square. 

The blue fabric that she used for the sashing...

(for you non-quilters, thats the strips between the blocks)

must've been a dress.  You can also see in the photo below, how the strip that is horizontal, above the quilt block, is faded, compared to the strip that is vertical. 

Was this a favorite dress?

Is that why it's faded and worn in places?

Or was it that she had few dresses, and this one was just no longer wearable?  I wish I knew more about her.  My client did tell me that when her Mother made this quilt top, she was nearly blind.

That - to me - is amazing.

For me -  when I've finished a quilt...

the magic happens when I give the quilt it's first washing.

I use old fashioned, unbleached quilt batting.  1/4" thick cotton.

The kind our grandmothers would have used.

When it's washed and the dryed, it shrinks, just slightly.

Just enough to give it a little bit of puckering.

The same area of the quilt after washing ~

Now it looks like a vintage quilt that's been around for years.

I love that.

When I think about women from that era, it absolutely amazes me that they made beautiful quilts like this.  Every stitch by hand.  No sewing machines, no rotary cutters, just a needle and thread, fabric from feedsacks, or worn out clothing, never wasting a thing.

That is why this is a treasure.



Memory Quilt Number Six

My Favorite Kind of Sewing Project.

Memory Quilts.

About 2 years ago, I met a really sweet lady named Joyce.

She was trying to make a dress for her 50th wedding anniversary, when her sewing machine quit working properly.

( When people in the area have sewing machine problems, they bring them to me. I have a sewing machine mechanic on speed dial! )

Anyway... she was the sweetest thing. We must've sat here talking about sewing for 2 hours. I told Joyce to just take one of my machines home, to finish her dress, while her machine was being repaired. I didn't want her to worry about having enough time to finish her dress. It's not everyday that a girl has a 50th wedding anniversary!

Fast forward to this past summer... Joyce's grand-daughter, Crystal, contacted me and wanted to have a quilt made for her grandmother. We discussed the options, and I came up with a design that she really liked.

Mrs. Joyce had always made her own clothes, and things for her two daughters, and then of course, all of the grand-children. I told Crystal to go through all of those special things, and pick out any items that she would want included in the quilt. Even t-shirts... if it holds special meaning to someone in the family, I would work it in.

On the quilt top, each star is made from fabrics that Mrs. Joyce had used before.

Recycling at it's best.

Love squared.

I used old fashioned hand embroidery to add the names of everyone in the family.

Even the background fabric was remnants that Mrs. Joyce had in her stash.

For the reverse of the quilt, I used at least a little bit of each piece of fabric . Remember Holly Hobby fabric? It's in there. Retro prints from the 60's and 70's, curtain fabrics, dress shirts, you name it. Even suiting fabrics. When it comes to memory quilts... I say there are no rules. As long as the fabrics can be laundered, I will put it in there. I like using random patchwork for a quilt back like this. The way women would have done 100 years ago. I'm kind of old fashioned like that.

Now for the quilting. I learned a long time ago, the importance of prewashing fabrics before sewing them. ~The hard way.~ So I prewashed everything that I could before I cut anything out. Especially the blues and reds, 'cause we all know they are the most likely to bleed. Some of the fabric pieces that I had were to small to run through the washer and dryer. So I tried to just wet those thoroughly and heat set, then hope for the best. So before I put too much quilting into the project... I did all of the basic quilting. In the ditch. Then added the binding.

.

I always prewash and dry my quilts before delivering them to a client. I don't want them to get any nasty surprises later on. Also, once a quilt goes through the washer and dryer, the batting shrinks just a little bit. About 5%. THAT is when the magic happens for me. That is when it get's that old fashioned look, and the fabric just puckers up ever so slightly away from the batting.

After about 2 minutes in the wash....

this is what I found.

Can I just tell you ...

I was done.

Stick me with a fork.

I was sooo careful.

But there is that ONE piece of fabric that didn't get prewashed.

All of that hard work.

RUINED !

It bled right through.

You see... it can happen to anyone.

Even I, do make sewing mistakes.

Another lesson learned. This will never happen to me again.
On the up-side...

I sure am glad that I didn't put a whole lotta quilting into it already. It can be repaired. I can remove the orange fabric from the back. And thankfully I have enough fabric to replace what is ruined on the quilt top. But it is NOT going to be a quick fix.

(sigh)

It did break my heart though.

Another reason this quilt is so special to me...

My own grandmother, the last few months of her life...

She could no longer get up to her sewing machines.

