Quilt 153 - Christmas Table Topper

35 x 35"

Merry Christmas to All.
This is my Christmas present from Adele and Betty. They were learning a new technique and I got the result. Very clever pattern and they have made several already this year.

Quilt 152 - Loma's Log Cabin

Loma's Log Cabin Quilt for American Hero Quilt Project

I got to spend the day with my Mom on her 95th birthday. She held the quilt for me while I attached the binding by machine and talked about how nice it will be for an injured servicemember to receive this quilt. It was cold in Oregon -5 in the morning but all the roads were clear for driving. Notice the Birthday Banner behind us, Adele received this for her 70th birthday and she takes it with her to help celebrate other people's birthdays. There are some grandmother's flower garden blocks from our Grandma in the banner.

Quilts 150 and 151 - Nieces' Graduation Quilts

Niece's Graduation Quilts # 150 & 151
2009
50 x 60

Our families next generation is starting to graduate from high school. The BQ Pattern is a fun and quick pattern to make into functional quilts, one has minky on the back and the other one has flannel. These quilts are for the girls to use while studying at college. Congratulations
S and B. The girls names and their graduation year are quilted into their quilts. Hope they keep you warm.

Quilt 149 - American Hero Quilt Sew In, October 2009

We had 2 very productive days at the American Hero Quilt Sew In at Pacific Beach. WA last weekend. Ended up with 9 quilts turned in, 5 of which still needed binding sewn on. Then we made 1 - 9 Patch/Hour Glass Quilt and pieces for almost another one.


Below is one of 2 Log Cabin Quilt Tops that were made with almost enough blocks made for another one.

There were 4 - Disappearing 9 patch quilt tops sewn. Also Strips with 2 Stars quilt top and a Rail Fence Quilt Top were made. A great time of sewing and sharing.

Make plans to join us in 2010 at Pacific Beach Conference Center for more American Hero Quilt Sew Ins:

January 31 - Sunday, 10 to 9 and February 1 - Monday, 10 to 6

April 18 - Sunday 10 to 9 and April 19 - Monday, 10 to 6

October 10 - Sunday, 10 to 9 and October 11 - Monday, 10 to 6

For more information about the American Hero Quilt Project please check out the website www.americanheroquilts.com

There will be a fund raiser at Sound Foods on Vashon Island on Saturday, November 7, 2009 check out the blog http://americanheroquiltswa.blogspot.com

- Posted by Ione

Quilt 148 - Go Green Flying Geese

GO GREEN FLYING GEESE
12" x 18" 2009

This simple wall hanging is a class sample for a class I will be teaching at Tacoma Community College - Gig Harbor Branch. Four techniques to make the Flying Geese Pattern will be taught and the students will have a small wall hanging when finished. Then I will show several different ways to use the Flying Geese blocks to make other items, including the Folded Flying Geese Tree I designed. So far there are 2 prototypes, of course both different and now a third one is in the works. You may get to see all of them shortly!

- posted by Ione

Quilt 147 - Pink and White Stars

Pink and White Feathered Star
50 X 50

This is the 4th year we have made a quilt to go with a picture that has been donated for the Gig Harbor Quilt Festival Silent Auction. At first glance, the quilt in the picture looked like a Feathered Star, but upon closer examination we realized it was a painted picture that kind of looked like a Feathered Star. So out came the paper and Karen drafted the pattern to be like the painted Feathered Star in the picture. She finished putting on the borders while out at Pacific Beach, WA. We went for an afternoon American Hero Quilt sew in but stayed a couple of days to work on our own projects. As usual we were very productive: 17 projects many finished and a few new projects started.

When it came to the quilting part of this quilt we realized that the painting was only a quilt top. No one but me thought it would be great to just present the quilt top as shown in the picture. I resized many feathers and just wasn't happy with any of them. Then in the morning, when I said I needed to get this quilt finished, I thought of the square feathers. I pulled out different size lids for the center circles and blue painter's tape for the grid work and away I went. This was a fun quilt to quilt and it felt good to be enjoying quilting again.

I think this is another "winner quilt" for this Mother and Daughter team. The quilt brought many bids and the auction was a success. It's always nice to be part of this project that gives the money from the auction to local breast cancer programs in the area.

- posted by Ione

Quilt 146 - Calico Comfort Quilt

2009
50" x 65"

This comfort quilt was made for a friend's mother. We used calicos in pinks, greens and blues for the front with green dot Minky on the back. Nice and cozy! Mom used a loose all-over pattern for the front. Just perfect for the irregular pattern of the disappearing nine patch. (Sorry the color in the picture is not great, but you get the idea!)

