Quilt 118 - Andrea's Disappearing Nine Patch

2008, 50" x 50"

I bought the fabrics in this quilt at the 2008 Quilt Market in Portland. It was a set of fat quarters from Sandi Henderson's Ginger Blossom collection. I just loved the fabrics and wanted to keep them all together and use a pattern that would show off my favorites. Mom had recently shown me the Disappearing Nine Patch pattern (a large 9 patch cut in half to form 4 blocks) and I thought it would be the perfect thing.

I pieced the blocks the week before Christmas and had enough to make two lap size quilts, so my sister-in-law Andrea was the lucky recipient of the second one! I don't have mine finished yet, but I actually gave a completed quilt as a present...and Mom didn't even need to finish the binding on the car ride over!

Below is a detail of the quilting and a shot of the cozy Minky fabric we used for the back. Thanks for the great quilting, Mom!

Happy New Year, Everyone!!

Quilt 117 - Birthday Snowflake Quilt

Alma's 90th Birthday Snowflake Quilt

2004, 104" X 84"

This quilt was an inspiration to Adele from the February 2004 McCall's Quilting Magazine. Lori Housel's pattern was adapted from Possibilities "Let It Snow" in the Joy to the World Quilt Book. Our mother, Alma, celebrating her 90th birthday in 2004 was the recepient of this quilt. Top picture shows Alma and Adele putting the quilt on her bed. Bottom pictures shows Ione doing the quilting.

Each of the 10 children had a different white on white fabric for their family's snowflakes and sent their snowflake designs to Adele to assemble. The 18 grandchildren's snowflakes were smaller than their parents. The 11 great grandchildren had even smaller snowflakes. The quilt was presented to Alma over the Labor Day weekend at Adele's new home but the quilt stayed in Washington to hang at the Innovations Quilt Show in October. The snowflakes were fused to the quilt and then were attached with thread while being quilted on the Longarm machine. Hobbs wool batting was used in this quilt and has been on Mom's bed winter and summer. We were in Oregon to celebrate Mom's 94th birthday last week.

Happy Birthday, Mom!!

- posted by Ione

Quilt 116 - Gazebo Lunch Bunch Christmas Quilt

1996, 48" X 48"

This is the Christmas quilt from our series of Gazebo Lunch Bunch Quilts from the Sisters Quilt Show. Blocks were made by Adele, Malinda, Karla, Annie, Betty, Carol, Ione, Rosemary and Jill. We each made 9 blocks. We had 1 year to get them to the others in the group and then the following year we would meet at the Quilt Show in Sisters, OR at the Gazebo in the park to have lunch together and show our finished quilts. It is always fun to see how others set the same collection of blocks. I like to use checker-board sashing when setting exchange blocks together. Great way to square up blocks made by many people.

When I quilted this quilt I quilted the names of the participants in the green border so I would remember who the piecers were. Glad I did that. It is fun to remember those who shared in making this quilt with me. I also didn't get to quilting my quilt till 1998, I had that info quilted in the green also. I chose to just outline the great pointsettas in the outside border.

The back of this quilt is flannel with teddy bears and red ribbons. Great quilt for on the couch to keep warm on this 20 degree night. The snow may return tonight but we can stay warm with our quilts.

Happy Birthday wishes to Jed and Aunt Tena!

Submitted by Ione

Quilt 115 - Trees with Dancing Block Border

After taking a workshop from Ricky Tims and learning the Caveman Style piecing technique, I designed a tree table runner. I love the dancing block border idea, too. For several years I designed different Christmas Tree quilts for my students at Tacoma Community College/Gig Harbor Branch. The students enjoyed this pattern, too.

Quilt 114 - Christmas Ohio Star Table Runner

Ohio Star Table Runner

early 1990's

Gladys and I were making Ohio Star blocks and designing table runners that we thought we would write directions for and sell patterns. Remember that idea, Gladys? We ended up with some really neat table runners but the patterns were never published.

