THROUGH THE YEARS

 It's always a challenge to design a quilt that will use up a lot of scraps from previous projects.  A crazy quilt concept is always a good avenue to achieve that goal.  The word "oeuvre" has fascinated me as it means "a body of work".  How can I try to show a body of my work in one project --  a project that has scraps of fabric from various old quilt projects, plus pictures of some of the quilts from over the years?  This is the result ----

Not sure it achieves my goal; but, at least, it was fun in the making to relive memories of some of my old quilts and the photographing excursions.  Quilting always brings joy to me!

THE STATS:  Through the Years, 2025, 26" x 26", Foundation Pieced, Machine Embroidery, Machine Quilted.  Pictures of past quilts copied and printed on fabric on home computer.

TWILIGHT

 It's always fun to chase the light!

THE STATS:  Twilight, 2025, 35" x 35", Paper Pieced, Machine Pieced, Machine Quilted.

FALL TAPESTRY

Time for some color after a month of working with pastels!

THE STATS:  Fall Tapestry, 2025, 28" x 28", Paper Pieced, Machine Pieced, Machine Quilted.  Number nerd report: 504 pieces and many different fabrics.

This was really fun; I love seeing how colors/fabrics interact in a true scrap quilt!

 

BLOOMS

This quilt has been a real struggle for me to complete.

#1 It's rather boring to look at.

#2  It was repetitive to work on -- many small pieces in all the same colors/fabrics.

#3  I always struggle with pastel quilts.

#4  For some reason, I kept having many interuptions making it hard to focus.

Oh well, it's done.  What are your thoughts?

THE STATS:  Blooms, 2025, 28" x 28", Paper Pieced, Machine Pieced, Machine Quilted.  Number nerd report:  425 total pieces in the 25 4-inch blocks; plus 256 pieces in the sashing and border.

AND, #5 it didn't photograph very well.  I'll have to work on that in different light.  Hopefully, I'll have some better photos soon.

THREADS OF HOPE

 Some quiltmaking activities stretch the maker's creativity more than others.  This type of quilt is that kind of growth experience.

The first step was to decide on a color plan; and with my frugal personality, that always figures into the supply of on-hand scraps of fabric.  Do I have a plan and size in mind for a suitable design that will achieve my final goal?  Have I done the math and drawn up the basic design on paper?  Do I want to add embroidery, applique, or other embellishments?  How will I quilt the top?  Is it all workable with my limitations?  Lots of questions to be answered with creativity necessary at every step.  Always a learning experience.

Here is the end product --- threads of hope!!

THE STATS:  Threads of Hope, 2025, 29" x 29", Paper Pieced, Machine Pieced, Machine Emboidered, Machine Quilted.

LITE BRITE

This quilt mimics a donation quilt top I made in 2002 for Colorado Quilting Council, which was quilted by Terri Ballard, and won by Marcia Spitelle.  This was one of my favorite quilts, and I hope that whoever now owns it enjoys it as well.  It was time to make a smaller version with fabrics from current scrap bins to add to my personal quilt collection.

THE STATS:  Lite Brite, 2025, 34" x 34", Machine Pieced, Machine Quilted.  Nerd number report:  385 pieces including 353 one-inch squares in the top.

The donation quilt from 2002 called Autumn Glow:

The new quilt is not as spectacular as the first one in chasing the light source because of the size and number of blocks; but it is close enough as a reminder for me!

METAMORPHOSIS

This was a design as you go!  I started out with a little 3" block, found it too small; changed to a 4 1/2" block; later changed the color-way.  I intended to make 13 of these blocks, and alternate them with 12 simple log-type blocks. The log blocks were blah, and needed some definition so were re-designed, which made the center block to be repeated on the corners look even more blah.  Against my goal to not add any red to the quilt, I reneged and added some burgundy; changed the corner blocks; and turned the whole thing on point.  Now, it looked better; but was too big to repeat.  So, I spent a whole day working on designing and sewing the setting-in triangle units to make it square.  And, now I have a finished 20-inch small table topper instead of a larger quilt.  Too much information about my metamorphic process; but at least I'm  finally pleased with it.  Does anyone else sometimes struggle with design issues?

THE STATS: Metamorphosis, 2025, 21" x 21", Paper Pieced, Machine Pieced, Machine Quilted.

 Thanks to my artistic grandson for his critique along the way!!!

