Sunflower Garden..the First Sister Quilt

     I love to spend rainy Saturday afternoons in our local used bookstore browsing through old quilting books.  That's where I found the pattern for my sister Janet's quilt.  And I guess that's where the idea of quilts for my sisters was born.  The pattern just jumped out at me.......that's Janet!!
     The book was Scrap Quilts Fun and Fast by Patricia Wilens and the pattern was called "Sunflower Sayonara" by Terri Shinn.  According to the book the pattern originated in the 1930's.  Of course as soon as I began studying the pattern I started thinking of ways I would change it.   It's very rare that I follow a pattern just as it is written from beginning to end.  But the pattern was definitely made for Janet.
     My sister Janet is five years younger than I.  Although we have some similar interests in life, we are very different personalities.  Janet has always taken the road less traveled.  And as the poem says, "and that has made all the difference".  Janet is creative, unique and very much an individual.  And that is what I love about her.  One of the things Janet grows on "the farm" is sunflowers.  So a quilt was born.  And I called my version of Terri Shinn's quilt, "Sunflower Garden".
    Each block consisted of an appliqued sunflower resting on a leaf against a red background.  I collected enough fabric so that each block had a different red/yellow/green/brown combination.  I had never done machine applique before.  So this would be my challenge with this project.
    I added the thin border between each block to help the sunflowers stand out individually.
    I tied it all together with a zig-zag inner border made of all the yellows and greens from the blocks.  This was my own creation; no pattern.  Look Ma, no hands!!!! The outer border was again one of the dark reds from the block backgrounds.
  

Three views of "Sunflower Garden"

        To finish it off I backed the quilt with a cream colored fabric.  I wanted the quilting to be clearly seen.  My long are quilter, Linda Bennett, did a fabulous job.  For my signature I made another sunflower, signed and dated it with an embroidery stitch and stitched it to the back.  I liked the look of the signature and decided that from this point on all my quilts would incorporate the block design on the back.  The finished quilt measure 73"x 85".  

  

      The other "first" for this quilt was that I entered it in a show.  I didn't win any prize but the experience was well worth it.  I learned a  great deal from the judges' comments.  And I really felt proud seeing my work hanging in public.  

    And so that was one sister quilt done and two to go.  On to sister quilt two!!!

     

Three Sisters, Three Treasures, Three Quilts

     The Lord has blessed me with not one, but three, sisters. (two fabulous brothers too, but that's another story).  As I grow older I have come to appreciate them more and more. They are a special gift; and at times even life-savers.   If you are fortunate enough to have a sister in your life then you know exactly what I'm talking about.  Let me introduce you to mine.

Four sisters, four friends on a garden tour outing

    From left to right: there's Jean, then Nancy; and Janet;  I'm the one on the far right.  I'm also the oldest of the group. And as I often tell them...the most beautiful one of the bunch.  But don't call for a vote on that statement because I don't think you'll get any agreement.
    The four of us couldn't be more different or more close.

     Jean is our family upholsterer.  She started her own upholstery business many years ago while raising two girls.  That business has grown fantastically and now employs several people and has a reputation that has spread over several states.  Jean's very artistic.  She loves pond gardening, kayaking and traveling....oh yeah, and Neil Diamond too.

     Janet is our family farmer.  After retiring from a very successful career as a special education teacher, she and her husband bought eight acres and Janet took to farming like a duck to water.  "The farm", as it is referred to in the family, is the favorite gathering place for the holidays.  There's nothing better than Christmas at the farm with everyone in attendance.  Today her fields yield fruits, veggies and flowers that she sells at her farm stand.  And she has about 40 chickens.  The "girls" lay lots of eggs that are also sold at the stand.  Her farm stand is not only cute and creatively decorated, but very popular in the neighborhood.  But you better get there early because things sell out fast. Janet is creative and always adds special touches to everything she makes.  She gives 110% to all projects and all family members.