Quilt 113 - Wedding Wall Hanging

Aunt Gladys took a class in using old handkerchiefs and pictures printed on fabric. This was her class lesson project. It is a picture of Grandpa and Grandma Ewert on their wedding day December 12, 1935 (I think).

Quilt 112 - Rudy Wallhanging

25 x 40"

The Rudy pattern was in a quilt magazine in the early 1990s. On one of my many quilting trips I found a quilt shop in the middle of nowhere in Eastern Washington. When I saw the reindeer fabric on sale, I knew it needed to be the border for a Rudy quilt. This is one of 2 quilts I made like this. I don't think I got a picture of the other one.

Happy Birthday, Dan and Michelle.

-posted by Ione

Quilt 111 - Karen's Christmas Stars

60 x 70"

I found this collection of fabrics at the quilt shop in Chelan, WA. We were over there for a Christmas vacation and like any good quilter, we brought our sewing machine just in case. Mom had just made a quilt with the same blocks only smaller. I just love them on point, and thought it was a great way to showcase the lovely fabrics. I am so happy I chose the stripe for the small border.

Quilt 110 - Pooh Rail Fence

45 x 65

This is another quilt for Rosemary. She purchased a set of Pooh panels that were meant to be part of a crib set. I wasn't sure how to incorporate them into a quilt due to their unusual shape. I finally decided to applique them onto solid backgrounds and fill in with rail fence blocks. Not sure who she is giving it to, so I tried to balance the pink with more neutral colors so it could work for a boy or girl. I think the unusual shapes add to the character of this otherwise simple quilt. (Thanks for holding it up for the picture, Mom!)

The blue and green rail fabrics are from Blue Meadow Designs. Thanks for such wonderful tone on tones, Myra and Cori. The pink is Fossil Fern.

Quilt 109 - Urlene's Log Cabin

Urlene's Log Cabin Quilt

48" X 48"

I love to make log cabin quilts. There are so many design possibilities. This was Urlene's quilt the year I had Edith's name for Christmas. I might find the other 2 quilts that were made that year too.

Happy Birthday, Urlene.

Quilt 108 - Nativity Panel

2008, 30 x 40"

Our friend Rosemary sends us quilt and sewing projects to complete for her, and is very understanding when it takes us forever to get them done. This is one she needed for Christmas this year, and it is done already!

It is a panel that we thought needed no extra details, so Mom quilted around the picture and we bound with dark blue.

Quilt 107 - Julia's Fall Table Topper

9" x 9"

This is a piece from Julia's quilt collection. We aren't sure if she made it or if it was a gift from Adele because we have a Christmas piece from the same quilt pattern from Adele.

This piece reminds us of many Happy Thanksgivings we were able to spend with Julia and also the memories of the many other family and friends we lost this year and in years past. Our wish to you all who read our blog is to have a wonderful Thanksgiving and make lots of happy memories.

Karen and I are back in the quilting mode so watch for some new items we have almost finished to be posted soon.

- posted by Ione

Quilt 106 - Karen's Christmas Jewel Box Star

60 x 60" 2007

This is the jewel box star I made at the Minnesota Retreat mentioned in the last entry. I used four colors over the white background, including a plaid which I thought constrasted the floral print nicely. It won a ribbon at the Westsound Quilt Show. It was my first ribbon! Thanks for teaching this class, Mom!

Quilt 105 - Christmas Jewel Box Star

55 x 55"

A little something to get you in the Christmas spirit! This is another of Mom's class samples. She's taught it several times including at a retreat in Staples, MN. (Hi, Mel and Lorna!)

It uses the Jewel Box block, but alternates a star block to create the great diagonal rows. We've made quite a few of these in Christmas fabrics, but it looks great in any fabric selection.

Quilt 104 - Ty's Baby Quilt

45 x 45

This was made for a friend's first baby. They had chosen a crib set from a department store and it had a thermal throw blanket with appliqued animals on it. I bought the throw and cut it apart using the appliques in this quilt. I set them with simple nine patches. Backed with flannel, of course!

