Someday

A few year ago, we transplanted an oak that had come up volunteer in our back yard. http://elzbeesplace.blogspot.com/2011/02/one-busy-guy.html  We weren't sure exactly what kind of oak it was, but we hoped it would be one that would give us some fall color.  This is the first year that it has showed us its potential and I am so pleased.  If our crepes myrtles manage to hang in there after these tough drought seasons we have had recently, in a few years, come fall, I may be able to step out into our back yard and get a good soaking of fall color. Happy sigh!

This is my last post for the year.  Merry Christmas to everyone and a Happy New Year!  See you in 2014.

Churning Day

Continuing with a nostalgic theme, here is another quilt made from some older blocks donated by the neighbor of L, one of my quilt ladies.  The name of the block is Churn Dash. W set the blocks with blue and yellow gingham and then quilted in the ditch around the block pattern and sashing.  

Since the background for the blocks was a plain muslin, I did some fill work to add some texture.

We used muslin for the backings as well, so this quilt has a sense of real old-fashioned comfort.  

Family Ties: Connections to the Past and Present

The old always has a certain fascination about it--a certain patina and romance.  My latest commissioned project gave me opportunity to tie together the past and present.  A woman in my church had some friendship blocks that had belonged to her mother and she wanted them put into a quilt.  I overheard her say to someone that everyone named in the blocks was family.  So I bring you Family Ties:

Using some fabric from my stash, I pieced together the blocks.  

 Here is the finished quilt.

In the blocks I did a simple outline around the names and then a heart and leaf motif in the corners

 Heart stippling in the sashing.

A simple leaf design in the first border,

Flower and leaf design for the outer border.

Back details.

 I had two extra blocks, so I hemmed them to the back.