Scenes of Summer

Hi everyone. How was your summer? Mine was filled with extraordinary moments shared with extraordinary friends, like Wanda Hanson of Exuberant Color, who surprised me with one of her signature batik color-wash quilts. Isn't it stunning? Read more about it here. 

Of course, visits from quilters are always welcome, especially when they bring "show and tell." Here's Sheila with her Sunflower quilt and me with Wanda's Zig-Zags.

Jenny graced us with fresh-picked basil and cherry tomatoes from her garden. Jean shared delicious peach cobbler (made with real Georgia peaches) and the best homemade blueberry pie I've ever tasted!

Local troubadour, Bill Glaysher, serenaded me one afternoon. Swoon! I even got a copy of his CD!

Which enabling friend helped make this online purchase? I couldn't resist a few new American Jane fabrics in summer hues.

My friend, Bev, volunteered to read aloud to me. If you've never heard To Kill a Mockingbird read by a veteran English teacher, you don't know what you're missing!

There was a delightful new quilt book too: The Magic Forest by Gwen Marston.

 

Jim and I even attended a bridal shower, hosted by friends, Mark and Linda, for their daughter and son-in-law to be. What lured us out on a 97-degree day was the promise of mango mimosas and eight different kinds of cake. Believe me, it did not disappoint!

I can't thank my friends enough for sharing their time and talents with me. We certainly made some great memories!

Spring At Last

Earlier this spring, my friend Debbie shared a photo she took at Flowers on Fargo, a private garden in Geneva, Illinois. Each spring, it bursts into color  with crocuses, tulips of crocuses blanketing the landscape like a colorful patchwork quilt. The moment they emerge, often while there's still snow on the ground, their hardy blooms seem to dance with abandon like they're grateful to be leaving winter behind... and aren't we all?

, and other flowering perennials. Check out the link above!  

Perhaps it's the colors that drew me to this vintage Dutchman's Puzzle quilt. Do you suppose the maker had crocuses in mind when she pieced those purple triangles or was this just a popular color scheme in the 1940s?

All those triangles

poking through a bed of white

to dance their way across a quilt

sure look like crocuses to me!

Wishing you all a happy spring & summer!

Midwinter Blues

Hello everyone! I had a birthday recently and with it came this marvelous quilt from Barb Vedder. You may recognize it as Midwinter Blues, a pattern designed by Lori DeJarnatt for her 2014 Humble Quilts sew-along. 

Aren't her fabrics exquisite? I've never seen such deep, saturated blues or bold cheddar prints. Double-click photos for more detail.

Those patchwork points and angles make for a "lively" quilt, especially when high contrast fabrics like these are used. Barb managed to reduce the visual energy with a couple clever techniques.  

First, she chose gentle curves of "teacup quilting" to soften the patchwork design. 

Second, by swapping cotton thread with silk, her machine quilting practically melts into the background leaving just a hint of texture behind. 

Barb always chose this lovely patriotic print for the back--"E pluribus unum" or "Out of many, one." 

As you can see, the quilt was originally made for Barb's dear friend, Mary B. After Mary passed away, Barb thought I might enjoy having it. Thanks, Barb. You bet I will! XO

 

If you'd like to make your own Midwinter Blues quilt, instructions can be found on Lori DeJarnatt's  Humble Quilts blog: 

Part 1   Part 2   Part 3   Finale.