Quilt 103 - Daniel's Tractor Quilt

2004, 45" X 60"

At a West Sound quilt guild meeting one of our members told the story about an orphanage in Mongolia she had heard about. She had wanted to make a couple of quilts to send there. The director of the orphanage had said that if 1 quilt came then 28 would need to come so each child would get a quilt. Our guild member took on the project, making a folder with a picture and story about each child. She brought the folder to the guild and asked for help. We could look through the book and take the page about the child we would make a quilt for. I started looking through the book wondering how I would choose. Then I turned another page and there was Daniel. With a brother of the same name, it was easy to say I knew which child to make a quilt for.

The story said that Daniel liked tractors and yellow, so that is where I started with this quilt. The quilts were hand delivered to the orphanage. We were able to see pictures of each child with their quilt, including a picture of Daniel putting the quilt on his bed. What a nice feeling! It reminds me of a story my sister, Julia, once wrote titled "Quilts Provide Total Protection, Research Proves", the last line "We won't stop making quilts until everyone in the world is protected."

- posted by Ione

Quilt 102 - Mike and Jo's Patriotic Quilt

Mike and Jo's Patriotic Quilt

This quilt was made in 2001 for Mike and Jo's wedding gift. It was made with many blocks that were made as sample blocks for classes. The easy delectable mountain blocks for the border just finished this quilt.

As we celebrate Veteran's Day this week we say thanks to all those who are serving and have served in the military of our country. Remember that "FREEDOM ISN'T FREE". Thanks to all of the family and friends of our Fallen American Heroes. Erwin Harder, 1948-1969, and Andrew J. Shields, 1988-2008, you are not forgotten.

- posted by Ione

Quilt 101 - Great Grandchild Quilt #4

Great-Grandchild #4

The blocks for this quilt were made by the Great Aunts. Betty's cross stitch block says "When you sleep under a quilt you sleep under a blanket of love". Gladys and Julia hand quilted this quilt.

Happy Birthday L, we love you!

Quilt 100 - Glad's State Flower Quilt

66 x 82 (c. 2005)

Fabric packs acquired over the years from Quilts and Other Comforts. I made a fabric label for each state flower on my computer. The quilt top was constructed at at workshop at Silver Falls,Oregon which I attended with sisters Betty and Adele in spring of 2005.

It was machine quilted by April Sproule of Fortuna, California.

- Gladys

(These are the same flower prints that Ione used in her state quilt shown in the previous post.)

Quilt 99 - States Quilt

I am so happy to have this quilt finished! This quilt started in 1975. There was a transfer with the birds and flowers of all 50 states. Wouldn't that be a great idea to have a quilt for the bicentennial celebration of our country? I ordered the transfer and the directions said you could use the transfer up to 3 times. My thought was why not make all 3 at the same time? Sooo, I made a set for my sisters Adele and Betty. Betty embroidered her blocks and made it into a quilt that she sent off with her son, Mike, when he went to college. We can't find a picture of that at all.

Adele and I both began to liquid embroider our blocks. As the picture shows, she finished hers in 1976. Brian and Karen looking cute as can be at the quilt when it was on the quilting frame at Grandma's house before we moved to Hawaii. Raising children came next for me, so my blocks went into a box. Several years ago, my sister, Gladys, called and said "Have you seen the state flower fabric that is out? Wouldn't it be fun to make a state quilt?" My response was, "No, I already have an unfinished state quilt". She wanted the fabric and included me in the project, too. In 2006 she had her quilt finished and I now had 2 unfinished projects.

Adele, Gladys and I were going to attend the "Bach Festival" in Chelan, WA for a week and I thought that maybe I should take those 2 projects with me and figure out what to do. Fabric paints were back on the market so figured I could use them to finish painting the last 25 blocks. We attended 9 concerts during the week and spent time quilting. We even took a day and rode The Lady of the Lake to Stehekin at the end of Lake Chelan. The thought came to me to just make 1 States quilt. Finishing painting the blocks was a great project to take to sewing days with "My Fab 5" friends. I combined those blocks with the state flowers fabrics and this is the result. As always, I finished up with the binding at 11:45 in the evening before taking it to hang at West Sound Quilt Show in October 2008. It is now on the bed and just right for fall.