She loved sewing so much. Every time I would see her, she would light up, then she would always ask me, "What are you working on now?" When ever I could, I would take my projects over to show her. I took this quilt over to show my Granny, in the week before she passed away. She ran her hands over the quilt blocks, then pulled it up close to her. She said "Those sure are some good points on those stars."

It's just a little thing... I know. But it's one of those little things that I will keep with me forever. And this is the last project that I will ever get to share with her. I miss her so much.

Heirloom Quilts

My sewing project for this week, is this "Memory Quilt".

She was a beloved Mother and Grandmother.

This quilt is made from her clothing.

My client's mother passed away last year. She asked me to make a quilt using some of her Mother's favorite shirts.

This is my 6th memory quilt. I think.

I love projects like this one. When I am sewing, I would rather make quilts than anything else. Call me sentimental, but I do hold on to things. It's hard to just throw away grandmother's favorite dress, or grand-dad's favorite shirt. This is the best way to hold on to those memories.

Have you ever lost someone, and you just wish you had them there,
to wrap their arms around you, and keep you safe and warm?

When I make these memory quilts, I hope that is what I am giving to my clients. Memories that you can wrap around yourself. And cherish forever.

The best kind of treasure.
The best kind of heirloom.

Now I'm off to do the quilting. I'll show you when I'm done.
Have a beautiful weekend.

Little Sewing Diva

My daughter, Alyssa, is 7 years old. And this is her 2nd quilt top.

She chose the fabrics, I cut and pinned the pieces together. But she did all of the sewing, "herself".

I couldnt seem to get even one pic with her eyes open. She's going to do the quilting as well. My Baby is so smart. And she loves fabric and sewing just as much as I do.

I'll post more pics of her and her fabulous quilt along the way.

My Pride and Joy !

My Tablecloth Quilt

I LOVE QUILTS!

I love em, I love em, I love em.

Quilts as art,

Quilts on the wall,

Quilts on the Bed,

Quilts on the sofa,

Quilts to snuggle with,

Quilts for a picnic,

and yes,

Quilts on the Table.

This is a quilt that I'm making to use on my dining room table.

It isnt finished yet... I think I'm going to add wider borders before I bind it.And this pic shows the back of the quilt,I'll post a pic of the front after I finish it. I just had to go ahead & post this pic showing the quilting design. I just LOOOOVE it.

Brooke's patchwork memory quilt

I made this quilt for my niece, Brooke. It's a patchwork made completely from her old clothes. No additional fabrics were used in the top.

Minnie Mouse from jeans. Blue check from bloomers.

Tweety from denim over-alls, with pink from a Tommy shirt.

Pink Elmo flower from a jacket, pink check from a shirt.

Lots of sundresses, shorts, and cute outfits were used in this quilt.

Geri's quilt

Let's talk about girl power.

This quilt top was hand pieced by a lady named Geri.

She called and asked me to finish the quilt for her grand-daughter.I went to meet Geri, pick up the quilt top, and discuss quilting designs.

She began to explain to me the reason for the quilt. You see, several years ago, She and her husband ran a little business here in this small town. These people had BIG hearts. They believe that all people deserve a second chance. They would give jobs to men whom had just been released from prison. Give those people a second chance, to get on their feet.

One morning, Geri went in to open the office as usual, and the ex-con employee, whom these people had been so generous as to give a job to, decided to rob these people instead of going to work.

Not only was this jerk going to rob these wonderful people. He figured he would kill her and get away with it. He bashed her head in, and beat her almost to death. She wasnt expected to live. But she somehow pulled through. Although she had severe brain damage. Geri had to relearn just about everything. Her doctors advised her to take up hand quilting as therapy to help her with the function of her hands.

And that is the way this quilt came about.

I was awed at this woman's strength and courage. It was an honor to finish this quilt for her. I felt a little stronger, just from meeting her.

I quilted in the ditch on the 9-patch blocks and used a Harriet Hargrave continuous-line pattern on the black blocks.

Girl Power

Conley quilts

I made 4 quilts for the conley family.

Each for a new grandchild.

I hand embroidered the baby girl's name on the quilt.

The large center block had a pieced and appliqued "sun" medallion,

bordered with a yellow and white check block.

This quilt had a pink & white check border printed with flowers and butterflies.

To enhance the flower border, I pieced a picket fence on the lower portion

of the quilt, which depicts the flowers growing up through the fence.

Then added hand embroidery to some of the flowers.

