Patriotic Medallion Quilt

Though I haven’t in the past year, I have made several quilts for QOV (Quilts of Valor).   This is one I made starting with an orphan block which I used as a center medallion, then used left over squares to add the border.  To gain more length, I used two other orphan blocks and strip pieced the added portion.  I added a simple white border to increase the overall size.  I’m not sure of the overall size, but I think it is in the 50 in X 70 in range.  The top was machine pieced, then hand quilted.

Sorry the photos are better.  This quilt (& photos) are from around 2003 or 2004 (I think).

Hawaiian Quilt for a Friend

Years ago a friend asked me to make a quilt for his wife for their anniversary.  He wanted a queen size.  She like frogs and tropical stuff.  I took on the ambitious project of a Hawaiian appliqué quilt using fabric with frogs, parrots, lizards, etc for the center.  The entire appliqué was done by hand and took me almost 6 months.  I then had my friend Scottie Brooks to do the hand quilting.  I regret that I didn’t get a photo of the finished quilt.  This photo is of the finished top.  The quit was finished in November 2001 (quilted and bound).  It measures 104 in square.

I cropped the above photo to try to show more of the detail, but these photos do not do it justice.  And while I am still friends with the husband, he and she are no longer together, so I can’t get new and better photos. 

Sampler Quilt

I made this quilt several years ago and gave it to a friend (a nurse anesthetist I worked with at a local surgery center) who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  I’m not sure how large it is.  I do recall the blocks are 12 in squares and I think the sashing is 2 in wide.  So I would estimate it as being 52 in X 66 in.  It is machine pieced and quilted.

Beginning from the top left to right, the blocks are:

1.  Hole in the Barn

2.  Double Four Patch

3.  Double X

4.  Dutchmans Puzzle

5.  Economy

6.  Double Four Patch

7.  Double Four Patch

8.  Louisiana

9.  Buzzard Roost

10.  Anvil

11.  Airplane

12.  Evening Star

Baby Surprise Jacket

Recently finished this baby jacket for my niece who’s first baby is due this month.  Also made her a baby quilt.

The pattern is Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Baby Surprise Jacket.    I used Baby Bee Sweet Delight Baby in Crayon Ombre.

I found these buttons in my old button jar which worked nicely.


I’ll be making more of these little jackets.  I may even try one in the adult size.

re-su yukata Sweater

I undertook this challenge back in October 2011.  I recently finished it.  I love/hate it. 

The sweater is a shortened version of the re-su yukata pattern from the book Knit Kimona Too. The yarn is The Fibre Company Terra in black walnut.

I like how the sleeves fit.  I like how the back looks.

I’m not happy with the tension of my band edge which always it to “wave.”  The neck looks unsymmetrical to me.
I love the button and the I-cord closure.

I’ve put it aside for now.  Trying to decide whether to keep it or give it to someone who wouldn’t see the flaws and would love it.

Heads Up

Now that all my old posts from Sutured for a Living related to quilting/sewing/knitting have been reposted here, the volume on this blog will most likely decrease.  Instead of three times a week, it may be only once or twice a week. 

Thank you for visiting.  I hope you will continue to do so. 

WIP — African Whole Cloth Quilt

A friend from high school gave me some gorgeous fabric from her travels.  She was cleaning out her closets and I won the lottery.  This gorgeous fabric is from the African continent (the stickers fell off so I don’t know for sure which country).   It measures approximately 56 in X 76 in (photo only shows part of it).  I couldn’t bring myself to cut it up into smaller pieces so have decided to make a whole cloth quilt. 

I felt the animals and trees needed to be three dimensional, so have opted to use the trapunto method of sewing polyfil batting to the fabric and then trimming around each piece to remove the batting from areas that aren’t meant to “stand out.” 

I then made a quilt sandwich of the quilt front, cotton batting (Hobbs), and the quilt back (which is a lovely green though the below photo has washed it out).  I am now in the process of machine quilting the piece.  I’m using outline or echo quilting.

Nice reference videos

ABC’s of Quilting, Trapunto 101, Part 1

ABC’s of Quilting, Trapunto 101, Part 2