Memory quilt made for my aunt turning 89 this week.

What a joy it was to gift my dear aunt with this quilt filled with photos of family events, all the people in her life from birth till now. Her parents, her self as baby and child, young woman/bride, family holidays, children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren and great grandchildren. The joy it gave her to receive was such a gift to me, the giver.

This kind of quilt is more than a blanket or wall hanging or even a work of art. It is life itself captured on cloth for the person to hug and hold and love. My dear cousins were already asking to be on a list to receive it next. ;-) I have no doubt this piece will stay in our family for generations to come.

I made this with some fabric from my stash: some white eyelet with a tiny floral and heart design; some rose/orange cotton for backing to the eyelet and to the back of the quilt, as well. I added photos of flowers on cloth from her garden and mine around the border, leaves cut from deep green batik became the family tree scattered between photos of family members. I made it in a pillowcase format so no extra binding was necessary. I was in a hurry as I had the idea to do it two weeks before her birthday!
And got it done just in time.

On the back I sewed a story of her life on cloth and a second page with numbered rows associated with the rows of photos and every ones names in the photos in each row. These I bound in green and hand sewed to the back, along with a photo of myself, bound similarly.

I top sewed free motion the names of everyone in our family as they entered the family starting with her parents (my grand parents), herself as baby, siblings, husband, children, etc.under the photos in each row.

At the very bottom I top sewed free motion a Happy Birthday greeting to my aunt.

Riding The Rails of The Orient Express

Today (April 21st) this piece won an honorable mention award in the Vacaville art gallery's juried art show.

Top Stitched, Appliqued Clematis Altered For Newlyweds to Be

This Clematis quilt is from a pattern design by Melinda Bula using her book Cutting-Garden Quilts Fabulous Fusible Flowers. I first saw Melinda's work in a quilt show and bought her book.
I went home and began the long ardourous process of constructing this quilt. I love that the back is as beautiful as the front, as she suggested using the same colored threads in the bobbins as in the top stitches. On the black background you get another picture!

My next challenge will be using my own photos of flowers to create my own design in this fashion.This wall hanging hung at the Vacaville Art Gallery from March 21-April 18th. On May 1, it went to The Quilted Heart Quilt shop to hang (out) there a while. The place I learned to quilt last July!

Life's Crazy Pieces

On April 21, this quilted wall hanging was selected to be in the Vacaville art gallery's juried art show. And now, May 20, it's been entered into the 65Plus-the art and lives of older artists calendar contest in New Zealand. The winners will be exhibited on the virtual Tart website during October 2008. (http://virtual.tart.co.nz )




This is what traditionalist might call a crazy patchwork quilt. I wanted to do something with patchwork, so did so on a small scale wall hanging. (18" X 23") It's top stitched using a free motion foot, metallic and rayon threads, and beaded a bit for extra pizazz. It is bound and has a hanging sleeve on reverse side. Colors are brighter than shown here. Double clicking on photos shows greater detail.

Lynn's Art Quilts

Abstract Art Quilt Wall Hanging in Black and White

On April 21, 2008, this quilted wall hanging was selected to be in the Vacaville Art Gallery's juried art show.

May 20: comment overheard by art director while two women were looking at this quilt: "The person who made this one must have been quilting for years!" ;-)

[Nope, less than 6 months when I made this one]


The frayed "flowers" in this abstract design are taken from the Rose quilt in the heading of this blog.
The use of black and white changes the look to a more sophisticated quilt. Each 9 inch square is top stitched free motion style in an echo pattern around the outer layer of the "flower". Most of the fabrics used here are batiks the rest being cotton. It comes together in a stand out wall hanging.

This quilt is hanging in the Vacaville Art Gallery from March 21st until April 18th, 2008.
It also hung in the Quilted Heart Quilt Shop from March 1-March 15, 2008.

Double clicking on photo allows you to see more detail.

Baby or Child's Small play blanket

This is a good example of a children's wall hanging or doll blanket incorporating family memories. There are photos of grandparents with grandchildren and grandchildren by themselves and siblings together in this playful child's quilt. Embellishments include metallic threads and ribbons of varying colors and textures.

This frayed edge piece was made with a baby or child in mind. The textures and layers give a baby something to grab onto. The squares are trimmed in yarn for another texture and look.
Animals cut from a cotton t-shirt walk around the outside border rectangles, some with a glitter of gold or silver raised sparkle and an added sparkly rhinestone. An inner border of colorful ladybugs attracts more interest.