A Favorite Batik Wallhanging

Again, I saw a quilt in McCall's Quilting five years ago (February 2003) and was immediately attracted to it. It was designed by Joyce Robinson. An easy one to do - there is no piecing. You cut the batik squares all approximately the same size but with a rotary cutter and no ruler. Fabric is backed with fusible web. Ditto for the centers. Then iron them on a large rectangle and quilt the piece. I just love the looks of this one and think it turned out well. I was just starting machine quilting and it actually turned out okay. (Click to enlarge)

My Patio Garden in Late July

Summer is flying by - July almost gone. The other evening when I was watering my plants, I took some pictures. My garden is really small but kind of pretty and the plants are doing well. The deer haven't eaten the geranium heads for awhile now so the one pot is in bloom again. I really am loving my ornamental kale and hoping for it to be absolutely beautiful in the fall. Now the color is not intense but they are certainly growing.

This is just about the right size garden for an oldhag!! (Click to enlarge)

Red Diamond Kaleidoscopes

From Just Love Red quilt.

Here's "Just Love Red"

The red diamond quilt from Kaffee Fassett's Kaleidoscope Quilts. I used some of his fabrics but also some others which I thought blended in very nicely. This is the top before it was quilted and I had that done at the local quilt shop (LQS right?). There is a "design wall" in my basement - actually flannel that I put up with push pins into the wood at the top of the cement wall. I did the whole end of the basement that way so can have lots of things up if I wish. Laid the entire top out, then stacked up the diagonal rows - carefully - and sewed them together. Back on the wall they went and when all were sewn I started sewing the rows together. Worked out great. Next post, I will put up a couple of pretty kaleidoscopes!

(Click to enlarge)

Moonflower Quilt

From the book by Kaffee Fassett entitled Kaleidoscope Quilts. Ruth Eglinton is the quiltmaker. I actually used most of the fabrics listed but replaced some of them with other choices. Love the quilts in Fassett's books and love the fabric. I have also done the big red diamond quilt and will post it's picture later when I get a good photo of it. The fabrics he uses are so rich and beautiful colors. When I quilted this piece, I did some of it in the stones pattern and find that a nice one to use for fill. (Click to enlarge)

Circle Kaleidoscopes

Here are a couple of kaleidoscopes for the previous wallhangings. (Click to enlarge)

Circles

This little wallhanging was taken from a book called Circle Play by Reynola Pakusich. There are so many lovely quilts in the book and the quilts are not hard to do. This one is done with some Africanlike fabrics and other odds and ends. Part of my fascination with quilting is the mixing and matching of fabric - so many times just changing one piece of fabric in a block just seems to say that "this is it!" The second one is done in Oriental fabrics and is newly bound. (Click to enlarge)

Icicles Kaleidoscopes

Here are some kaleidoscopes I made earlier from a picture of the previous top after it was pieced. Aren't they pretty?

Icicles

Here is another paper pieced quilt that I am just finishing. The binding is almost done. I had started to quilt it some time ago and just did not like what I had done. So, I spent quite a few hours "unquilting" it and am so glad that I did since I am very happy with the way it turned out. The pattern came from an issue of Quilters Newsletter Magazine and was one of those quilts that caught my eye instantly. It is done in batiks - not bedsize but would be one to hang on a large wall or use on a couch. I see in enlarging the picture that there still are chalk lines which will have to be removed. At least, this is a very clear, good picture!! (Click to enlarge)

Completely Dotty

This is another very loud quilt done mainly in dotted fabrics. I took the pattern from a magazine and I think it's one by Piece 'o Cake. It was fun to do. I seem to like making all different quilts and wallhangings. Scrap quilts are my favorites - the more different pieces of fabric I can get in a quilt, the better I like it. Batiks are a favorite of mine, but I also love the brights, the reproduction fabrics, the pretty florals--just like working with all of it. And I don't want to leave out the Amish quilts. Quilting is a joy!! This picture isn't that good - have to figure out what I have the camera set at - it usually takes gorgeous pictures. Probably I pushed a wrong button someplace. (Click to enlarge)

