First ideas are just that, first ideas. They are not always the finished project. Ideas grow as you work with them . You have to refine and focus.
The Princess & the pea when through several versions until it told the story properly… with unexpected humor and charm!
From Idea to Fabric and Beyond!
The Guitar Man Quilt. Completed March 2025. Made from articles of clothing that belonged to an aged mother. Her son would play and sing for her as she passed her last days in the warmth of her home and his heart. Quilts always have stories.
The Pollination Dance
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! That’s how I designed this quilt, one block at a time. I created a 12″ grid on my design wall and gently iron 12″ blocks of freezer paper in each square of grid. I drew the whole quilt out on the wall, then paper pieced each block, sewed the rows and columns and added the appliqués. This was so much fun to create! Try it!
I love making small appliqués with scrap fabric. This is a moth, sort of… I didn’t copy what a realistic moth looks like, I invented my moth using fun fabrics and Elmer’s glue! By assembling my bug on plain muslin I was later able to bat, back, and FMQ it. Once all of that was done, I cut it out (like a patch) and appliquéd a fluffy bug onto the quilt above. I make up the rules as I go… it’s less stressful that way!
The Absurdity of Seriousness
Scrappy is an understatement with this quilt! The fabrics are a random as can be. I didn’t curate, match and design, I just grabbed and sewed! Funny thing is, the insane randomness of all of these busy fabrics created a consolidated look that works. It scrappy & snappy!
Mason & Mamaw
When challenged to complete a baby quilt from 1947 I decided to combine the old and the new. I appliquéd and FMQ the center section adding two blue rabbits from the antique blocks. I ‘unsewed’ the vintage quilt and resewed the blocks as a border on my appliquéd muslin. I repeated the border colors in the FMQ center section with colored pencils and it all came alive!
Cats in the Wild Night Jungle
My favorite thing about this quilt (other than the cats) is the Mid-Century modern house. I created a paper pieced pattern that just makes me smile!
Gladys Saves the Diner
The idea for this quilt was born while sitting on the beach with my toes in the sand hanging out with the relatives. We all loved Aunt Gladys and it’s become our mission to continue her legacy in quilted fiction!
