Burgoyne Surrounded

These are the wedding quilts I made for Ryan and Alissa. Each quilt has 6, 888 pieces and the smallest piece is 3/4" square. Kim introduced me to this heritage rich and elegant block and then added her artistic touch with her custom machine quilting to make it worthy of a truly special occaision.

Quiltmakers have long been naming their blocks to commemorate important events, honor a famous person or make strong political statements. The Burgoyne Surrounded block recalls the Revolutionary War battle of Saratoga, New York. On October 17, 1777, a small force of Americans surrounded the army of British "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne, and seven thousand British troops under his command and forced him to surrender. The battle proved to be a turning point in America’s fight for independence, convincing France to enter the war. Ironically, the block’s name immortalizes the defeated Burgoyne rather than the victor.

I also like to honor special events and special people with the quilts I make. I like to weave special meaning into their making. I chose a historical pattern for Ryan because of his love of history. One time we visited the Historical Art Museum in Denver and it was like going with my own tour guide. He really enriched that experience for me because of his knowledge of world history. I made Alissa’s from the same pattern, only reversing the use of the light and dark fabric. Kind of like a yin and yang style of companion quilts. I wanted to do one for each of them to honor, not only the unity of their marriage, but also the independence inside of it they have lovingly preserved for each other.

We're Going Asian...

I know.... it has been awhile.... thanks for the prompt Rachel. All of a sudden I ran out of things to say.... not that, that has changed... but here are the things I am working on now... aren't you getting tired of recipes and quilts? Everytime I get the urge to mull over all the ways I could improve as a human being, I go work on a quilt until the urge passes :) However we are looking forward to a visit from the Wilcox gang and other exciting news, for me at least is Tyler & Lindsay, sent me a ticket to Colorado so I can be there for Kenzie's 4th birthday party.... so of course I am working on a super dooper birthday present...

Ken just finished a remodel of the downstairs bathroom which we (Ken) painted purple and green. Now he has retiled my bathroom and is painting it purple.... my room will be a very pale purple.... so I am trying to get new quilts done for the beds.... we are doing an Asian theme.
I pulled out the paper pieced cranes I started working on last year and I need 60 more to do one quilt.... the other one is going to be like the star in a star quilt except using the Asian fabrics. All the fabric has a gold thread that runs through it, giving it a very elegant look. Otherwise I've been busy trying to finish "the boys" bug quilts for Christmas and one for Jana from T-shirts she had of races she has been in. Next on the agenda will be quilts for Kyle and Diane from David's levis, which I've found a cute pattern for.... and so it goes, there is no end to the quilt projects I want to do...

On The Cousin List

I just finished two easy panel with border quilts for the store's displays. The one on the top, "Come Sit In My Garden" is going on the list for one of the quilts the cousins can choose from. (you really need to click on it to see it up close to see the beautiful design of the fabric.... and yes, see Kim's fabulous quilting on it) Yesterday Erica and I picked out fabric for her first quilt. It was so much fun.... she's a natural picking out colors and adapting the quilt so she could make it bigger. She's going to take a beginning class from Melissa at Quik Quilts in Oct. It was just like taking one of your kids to the first day of school. Being an aunt is so much fun.

On The Wish Train

I’ve been reflecting lately about all the time I have on my hands. It seems I’ve always been waiting for certain events to take place so life will be good. I couldn’t wait to get married and have kids…. be a mom and build a happy home. Then I lived for the day those kids would be out of diapers…. into preschool…. then eagerly anticipated all four of them in regular school. I was fortunate and was able to be home with them…. but it seems the whole time I lamented how life was passing me by and I would never mature into a successful career. When I did go to work, I found out I hadn’t missed a thing and could work circles around all the twenty somethings. By that time the kids were in their teens and I couldn’t imagine that would ever end. I was always waiting for them to outgrow some "stage" they were in. Oh, I enjoyed big chunks of that life, but not as fully as I could have looking back on it now…. waiting…. always waiting for all the responsibilities to lesson. And now, it seems in lightning speed the train pulled into the station and I’m living the life I wished for so longingly…. And I’ll be danged if I’m going to lament this time away. I’m a slow study, but life is pretty darn good now, especially with a long term illness in a state of remission. I have to run with the wind while the sun is shining. As I see it I’m on the caboose of the wish train…. what’s left to pine after… a knee or hip replacement, a dose of dementia? So I’ll continue to love every minute of the quilts I sew.