     Nancy is our family nurse.  She'll tell you she often hears from family members only when they have some kind of ailment.  There's WebMD and then there's Nurse Nancy.  She has had a very successful career in nursing.  She began with patient care and has moved into the administrative end of the profession.  When not working Nancy loves to cook. Her specialty is hors d'oeuvres.  What a chef. When the four of us get together we always make sure Nancy brings the hors d'oeuvres. they are a meal in themselves.  And she never makes the same thing twice (unless requested).  Besides cooking, Nancy loves to travel with her husband.  When it's vacation time they will always head to the southwest.  We may someday have Christmas in Arizona.        

    The closeness that the four of us have developed is thanks to my Mom.  She was the one who instilled in us the value and importance of family.  She did everything she could to encourage us to put family first.  Mom always told us that friends may come and go, but sisters are your best friends for life.  Boy was she right!!

     We weren't always close growing up because of the wide age span.  We always seemed to be in different life stages.  But as we became adults we decided to make a conscious effort to stay together despite the ages and despite the miles between us.  Every year (sometimes two or three times a year) we get together for "Sisters' Weekend".  Sometimes we meet at each other's houses and work on projects:

                        

Building a pond in Jean's garden 

Watching the landscape company build a pond in Karen's garden while waiting for Nancy's hors d'ouevres to arrive

    And sometimes we get all dressed up to go on a shopping spree; which always includes a few garden shops, antique shops, boutiques and.....lunch.

  

We've made a statement in a few little towns along the way.  

         And as the years have gone by we have begun to include Jean's two girls, our nieces; Pam and Kristen. We want to pass on to them their Grandmother's values.  

And pretty soon two more nieces will be joining us.  They are dressed the part and ready to go.

      And it is my prayer that all the "sisters" and "brothers" in my life know the treasure that has been given them.    

My three sisters with our two younger brothers, Bob and Walter

My nieces and nephew - Ally, Matt and Kathleen

My two granddaughters - Elise and Katherine

     For there is no greater friend than a sibling.    

        So many loved ones!!!  So many quilts!!!  The snowball is rolling!!!  

My First Real Quilt...Started and FINISHED!!!

     Little did I know, back in 2011, that I was starting myself down a quilting road that would snowball beyond belief.  Some would say snowball "out of control", but not me.  I loved my idea back then and I'm still loving it today.  It was back in 2011 that I decided to make quilts for other people.....people who I loved dearly.  People who had a special place in my heart.  I had already made rag quilts for some special people in my life.  But it was now time to branch out into full-blown quilts.  
     The plan began with my sister-in-law's oldest son, Sam.  I've known Sam all his life and watched him grow into a fine young man. He was my first nephew. Sam is kind to others, very intelligent, has an easy going personality and is an interesting person to just sit and chat with.  As a young boy growing up Sam always seemed to make wise choices in his life. And when he met Alex and chose to have her join the family, it was one of the wisest choices he ever made in my opinion.  Sam and Alex were meant for each other.

      So for their wedding present, I decided to make Sam and Alex a quilt.  I knew that whatever I did for Sam I would also do for his two brothers, but that was down the road.  For right now I needed to think about this quilt....the quilt I considered my first!!!
     I wanted to select a pattern that matched Sam's and Alex's interests.  They both loved the outdoors, and like the rest of the family, their hearts were in the Adirondacks.  So I decided to choose a design with a "woodsy" theme.  I found just such a pattern in a book called  Bears in the Woods by Eleanor Burns and published by Quilt in a Day Publications. This particular quilt was designed by Sue Bouchard. The overall look was perfect and the individual blocks seemed easy enough.  However it was not going to be a quilt I could do in a day!!
    I needed:      12 log cabin blocks
                        20 evergreen tree blocks
                        4 bear claw blocks
                        and enough flying geese strips to circle the perimeter of the quilt.
The finished quilt would measure 84" x 84".

     The trees were the biggest challenge. I had to re-do a few of those blocks until I got the hang of it.  They were done with an assortment of green fabric.  

