Painting Quilt Blocks
October 23, 2009
Quilt made by my sister using five blocks I fabric painted, 34 x 34 inches
During my trip home to Minnesota, my sister and I collaborated on a presentation to her Thimbleberries Quilt Club — I showed photos of my quilts, and she showed actual quilts she had made using the same fabrics and/or patterns. One of the quilts she showed incorporated five blocks that I had painted for her when my sisters had a handmade gift exchange for Christmas 1991. I had painted four scenes from our childhood on the farm, plus a block showing a woman quilting.
This panel brings back memories of butchering chickens.
Before my dad got his combine, we gathered the oats into shocks and threshed the grain.
A fun winter past time was ice skating on the ponds
We picked wild raspberries in the woods, hot and scratchy work.
Hand-quilting
Descriptive label
Yellow Brick Road Baby Quilt
October 22, 2009
Baby quilt for Minh Hai, my co-worker
Baby quilt on fall leaves
The colors in the quilt reflect the hues of falling leaves
I needed a small project to work on during my recent visit to Minnesota. I spent two days with my sister at the Common Threads quilt shop, and while she was working, I wanted to work on my own project. When I mentioned that I wanted to make a baby quilt for one of my co-workers, my sister whipped out a small quilt top she pieced from scraps. The yellow and salmon-colored fabrics were perfect for a little girl’s baby quilt. All I had to do was assemble the backing and batting, and then hand-quilt it.
I am happy to report that I finished the quilt a few days before my return to Seattle. I love how the finished quilt reflected the colors I saw in the autumn landscapes in Minnesota.
Hand-quilting, a meditative craft
Lavender Sachets
July 21, 2009
Harvesting lavender from my garden, July 2009
Freshly cut lavender
I have one lavender bush in my garden, and it just thrives through benign neglect in the poor soil. This one bush provides more than enough lavender for my needs. I keep one vintage jar of lavender buds in the guest bedroom. And this year I made some lavender sachets out of simple muslin.
Choosing embroidery thread for my sachets
Embroidering on muslin
Sewing columns for the lavender pockets
Filling each pocket with one Tablespoon of lavender buds
Finished lavender sachet, July 2009, 9 x 9 inches
Sewing buttons on a second sachet
Finished sachets
Sweet Dreams Baby Quilt
July 20, 2009
Sweet Dreams Picnic Quilt, April 2009, 31 x 36 inches
Embroidered bunny center block
Dreaming bunny
I found the embroidered bunny pattern in a book called Doodle Stitching by Aimee Ray. I thought it would be sweet to use this embroidered block in a baby quilt. Once again, I used a reduced-version of the Picnic Quilt. I drew freehand carrots on the border fabric to use as a guide for my hand-quilting.
