Memories!

I know that it has been a while since I posted last. It has been a busy summer and I have been taking classes at several places. I have learned so much! 

The big news is that I am getting a new quilting and sewing studio! We have decided to close in our garage and create a new space for me! I will have to share it a bit with a sleeper sofa for guests but it is a very large space. The work begins next week and I am very excited. The company is owned by a man who takes piano lessons from the same teacher that I use. As an aside, he is also a burgeoning musician and singer. As he is from Mexico, his songs are in Spanish and I translate his lyrics to English. That is really a fun job. And now he is going to give me a dream studio!

As we are cleaning out the garage, I have found some memories in the boxes and drawers. I found an envelope full of pictures of my quilts that have been made and gifted over the years. I began in 1994 so it has been quite a journey. As I look at some of the photos I can see how many things that I could have done better. Isn't it strange how we always look at the flaws rather than the delights? So I have "re looked" at some of the pictures and would like to share them here. Do you keep a photo record of your work? I have tried over the years but I am sure that I have missed some. I know that I should but I have been lax sometimes.

The three pictures at the top represent some of my 1990's work. I had completely forgotten about the pink and blue courthouse steps. This was a baby quilt for the sixth grade band teacher's first child. I just adored that tie dye giraffe batik. I still have a small piece in my stash. I remember using the Eleanor Burns book for that pattern. I was so excited to finish it and gift it. That baby is already in her late twenties! Yikes! Time has flown!

The middle wall hanging is a fabric interpretation of my nephew's painting. It was probably the first time that I did anything like that. I think that it was my entry into realizing that you can "paint" with fabric. I love to do this now.

The quilt on the right is one that I made for a raffle for a fundraiser for heart disease for kids. My friend's daughter passed away at nine months from ventricular failure so they wanted to have an event. She asked me to make something and I made butterflies. Quilts are not always for the happiest occasions but they are comforting in all times in my opinion. She was gifted the quilt in the end by the winner. 

On the left is Hearts of Gold that was made for a scholarship fundraiser in memory of my husband's colleague who left us too soon. Her name was Gail Gold so I had to make hearts of gold! They raised $1100 from the quilt sales and the winner gifted it back to her husband. People really are generous!

The last two pictures are of quilts made for my kids. The Broncos quilt was for my son, Kevin, who adores the Broncos to this day. I learned so much from that piece as I made so many different sampler blocks. Steve is standing in front of his green quilt. He chose those green fabrics and I pieced it. It was one of those stack and shift patterns with black in between. I learned a big fabric lesson from this quilt. Buy the absolute best fabric that you can afford. I got the black at a discount store and it shredded after washing several times. But he loved it for a long time.  

​Here is Kevin (well part of him anyway) with a wall hanging that I made for the holidays. I did it using a reverse applique technique but wow! I have learned so much since then. I would never have done it that way now. There is this marvelous thing called CLOVER fusible bias tape! I did learn a lot about batting too. I used the wrong batting as it was too lofty and should have been flatter. Lessons learned!

---

So, what is the quilt that you want to make but have never actually gotten around to? This is the center of the Lily of the Valley/ Rose of Sharon quilt that is very common in Amish and Mennonite quilts. I saw it at the Kutztown Folk Festival circa 1998. I just think that the simplicity of the design is beautiful. It is still on my list but I intend to modernize it some with color and shapes. 

I am excited to keep digging in those boxes as I clean out the garage. Who knows what else I will come across? What do you have lying around that speaks to your quilting journey? Perhaps you will take a stroll down that path soon too!

Piecefully,
Trisha

---