Welcome back to the States, Karen. She had a great time in England for 18 days. Great quilt ideas in her pictures, too. Who knows what will be inspired there.

- posted by Ione

Quilt 98 - Manitoba Retreat Quilt 2007

This quilt top was pieced at a quilt retreat in Manitoba, Canada in October, 2007. Karen and Ione flew to Minnesota to meet with my cousin, Marlys and we drove to Canada for the retreat. We found many wonderful quilt shops along the way. This retreat was presented by our friends, Myra Harder and Cori Derksen of Blue Meadow Designs who are designers for RJR Fabrics. Please check out their website http://www.bluemeadowdesigns.com/.

We are missing the retreat this year but made many new Canadian quilting friends. When we came back to the US and the border agent asked where we had been, we said "A Quilt Retreat". He sighed and said, "My wife's a quilter too". We learned some new techniques and had a great time. I hurried and quilted this quilt last week so that it could hang at "Innovations, a machine quilting conference" in Tacoma, WA.

That website is http://www.mqinnovations.com/

While at the conference I missed some birthday wishes.

Happy Belated Birthday

Kacey, Barb, Mike, Kevin and Mike

Posted by Ione while Karen is on vacation.

Quilt 97 - BOSTON COMMONS

This is one of the two Boston Commons quilts that my sisters, Adele and Betty made. Adele and I are holding the quilt in front of our neighbors 10 foot rhododendron. The technique for piecing made 2 quilts at one time. This is the one I quilted and we gave it to Mom for Mothers Day several years ago.

Quilt 96 - Ewert Great Grandchild Quilt for B

We decided as great-aunts to make a quilt for each of the next generation coming into the world. This was the second Ewert Great-Grandchild quilt we made. We each made a sampler block using a prechosen set of fabrics. Betty added the counted cross stitch to her block which says, "When you sleep under a quilt, you sleep under a blanket of love". Julia and Gladys then made the tumbling block sashing and assembled the quilt. They also hand quilted the quilt. Happy Birthday, B. We love you.

Quilt 95 - Purple Miniature

year??, 6" x 9"
This miniature was made for me by my sister Gladys. It was made as a remembrance of triple Irish Chain quilts she and I worked on at a trip to Pacific Beach. They were made with reproduction fabrics. She used the solid green for one of her chains and I used the solid purple. Though the miniature doesn't have any of the reproduction prints, it is a great little symbol of our larger quilts we made together.
-posted by Ione

Quilt 94 - Great-Grandchild Quilt for K

Another of the Ewert Great-Grandchildren quilts. This time the great aunts chose pin-wheels and four patches in bright colors. Great Aunt Betty continued with the counted cross-stitch block tradition: "When you sleep under a quilt, you sleep under a blanket of love."

Happy Birthday, K!!

Quilt 93 - Purple and Green Pinwheels and Bars

"She Who Loves to Quilt" Combo

This 40" square quilt was inspired by the "She Who Loves to Quilt" #3 picture in the art piece of this combo. The art piece is by Susan "Kukana" Toronto. This set is our donation to the silent auction for the Gig Harbor Quilt Festival 2008. Please check their website for more information on the auction event to raise money for Breast Cancer Programs in our local area. www.gigharborquiltfestival.org

Quilt 92 - Millennium Wall Hanging

A gift in 2000.

12" X 12"

Many fabrics came out in late 1999 with 2000 printed in the fabric to celebrate the new millennium. Aunt Lena and Aunt Anna had a new quilting book that had lots of different patterns in it and they wanted to try them. They used millennium fabric and made a block for each of their 38 nieces and nephews. Another great gift that hangs in our home to enjoy. Thanks again.

- posted by Ione

P.S. Happy Birthday, Howard!

Happy Birthday, Mel!

Happy Birthday, Karla!

and Happy Anniversary, Betty and Mert!