In the upper portion of the quilt, I hand appliqued shooting stars,

with embroidered "swirls" following the shooting stars.

Taylor Madison

This was the first quilt I made for the Conleys.

You can see that I love the yellow and white check border.

This quilt also had a center medallion with hand embroidered name and hand embroidered feathered heart.

older quilt projects

Dylan's Quilt

This was my very first quilt, ever. I was and still am very proud of it. I made it in 1995 after purchasing a quilt kit from a quilt shop on Stone Mountain just outside Atlanta. Even though I had been sewing since I was 4, I quess I was afraid to try to make a quilt. I always wanted to. I watched both of my grandmothers make quilts. I just thought it was soooo advanced. I mustered up the nerve and bought a quilt kit, bought all of the fabrics and set to work. I stayed at home for 2 weeks and meticulously stitched it together. I couldn't believe how well it turned out. But I had no idea of how to finish it. I heard about quilter Sammi Simpson in the area, so I took it to her to ask her to quilt it for me. She just couldn't believe it was my first quilt top. Then she asked if I had "squared" the quilt...... "huh???" "what's that?" was my reply.

You know... did you check to make sure it was square?

I felt this wave of sweat wash over me from head to toe...." Oh no. How could it be otherwise if I cut precisely, and sew precisely.? " I was soooo careful with every stitch.... it just had to be perfect..... I marked and cut each and every piece by hand. No rotary cutter. I didn't even own one back then.

It was perfectly square. "Whew"

Then she asked " did you prewash your fabrics?"

"Huh?"

My luck didnt hold up for that one.... Years later, I tested a red square and it bled like crazy. Still havent washed it. Had it dry cleaned a few times. but that just doesn't give it the same softness, ya know.

If anyone out there can tell me how to set the colors in this quilt, I would be so grateful.

Any whoo, I made it for my son's second birthday, and he still loves it. And so do I.

Sammi suggested I take her quilting class so I could learn how to do it myself. So I did and I soooooo glad that I did. I would rather make quilts than anything else.

Granny Jones

This is our Granny Jones. She passed away a few years ago. We miss her.

I remembered her wearing this dress more often than other dresses. So I decided to make a "memory quilt" from the dress.

To me, this is a way to hold on to something that belonged to a loved one, in a way that you can cherish forever. And everytime you curl up with that quilt, it is like you are curling up with her.

My Aunt Polly had given the dress to Granny as a gift. Aunt Polly also just happens to be mother of the bride in this picture. Before I finished the quilt, Aunt Polly had fallen and broken her arm. It just seemed to me, that I should give this treasure to her as a gift. Returning the dress to her ... so to speak.

Now, every year, Christmas with the Jones's is like a family reunion. Granny and PaPa Jones had six kids. 3 boys, 3 girls. Their 6 children now have great-grandchildren..... It is a BIG family. The family has grown so much that we have to rent a local facility for our chrismas gathering. All of the Jones families exchange names and gifts. I didnt draw Aunt Polly's name so this gift was sort of a real surprise. I handmade a card with the wedding photo of granny and the story of the dress. It was taped to the top of the gift so that anyone could read it.... I watched as many family members walked around the gift table, saw the card and read it. Most of them walked away with tears in their eyes, but a smile on their face. It was so heart-warming. And everyone kept the secret until the gifts were handed out. Everyone watched and waited for Aunt Polly to open her gift. She was so surprised. Everyone cried. It was beautiful.

My cousin, also named Teresa, also the bride in the first pic, wanted this quilt so badly. Our grandmother had worn this dress to her wedding. These are the things that you want to hold on to.

Aunt Polly's other daughter, Angela, loved the idea. So she asked her mom to have me make a quilt from the dress that Granny Jones wore to her wedding.

Here it is,

Another one for Aunt Polly

It was a suit. I carefully dis-assembled it, cut into strips, and then diamonds. There were 9 blocks made from single 8 pointed stars. Each block finished with one inch border. There were 4 blocks with 2 layer 8-pointed stars. Here are pics of the work in progress.

This one's for my Father

For this quilt, I used one of our grandmothers flannel shirts, and one of PaPa's flannel shirts. Cream colored flannel was used for the front and back of the quilt. It is so soft. I loved making this quilt for my Father.

Everyone in the family loved the idea of using our grandparents old things in these quilts. There was one other quilt made from our grandmothers dresses for my Aunt Margie. I dont have pics of that one yet, but I will post them when I do.