Quilt 145 - 2009 Gig Harbor Quilt Festival String Scrap Quilt

2009 Gig Harbor Quilt Festival
String Scrap Quilt
50" X 76"
When you do something 2 years in a row people think it should be a tradition. We were given a puzzle that was framed to make a companion quilt for the Gig Harbor Quilt Festival (http://www.gigharborquiltfestival.org/) auction this year. The puzzle has a Singer sewing machine and a string quilt in it. After finding blue fabric with white polka dots Adele went to work making string scrap blocks.

The blocks were sashed and corner stones were added like the picture. The quilting was a Baptist Fan quilting pattern so on the way out to Pacific Beach, WA for an American Hero Quilt Sewing Day(http://www.americanheroquilts.com/) we stopped in Ocean Shores. Our friend Jean had a Groovey Board with the Baptist Fan design so we quilted the quilt there. Thanks, Jean! The quilt was bound while at the ocean so it is ready for the auction.

2009 Ricky Tims Super Quilt Seminar

August 20-22, 2009

Mom, Adele, and I, along with a few of our friends, had a great time at the 2009 Ricky Tims Super Quilt Seminar. It was two and a half days with more ideas than we can even remember! Above was one of the techniques we learned. This is a set in circle! Yes, that's correct! I cut a circle and cut a hole in the other fabric and sewed the circle in by machine! We'll be posting more as we get them done!

Thanks to everyone who came with us and made it a fun and amazing weekend!

Quilt 144 - Shades of Chelan

2009
60 x 60"

I started this quilt on a Birthday Trip to Chelan to visit my brother and sister-in-law. It was supposed to have been a no quilting trip, BUT the quilt store was having a sale on fat quarters. Luckily Andrea had a cutting table and supplies, and Mom packed the sewing machine "just in case". One of many quilts I've made using the Disappearing Nine Patch technique, but only one of two that I've actually finished! Imagine starting and completing a quilt in the same year! Maybe I've turned a new leaf...

The colors remind me of the different seasons in Chelan: the blue of the sky and water, the green of the orchards and the white of the snow. I put a fluffy back on it, so it would be nice and cozy. Mom used an all over design in the middle and followed the flowers in the border.

Quilt 143 - Julia's Placerville House Quilt

18" X 24"

Quilt Made By Julia Graham, 1996

Hard to believe it has been a year, Julia Rose. You are missed so much by so many. This quilted wall hanging has been hanging over my piano and Issac loved seeing it when he was visiting in November. Julia appliqued this wall hanging from a picture she had of the house they lived in for several years when Issac and Jen were babies. This piece was professionally framed and shows the wonderful artistic talent Julia had.

Quilt 142 - Jen and Tim's quilt

45 x 55, 2009

I made this quilt as a wedding present for a friend of mine. She was having a luau themed wedding, so when I ran across these fabrics in Mom's stash, I thought they would be perfect. Hopefully it will be the perfect size for a picnic or to cuddle with on the couch. Mom kept the quilting simple, just outlining the purple flowers in the border and outlining the squares. We used the border fabric for the back and the binding, too.

Those of you who know us will be happy to hear that we didn't even have to finish the binding on the way to the wedding! It was done last night!

We hope you are all enjoying your weekend! In a few hours it will be cool enough to get back to the garden!

Quilt 141 Symbols of Courage

2009, 24x30"

Symbols of Courage is our Invitational Quilt for Gig Harbor Quilt Festival 2009.

Please check out that web site at http://www.gigharborquiltfestival.org/ for information on when and where you can bid on this quilt. This quilt needed to be finished before we headed out on our family cruise to Alaska. Karen, Doug and Ione participated in Holland America's "On Deck for a Cure 5K Walk".

Quilt 140 - Plaid Bars

2009

55 x 75"

While we were at Pacific Beach in April, I made this quilt for my friend Jason. I saw a similar quilt pattern in a catalog. They offered different colored quilts, each using variations on a single color, shades of green, shades of yellow, etc. I loved the monochromatic look, but since we had several bundles of these stripes and plaids, I decided to use a variety of colors. (I will make it in a monochromatic color scheme some day. Simple pattern but so cute!)

My bachelor buddy needed something masculine, but not boring. I was a little concerned about the red pieces but there were enough fabrics with hints of red that I think they blend well. It was backed with a plush material. I started laying out the pieces in order, but had to rearrange some when I ran out of certain pieces of fabric. Now I wish I would have had it a little more random, but some people like order!