Quilt 91 - Bell Pull

A Gift in 1990

Approx. 5" X 24"

This bell pull was a gift in December, 1990. The note from my Aunt Anna and Aunt Lena said "Our mother - your Grandmother - had started making a quilt top in the 1930's. She hand pieced these little diamonds together but never got it completed. We often took the project out and looked at it and wondered what to do! If we did make it into a quilt then only one could enjoy it - so we got an idea: Your Grandmother thought of and talked about all her grandchildren and spent much time praying for them. Now we wanted to send each one a little remembrance of her. We divided the quilt piece into 38 strips and the Bell Pulls are the end product. We've had lots of fun doing this and enjoyed thinking of you all while working on it. Love"

If you ever see a bell pull like this hanging in someones house please say hi to my cousin and have them post on this blog. What a special remembrance this is for all of us.

- Posted by Ione

P.S. Happy Birthday, Stacey and Jo!! Love Auntie I

Quilt 90 - Great Grandchild Quilt #3

This quilt was made by the great aunts and again Great Aunt Betty did a counted cross-stitch block that said "When you sleep under a quilt, you sleep under a blanket of love". It has a tumbling block center with a festive rainbow binding.

This quilt needed to be a bit longer to fit the alphabet. Though the quilt top has the letters in the correct order, the label does have the alphabet as ABDCEFGHIJK. Our cousins remember us as the ABDC cousins, as we were named in alphabetic order except for the D and C changed spots in our alphabet. This quilt went on several trips with us in the finishing stages. We had it in Portland to visit with Edith and then took it to Pacific Beach and out to Ruby Beach also. Then it was sent on when A. was born. Now it is several years later. Happy Birthday to you, A. We love you.

Quitl 89 - Cathedral Window Wall Hanging

Year???, 12" x 12"
This was my first, and likely my last, cathedral window quilt. I started making this many, MANY years ago when my Aunt Gladys found some "easy" directions for making cathedral window quilts. She will have to help with the year, but I am guessing it was close to 10 years ago.

I am posting it now because I finished sewing in the "glass" pieces this week! I found it in a box of half finished projects and thought it was time to finish it and hang it on the wall for a while. (and I'll be sure to cut off that errant string before I hang it...)

Quilt 88 - Rita and Gary's Double Irish Chain

Several years ago Doug and Ione were heading to Oklahoma for a long weekend. The weekend before flying out on Thursday we found out that Rita was going to get married while we were there. I thought that there wasn't time to make a quilt but Karen said, "Of course we can get a quilt made!" Twenty-four working hours later the quilt was ready to give as a gift.

This was before September 2001 because I took the quilt in a rolling suitcase with my scissors and did a lot of the binding while waiting at airports and on the plane. When Rita and Gary started opening gifts she looked at me and said, " I know we don't get a quilt because we didn't let you know we were getting married." They were both very excited when they saw the large gift bag and realized that they did get a queen size Double Irish Chain Quilt for a wedding gift.

-posted by Ione

Quilt 87 - Scrap Bagger's Patriotic Quilt

August 30, 2008
Betty and Mert were the grand marshalls of the Rendevous Parade in Wamic, OR. The quilt laying on the back of the car will be a presented to theVeterans Home in eastern Oregon by the Scrap Baggers Quilt Group.

Quilt 86 - Garden Path Block

2001-2005, 22" square
We aren't sure if this block was made as a sample of Connie's quilt or if it was made because Connie's Pink and Green Garden Path (quilt #85) turned out so beautifully. It was pieced by Adele in 2001. Julia started the hand quilting in 2002, and it was finished by Gladys in 2005.

Quilt 85 - Connie's Pink and Green Quilt

Gladys had lent a pink and green quilt to Connie to use in her guest bedroom. Connie liked it so much, Gladys decided to make her a pink and green quilt that she could keep. The variety of pinks, greens and background pieces give the quilt a great texture. I had the privilege of quilting this lovely quilt.

