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Quilts and Causes

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I have made a few quilts using this pattern.  It’s a simple 2 block quilt.  One is a snowball and the other is a square within a square and is set on point.  The pattern I use if found in a Trudy Huges quilt book. 

Now there is a rummage sale in Buena Park going on 4/21 & 4/22 at the Buena Park Police Station (6650 Beach Blvd) to help out one of their Explorers.    The Explorer proram gives people a chance to find out about the Police Department and to assist them with administrative work, greeting the residents/business owners, etc.  One of their explorers is going through some major medical problems and the Explorer Post is hosting a Raffle/Rummage sale this weekend from 7am-pm for 2 days.

I had this quilt finished and thought they could raffle it off.  Made up with cute lil’ cowboys/cowgirls and horses, with accent fabric of horseshoes and bales of hay.  The border fabric is boots, hats and stars.   I quilted it with hats, boots and stars to complement the fabric designs.  If you are in the Orange County area and need toys, furniture, clothes, jewelry, electronics, etc…. please stop by.

Thanks for reading.

Buster and Double Irish Chain

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Way back in 1993, there was an Amish Quilt show at the Laguna Art Museum.  Now, Laguna had just gone through the fire storm that wiped out numerous houses but the energizing view of people starting to rebuild inspired me.  It was a rebirth of houses, neighbors coming back together and a calm in the town.

When I started quilting, my fabric leaned towards cutesy calico.  But the Amish show had such beautiful, solid colored quilts.  We weren’t allowed to take photos so I sat and sketched the pattern, notes on the colors and the hand quilting design.  The eggplant, turquoise and brick red made a striking quilt.  The pattern was not hard and I did some hand quilting in the solid eggplant centers.  I would work on this during lunchtime at work while listening to the TV (All My Children was always on). 

My Buster liked to sleep on it.  It became his favorite quilt and th only place where he could rule the house.

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Crazy Quilt Conference

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I did an earlier post of going to Omaha for a Crazy Quilt Conference.  Now the nice thing was I didn’t have to lug a sewing machine onto the plane.  The conference had some great teachers.  One was Kelly Gallagher.  Here is a hand quilter, ER nurse, hand model, quilt judge and now a long arm dealer.

Kelly is pictured with a quilt she did and it is a beaut.  What I found out from taking her class is that she was from Orange County (as I am) and she did some work for “How To Make An American Quilt” movie.  She also was the main judge for the Hoffman Challenge (they have fabulous fabrics, don’t they?) and now she and her husband are the Gammil dealers out of Colorado.

She is an inspiring teacher and has a wealth of knowledge that she shares.  I learned some great stitches from her and work on it when I am on vacation. Hand stitching is also a great way to diet – your hands are busy with thread, they don’t have time to put food in your mouth.

I just finished 2 quilt tops and will post a picture after I get them quilted on the long arm.  Thanks for reading.  .

Seaside Oregon and the Prom

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I have so many pictures of Tillamook Head and the Seaside Prom from all my visits.  Each time I would think, “This would make a wonderful art quilt.”  But I didn’t try.

Imagine my surprise and joy when I saw this quilt at Road to California 2012 quilt show from a quilter who lives in Portland.  I was mentally transported to that spot on the Prom, I could smell the salt air and feel the misty breezes.  I stopped by this quilt every day I was there-I would close my eyes and imagine that I had just finished a cup of Dooger’s clam chowder and was walking off the calories. 

I overheard a comment and then proceeded to explain the area to the person.  They thought it was my quilt but all I could say was, “I wish it was and I will do something similar someday.  But Seaside is like a second home for me.”

If I don’t try, I’ll never know if I can.  So, no more housework for today – I’m off to the sewing room to try it.  But here is one of my pictures from a past visit.

Hugs and Kisses

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A great way to bust your stash.  It’s one pattern with some of the pieces turned a different way.

I used a really pretty Asian fabric and then pulled colors to make the squares.

I just finished it when a friend told me about someone that was going through cancer treatments.  He wanted to buy it for her so that she would have something to hold on to during chemo and radiation.

Quilts are made with love and they can make a bad day better.

Thanks for reading.

Pink Bow Tie

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It really is pink but when you use auto correct, the colors sometimes deepen.  Anyway, this is a Bow Tie quilt that is 3D. 

I wanted to try teaching a class, charge only $15 and then donate the money to the Komen Foundation.  It was only difficult in typing up the instructions.  I had plenty of pictures (with help from Elwood the Cat) and it was to be a scrappy quilt.  Diane Beachamp custom quilted it for me, Quilter’s Garden donated the fabric, and I offered it on a weeknight and a Saturday.  Unfortunately, there were not any takers. 

The wall hanging is now up in my cubicle – hoping to remind people that 1) this isn’t your Grandma’s quilt, 2) Breast Cancer hits 1 out 7 women, 3) any fabric can brighten up a cubicle.

Thanks for reading.

Off Center Jacob’s Ladder

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Same quilt pattern, just different fabric.  Jacob’s Ladder is usually 3 sections that are equal in size – it may be 1, 2, or more pieces but the end result will be a square.

I saw a quilt at Material Possessions in Lake Forest (has since closed) and asked about the pattern.  The sales person said they didn’t have a copy nor the book but found it online for me.  The one on the left was the first one done.  After I finished the top, I realized that I didn’t make it exactly the way the directions read.  And I wasn’t happy with the lightest fabric – it just screamed “Look at me”.  So I bought different fabric and made the one on the right.

Now another quilter said, “It won’t scream once you quilt it”, someone else said to tea stain it or paint the lightest.  I left it alone and the color did blend away once it was quilted.  Here are some other photos.

Can you see the difference?

 

Thanks for reading.

Another Race for the Cure Quilt 2002

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Sometimes just a quilt makes a statement with just 2 colors.  This quilt is a “one block” quilt.  The pattern calls for one block to be made, and then you just turn it one way or the other the create the flow.  This was made entirely on my 1938 Singer Featherweight.  I now sew on a Bernina 440.

I used this quilt as a raffle prize for Team FireWalkers for the OC Komen for the Cure race in 2002.  OCFA has had a team for the last 15 years and we usually raise about $1100.  The Wednesday or Thursday before the race, we have a raffle/bake sale.  Our Fire Marshal donates a couple of tickets for the Anaheim Ducks, another employee donates hand made jewelry, and there is a bunch of other items donated or made to raise money for this race.

The raffle started around the second year we had a team.  All started with someone bragging that his biscotti were better than mine.  So we had a baking contest and it evolved into a much larger event.  I’ll continue this tradition until I retire.

Thanks for reading.

Thirties Style Fabric

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There are so many different styles of fabrics to choose.  You have your batiks, solids, contemporary, large floral, Thimbleberries, Civil War and many others.  The quilt on the side is from a class where we met every month on the first Monday.  The instructor gave us this pattern the first month. 

The figures are in the form of Sunbonnet Sue doing her weekday chores.  Fun pattern and it was a fun class.

Thanks for reading.

Crazy Quilts

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A few years ago, I took a Crazy Quilt Seminar in Omaha.  All hand stitching – it was fabulous.  I’ve started a few but it is one of those projects that I pick up between other projects.

Crazy Quilts encompasses so many things.  A woman could show off her stitches. It used up scraps and by using scraps, a person would have maybe a little piece of her Grandpa’s shirt or her sisters dress.

Crazy quilts are fabulous.  I’m not sure if the conference is still going on but take a look at the next crazy quilt you see. Stand back and enjoy the array of colors.

Thanks for reading