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I began quilting in 1974 while working at Minnesota Fabrics in the
Washington DC area. The home economist was required to do a quilting demonstration and was looking for help. It
sounded like fun to me, so I volunteered. The pattern I picked for my first ever quilt project was the Lone Star because we’d recently moved from Texas. This was pre-rotary cutters and I never heard of plastic for templates, I wasn’t real sure what a template was period. As soon as I realized I was over my head in skill level, I picked another pattern, a log cabin. That went quite easily, so I picked another one, a churn dash. Before the demonstration was held I had finished four different quilt projects, but not the Lone Star. The Lone Star wasn't finished until about a year later. Then I didn't know what to do with it, so I "framed" it. It was cool when I did it, not so much now, but I'm glad I still have it. It shows me where I started and how much I’ve improved. I made a few quilted pillows, then a baby quilt, and then more baby quilts.. and so on and so on. |
Seeing a student's satisfaction when finishing a quilt gives me great happiness. I find more personal satisfaction teaching someone else to make a quilt than making it for them. However I am occasionally talked into making a quilt for someone.
Quilts that I make for classes are given away as gifts to family and friends, and to local charities. I will sell a quilt to raise money for the American Cancer Society through Relay For Life. I don't make museum quilts, but quilts to be used. It gives me great pleasure to see my quilts worn out.
A project I did back in 1997 was a Scrappy 9-patch And Snowball. I liked it, but wasn't really happy with it for some reason and always wanted to make one again. It's now October 2021 and I still haven't made that second Scrappy 9-patch and Snowball.
A first in 1998 for me were tessellations.
In 1999 I made my first bed size commission quilt. I'd done baby quilts, lap quilts and wall hangings before, but never a bed size. the customer was very pleased. I don't enjoy making quilts for others, I'd rather teach them to make their own quilt. 2000 is also on this page
I started making miniatures in 2001 and have made many since then for many different reasons.
Speedy Strips© was started when my son asked me for an "ugly" quilt when he went off to college in 2002, "You know Mom, one no one will want to steal." I saw it was a way to use up scraps, and it certainly did.
2003 was a busy year, and although I made a a lot of quilts, I didn't get all of them done, or even started. I still want to make that baby quilt
2004 - 2005
2006
2007
2008-09 I decided to use my patterns in a new and different FUNdraising way for Relay For Life, and Mysteries For Relay was started. As a thank you for donations I offered a new quilt mystery every six weeks or so. For eight years we made new quilts and new friends while raising a lot of money for the American Cancer Society (And the Canadian Cancer Society too.)
2010
2011
2012
and more 2012
2013
2014
2015 - 2020 Due to health issues I have done very little quilting since June 2015. I've added pictures of what I've done, even the unfinished table topper I made at our online retreat in spring 2020. I've also made a lot of facemasks for family members.
Updated October 15, 2021
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