-posted by Ione

Quilt 84 - Great Grandchild Quilt #1

How many quilts does a new baby really need? We decided as great-aunts to make a quilt for each of the next generation coming into the world. We each made a sampler block using a prechosen set of fabrics. Betty added the counted cross stitch to her block which says, "When you sleep under a quilt, you sleep under a blanket of love". Julia and Gladys then made the tumbling block sashing and assembled the quilt. They also hand quilted the quilt. Happy Birthday, S. We love you.

Quilt 83 - Karen's Koi

1999, 12" x 12"
OK, so maybe it isn't a Koi fish, but it was better than naming it "Karen's Unidentifiable Generic Fish". We've posted some of my other stained glass quilts, and there are sure to be several more. I fell in love with this technique and love making my own designs, but I also like taking patterns for other crafts (rug hooking, stenciling, embroidery, etc.) and making stained glass quilts from those, too.

This fish was from one of Mom's quilting stencils. I just made the quilting lines a little broader and those became my "lead" lines. I decided to leave a few of the sections black to emphasize the movement in the water fabric. I'm now wishing I would have bound it in black, but I'm sure I had a good reason for choosing green at the time...

Quilt 82 - Glad's Jewel Box

1998, 50" x 70"
In honor of Glad's birthday, we are posting the jewel box quilt I made for her. I started with the border fabric again, and matched the other fabrics to that. Happy Birthday, G!

Quilt 81 - Mike and Joyce's 25th Anniversary Wholecloth Quilt

30" x 45"
Combining several patterns and some of my own design, I made this quilt for our good friends Mike and Joyce to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. It was quilted on white cotton sateen.
-posted by Ione

Quilt 80 - Glad and Ken's Delectable Mountains

1998, small-ish
These were class samples then August birthday presents for Ken and Glad. Nothing like a little quilt to bring a smile to your face!
- posted by Ione

Quilt 79 - Kenny's Jewel Box

2001, 60" x 72"

Kenny's Jewel Box started with the border fabric. I purchased it from a fabric store at 50% off (yea!) not really knowing what I would do with it. It had been in my stash for many years. When it came time to make Kenny's Christmas jewel box quilt, I thought this would be a great border fabric, so I chose the rest of the fabrics to coordinate with it. (A great way to bring cohesion to a scrappy quilt.)

When we drove to Northern California to deliver the quilt, I could see all of the colors of the landscape reflected in the quilt and knew I had made the right color choices! It now lays on the back of their couch, so you look across the quilt and through the window to views of Mt. Shasta. I hadn't even thought of the scenery, but it blends perfectly.

Aug. 9 - Happy Birthday, Ken!!

- posted by Ione

Quilt 78 - Julia's Color Wheel

1990s, 48" x 48"

We would like to share another one of Julia Rose's hand-quilted quilts today. This was made from blocks won at Julia and Glad's quilt guild. Julia put them together using the striking, solid color sashes and incorporated one of her unique quilting designs. (I love, love, love the striped binding! -K)

Quilt 77 - Glad's Bear Paw

Julia's gift to Gladys

1997 70" X 85"

We want to share the story of this special gift today. We hope it encourages you to put that extra something special into your next quilt. My sisters, Julia and Gladys, both lived in Eureka, CA, since the early1980's. Their children were the same ages so they shared many adventures together.

Here are a few comments from Gladys who received this wonderful quilt: Julia made this for me for my 50th birthday. She made the one-block wall quilt earlier to tide me over to that much-anticipated date of my birthday. And it has a gift bag for storage of the quilt. It has always been a treasure and now it is even more so.

As Gladys mentioned, she received the one block wall hanging before her birthday. As the picture shows, the back was just as wonderful as the front. Then it was time to receive her quilt at the birthday celebration at the family reunion at Diamond Lake, OR. The Bear Paw Quilt was enhanced with the wonderful Prairie Points around the edge.

There was a label on the back of each one and of course there was the wonderful envelope to safely store the quilt. This is the envelope our cousin, Marlys, mentioned in one of the comments a few days ago. Isn't that just a clever idea? Julia loved to hand quilt and it sure does show in her quilting on this quilt. It was always great fun to watch her come up with the idea for her quilting design. Each quilt would get her undivided attention to what design she would create and where it would go.