Bright Hand Sewn Quilt

 I made this blanket to match my fun bright pillows.  It seemed as though everything became bright after the pillows and so this is what i came up with to compliment the room.  I hands stitched this together to add to the look.  This was a great way to get rid of scraps that began to accumulate. No matter what way I fold it or lie underneath it I love there way it looks.  It happy ups the room!

More lovely.

Close up.

A little closer now.

Another fold.

Love hanging on the bench!

Ahhhh Happy movement.

A little closer now.

Pillow Love

This is the happy owner of all the pillows.  I thinks she is happy.

The task was to take approximately fifteen pajamas, bathrobes and wedding dresses of my girlfriend's mother and make them into pillows. My friend's mother had just passed away about five months prior to this which makes it even worse.  These pajamas/bathrobes sat for about six months before I had the nerve to put my rotary cutter to them.  Ouch  These tasks become very heart felt and emotional for me.  It is extremely hard to rip a part someones most treasured possessions.  Their bath robes and pajamas.  My mother wore my brothers bath robe until it was almost shredded.  A yellow terry cloth robe I'll never forget.  I think it made her feel close to him.  He was the first born. I'm sure there was some very strong bond there I did not realize.
 I used what I could on some of these. The hem was used as the major source of fabric due to them being so old.  Why do we do this?

The first one was made out of the hem of a pair of pajamas. The second two were made out of a wedding dress.

This was made out of a bath robe.

This was made out of some pajamas.  I tired to reinforce them with a design.

A close up of the pillow that was used with them hem of the pajamas then reinforced with extra stitching.

This was a different wedding dress that need some design to perk it up.

This was a fancy out fit that I made into a pillow and used the stitching to reinforce it.

Home sweet home.

Everly's - "Welcome the World Blanket"

This was made from the scraps of Leslie's blanket.  I love, love, love this combination of fabric.  It definitely says Anna Maria Horner and that is a good thing. Everly is born into a very loving family and a very loving community.

A little closer now.

Ribbon Quilt

This quilt was very challenging.  The ribbons were given to me by dear life long friend who has a daughter that is quite the runner. The ribbons were from her high school track career in beautiful Brown County, Indiana. These ribbons  like to slip and slide when you are sewing them onto squares.  Grr.  It took me awhile to figure out to spray basting spray on them to hold them in place as well as just going for it.  Once I had this figured out it went pretty fast.  It was just the fear of the unknown that seems to hold you back.

The beginning.

Getting the swing of things.

What color around it?

  

Which color where?

What goes where?

The end result. Fire anyone?

A  little closer now.

Amen.

Summer Scraps

Both of these quits were  made from scraps I found in the basement.  I had sewed them together using strips and by colors.  After I looked at them I realized I did not have a whole lot to work with.  So, this is what I came with for the quilts.

On the chair

A little closer view of the strips I had sewn together.

On the chair getting some sunshine.

On the chair showing off.

A little closer.

Leslie's quilt

This quilt was made for a vibrant, enthusiastic, quick witted teacher who needed a pick me up.  I came up with these colors because they spoke to me the most and made me think of her.   Most of them  are from  the one and only fabric designer Anna Maria Horner.  I love the way this blanket came together and became one.  They  (the patches) seem so happy and content.

Close up.

What to do?

Sewing the strips together!

Closer.

Happy summer flowers.

Becoming one with flowers.

As you can see the back side is folder over with a flannel band to be soft next to Leslie.

Closer sunshine!

Br. B's Ties Revisited- Placemats

I had many ties left so this was the next t4ie idea.  Very simple placemats.  I opened the ties up and sewed them together! Simple and sweet.



Favorite Christmas Card

Every year I pick out a Christmas card or cards that really stand out to me.  Below are my favorites for this year.  I love the MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT because of the boldness and the mellow red color.  The Volkswagen is classic 60's to me and dog driving seemed to add to it in a really way.   The girl in the red dress is sweet. I love, love her holding her the ornament.  In the background are the Beatles hanging out with the rest of the gang.  I bought that picture in New York for $2.00.   Below that is my friend Maria's family photo.  Lots of positive moving energy!

Happy New Year Project - Sweater Blanket

 A few days before New Years I always start to get anxious because I know there is a really good chance I will be stuck in the house for a few days and that equates to project. I had be saving sweaters that I had felted from a few years ago.  Four of them all matched in the same tone but different colors.  I cut the sweaters into squares and realized you really don't get as much as you think out of the sweater. I found a few more sweaters at some thrift stores and felted them also.  I had an extra sweater  left so I cut them into circles and hand sewed them onto the squares using different colors of yarn.  I thought it would visually add to the blanket. I had holes in my thumb that took a week to heal from pulling the yarn through both layers of sweater Ouch.  The squares were sewn together with a top stitch using a zig zag to catch both sides.  My stitches were  too big next time I make another  blanket i will tighten that up.  After the backing was put on I hand sewed the front to the back and the edges. I've always wanted to make one of these and now I have  and I am happy with the results.

The beginning.

Sewn on circle. Trying to be creative with designs.

Squares placed on the floor trying to come up with a design.

I sewed the sweaters together in strips.

Trying to get squares organized.

Sewing together on the machine.

Sewing it together in strips.

Chaos!!

Sewing it together with regular clamps used for papers.

Strip by strip.

Closer

More

I used Anna Maria Horner's flannel fabric for the backing.  It worked perfect except there was so much.

I ironed it over a few times and made a band that I folded under the blanket to reinforce the outer edges.

The band.



One of my favorite circles.

The year it was made.



Voila!

Front and back happy together.