The Beginning
Please note as you view these photos, the sizes may not be all proportional. You might see a quilt that looks as small as a wall hanging or vice versa.
 #1 |
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 don't make museum quilts, but quilts to be used. It gives me great pleasure to see my quilts worn out
In 2013 I started sharing my quilting history in this photo journal.
While living in England (1987-1991) I made quite a few baby quilts, a few for gifts and several to sell at the base Christmas Craft Fair. I have no photos of any of them. When we moved to Germany (1991-1993) I was drafted into a group of crafters there and made baby quilts to sell at their consignment booth. Then the same the group told me that we would be participating in The Ramstein Welfare Bazaar which was one of the largest bazaars in Europe and I could put in everything I wanted. I made at least 25 baby quilts, dozens of Christmas Stockings, and 60 Christmas Tree skirts. Here are photos of a few, I guess my favorites since I have these pictures to show.
1991
When we returned home to the states I had some tree skirts left over to finish and sell and of course was still sewing. I made baby quilts for gifts, tried some new quilting techniques, and learned how to use a new gadget called a Rotary Cutter, I was in love!
I found an old list of my quilts in a photo album and it started with 103 and 104, and the other quilts listed below. I know the numbers are wrong because of all the quilting I did in England and Germany, but since that was where it started, I used those numbers. I don’t have photos of the missing numbers sadly. I’ve recreated my entire quilting history from here forward. And of course I’m adding to it all the time.
1994
#103 & #104
 #106 |
I found some pretty little pastel florals that I wanted to do something with and decided to make this. I didn’t really have a pattern, just winged it. I love this one and it’s still in my personal collection. |
In 1995 John retired from the USAF, we moved home to Delaware and we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary.
And I did two local craft fairs to sell some of the leftover Christmas tree skirts, stockings and quilts I had made. I did very well and reduced my piles of quilted items significantly.
#107
#108
#109Before our move I decided the boys needed quilts made by Mom on their beds. I made Jonathon a Dino Log Cabin which he used until he went away to college and Michael a Fisherman's Quilt which he used until he moved up to a double bed.
#110
#112| This is a baby quilt made as a gift. Looking back years later I wonder if I was just being abstract. |  #111
|
I made this fishy quilt for a lap quilt for our living room. I quilted it using decorative stitches from my old Singer machine.
#113
#114
#115
| I did another craft fair the summer of 1996 and sold lots of stuff. I was enjoying making money from my hobby, even if it was costing me more than I was making. |  #117 |
#118
#119
#120  #121 |
This was my second trip around the world quilt, a Christmas present for John's sister Cheri. Believe it or not, she still has it and uses it while she's reading to keep warm. Fluffer was the official quilt inspector for many years. |
In late 1996 a quilt shop opened in Lewes, and I volunteered to work there and eventually volunteered to teach too. I made many wonderful friends in my time there, and learned some valuable lessons too, not all in quilting. Below are a few shop samples I made. (Shop samples are marked with an asterisk)
#126*
#131* #128 |
The white blob on the upper left hand corner of this quilt is a matching pillow case to go with the quilt. The quilt was donated to PeachTree Health Group, an assisted living and day facility near us. |
Links to My Quilt History pages
A project I did back in 1997 was Scrappy 9-patces And Snowballs
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.
Folk Art Hearts is one of my favorites from 2003. 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.) Our first mystery project was Tessellated friendship stars. (A huge THANK YOU to all the ladies who participated.)
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 safety from covid, flu and the common cold.
Updated Nov 12, 2021
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