Disappearing Nine Patch

I just recently saw this block/quilt design (yeah, I've been out of touch!). I placed them in a diamond configuration that makes it look like an on-point setting. The material is Moda Penelope and I got eight sets of 25 charms for it. The background is from the Moda Portobello Market collection and I got 4 yards. For the border I wanted the lighter green in the Penelope collection but after searching the net and asking sellers of the collection if they had it, I settled on the brown floral and got 3 yards.

I made be a little off on the count of extra charms needed out of the brown floral but, I'll post an update to that if I find that am when I put it together.

Giant Dahlia Quilt

I love this pattern and decided to try doing one. I got the Marti Michel giant dahlia templates and it wasn't that hard to make. With the templates you line up reference dots along the curves so you know you are putting them together right. The fabric is called Gypsy Princess and I got it on eBay.

The dahlia center has been applique'd to the background, which is Hoffman, Love is in the Air. I have the applique for the pillow area laid out and one of the large flowers and half the vine is done sewing. The small flowers all have their centers sewn on and the 1/4 seam turned under and basted. The applique is hand done and the dahlia itself was done on machine.

My plan is to put a thin blue border around the body and then use the white for an outer border and applique vines and the simple flowers on the border. We'll see how that plan comes to fruition if I can handle doing that much applique.

My Grandmother's Quilt

I am not sure of the year this quilt is made. My grandmother told me that there was a neighbor lady who couldn't afford the material to make a quilt so she made a deal that if my grandmother would supply the material, she would make a quilt for herself and one for my grandmother.

The hexagons are 1" on each side and it is hand quilted around each one. There is a little yellowing in places on the backing but otherwise it is in brand new condition. I don't think it was ever used or washed as it still has the feel of new material.

My Great-Grandmother's Blocks

My Grandmother showed me these blocks many years ago and told me that her mother made them. Her mother was Martha Elizabeth Yarborough Gossvener, born in 1875 in Hindsville, Arkansas. There are 80 blocks.

The blocks have been stored in my grandmother's hope chest all these years and I got them when my father passed away. To my surprise when I opened the bag they were in there was also the paper patterns for the blocks. It is cut out of newspaper and I have found a date in 1935 in the articles. I believe the publication is Home and Farm.

Compass Stars

This is being done from fabric left over from another quilt. They are paper foundation pieced. I like this method, it's practically foolproof to get the points right. I work on this between other projects and I have the next one selected and the fabrics I'm going to use.

Quilt For My Brother

I made this for my brother in appreciation of all that he is doing to settle the family affairs after my father's passing. It is made of Civil War Reproduction fabric in a collection called Vicksburg. I chose a very simple pattern called 4-Square Fun to go with the masculine looking material. I plan on making a label for the quilt that includes information about our great-great-grandfather, Elias Yarborough, who was born in 1836 and served in the Civil War. There are records of him being captured at Vicksburg, Mississippi.

This was an unbelievably easy and quick quilt to do, it only took a few days to make. It isn't all sewn together in this picture but it is now and I just received the border fabric 2 days ago.

My Sewing Room

I spend a lot of time here in the evenings. There is a TV to listen to as I work and everything I need is at hand. I got the cubbyhole unit at Ikea, the craft table at JoAnn's, and the kidney shaped table at Salvation Army for $25. It is thick and sturdy and doesn't shake with the sewing machine going at full throttle.

My Very First Quilt

This was the first quilt I ever made. My children were little at the time so it was probably late 1980's to 1990. My grandmother gave me her scraps when she couldn't see well enough to quilt anymore. I didn't know much at all about quilting and it's fortunate that I chose a block that didn't have a lot relying on matching points or corners. This one is hand pieced and hand quilted.

I entered it in the County Fair and won first place for Quilter's First Quilt.

Another BOM

I am not sure what year this was done. Doing a BOM is a good way to learn many techniques and skills. It's like a sampler really with many different types of blocks. My favorite block here is the log one in the diamond shape (I can't think what the block is called).

A Block-of-the-Month Quilt

This one was done around 2000 and it's called Heritage. It's done with foundation piecing on muslin. It is tied and one edge has been bound. I am thinking of having this machine quilted. Because of the foundation it would probably be difficult to hand quilt.

There was supposed to be the circular New York Beauty blocks ALL around the quilt. I just got to the point where I needed to be done with it so, I put them just in the corners.

A Casual Quilter

I've done quilting for about 20 years though there have been periods of time where I didn't do any sewing/quilting. I recently got my sewing room back together after one of my children moved out of the house and I have re-discovered a passion for it.

I love every aspect of it from drooling over beautiful fabrics, to designing a quilt for fabrics I love. I would have to say that my least favorite part is hand quilting. Not that I don't like it, it just takes a long time to do. I get impatient to keep designing and creating new tops. I have never had a quilt machine quilted but I am considering it for a couple of completed tops. I am also considering having a couple of them hand quilted by some Amish groups I have read about that will do it.

In the meantime I continue to make simple quilts and sometimes a more complicated one thrown in. I need the satisfaction of completing one while another is still in the works.