Something From Nothing -- Cards, Quilts, Watercolors News

My Earliest Quilts

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 18:12:19 CST

This is the first wall hanging I ever made. I gave it to my mother who, bless her heart, still has it in her house. Straight lines, points that come together, lots of solid white. Phew my tastes have changed!!

And this is the first bed quilt I ever made. All the cutting and sewing was a good antidote to hours and hours of philosophy while I was in seminary. But it sure looks like a lot of "the same" now!! I think I cut 25 white squares and sewed them back together to make the center. I am definitely a self taught quilter. Its all a good reminder of how we change and grow.

Jackets? Where are the jackets?

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:40:14 CST

These flowers are being felted onto the back of a denim jacket. I don't know if I can part with this one, but by mid winter there should be one for sale.

This is the back and front of a quilted and felted jacket in progress. It has a way to go to be finished. But within a couple months.

If you want to keep posted on jackets, subscribe to the site with your email and I'll let you know when they are done. If you want a jacket in your size, contact me and we'll chat.

Color in Photographs

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:03:20 CST

I am a quilter first, a painter second, and a photographer not at all. While I try hard to get decent pictures of quilts and paintings, the reality is that the colors are just never ever quite right in a photograph. This is frustrating to a color addict. The color is most of the reason I create the art to begin with so I'd like you to see it accurately!

In addition the liveliness of the two mediums, which is what I love the most, is lost almost completely. Wallhangings, whether quilted or painted, should look striking from a distance and then more and more interesting as you approach them. When you are right on top of them the details of fabric and playing paint should offer another dimension worth your time. Photographs catch none of that!

What can I tell you? If you are in Central PA, you can contact me and come to the studio. See things in real life. In the end photographs and online do have their limitations.

What is a Signature Quilt?

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:49:22 CST

AKA FRIENDSHIP QUILT

In pioneer days, women made quilts to be signed by friends and relatives in the east and then carried west to warm their homesteads on the cold plains! These days signature quilts can be used to honor special friends and relatives at weddings, housewarmings, funerals, graduations, retirements, or birthdays. When I design a signature quilt I leave room for lots of names added with special fabric pens. A gift that will be treasured for a looooong time. If you have a special occasion on the horizon, commission a signature quilt to be part of the event.

This gold quilt (left)was a present for a wedding couple. Signed by the wedding party and those in attendance at a rehearsal dinner, it will became a great way to bring the occasion home.

This quilt in shades of brown (bottom) collected signatures all over town for a friend in the hospital with a serious illness. It kept him warm in recovery and continued to be signed by people who came to the house. Signature quilts can be a warm way to say "we care"in the midst of a crisis. See the "Bed Quilts" gallery for available signature quilts or contact the artist to commission a quilt for your event (if you have atleast a few months of lead time!).

Quilt Finished! Beauty Out of Life's Chaos

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:25:21 CST

CORAL REEF

Are there any colors I've left unloved? This was a fun quilt to make. It's creation spanned several years. It was a companion in life's transition through major changes. Started in a quilt studio set up in the home of a Friend, who understood that quilting would keep me sane . . . continued in cramped space when I moved everything back into my home briefly. . . finished a year and a half later when I set up a tiny studio in an apartment I'd rented. Its a happy happy joy joy wallhanging. A reminder that in the midst of chaos beauty is born!!