handcrafted quilts and quilting services
Happy New Year! December was a bit of a whirlwind – I was bound and determined to finish several Christmas quilts for the season, and I did, but it took every minute at my sewing machine to do so. Which means I’m behind on journaling. So here’s a recap of December’s quilts, a part of The Penny Square Project, now listed at the bottom of the website.… Read more
This past summer, I found a quilt top at an estate sale. It was simple hand-pieced patchwork, made from vintage fabrics and feed sacks that appear to date from the 1930’s and 40’s. Based on the randomness of the design, the frugal maker most likely had decided to just use up the scraps in her sewing basket.… Read more
This summer, I invested in a used (but new-to-me) embroidery sewing machine. I’ve been staring at it for a couple of months now – totally intimidated to the point of paralysis. It is a bit humbling to be a beginner at something again, after gaining so much confidence over the years in quilting.… Read more
Several months back, I was chatting with a quilting customer who told me about a miniature cedar “hope” chest she had received upon her high school graduation (I’m guessing in the 1970’s or 80’s). Next thing you know, she had gifted me with one that she had come across in a garage or estate sale!… Read more
I had the high honor to quilt a Red Work quilt top, embroidered in 1892! The quilt top is also a friendship (or signature) quilt, with each block “signed” by the family member or friend who embroidered it. Since the date, January 19, 1892, is embroidered in the central block as well as some of the smaller surrounding ones, I feel certain that this quilt top celebrates an event, most likely a wedding.… Read more
I’ve spent this past week sewing in the studio, but not on quilts. After watching a whole lot of YouTube tutorials on making face masks, I went to work on creating these nonmedical fabric masks – for our family, of course, but I will also provide my community with as many as I can make as well, since it appears that we will all be using face masks for some time to come.… Read more
A few weeks ago, I ran across a vintage quilt pattern that took my fancy. It reminds me of the tiny verbena that I planted in a dish garden just outside of the front door. The quilt block is a flower that measures 4 1/2″ square, which means that the pieces that make up the block are even smaller – 3/4″ squares for the flower centers!… Read more
Yesterday was Easter. Covid-19 had us attending a “virtual” Easter Mass in the morning, and provided us with tons of leftovers from our traditional ham and sweet potatoes family dinner in the afternoon, since no other family were gathered around our table. The Easter bunny (aka our lovely neighbors Kaylee and Chad) DID leave some chocolate eggs for us – outside our front door on the porch.… Read more