Mom quilted it for me, keeping it very simple so as not to distract from the fabrics. I love that it looks like it could have been made from men's shirts. Another quilt I almost kept for myself!

Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day, Everyone! On this day of remembrance, we think of all those who have died in our Nation's service, including Erwin Harder and Andrew Shields. We hope all of you will have time to spend with friends and family. Have a safe and happy holiday weekend.

Quilt 139 - Patriotic Scraps to 12

2002
This is Armed Forces Appreciation Weekend. We post this Patriotic Quilt as a reminder to thank all of our Armed Forces Members for their service. This is a pattern I designed to use up fabric that is donated to the different charities that I am involved with. We use this pattern "From Scraps to 12" often in the making of quilts for the "American Hero Quilts" project. Please check out the website www.americanheroquilts.com and if you can, please help with this project. The quilts are greatly appreciated by the wounded service members who return from Iraq and Afghanistan through Madigan Hospital in Tacoma, WA. My azalea is blooming a bit late but it sure was worth the wait.

- Posted by Ione

American Hero quilts at Pacific Beach, Day 2

Ten worker bees turned into 12 today! We got more accomplished and even got some boxes organized! The top picture shows some of the projects we completed over our two days here at Pacific Beach. The group is looking forward to our next session in October. Email us if you want more information. Below is a quilt Karen started using a panel. Luckily we found some coordinating fabrics. After the addition of a blue border it will be ready for quilting. Check out Americanheroquilts.com for more information about the program.

American Hero Quilts at Pacific Beach

10 Worker Bees today at the American Hero Quilt community sew day at Pacific Beach. We also had about 15 visitors stop by to see what we were doing. This is a picture of the projects we worked on, 5 of which were started from scratch today. Looking forward to more productivity tomorrow.

Mom and I took a VERY short walk on the beach tonight. Was a little colder than yesterday, and with our sandals on it felt even colder! Now for some freshly baked cookies and a movie!

Quilt 138 - Quilting at the Beach!

Mom and I are at the ocean for community sew days making American Hero Quilts at the Pacific Beach Resort. We arrived this afternoon and have already taken a walk on the beach and started some projects. Above is a miniature version of the quilt I made for Andrea for Christmas. I had some scraps leftover, so I used them to do the same pattern (disappearing nine patch), only smaller.

Below are our shadows on the beach. What a beautiful day! The sew days are over at 4pm each day so we will have time for evening walks on the beach, weather permitting!

Quilt 137 - Patriotic Primitive Heart

2009

45x54"

This quilt was made for a friend who just returned from a year in Iraq. I needed a class sample for a class I gave at Tacoma Community College. It was a good opportunity to get two things accomplished at once. Jamey saw the Navy emblem fabric at the American Hero Quilt sew day, so I decided to use it on the label. The Primitive Heart quilt is a good pattern to teach "on point" setting technique and is always a good showcase for special fabrics.

- posted by Ione

Quilt 136 - Patriotic BQ-2

2009

50 x 65

This is Mom's February contribution to the American Hero Quilt Project we've mentioned in several posts. She used Navy specific fabric in this one, alternated with flag fabric. Hope your class enjoyed it today, Mom.

Quilt 135 - Karen's Pink Flowered Flannel Quilt

1990-ish
45" x 65"

When I posted the quilt I had received from my Grandma (Quilt #130), I mentioned that it got too worn to use so my Mom made me a replacement quilt. This is it! I was going through a pink and gray phase, and we had purchased this satin finish fabric to use in my room. I had a valance, a bed skirt and this quilt out of the same fabric.

Mom used flannel on the back so it would be nice and cuddly. It originally had a wide eyelet ruffle around it, that we removed when I changed room styles...again. She even hand quilted it!

Quilt 134 - 9 Patch Heart Comfort Quilt

9 Patch Heart Comfort Quilt
2005

This comfort quilt was made for me in 2005 by my niece, Karla. She presented it to me at our family reunion at Diamond Lake. My chemo sessions worked out that I was able to recoup for a week, then go to the reunion and was allowed to drive myself back home for the next treatment. I was so fortunate to be able to handle all the treatments so well. It is wonderful to look back and say still "All clear".

The back of this quilt is covered with well wishes from family and friends. Thanks again, Karla. As with all quilts that have been given to me, I love them. There are never too many quilts in a home.

Quilt 133 - Ione's Comfort Quilt from Thelma and Elsa

2005

Another of my special comfort quilts to keep me warm while I had my chemo
treatments. Thelma and Elsa are friends I made through West Sound Quilters Guild.

It is a bright cheery quilt that still makes me smile when I look at it today.

- posted by Ione