SUN DAPPLE

In designing a quilt, I always think back to the geometric theories that I learned 70 years ago in high school.  I had a wonderful teacher, and what he taught me serves me well today.  One of those theories is transversal lines -- very simply is when a line intersects other lines at different points.  In this quilt, the transversal line intersects parallel lines making the angles consistent.  The mental gymnastics is not always necessary, but for me it is fun!

THE STATS:  Sun Dapple, 2025, 28" x 28", Paper Pieced, Machine Pieced, Machine Quilted.

This is definitely a scrap quilt with leftover pieces from previous quilts!

PRISM BREAK

After making almost 300 quilts, I have the sewing techniques down.  However, the design of any quilt is still an experiment.

Some of the quilts I make I am really pleased with the outcome; others not so much.  This quilt falls into the "not so much" category.  I wanted to experiment with an off-set sashing after making the prism blocks.  The blocks were dark; so I thought it needed a light spark in the sashing, but I chose too light of a neutral. The sashing then became the focus and not what I intended.

The positives --  #1 I'm pleased with the quilting design, it adds a lot of texture.  #2 It's finished; I'll document it with a photo, file it away, and maybe someone will pay a few bucks for the quilt at an estate sale.  #3 Always a learning experience!

THE STATS:  Prism Break, 2025, 33" x 33", Paper Pieced, Machine Pieced, Machine Quilted.

The name -- Living in a prison town, we are always aware of a rare prison break.  Prism Break seemed applicable with this quilt!

DAYSTAR

A strippy quilt is when strips of cloth with or without patchwork are sewn together to form a quilttop.  Tops often alternate a solid fabric strip with a patchwork strip.  I've always loved this format, and have made many such quilts.

A stripe fabric is always fun to add to the combination.  My inspiration for this quilt was this wonderful old Jo Morton stripe that I discovered at a sidewalk sale.  The design for this quilt ended up combining two patchwork strips; but it has a strippy feel by adding the stripe fabric.

THE STATS:  Daystar, 2025, 34" x 34", Machine Pieced, Machine Quilted.  Nerd Number Report: 200 star points.

Some of my previous strippy quilts ----

RADIATE JOY

 My favorite type of quilt to make ---  #1 based on geometry, #2 many little pieces (in this case 328), #3 lots of scraps in a preconcieved color plan (in this case beige, gold, copper, brown, and black), #4 quilting design based on point to point and vanishing point geometry. 

It really does 'radiate joy' in my quilting journey. 

THE STATS:  Radiate Joy, 2025, 31"x 31", Paper Pieced, Machine Pieced, Machine Quilted.

MIDNIGHT MUSINGS

I can't explain this quilt.  It is not my usual traditional-based quilt; it is not a modern art quilt which I don't have the necessary talent to achieve anyway.  I can only explain it as 'thoughts in the middle of the night'; then the next morning trying to put the thoughts into the fabric that I only have immediately on hand. 

So this is what I ended with ---- obviously I need to develop a better sleep regime!!

THE STATS: Midnight Musings, 2025, 25" x 29", Machine appliqued,  Machine embroidered, Machine quilted.

CHAIN LINK

 I've always wanted to make a traditional Irish Chain project.  To me, it seems to call for plaid fabrics; so I pulled out the plaids, and started to make 3-inch nine-patch blocks.  

STATS:  Chain Link, 2025, 28" x 28", Machine pieced, Machine quilted.

I love the comfortable look of this simple, old-fashioned quilt.

Photographed behind my favorite Spring garden plant, Valerian.  This particular plant was transferred in the 1990s from my Mother's garden to our current house.

I'm asked repeatedly about what I do with all of the small quilts I make.  Some I give away to family/friends, and some I occasionally donate to charitable organizations for fundraisers.  The remainder are made just to test out a design or color way for a larger quilt.  But, due to fiscal and physical resources, I'm unable to continue to make large quilts.  Therefore, they become just a sketchbook of inspiration for any future quilts.  They are not for sale by me; that will be up to the discretion of my descendants.

SCRAP HAPPY

I've been thinking about rectangular blocks lately.  This is what I have come up with for this quilt --  two different blocks in two color-ways that uses numerous small scraps.

THE STATS:  Scrap Happy, 2025, 30" x 30", Paper pieced, Machine pieced, Machine quilted.  434 pieces all from the scrap bins.