Nathan's Quilt

Here's my mom helping to hold Nathan's quilt. We talked - several times - about this quilt being the last of the high school graduation quilts for my nieces/nephews and thus my mom's last grandchild to graduate from high school. My dad is hiding behind the quilt. Mom seem pleased to be able to help hold this quilt.

This look at the back of the quilt shows not only the quilting but also the tidy binding, done with just one machine pass around the whole quilt - the method explained in Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr's books.

Top 10 Reasons to Finish Nathan's Quilt

10.  He's my youngest nephew.
9.  He did graduate a month ago.
8.  He lives in Indiana.
7.  I love his parents.
6.  He has the straightest hair of all my nephews.
5.  I love him.
4.  I haven't made him a quilt since he was really little.
3.  He's tall.
2.  I need to move on to other projects.
1.  If his quilt was all in one piece, I could use the ceiling fan without disturbing what's on the design wall - er, floor.

A Request and an Opportunity

I'm usually not able to see how a quilt of mine wears or how a purse holds up to daily use.  Last year when I was in physical therapy I made a purse/laptop carrier for my PT Chandra's daughter.  Recently Chandra asked if I would "rehandle" this bag.  Lavina has used it daily for almost a year.  So what an opportunity to see how one of my pieces has held up.  Except for the handles/straps, it looks pretty good.  But then the riddle:  if the straps are done during construction of the bag, how can I replace them without deconstructing the bag.

When I was making a bag for my sister Paula, I learned how to use D-rings. And these became the way to provide new straps for this purse without taking it apart. Voila!

The quilt for my nephew Nathan is coming along. Of course this is the part of the project when my OCD kicks in, exclusively centered around whether these fabrics are right for him. The pattern/design I'm confident about - in fact I love how it's turning out. But the one batik - the main one - is reading almost more coral than pumpkin. I keep telling myself that this fabric is the color of a sunset. But then I see that coral color and fret. These are some of the blocks on the floor - they still need to be assembled.

A Wedding Quilt - only 18 months late...

Tim and Kim Gibbons got married in March 2009. Tim is my cousin Dennis's middle child. Between our poor communication and my knee replacements, this quilt has been in process a long time. And the heart of this quilt is from when this blog first began in 2006. These leftover tumbling blocks from the quilt I made for Dodie are what caught Kim's eye. But Tim is colorblind. Then we realized that his eye would easily see the dimensionality of this design. The color order of these blocks is built around Roy G Biv, with the indigo and violet morphing into one row. Although the background looks black, it's actually a very rich blue-black batik. Here's to a lifetime of happiness for them! 55" x 75"

A Color Bind

 Two of my grandsons, Sam and Jack, are color-blind. So is Tim Gibbons, my cousin Dennis and Linda's son. This Tumbing Blocks of Many Colors is in celebration of Tim's marriage to Kim a year ago. When Tim and Kim were choosing the color and design for their quilt, Tim's ability to discern lights, mediums, and darks became a key factor. There's a neat 3-D effect which I think Tim will be able to see. Tim and Kim are expecting their first child in September - perhaps Kim can use the quilt as a way to teach their child the colors of the spectrum!

I'm temporarily shutting down the studio - again - while I have my other knee replaced. My goal was to get this quilt top pieced together. There were originally over 150 individual pieces for this quilt - now it's in 3 big sections. My new goal is to have this quilt delivered before Kim delivers!

Roman Coins, Scrap Style

This scrap quilt, using the Roman Coins design, is terrific (she modestly says). I love each one of these scraps, and using browns as the sashing, outer border, and backing really makes a strong design statement. The result is dark and dramatic and rather masculine. Nephew Chris Thompson is the intended recipient of this, but only if he likes it. The last quilt I made him was 8 years ago when he graduated from high school and was on his way to the University of Michigan. If this quilt doesn't appeal to him, then I'll be happy to hold on to it!

Click on the picture to see the details of some of these wonderful scraps.70" x 92"
Note: September 29, 2009 - This quilt has actually gone to Michelle M, just because... Chris T is again on the back burner.

Nieces and Nephews and HS Graduation Quilts

When Chris Thompson graduated from St. Joseph, MI, high school in 2000, he knew he was going to the University of Michigan. So for his graduation I made him a quilt of Wolverine Blue and Gold. And then it dawned on me: I started a tradition that must be followed for the remaining kids. Jennifer Thompson graduated from the same high school in 2002 - her quilt was a lovely blue and yellow with an appliqued dancer in one corner. Then Laura White and Candace White both decided to go to the U of I after their hs graduation in 2003. The girls had matching orange and blue quilts using an "attic window pattern." Leslie White graduated from Richards in 2005, and Ali White is graduating this May.

For Leslie's quilt I tried a technique new to me that involved creating fabric from strips of 17 other fabrics and using curved templates. The colors and fabrics in Leslie's quilt were ones that spoke to me, and the design is subtle and rich.

Ali's quilt is the same pattern using the curved templates. The use of sashing strips and corner stones give this quilt a much different look. Her quilt is Burgundies and Golds and bright and curvy and in-your-face, a bit like Ali in some ways.

These quilts contain all the possibilities of the future. When I sew I naturally think about the recipient. My thoughts become a prayer and a blessing for having such interesting siblings who have such interesting kids. Ali's a bright girl who doesn't know what she wants to do. I hope she reaches for the stars. She'll figure things out.