First quilt

Here I am at the National Quilt Association Show in Columbus Ohio with my first quilt entered into a national show. No ribbons, of course, but I feel honored and accomplished to even be entered into the quilt show. Upon first entering the quilt show, I wanted to find my quilt, Christmas Pickle. Heck with the best of show quilts. And Where do you think it was? In the very far corner of the room! Anyway, it was such a thrill to see my quilt hanging there, I didn't care. So we worked our way from the back to the front and ended at the best of show quilts at the end of the day. My favorite quilt, besides mine, was Sparkle, Fruitcake Quilt. Probably because I have those fabrics, but she did a wonderfully creative job of using all the fabrics in the Fruitcake line from Moda with Swarovski crystals--and the quilting was fabulous! Great job Sue Hawks. You have my vote for viewers choice. At the end of the day, I was very inspired with ideas, and also purchased fabrics for more quilts! Isn't that what it's all about?

Bevan Blooms

Using the fabrics leftover from Sara and Josh's wedding quilt, I made Bevan Blooms, a courthouse steps block. The pattern from American Patchwork and Quilting magazine, October 2006, must be very carefully constructed by matching each row with the previous one. 

Quilted by Joyce Coburn

81 inches x 94 inches

Afternoon Delight

After being laid off from my job in April 2009, I dug out several WIP (works in progress). Afternoon Delight was one of those. The Quilters had started a log cabin block class, so I was using my floral scraps to make a courthouse steps block. Using a pattern from Relax and Quilt by Leisure Arts, I used light, medium and dark fabrics--all floral, or course--cutting 1 1/2 inch strips. The center of the quilt uses predominately light fabrics, the outside uses medium and dark fabrics. I changed the border to dark purple squares on point. Joyce Coburn quilted it in flowers. Even though I did not use all purple fabrics, the quilt appears purple from the border squares. The outer setting triangles are dark purple fabrics however.

Completed in May 2009. 74 inches x 84 inches

Sparkling Christmas Sampler 2011

Several of my quilt group have participated in BOM (Block of the month) clubs through the local quilt shop and have completed beautiful quilts from it. So last year, we (Pieced By the Master's Hand Quilt Group) decided to create our own BOM quilts. McCall's Quilting published a magazine in 2010, America Quilts for Christmas, and one of the quilts was a sampler quilt. Conveniently divided into twelve star blocks with lots of additional flying geese and smaller star blocks, we assigned each block a month. Together, we worked on a block each month, sewing the smaller blocks on our own time. Several of us used Christmas fabrics, but not all of us.

Thankfully, I selected most of my fabrics from my stash, only purchasing several of the gold fabrics and the border fabric. Here is my quilt, happily finished before Christmas. Our fall quilt show should be spectacular with all twelve completed quilts!