Show and tell…

Lois Hall sent me photos of her fantastic Briar Rose quilt. Lois, thank you for sharing your quilt with us!

WP_20170605_008

Here’s what Lois said:

This is a quilt that has been a work in progress for several years. It is FINALLY finished!  I completed the last of the hand quilting last month so I could use it as a table topper when I was hostess for my book club meeting in May. There were several comments (and pats on the back) which pleased me to no end, but most assuredly part of the credit goes to you for your beautiful design. Pictures attached show off this treasured piece of work!

Click the photos to see them at a larger size.

Briar Rose is just one of the patterns in the Flowering Favorites ebook. Click here.

PS: Nothing against the members of my book club, but I’m not so sure that I would trust them not to spill on my quilt. Lois, you are a brave hostess :-).

Show and tell…

Nancy Arseneault sent me photos of her two quilts with the following story. Both of her quilts are beautiful, but Nancy points out how important it is to pay attention to the quilting. Thank you, Nancy, for sharing your quilts with us!

I loved your Anniversary Quilt at first sight.  ​Since I like to put my own spin on patterns, I made oversize blocks using hand dyes on a solid black background.  Construction was a fused raw edge technique with blanket stitching. I added some French knots and experimented with trapunto.  Then I put the blocks aside for several years in a UFO bin.  I pulled them out again in 2012 and decided to make a border with additional appliqué elements.  I called it Garden of Pomegranates. It was going pretty well until  a show deadline loomed.  The free motion machine quilting had to be RUSHED.  Did I mention I had decided to go with salmon colored thread on the black background? Bad call! The quilt was ready in time for the show but the rushed quilting had ruined it.

Garden of Pomegranates

In 2015, I decided that The Anniversary Quilt deserved a do over.  This time, in a completely different color scheme, I decided to make much smaller blocks.  An invisible machine appliqué technique was used.   I changed the setting to allow for some additional background space by separating the 4 Pomegranate blocks with a deconstructed block placed on point in the center.  Once again, a border was created of appliqué shapes from the blocks.  I finished in 2016.  It’s called Back to the Garden. Thought that you might like to see the quilts you inspired and hear about the journey.
Thanks, Becky, for your beautiful quilts, great books & patterns and sound advice.
Nancy Arseneault
Back_to_the_Garden_f

Show and tell…

Stars In The Garden by Maxine Olson

Stars In The Garden by Maxine Olson

I love seeing how quilters use our patterns to make their own quilts! Here is the story of this quilt, sent to me by the maker. Maxine did, indeed, make a wonderful quilt!

Here are pictures of my completed and wonderfully quilted (by Linda Carey) “Stars In The Garden” quilt. I just love it and I can’t thank you enough for saving me when you sent the PDF so that I could finish the setting. I have still not found those directions…I know they have to be in this cluttered quilt room somewhere.

Everyone who has seen my quilt just loves it. My quilt was a BOM that was left behind when my dear friend, Linda, died from a terrible disease. Being the appliquer in our group made me the likely recipient. I requested my quilter to quilt “Linda” somewhere within the quilting. She did that on one of the latices.

This is my third Piece O’Cake quilt I have completed. I have done Simply Delicious and A Walk in The Mountains, My husband saw your Land of the Free…so I think I might have to do that one too. Oh my..  I also have Beautiful Berries awaiting….

Again thank you for replying and helping me when I really needed it. I hope I have done your pattern justice.

Please enjoy the season.

Maxine O.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Show and tell…

Carol Hart sent pictures of her quilt and this story:

This is my quilt which I have worked diligently on for the last 2 years.  I was given 114 Grandmother Flower Garden blocks that were made during the depression (1930’s) by a friend of ours grandmother.  I wanted to finish them off in the style that was popular back then.  Vines in the border, and yo-yo flowers (the round groups of 3) were common then.  It is all hand done, measuring 92″ wide, 97″ length.  The lady who made the vintage blocks, Beatrice was called Bea, so I used a bee theme to honor her, plus I needed to fill more border space to make it fit a queen bed. The man standing with me is our friend that gave me the blocks.

carolhart-3

This was quilt show weekend.  I entered my quilt to be judged, an option.  Judging was done on Monday.  The show was hung of Friday, I helped.  The judge awarded me Best of Show and Best Handwork.   Today turned out to be my lucky day, too.   I was awarded Popular Choice, which is a vote taken by all those attending the show, I got that ribbon at the end of today.  So, my quilt is back home.  I’m thrilled.  I’ll sleep well tonight.

carolhart-1 carolhart-2

Carol worked on her quilt in my Independent Study class at the Empty Spools Seminar. I’m going to add the very nice things she wrote about the class. If you are interested, I’m teaching this class again in March 2017 :-).

I want to thank you for your suggestions which added to the design of this quilt.  You also gave me confidence to improvise, especially in the corners where I needed some encouragement.  The yo-yo’s really added to the border.  It was nice part of making this quilt to have the experience with you in your class.  Many of your class presentations also added to my techniques now part of my routine.  Thought you’d like to see the finished results.

Carol, I am very happy to see the finished quilt and I thank you for sharing the photos and your story. You do lovely work and the ribbons are well-earned. Congratulations!

Show and tell…

Helen K. sent me an email, saying:

Several  years ago I took a class from you with the Feather Princesses in Tampa.  Since then, I have completed two of of your larger quilts, My Whimsical Garden and Tree of life.  It’s been so much fun working with your patterns and I plan to put both in our quilt show in February 2017.

Attached is My Whimsical Garden and I’ll send the other when I get the binding on.  It will be a wedding gift for my son.

helenklett-whimsical

Way to go, Helen! I’m looking forward to seeing your next quilt :-).