Along the way I must have lost my mind. Isn’t this the craziest hobby…. cutting up pieces of fabric that fit into a small size 11 ½ by 9 inch container and then sewing them back together again. It doesn’t look like that tiny amount of fabric will be big enough to wrap yourself up in…. but it is. This is the newest fabric that arrived at the store this week. I just love all the new bright prints they have for kids now…. I love how there is always a new technique to learn…. my association with other quilters…. new colors….. new ways of putting things together…. yes, life is good….

Bugs In A Jar

I have still been quilting up a storm. I have mostly done displays for the store from panels and then I put some kind of border around it. I used to dislike doing these, as it didn't seem like real quilting, but the fabric out now is so cute. I have been working on bug quilts for "the boys" for Christmas... and one for Aunt Kathy's new grandson (he is 7) and I'm giving the ladybug one to her new granddaughter (she is 1) Kim did the machine quilting on it.... she is just amazing and turns any quilt, no matter how poorly sewn, into a work of art. Click on the picture to see her echo quilting around the daisy's and ladybugs.

Sneak Preview

I just picked up a quilt from Kim Peterson (link to her website is on the right side) and I was so excited I had to post a few pictures before I even put the binding on. Kim donated her machine quilting and it is absolutely stunning. She is so gifted and her quilting turns it into a work of art. The back is even more beautiful than the front (click on pictures to see a better close up view)

This quilt (I did the piecing, and Quik Quilts donated the fabric) is queen sized and will be used to raise money for breast cancer awareness and to benefit some of those experiencing it's challenges..... sponsored by For Every Body (the company Ken works for)

http://www.foreverybody.com/new_site/index.php .......is the link to their company website .... click on I think pink and then click on LEARN, to read more about what they are doing. (or follow the I Think Pink link under my websites listed on the side)

I'll post details soon on how you can win a chance to own this quilt.

Drum roll, please......

With Heart and Hands, A Quilting Journey

This is a blog I have recently started following. Today she had an interesting post about quilts being made for sick children at Primary Children's hospital. Read about it at:

With Heart and Hands, A Quilting Journey: NBC, Delta Airlines and a Quilt for Every Sick Child's Bed

She is right.... quilts have special magical healing properties.

The Knotts Group

This week, on Wed.- Fri. our quilt group, the Knotts, is having a quilt retreat. We are meeting at Shirley’s house and we are a sea of sewing machines, fabric and voices. Each day we are making a different project and learning new techniques.

There are 19 active members and we range in ages from 32 to 83. Some of us have been quilting for a lifetime and others, like me, for just a couple of years. But it isn’t our differences that bind us.. it is our spirit of creativity, we each bring unique talents to the group…. our love of families…. dedication to living life well and giving back to the world we live in through various donations to charities and sharing our skills with each other…. respect for each other’s differences… and a collective good humor. I feel so lucky to be a part of it all.

Those who know me well, know the previous 7 years have been almost more than I could endure. My challenges have tried the strength of my soul. Finding this group and something I love doing…..that I look forward to….. something that challenges my creativity and fulfills a need for what I do to have a purpose is my reward for having survived it. I am deeply indebted to the people in my world who love and encourage me.

I can honestly say now, life is good.

Quilt For Cancer

Apparently there are certain techniques and patterns you have to do in a quilt to be considered a full fledged quilter. One of these is to make a bug quilt. I had never heard of it so Jill gave me some of her bug fabric to make another quilt for cancer. This is like a whole other world to fabric. I was amazed once I started looking, at how cute some of this fabric is. (click on the pictures to get the enlarged version)

I thought this pattern looked like Chinese lanterns that would attract bugs. Then after I got it done I found a pattern for bugs in a jar. So now I am collecting my own fabrics to make one of those. I'm trying to focus on quilts for boys since people are donating about 70% of their quilts in little girl themes.

Quilts For Cancer

The Utah Quilt Guild is collecting quilts this year to give to children that are going through chemotherapy. This is a quilt I just finished to donate.... titled "Butterflies In The Window."
It is made from 30's Reproduction fabric that Jill gave me out of her stash (material that is left over from other projects) This is the first quilt I've finished, quilting by machine. It looks ok from a distance but if you look up close it looks like a kindergartner learning how to write their name for the first time. As the old saying goes.... practice makes perfect. I hope to take a machine quilting class sometime soon.