Spring Fling

Happy Monday -

It's so beautiful here in Northern New Jersey. The tulips and other spring flowers are blooming, as well as all the gorgeous flowering trees. A little chilly lately, but the sunshine is most welcome!

Here is a little folky doll quilt that I designed and made in 2002. I like to hang it during the month of April and May. I love the funny pink and yellow color combination. It's one that I have hand quilted.

Here is a close up

I used one of my grandmother's hankies in the top of the pitcher. It is tiny cross stitch on very fine cotton - why would blow there nose in this? Or is it just for dabbing?


Here is a few sneak previews of my Lincoln Challenge. I'm doing this with Jill and Susan to commemorate the 150th anniversary of his birth, I think. Anyway, we're all running late on this challenge. I showed the center to Jill and Susan, so now you can see it.

This is how I got the silhouette- I purchased this silk screen, but decided not to use it because of the way it felt, and I was concerned about ironing and washing it. So, I pressed freezer paper to it, traced it, cut it out, then pressed it on the marbled black, traced it, cut it out, and finally appliqued it to this background of the generals of the Potomoic. whew......many steps, but I'm very happy with the result.

I've been worked on another challenge for several weeks (months) and it will be revealed soon. I've also made a few gifts, which I can't show either. So instead, here is an update on the hand quilting. You can see the whole quilt here.


This is how I do feathers; first I do the spine, then the outer curves, then I go back and forth to fill them in. I feel there is less traveling this way and I can do more continuous quilting. It's probably not true, but that's how it feels to me.


And lastly, several more pineapples done - hoping to make some more today.


Enjoy the colorful bounty of spring today!

Gyleen Fitzgerald

Gyleen Fitzgerald came to our Brownstone Quilters meetings last Friday and she was a delight! I attended both the afternoon meeting and evening meeting and also joined her for dinner with other guild friends.

Gyleen was incredibly inspirational, funny and shared lots of great information about finishing, setting and completing quilt projects.

Her website has lots of information about her and her work. I encourage any guild to invite her to speak and give a workshop. She has a wonderful upbeat, generous quality about her that is both refreshing and infectious.

Here are some photos from the evening lecture, Quilts: Unfinished Stories with New Endings:

Many of these quilts are made from antique blocks that were either given to Gyleen, or purchased by her. Her settings were so imaginative and provided lots of inspiration. Some of them have been reinterpreted with modern fabrics or colors.




This was the workshop project. I wish I had been able to attend - one word; puppy.




this is the back of the quilt above. Almost all of her bed quilts had wonderful backs, making them 2-sided.

this is also a back, and I missed the front - sorry.


The Trash to Treasure Pineapple Challenge:
Gyleen has developed a pineapple ruler - which is brilliant. I've always liked the pineapple block, but didn't want to paper piece or use a foundation - and now I don't have to. You can get in here.


Gyleen has a challenge going and it's not too late to participate. The top needs to be finished by May 15. You can contact her for an application regarding where to send the photo on her website. You make a pineapple quilt using her ruler, any color, any size and 50 will juried to be exhibited at the Houston and Long Beach Quilt shows.


I decided to take the plunge and this is where mine is so far...

coco - little miss perfect - NOT

hey brownstone quilters - feel free to leave a comment if you attended the meetings or workshop - :)

Twenty-Fun

April - Ah, at last.....spring flowers, soft breezes, warm rain - Love it!


Pansies are always my first nursery purchase - I can not resist their sweet happy faces!

A man, a buddy, a beer and a dog, does it get any better? Not on your 21st Birthday! Andrew turned 21 on Wednesday. The big "party" is in a couple of weeks when he visits his college friends, so Wednesday was a low key, fun, family day.

Hanna and I did a little creative work on his car.


Retro craft anyone? Now those who know me well know that I can be an old fashion gal. I wear a apron, cook dinner five nights a week, bake cakes. One of my favorite kitchen tools is a good potholder. Here is my shabby collection, some made by the kids over 10 years ago.


I ordered some new cotton loops on line, got out my original red painted steal frame from the 60's and got to work. It was really fun and I now have 4 new potholders.


Hanna and I went on a 3 day college trip this week. We clocked over 1300 miles and visited 3 schools. I survived PA this time, with only one small direction mishap. The problem with PA is that if you go the wrong way, the only way to correct it is to go back and try again because of the mountains. So the curse of PA only cost me a little time and a little gas on this trip.

Have a great weekend everyone!

All About Diane

A couple of days ago my good friend, Diane, featured some of the doll quilts I've made for her over the years on her blog; Persnickety.

Today, it's Diane's turn here. This one I received this year and did a post about here. I decided to machine quilt it with red thread and bind it with mottled black single binding.

Here is one I received for my birthday last year. They are like little sister quilts with similar coloring. The backings are cute too.

These are such cheerful and fun little quilts - I just treasure them - thanks, Diane! (and anyone else who helped with them ;)

This is a birthday post card that I received - isn't it adorable?
Love the cake lady!

This is one of my favorite little quilts. It features sweet little picture shirtings. I hand quilted this one and it hangs permanently in the sewing room.


This is a sweet little pincushion (but I use it as a little pillow on a wicker doll chair) that Diane made me several years ago - So lovely.


I love the honey pot backing fabric -


Note to Diane - I know there are a few more pieces that you have made me, but darned if I could lay my hands on them at the moment. They may be packed up with holiday appropriate decorations -
You can see the most recent Christmas doll quilt from Diane in a post here.

Coco update a before and after:

7 weeks.
now - 12 weeks


And finally, Happy Easter, or Passover, or any other Spring reason to celebrate!

Quilt Show & Tow Trucks - Update

I've just learned thanks to a reader that I am not allowed to publish photos of the AQS show without the written permission of the quilt maker - sorry. I'll have to read the show booklet more carefully in future.

I apologize to anyone who may be upset by my recent post.

I'll post some of my own projects in a few days.


Last week brought the AQS Lancaster Quilt Show to our area. I had intended to take the bus with guild friends, but plans changed and I went to for a day trip with my guild friend, Pauline. Poor Pauline. More on that later.....

The weather was beautiful and we had a lovely drive through the rolling Pennsylvania countryside to our first stop. Poole Forge, which is a historical home site and had about 70 quilts on display. Here are a few:




Now on to the big show. It was held in a new convention center which was bright and beautiful. Some of the quilts are hard to see in full view because of the angles of the display, but not much we can do there. I think it was a great first year and it will gain momentum now that it is affiliated with AQS.

Poor Pauline --
After the show I stopped for gas at a roadside Sunoco. The pumps were crowded and I had to pull around a couple for an open pump. After struggling with the nozzle, I realized I inadvertently pumped 3 gallons of diesel fuel into my tank. Oooops.

In New Jersey, we are not allowed by law to pump our own gas. In the Mid-west, diesel pumps are in a separate location. In PA, you better know the &*@# you are doing.

After being stranded for 4 hours, making dozens of calls, 4 different tow trucks were dispatched, and finally we were moved to a hotel. We enjoyed a much needed glass of wine and a free toothbrush. In the morning the 5th tow truck took us to the dealer. We were released form there at around 3pm.

3 gallons of toxic fuel; $10.00
dozens of calls for help; 1 dead iphone
1 non-AAA tow truck, $27.00
1 unexpected overnight hotel room; $150.00
Dealership repair bill; $400.00
A friend who laughed and supported me the whole time?
Priceless!

Thanks Pauline - and beware the diesel pumps!