Join the Movement

Abby, my niece, and I are putting together a quilt to be raffled at the Walk for MS. Our deadline is August 20, giving her some time for the presale (It can bring in between $600-1000).

The Challenge Walk takes place all over California on September 11-13. Abby's best friend from High School has MS so she and 5 friends do the walk together, my long time friend from church/college group is now confined to a wheelchair, the wife of a teacher at my school was diagnosed, and the wife of Jack's colleague from work has MS. It seems like this disease affects so many circles of friends and family.

Please consider donating either here or with your own connection.

Let's beat this devastating disease.

It's Here

Just when I thought I'd have to call, my ordered pattern came from DAR. This quilt was appliqued by Mary Mannakee in 1850. Janet from Quiltsalot showed this pattern on her blog and challenged others to tackle this project and I like a challenge. Have no one or place in mind for this quilt but I think it will be fun to follow along with others: Cathy of Cabbage Quilts , Jan from Bemused, Kathi from Inspired by Antique Quilts and Juliann from lining up my stitches.

(Tell me if you are doing it too and I'll add you to the list.)

Pattern is from DAR Museum, Washington DC: http://www.dar.org/museum/shop.cfm

Moving Day

Our son, DIL, and 2 grandsons finally get to move into their own place this weekend after living in a rental apartment for a year. It will be great for them to have so much space and finally feel settled.

Will be gone from blogland helping them to move.

Round Robin Baby Quilts

My church quilt group makes baby quilts for the newborns of members. When the number of ready quilts is low we start a round robin. Each person selects several fabrics from our donated stash. The first person makes a square and passes it on to the next. (The square I made appeared here) I was totally excited about adding to the first but the second just didn't thrill me.
Sue started with these 9 fussy cut framed sea creatures. I seamed them together and added the zigzag border. The easy funky zigzag comes from Collaborative Quilting by Moran and Marston.

I was given the rail fence center. I added the pinwheels and fussy cut teddy bears. Clink on the picture for a close up and try to figure out what turned me off. Maybe its a generational thing.

Pixiedust Gather, my block

Here's my block for the Pixiedust Gather, a collaborative quilt organized by Bumble Beans. Its in the mail, Victoria. Hope it meets your expectations. Thank you for including me. I had fun designing this based on the fabric print. I needle turned the branches and use a glue stick to turn the flowers and leaves before applique.

"BONBORI", Japanese hexagonal paper lantern

I finished the hand quilting and binding.
I am so pleased. This one is for me.

Thank you again Janet, Quiltsalot, for sharing this pattern idea with us.

Collaborative Quilt in the works

Victoria at Bumble Beans was given fabric by Pixiedust to make a donation quilt. She put out the call for volunteers to make blocks and the packages are in the mail. I feel privileged to be included and excited to see what the fabrics look like.

"PUFFS", my first quilt at age 18

Nothing dramatic is happening. I'm still hand quilting and deciding on the backing of Kerry and John's quilt. So I'll show you how it all started.

While I was going to college, majoring in HEc, I worked for Singer in the summer, teaching sewing to teenage girls. My supervisor intrigued me with stories of making quilts in her home state of Kentucky. She showed me how to make "puffs".






At the time, synthetic stuffing hadn't become popular, so unfortunately, the puffs are stuffed with kapok but the batting is cotton. I gave it to my niece when she was a little girl (now 40+). She has treasured it and only now did we photograph it.