Student Work

Here are two classes I have taught locally this fall. 

The first is Southern Super Star, a great project with a book from Calico Carriage by Debbie Maddy called Southern Star. This is my go-to giveaway quilt because it is easy, quick, doesn't use a lot of any one fabric except the background and can be simply quilted with not much time or cost. I have made and given away 8 of these. The sample quilt is mine to keep.

The class was offered at Sweet Home Quilting. My class sample:

The students decide how they want to make the half square triangles--with squares OR using a Half Square Triangle Ruler, my preferred method. In this class of 4, two did the first method, two used the ruler.

The pacing is set so that they make one of the four center sections in the morning and one of the diamond point top sections in the afternoon. With both of those complete, they can easily make three more of each section at home to complete the top. 

Leila 

Laura--this will be King-Size--the easiest King size quilt ever

Mary

Mary Louise

Each student did great and each was excited to go home and finish. I encourage students to email me a photo when done. And every student who takes a class from me gets lifetime free advice by email for any quilt-related issue they ever have.

I have taught beginning quilters for almost 35 years. Here is the latest class from this Fall at Patches & Stitches

Latham brought this to share

Michele

Mary 

Vanessa

Amanda

Kimberly

I enjoy teaching locally and hope to continue that. There will be different beginning classes at all three local shops. And a Next-Level class at each shop for those students who are eager to continue with me on their journey to learn more as a quiltmaker. This is the time of year I am busy making new samples, revising current successful classes and working on upcoming Lectures/Workshops for organizations away from home.

Stay tuned for the Winter 2022 Schedule of  my local offerings.

Let's quilt.

Round Robin Quilts with the Sunday Sew & Sews

 Several months ago, eight of the Sunday Sew & Sews decided to do a Round Robin project. Each person made a center block, gathered fabrics they liked with it, and passed theirs on to another participant for her to add to. There were  two groups of four so the quilts wouldn't become king-size--which could have happened if all 8 had worked on each quilt.

I have written before about this process and given tips for success here:

How to Organize a Round Robin

Here are the tops as they were returned to their owners. Some will be declared "Done!" by the owner and some will be expanded--each person gets to decide. In no particular order: 

Pam E

Terri 

Donna

Jodie 

Cindy

Pam R with hers

Brenda

Mine--I want to expand this as I love it

This was a fun project. Everyone loved their quilt and each was surprised with what was done to theirs. All are so different. And each person had to figure out what to add and how to accomplish their chosen design. This is a great exercise for those who typically follow patterns. You get to make creative decisions on your own and stretch yourself as a a quiltmaker.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Houston--What I Bought-- Part 3

 My final post about International Quilt Festival 2021. This will show my purchases.

Having put myself on fabric restriction, I didn't look at or buy any fabric. The closets are full and begging for the "de-stash" process to begin. 

Instead I bought thread. So now I am on "thread restriction" too. Superior is my thread of choice. This isn't all of it: 

Always looking for more rulers/templates for ruler work, I bought these two. Now I am eager to try them out: 

And I bought a book full of good quilting ideas for pieced blocks. Deciding what to quilt is the most challenging part for most of us--this will help:

That would have been enough for this trip but then I saw an antique quilt I really liked. It has two things I love in antiques--flying geese and LOTS of fabrics. The dealers are lovely people, Carolyn and Don Springer, Quilts from Mulberry Lane

The tag from the dealer said it was a Mennonite quilt, made by Ada Wadell of Carlisle, PA. It is 72" x 78" and in excellent condition. A quick search for Ada Wadell or Waddell in PA hasn't been successful yet but I'll keep looking. I grew up in PA and took a Girl Scout trip to Lancaster County, PA that first introduced me to quilts and started my passion for them: 

Border quilting: 

 

The rest of the quilting is two concentric circles with a few small stitches in the center of each:

Sometimes the geese change direction for no apparent reason: 

Wonderful collection of old fabrics--she had a deep stash too, just like I do:

The back--three widths of this fabric, the middle one is 25.5" wide. The binding is the back turned over to the front:

                                                  

The perfect addition to my small antique collection. This just might be my Next Lifetime Quilt!

Let's quilt.

Barbara 

Houston Quilt Festival 2021 -- Part 2

 These photos will focus on my Special Exhibit at International Quilt Festival 2021 in Houston, TX.

It features 23 of my quilts, from early pieces that are pretty humble to the four Best of Show quilts. I told my family it is my "Lifetime Achievement Award" and is a really big deal--in case they didn't know what it means for a quiltmaker to have an exhibit of their work at "Houston".

The opening display: 

A huge "Thank You!" to the fine folks at Quilters Select who so graciously agreed to sponsor this Special Exhibit: 

Sizzle--Hot! pattern by Becky Goldsmith, in a private collection

Joyful Journey, Sue Garman pattern, quilted by Lois Kindley

I took some of these shots before the show opened to the public. The layout was lovely, close to chronological order as I had requested: 

Red and White--By the Numbers got very little attention and that was fine. She was front and center and images of this quilt was everywhere in 2014. She is part of my journey but not the most important part; 

Some of the older pieces: 

If It"s Purple... patterns from my guild in the early 1990's, original layout/design, hand quilted by Lucille Ford, Best of Show, HQH 1995

Devil's Claw, original design, hand quilted by Lucille Ford

                                        

                                      

The oldest pieces were on the back side of the exhibit--the two flying geese quilts are personal favorites: 

One of the oldest quilts in the exhibit, Charm Quilt, 1992. Made with "blocks" from members of my first guild, VA Star Quilters, Fredericksburg, VA. I designed the original quilting pattern. The quilt sat in the frame in a west-facing window for so long the border fabrics are badly faded. The narrow inner border was originally black: 

The ONE quilt that got far more attention than any other is "My Lifetime Quilt". It was in the perfect place for maximum visibilty--facing into the quilt area of the show, and leading to the vendor area. 

These next 3 photos are from my friend Karen K Buckley, who featured them on Facebook--Thanks, Karen!

                                                 

The subtitle of this quilt is Wow! because I hear that all the time when people first see it. This guy came around the corner and yelled "Wow!" followed by "She's nuts!"  As I was standing there I said to him "it really wasn't that hard to  make". He figured out these are all my quilts and said some very nice things about my overall body of work. I asked him to pose, saying "Wow" and he was happy to. Wish I had gotten his name: 

There are many blog posts about the making of this quilt--use the Search box in the upper left for Lifetime and they will come up. Here is one: 

Lifetime Top is Done

I have lots of photos of the backside of lots of people--every time I went to the Exhibit there were people gathered around it: 

I spent an hour a day for 3 days at the Exhibit, listening and talking to lots of people, quilters and their families. Many wanted my business card and I hope some of them are now here following along with the rest of my Joyful Journey. Many members of The Quilt Show took a moment to say "hi" and that was special too.

All and all, it was a great experience I will be forever grateful for. My personal motto is "I am a part of all that I have met", by A. Lord Tennyson, my high school yearbook motto. I feel my connection to all those who are a part of my journey: teachers, friends, students, mentors. I especially felt the presence of two women who have left this world, but not before leaving a permanent place in my heart: Judy Murrah, my mentor, boss and friend for so many years and Sue Garman, designer and friend. I miss them both so much but feel their love to this day.

Let's quilt.

Barbara