Henry's Quilt

Here's the quilt I made for Henry. I saw a magazine photo where they had cut out circles and inserted fabric behind them. I had a few pairs of worn-out jeans, so I thought I'd give it a try. As I got braver, I realized I could even cut and sew through the seams of the jeans. Some of the inserted fabric is flannel, and it includes pieces from the sheepie sheets the girls had when they were young. I also used the more worn parts of the sheepie sheet flannel in between the denim top and the flannel backing, instead of batting. The quilt is a rag quilt, where blocks are completed, then sewn together with the seams on the back of the quilt. The seams are then fringed and the quilt washed. The fringe then blooms and is stabilized.

Recent Projects

Here are a few things I've worked on lately. I can't believe that one of my favorite quilts didn't get photographed! We'll fix that next week when I get to go to visit the little recipient (Henry).

Broken and Healed
(See 3 Nephi 9:13, 14, 20)

We'll start with the hanging I did for Stake Conference. Let's just say that Stake Conference came before it was totally done. But that probably means that it is done.

Here is a quilt I began in 1973. I think it would have been my first pieced design. I used leftover materials from a coat lining I had made for Amy (the pink flower--I had just enough to make 12 little squares), and my too-long kitchen curtains (white). I guess I splurged and bought the pink. It was to be Kristie's baby quilt, but the quilting never got finished. So when she was expecting this spring, I got it out to finish it for "her". But since it was a "him", it had to go to Emma, who hadn't received a hand-quilted one. I found a piece in my stash to bind it--it matched well enough, and didn't cost any extra. It's all a little rough, but to make up for that, I called it a Heritage Quilt. Seems like 36 years is old enough for heritage. One more thing out of my closet.

Here is Sam's baby quilt--the one that started the tradition back in 1998. I had found a little buffalo check fleece outfit for him, the little cowboy, and took the motif from that, and the fact that the mountains, I knew, would be his home. Those were the days before digital pictures, but I finally got one when I was last in Wyoming. Bad picture, but a fun quilt.

While I was taking pictutres there, I got one of this table mat I designed in the early 90's. I had made a pile of them for gifts, and had a few unfinished ones that I stashed away. And last year I found them and finished them for another round of gifts. This time I had daughters with their own homes, and they came close to matching! Unfortunately, last year, I inherited two of the sets from Garnet's and Pauline's estates. But now I have some, too!

The Quilt and Purse Crazes

When I find a technique that's fun, I have to make it several times. Here are the current Quick-Quilts (no cost, just scraps!). (OK, I paid for the batting.) And I can do the smaller ones in less than three hours! The tic tac toe one (Clay's Christmas gift) was even less, although the markers took quite a while. I guess I didn't get a photo of Sam's checkerboard.

Then came the purses. So far I've made six--they are so fun! The small ones take less than two hours, and again are good for small pieces of fabric. Kary made the blue one, and Laura made the Easter basket for David. The biggest and best is for me.

And I never got Jackson's quilt up here, so now I will! Actually, the back side is also pretty cool.

Water and Bugs

The kids had a blast in the lake at the AFI picnic at Lake Harmony on August 2, 2008.

Elliot was especially fun to watch as he enjoyed falling forward on his face in the water.

There were bugs along the shore that he enjoyed exploring, so that's what he is talking about and pointing to.