Friday, October 25, 2013

Flower Pots from 2001

Today I am sharing a quilt from 2001. 
That year, every day I drove my 10 years old son, a sixth grader to Jr. high for an accelerated math class. Schools district we lived in was quite accomodating and teachers were very helpful. Two schools worked together for his academic needs.
He went and did his math for an hour while I sat in the car and worked on this quilt. After his class he went back to his elementary school and resumed the day.
Shail and I became good friends that year. This are Flower Pots from 2001.


Pattern is by Blackbird Designs.
I was pretty new at this and enjoyed every single stitch. I chose contrasting colored thread to be able to see the stitches.  

 



 A new applique quilt is sounding pretty good this fall. 


But first, I am going to put a sleeve on this quilt. I have never hung this quilt on the wall.


  I remember how much fun this was! It seems so long ago!


Shail, now leaves in Michigan. He is enjoying his new job and exploring everything that's coming his way.  

I love how life goes on and days become memories. We revisit those days through our quilts when we see them. Keep making whatever it is you are working on today. Some day you will look back and reflect on  this day.
 

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

A Baby Quilt for Leona

Last week I needed to make a quick gift before leaving for Seattle. Those 3 1/2'' squares in a box from the past came in handy. I started with no plan but pretty happy with how it turned out.



It measures only 33 1/2'' x 33 1/2 ''. I like small quilts as a gift for newborn babies. They are easier to handle with so many things young mothers carry these days.


I took the meandering route when it came to last minute quilting. I think it worked out okay. I like how it makes the quilt shimmer in light.


Another advantage of smaller quilts - When in hurry, you can use just a yard for the backing without having to do any piecing and, when the baby grows up carrying her little blanket around, it's light-weight and doesn't drag on the floor.

 
It's backed with large poppies - One of my favorite soft pastels from few years old Kaffe Fassett fabrics. Stripe binding made sense for this quilt.  

It was just the thing to get me started sewing again!

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Fall - Blast from the Past

This morning I was talking to a friend about this old tuffet, I made few years ago. I don't remember if I ever posted about it. I figured, it's fall, I think it fits!  And you all are so nice to me, even if I repeat, you wont mind.

On the front porch of the home in Seattle

My friend, Myra Mitchell wrote the pattern for it after being inspired by seeing it in one of the books by Kaffe Fassett. I think, it was Passionate Patchwork. She taught classes for a long time. I wonder if she still teaches them. I recently posted this picture on my personal fb page and that brought back many memories, not only connected with this tuffet but also with the shop where I worked and taught for many years.

Do you see it peeking in the corner? That's my one and only,  king size quilt- folded in half hanging in the background. Love that one!

 I am going to be able to visit that shop in near future and can't wait to see my friends there.

I stopped at making just one tuffet being super busy at the time with three children and a job and teaching etc.You know how it all works. Myra on the other hand, being the passionate patchwork quilter that she is, has successfully made and taught many tuffets in different size and shape.

 My little tuffet has been around for a while.

Photography by Mark Frey, Seattle, Washington.
I take the credit for draping of the fabric to tie them all together. :0

And, here it is sporting with DS fabrics - made by Linda French - another friend from Seattle, who taught the tuffet class with Myra. That's my quilt pattern Box of Candies in the background. I had fallen in love with the Flea Market Fancy by DS fabrics when it first came out. 


 We had worked so hard for our booth at the APNQ show that year.




Quilt collector and fabric designer Mary Koval had joined us in the booth. It was quite the experience to put it all together with friends and feature the patterns, fabrics and quilts from the shop. I do miss those days of being surrounded on daily bases by fabrics and friends who live, breath and dream quilts.

Hope I have made you curious about the tuffet. I hope you make one. It is a lot of fun. I am sure Quiltworks Northwest still carries that pattern. I am going to find out myself soon enough when I visit.

Thank you my friend, for evoking the memories from the past!

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