A Vintage Rescue

Joanie picked up this grandmothers flower garden, GFG, top at a thrift store so she could rescue it.  I gave it a sweet panto, Daisy Delight, by Hermione Agee.  I think it finished up beautifully.  

This top is 100% hand pieced.  The backing looks like a vintage sheet, but it's new fabric.  Perfect!

Thanks for stopping by.

Fantasia

This is Nancy's quilt. She has fabulous taste. I used Lorien Quilting's panto, Fantasia. 

I'm starting to see the end of my stack of customer quilts. I'm going to begin a two month break soon. I have a lot of changes in my life. 

A Home of the Brave Quilt

It is always an honor to quilt one of these quilts. 

 I've written many times here on my blog about how I think of the recipient of the quilt that I am quilting, no matter what type of quilt.  I always wonder about them and how they will use the quilt.  In the case of these quilts, I truly focus on the families of the soldiers for whom I have previously given quilts.  I am presented with information sheets from our coordinator and it, unfortunately, makes it that much more real.  For those of you who may be unfamiliar, these quilts are presented to the families of soldiers who have died while serving our country.  I cannot imagine their grief.

 I think this is a great cause, and I sometimes feel a bit guilty about the satisfaction I receive for working on one of these.  Isn't that the way giving a gift goes?  Oftentimes we get more from giving than receiving.

Home of the Brave quilts are replicas of Civil War blankets, and they must be this pattern, and this size, but with varying fabrics.  The coordinator of the Kern, Orange, and San Diego counties lives right here in my town, so I am privileged to do a couple of these quilts each year.  I hope to do more in the future.  

If you are reading this and you are current or former military, I want to sincerely thank you for your service to our country.

Classic Weave - Perfect for a Masculine Quilt

Joanie made this Hugs and Kisses or Xs and Os quilt at our mystery quilt night.  She doesn't like it, but I think it came out really neat,  

I used Kathie James' panto, Classic Weave, on it. 

 Thanks for stopping by my blog.

 I've been so busy I haven't been able to spend much time posting pictures of what I've been doing, let alone perusing everyone else's work.  I hope you have a productive week!

Freehand Hearts and Loops

This is Cathy's rawedge little quilt. Isn't it sweet?  I used Hobbs 80/20, and Omni thread on this one.  

Busy Busy

This little gem belongs to Donna, for her newest grandbaby.  I believe she said these were Moda fabrics.  Really cute!  This was a new panto for me, Flora by Lorien Quilting.  I've purchased so many new pantos lately that I cannot remember their names!  

This pretty quilt will be raffled off by the Catholic Daughters in my little town, and I used one of my old favorites, Splat.  I love it.  

Thanks for checking out my work, and what I have been up to.  I have been busy.  Quilted these before I went to Wisconsin.  

Saying Goodbye

On July 25 my dad left this earth to be with my mom.  One of life's great mysteries was revealed to my family and I when on the last day of his life he said he saw my mom and she was waiting for him with open arms.  It was heartbreaking yet beautiful.  Selfishly I wanted to shout, no!, don't go, but for my dad, it was right.  He was only in the hospital for nine days and we all (his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren) were able to send him off with love.  

My dad was 87 years young, and sharp as a tack even on the day he left us.  To this day, I don't know if I would find anyone who has a memory as keen as my dad's.  Perhaps it was his lifelong love of crossword puzzles or just his lifelong love of learning.  Heck, he had a Facebook account and an ipad!  I really don't know anyone else who knew so much about so many things.  He had that incredible ability to find something to talk about with anyone in the room, and really made everyone feel loved and welcome.  We have many, many great memories, and I hope to start jotting down a few each week.  My memory is not half his was!

My mother instilled the love of fabric and sewing in me, but my dad nurtured that love of working with my hands.  He made so many wooden objects for all of us:  toy trains, step stools, doll houses, end tables, newspaper holders, quilt racks, rocking horses, doll cradles, coat racks.   I guess this may be why one of my daughters is a quilter, and the other loves to work with wood with her saws and router.  It is such a great legacy to leave behind.  You don't realize how much you cherish those items when their maker is no longer with you.  

As quilters, we can do the same thing.  My dad signed each wooden item with his initials underneath; RJM.  We can use labels.  I need to start labeling!  Perhaps we make our quilts wishing we didn't have to use a certain color or fabric,  or perhaps we find it hard to part with a favorite fabric, or we fill every hour we spend making them thinking of the recipient.  Whatever it may be, when that quilt is given to the recipient, you/I/we have just added to our legacy, and if we put labels on our quilts, we will be remembered for generations.  

Here is a picture of my dad at age 81 holding a copper bucket of beer at a family reunion in Wsconsin. My huge family owned a small market and a tavern at the turn of the century.  The story is that my great grandparents let each of their nine nine daughters run the tavern for a year after they married.  All profits were used to purchase a home for themselves.  The copper bucket was used in place of aluminum cans or bottles.  In 1910, when you wanted to enjoy a beer at home, you went to the tavern and filled your bucket for 10 cents and the copper kept it cold.  This bucket is always a crowd pleaser at our family reunions, with over 300 people attending.