Fun With Bricks

 Fun With Bricks is a memory quilt I made for my niece.

The idea started with a collection of bandana handkerchiefs that were her father's "trademark" of sorts.  His passion in life was the outdoors.  His occupation was landscaper.  The bandanas were a necessity because all his life he suffered from a myriad of allergies.  She sent along a few other pieces she had collected (6 total elements) and asked "will you make me a quilt."

 The pattern "Fun With Bricks" from Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville fit the bill in a number of ways.  It allowed me to use a large variety of fabrics so I could make this "mish mash" blend together, it presented a constant diagonal pattern to showcase the Disney print containing Tigger (my nieces nickname given to her by her father as a baby) that represents a thread common to her life.  (and Roo, a nickname she has given her partner)  And last but not least, it represents an aspect of her father's life.  He had a knack for taking discarded sidewalk bricks and turning them into works of art in patios and other garden features.  The smaller photos below are my attempt to show the elements provided and the back of the quilt. 

The kindergarden numbers I inserted with MSPaint point out the pieces in the box she sent. 
1.  fishing related fabrics
2.  Disney fabric
3. Bandanas in red, blue, and orange
4.  A heart motif
5.  A baby onsie with a phrase she liked
and 6. a frog (he didn't seem to fit on the front so I put him on the back) the backing fabric is a piece I bought just for Tigger.  This was the perfect time to give it to her.

A celebration of life in 6 quilts

Memory Quilts are often made from a loved ones clothing.  These 6 quilts contain the work clothes, dress clothes, and play clothes of a dear friend of ours.  Each has some special memories for the recipient making each one original.  One for his wife and each of their children.  It has been a special journey for me to make these.  I trust they will be treasured by all who remember him. 

Easy Street

My first mystery quilt and the largest quilt I've ever put together (not quilted yet) also the most pieces I ever put into one quilt.  2377 pieces according to another Easy Street maker (I didn't count them as I went along and I'll take her word for it).  Pattern can be found on Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville.com

My first spiral on a quilt

My first experiment in spirals was this black and yellow.  I drafted it on a spiral graph paper I found online.  It wasn't quite what I had in mind but now that it has evolved into this joyful little quilt, I'm head of heels in love with it.  The bright happy background almost steals the show. These triangles are much easier than the flying geese of the previous quilt.  

Flying the Archimedean Spiral

Flying the Archimedean Spiral

For “Taking Flight” AAC Quilt Challenge

Challenge Fabric and Rules

Here is my quilt for the Appalachian Art Center's 2012 Quilt Challenge.  To the right is the packet I purchased for their fundraiser.  I wasn't immediatly inspired to use these 3 fabrics, but carried them to my stash of fabric to look for something to go with these pretty batiks.  I was sure I did not want to make a pastel quilt with these pink and purple batiks but decided to challenge myself further by deciding not to buy any new fabric for this.  I decided upon the spiral, stole the sunset-ish fabric from my landscape bin and started designing.  Credit to Mrs. Haddock (my math expert and daughter) for giving me a name to google to find this geometric wonder.  Also credit to quilter Barbara Olson who did an HGTV program that started the spiral investigation.  This is the second spiral design I've done, I'm still facinated by them so there will probably be more. 

Easy Street steps 2 & 3

Easy Street progress

After falling a bit behind schedule I am juggling both step 2 & 3.  Only finger pressing in a rush to get the pieces together before step 4 creates more pieces.  It looks more disorganized than it is.  step 2 is completely chain pieced (a pretty purple garland) ready to press.  Step 3 is close to 1/2 way done.  I think I can catch up.

getting ready for Easy Street step 2

using scraps

Easy Street step 2
The background fabric I used in step 1 contains some yardage and bits and pieces from the scrap drawer.  Now I realize that the background fabric for the rest of the quilt may not be as varied.  I still have the yardage fabric (some in abundance) but I've gone scrounging for variety.  Some of the pieces from the scrap drawer were the instruction parts of novelty panels (don't ask how old they are). I can't believe I used to toss them in the trash (silly, I know).  I found a few more buried in the stash so I wacked them off and into the quilt they go. I was never quite sure what I was saving them for, but now I know.

Step 1 (354 twosies- I'm getting there)

Fabric selections for Easy Street Mystery

 EASY STREET
(A Quilt Mystery)
I love mysteries and I love quilting sooooooo, I've decided to do my first mystery quilt.  Easy Street with Bonnie Hunter.  Because it's my first attempt at this, I'm sticking pretty close to the recommended/suggested colors, but because I'm frugal I'm only using fabrics I already have.  I've substituted a piece of black with white dots for the gray 'constant' because I don't have a big piece of gray fabric to use. 

Spooky (little door quilt)

 This little quilt will decorate the front door for Halloween.  Named after our own black cat.  Here she is in one of her favorite spots, but look quick because, as usual, there she goes.  She's an elusive but charming little friend.  We can always get her to come out of hiding for roasted chicken, tacos, spaghetti, and vanilla ice cream, but otherwise, she comes out only as SHE pleases. 

Memory Quilt for Sister Mary

Sister Mary will be missed in Southwest Virginia, but never forgotten.  To be certain she will remember us, we presented her with a Memory Quilt signed and decorated by those who love her.