Saturday, November 29, 2008

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.

Friday, November 28, 2008

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.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

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

Monday, November 24, 2008

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!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

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.

Monday, November 17, 2008

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!

Saturday, November 15, 2008

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

Sunday, November 9, 2008

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

Thursday, November 6, 2008

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!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

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.)

Sunday, November 2, 2008

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