March 2017, Two crib size quilts, both white, black and gray.

Vere's sister, Darlene has a daughter-in-law with a new baby boy.  She wanted her quilt all in black, white and grays.  I think she picked out the material herself.  Someone said it was brave to have so much white in a baby quilts, but I think she is planning to use it to drape around the nursery rather than wrap the baby in.

This second quilt is for Darlene's granddaughter's baby.  It's also mostly white, gray and black but one of the fabrics has a touch of blue in it.  I think she is also going to use it in the nursery as  part of the decor.  This pattern is mainly single Irish chain, but since the connecting square was so big and white, I added a small square in the middle.  It makes the Irish chain design not so obvious.

2017, March, Throw sized Red and White embroidery.

5 or 6  years ago, Sonya gave me a book of embroidery patterns, "Nature's Beauty in Redwork.  I've slowly been doing the embroidery, 30 squares of hand embroidery.  I wanted to have it finished to show in the quilt show our guild is having this weekend.  I just finished the hand sewing on the binding and the hanging sleeve on the back.  It isn't true to the traditional idea of a red and white quilt as I had this vision of putting the black/white patterned material on the back.  That's okay, makes it unique.

                   

2016 - 2017, Full Size and Twin size "Twirling Triangles"

 I've wanted to make this quilt for over 5  years and finally finished this month.  It's called "Twirling Triangles" from a magazine by Fons and Porter.  It's made from 1930's retro fabric, which I really love.  I had it professionally quilted.  A long arm machine would cost about as much as paying for 100 quilts done by a quilter.  And then I would have to practice, practice, practice until I could do it this well.

The back was made from some large pieces of the retro fabric and some plain blues.

 When I had finished cutting and sewing the "Twirling Triangles" quilt, I had a stack of long triangles left over.  I was not about to throw all that wonderful material away.  I sewed white to colored triangles, squared them up, which took a long tedious time, and was able to make this cute, smaller quilt.  I quilted it myself, just straight lines with invisible nylon thread.  The back was some I had on hand which goes perfectly with the front.

2016 One last page for Quiet Book

I had thought of making a page for potatoes because I had this burlap material.  I had forgotten to do it, until I saw on Tina's blog a picture of her little guy in the grocery shopping cart, hanging onto a huge potato.  So I made this bag, spelled potatoes wrong, but oh well, and the potatoes.  I showed a potato to Jill on Skype this morning.  She said it looked like a chocolate chip cookie.  But they're plump little potatoes to load into and out of the bag.

2016, two more pages of the Quiet Book

Next, the lion with huge floppy mane to play with.  Last page is a (sorta) mirror to look into and telling him to be happy.

2016, Quiet Book for the Teeny Guy

 1st page, boy holding kites with matching kites n the basket,  2nd page, mail box, that opens with letters from grandma inside.

 3rd page, a circus tent, zipper opening, full of funny animals to put in and pull out.  4th page, shoes, appliqued down with one shoe with laces to tie.

Next page, ice cream cones with fresh ice cream to be buttoned down.  Next page, a Jellyfish with tentacles with beads to push up and down.  First tentacle with 1 bead, the 2nd with 2 beads, etc.

Next page, butterflies, and dragonflies, bodies sewn down, but the wings can be moved.  Next, pieces of fabric to feel, corduroy, minkie, etc and one little zipper to play with.

Next two  pages, a roadway from Archie's garage to the houses, with a dog and pond appliqued down.  Inside the garage are several large cars to play with.

November, 2016 Single Irish Chain

My friend and co-worker, Robin, in Maplewood wrote to tell me she had worn out the quilt I made for her 15 years ago.  It's nice to know someone just loved my quilt to death.  So I made her a new one, this Single Irish Chain.  It's a little larger than the usual throw size.  The back is this nice, soft pink flannel.