Merry Christmas everyone

Merry Christmas everyone
with the love of my life, George

What am I doing writing a blog?

Quilting is one of the few places in my life where all the corners meet and stay put. On this blog I plan to ruminate about quilting and life, the quilted life, cat and quilts, and any old thing that falls in and out of my brain. I'd be pleased to hear from you on all of this or any topic of interest!

Search This Blog

Monday, May 28, 2012

Another late night, a quick post and then off to bed.

Okay, now the ABC blocks, beautifully stitched by daughter Becky, are on. I have to stop on this quilt now as I am waiting for Beck to send me the first border of monkeys. Very happy with how it is turning out. What do you think?

Sunday, May 27, 2012

The not quite appliques are done on the center block

Just a quick post before I head up to bed. Had to work at the Museum Shop Saturday and Sunday so MY Memorial weekend starts tonight. I don't go back til Wednesday. I hope to get lots of piecing done on Dean's quilt. Here is the finished center block. I think it turned out pretty well! G'nite!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Hot damn! that went together fast! Fifteen Monkey Wrenches

Finished the background of the center block of Dean's quilt tonight. It went together so quickly and I am quite pleased with it. Problem though: my monkey applique pattern is too big. Back to the copy machine to make it smaller! G'night!

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

First three Monkey Wrench blocks are made for Dean's quilt

The piecing has begun! Tonight I cut out all fourteen blocks and made one of each size. There will be one 8 x 8 inch block, five 6 x 6 inch blocks and eight 4 x 4 inch blocks in the center background of the quilt. These came together very quickly so I should have the center background done by the end of the weekend, I think. Pretty cute, I think. And speaking of cute, check out Dean (Robert Dean Mitchum III) and his daddy-0 (Robert Dean Mitchum II). Two great looking guys!

She and me we dreamed a quilt. Teamwork and love, here's what we built

Becky and I had a difficult relationship from the time she was a teen-ager on. I like to think that we found our way back to each other via quilts. But before all that stuff happened, we made a quilt together. Here is the first quilt Becky and I made together, a wall hanging that was displayed on the wall in our kitchen/dining room in our hometown of East Moline for many years. The piecing is not perfect but the back melts my heart! I love you, Becky Boo. Always have, always will.

If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck....

Becky was born on her due date, November 22, 1981 and I finished her baby quilt in spring 1992. When we pulled this one out to photograph it, I noticed it has started to age somewhat, some fading. But still cute. How my quilt designs have changed since this. This one looks soooo innocent! Becky was a much sought after child. I was 23 when her older sister, Jamie was born and that was at the end of the "money making 1970's" when economic times were pretty good. I so much wanted to have a second child because I had had siblings and I knew how important they were to my formation as a human being. I wanted the same experience for Jamie and I really wanted another child but convincing my husband took some time. So 3-1/2 years later, Becky arrived, mostly due to my woman wiles, I think. Now Becky is a grown up woman and has learned to sew herself. Will we see Becky's quilts coming out of Plano, Texas some day? You never cant tell! More pictures:

How many ways can you say CAT?

I made this quilt in 1996 for my younger daughter, Rebecca. She had a fascination with cats at that time, obviously. I loved the color combination, especially the black which really sets off the purple, turquoise, hot pink and gold. There is a back story, of course. When I was a young married and lived in our first house, out in the country, we had three cats, Hercules (who jumped out the car window on the way to the vet to be neutered - goodbye cat!), Peaches, a calico and her kitten, Cream. When we moved into town, we brought Peaches and Cream with us and after we thought they had adjusted to the move, we let them out into the yard to do their cat thing. They must have tried to return "home" cuz we never saw them again. Skip forward 10 years. I am now a single mom and we have a new calico cat, Mandy. We are all getting along famously until I get ill and am diagnosed with asthma. The doctor said, clean the furnace runs, clean the carpets and get rid of the cat. So we did. She lived for awhile at Mark's house (the girls' dad) but then was taken to the pound. I have always felt so guilty over poor Mandy Cat's fate. Especially since I have recovered sufficiently to now have two more cats, Buster and Vinnie. I cannot remember if this quilt was made before Mandy was booted out or not. Either way, Mandy and Becky, I am so sorry! More pictures:

A quilt for a grandmother that now lives with a granddaughter

Back before my life was lived in beautiful Southwestern Pennsylvania, I lived in East Moline, Illinois. I was married for seventeen years to Mark Allmendinger and he and I share two beautiful daughters, two wonderful sons-in-law, a grandson, and a lifetime of memories. I was very close to his mother, Phyllis and made this quilt for her in 1983. It has always been one of my favorites! For each of the mothers (or mothers-in-law) who received a quilt from me, I requested they make sure the quilt gets passed down to one of my daughters. I had always imagined Becky would get this quilt and when her dad and stepmom, Pam (another quilting friend) visited this spring, sure enough, they brought her Gramma Phyllis's quilt which I had made in 1983. I was able to see it and photograph it when I was at Becky's house in Plano, Texas in March this year for our sewing marathon. Then we all showed up in California, Becky, Gramma Phyllis and I (and so many more) and I learned the reason firsthand why Gramma chose to give it to Becky rather than Jamie. She thought it was a Texas Star pattern so reasoned that the grandchild in Texas should have it. Well, truth be told, it is NOT a Texas star but I am not going to correct her!
Phyllis promises to give the other quilt I made for her to daughter Jamie and I am embarrassed that that particular quilt will land in Jamie's house. It is made out of...wait for it.... polyester double knit! Yuck! but very colorful and maybe they will find use for it for picnics or something.

Monday, May 14, 2012

Spring is time for pansies

Picked up a nice antique quilt for $35 at a local flea market. One corner is stained but the rest looks very fresh. We will just hide the bad spot (although it is not too bad). As always, I wonder who the quilter was and who the recipient was. What did they mean to each other and how did they get separated from their story? There was beautiful gold and pale yellow postage stamp quilt that I really, REALLY wanted but it was $110 and I am currently on a budget. Oh well, my girlfriend Phyllis bought it instead so I can enjoy it at her house. Here are pictures of my pretty pansy quilt find:

Dean's quilt is begun!

Okay, so quilting hiatus is officially over and I have started Dean's baby quilt. I have planned out the colors and determined what width of strips I will cut tomorrow night. I am ready to rock and roll! Here are a few pictures. Notice the bright eyed cat assistant and the cute monkey face buttons!

Kid's quilts for young friends, Josh and Sarah Parker

I made this quilt for my young friend, Joshua Parker who always reminds me of Harry Potter. We were neighbors to the Parkers until they did a 5 year stint in Nuremburg, Germany. Joshua is now heading to college, hard to believe! The quilt measures 63 x 76 inches and is a strip quilt, meaning it is rows of blocks in strips horizontally across the quilt. Starting from the bottom, there is first a row of patch work cats with hand stitched whiskers and button noses. Mouse faces are quilted into the block above the cats' bodies.
The next row above is made up of maple leave blocks with leaves quilted into the open spaces.
On top of the leaves are chickens, of course! With button eyes, and the letters J O S H U A quilted into their bodies.
Above the chickens we have a row of wild goose chase then puppy dog faces with appliqued noses and button eyes.
Another row of wild goose chase going the opposite direction and lastly, golden stars in the azure blue sky.
On the back is a picture of Josh and a dedication. Also I have put a picture of George and I and a passage about bumblebees, doing what no one said they should be able to do!
Joshua's sister is Sarah and here is her quilt.
It has a floral theme. Again, a strip quilt with the same block repeated in a strip horizontally across the quilt. Starting at the bottom is a row of nine-patch blocks. Above it, a row of patchwork hearts on their sides.
Above the hearts is a double row of four patch blocks with pine trees,
then a very cute block called Nancy's Tulip with rick rack stems.
Above the tulips you will find pinwheel flowers
then Roses of Sharon
and finally on top, houses and pine trees. The quilt measures 59 x 71 inches.
On the back is the dedication and pictures of Sarah and George and I. Sarah is now finishing up high school now. Time flies so quickly.