My Pretty Old Quilter

Another of my old pictures - this time no poetry - but it's reverse painting on glass and the picture is backed with foil. She's so cute with her white hair and her lovely patchwork quilt. From an antique store in Peoria, I think, or it could be Kansas City. Regardless, I'm elderly and have my senior moments!! (Click to enlarge)

Early ATC's

Some of the early artist trading cards I did. The first was one for December 2006 and has my two little kids and Santa taken at a department store in Peoria in 1956.

When we first started the trading, there were a lot more taking part so more cards to do. I seem to be drawn to doing my atc's on the computer and simply love all the old pictures of pretty (and not so pretty) girls out there. Also have found so many really cute and clever quotes. So the next cards are ones that I did when we first got started. The backgrounds are pictures of quilts that I edited and faded out then added the ladies. Very fun to do.

A Border for my Butterflies

Put the blocks together today and time to decide on a border. I had some of the fabric that looks like row after row of ricrac on black which I used for the butterfly

bodies but not enough for borders or binding. Spotted a bolt at the quilt shop the other day so went and bought a piece. I fussycut a narrow border and really like the way that looks. Decided to do piano keys - or whatever you call them - and first did a sample of a strip of the dotted background and then a print and so on and so on. Put that on the wall - not taken with it at all. Started slapping prints one after another and think that looks great! So now I will do the borders and make a narrow binding out of the ricrac fabric and will be happy with the way it turns out. (Click to enlarge)

Challenge Quilts

Our guild has a quilt show each year and there is always a challenge that you can participate in if you wish. The little quilts are only 20 x 24 inches so a manageable size. What a great variety we have had each time. I just have to say that we have a great bunch of talented gals in the group. One year the theme was Old McDonald had a Farm. My little wallhanging is called "....and on this farm he had a...." with a picture of a rooster on the label. Another year stars were featured and here is my take on stars. One of the girls wanted to buy the hanging and I sold it to her with the proceeds going to our guild. (Click to enlarge)

How About a Couple of Kaleidoscopes?

From a little Sunbonnet Sue and Sam quilt I did using reproduction fabrics. Such a fascinating piece of software - you can get some incredibly beautiful kaleidoscopes in all shapes and sizes. (When I enlarged the little sunbonnet girl, I see that I have a little thread nest on her arm.)

African Quilt

This is done with African fabrics - probably not authentic but bright and Africanlike. The pattern came from a book I bought but no longer have. I had it quilted at the local quilt shop.

(Click to enlarge)

Another Butterfly

Here is a butterfly that has been buttonhole appliqued. Will be doing 3 x 4 with four more to go. Verdict is still out on how enthused I am with this little piece. I do really like this block, though.

Old Pictures with Poems

Some of my favorite things are old pictures with poems. One of the first ones I have was found in Ray's Mom's things called Married Life. It's wonderful. Then Sherry gave me one as a gift called Mother and I will post that one later. The other one for now is Little Kitchen - isn't it adorable? I know we all make fleecy biscuits, pies and cakes! Discovered this little gem in an antique store in Peoria just before we moved to Michigan. (Click to enlarge)

July 1st Already?

Garden is growing!! I love my cabbages - they should be wonderful in the autumn!

I Love Batiks

I love the colors in this piece.

Wild & Crazy New York Beauty

Paper pieced, of course, with the chance to use lots and lots of wild colors. I enjoyed making this hanging very much. (Click to enlarge)

Geranium Wallhanging

The geranium wallhanging is now quilted and bound but haven't sewn the beads in the center of the flowers yet. I think the quilting is pretty good for me. The feather spray is not too bad and was freehand except for the base line. Wish I had made the line a double one but there is usually always something I would have changed on a piece.
(Click to enlarge)