      The log cabin blocks were pieced with a variety of medium and dark blues and an assortment of tone-on-tone whites.  The center was a rich dark red.  I had once read somewhere that a red center in a log cabin block was a symbol for hearth/heart of a home. How perfect for a young couple starting a home together. 

      The bear claws were my favorite blocks.  I had never done them before and was amazed with how well they turned out.  I think part of my satisfaction was because I loved the fabrics I chose.  I have used the black/gold print several times since.

      The flying geese blocks would encircle the quilt on all sides using the same blues from the log cabin blocks.  

      I experimented with the placement of the log cabin blocks as you can tell from the second and fourth pictures.  Each arrangement gave the quilt a different look.  I decided on the one I liked best and began to sew the blocks together.  For the backing fabric I selected a neutral color.  

      I sent the quilt off to the long arm quilter to be put together. For this task I hired Linda Bennett as my quilter.  I had seen her work in quilts displayed at the Lake Farm Park Quilt Show and liked the look of the quilts she had done. But putting my masterpiece in the hands of another person was a little scary.  Letting it out of my sight was taking a big risk as far as I was concerned.  When the quilt came back to me (beautifully quilted!) I bound it in the same rich red that was in the center of the log cabin and bear claw blocks. 

The final touch was to "sign" my quilt and present it to the bride and groom.  Over the years I have discovered that the best feeling in the world is presenting that finished project to someone you love.  It gives a whole new meaning to Acts 20:35 "it is more blessed to give than to receive".

     Before I wrapped my quilt for presenting I sat and stared at it for the longest time.  I amazed myself and was proud of myself.  I had started and finished my first quilt.  Wouldn't Aunt Tillie be proud of me.  

A Life Long Learner

     As a former educator I truly believe that we are all life-long learners.  We are never too old to learn new skills and ideas.  But as a quilter I think I have gone a tad bit overboard with that philosophy. The result is I have created a closet full of UFO's (UnFinished Objects).

     My local quilt shop, Cottonpickers, has started a monthly quilting club called "Marti and Me".  The class features the tools and patterns of a professional quilter named Marti Mitchell.  Each month we learn about a new technique and receive a pattern and special ruler to practice the technique.  As of this writing I am finishing my twelfth class with "Marti and Me" and am starting my third rotation.  That's a lot of UFO's.  And it also means a wall of specialty rulers.

                                         

To paraphrase Mr. Will Rogers, I never met a ruler I didn't like.
      These are the projects that are waiting TBQ (to be quilted).
                          
                        Christmas and Halloween table toppers.

     

                                               Three wall hangings

My favorite wall hanging that I can't wait to quilt

My newest UFO made with beautiful flannels

This American flag wall hanging will hang on my porch wall

Well, I guess it's a good thing I have all these UFO's waiting TBQ because I recently took the next step.......... and purchased a long arm quilting machine. Oh boy Aunt Tillie and Aunt Marge should see me now!!!  

My Life as a Rag Quilter

       My mother had a younger sister.  Her name was Marjorie.  When it came to aunts, Aunt Marge was the best.  She did not have any daughters, just two sons, so she enjoyed her relationships with all her nieces.  Over the years she stayed in close contact with all of us and took an interest in everything we did.  Aunt Marge was also my Godmother.  So she was extra special in my book.
      Every summer, when I traveled to my lake house in the Adirondack Mountains, I would stop overnight at Aunt Marge's house to visit with her and my Uncle Ted.  They were always busy.  I loved seeing all the projects they had themselves involved in. Uncle Ted built boats in the garage and Aunt Marge loved to sew for herself and other people (especially children). It was not uncommon for her to have several things going on at the same time.  Her sewing machine was always open. Aunt Marge was thrilled that I was quilting.  She enjoyed hearing about the projects I was involved in and often encouraged me to try the things she was doing.  That's how I got hooked on rag quilts.
     Shortly after I started quilting again, Aunt Marge presented me with a soft comforter that she made. She called it a rag quilt.  I had never seen one before.  I loved it; not only because the colors were perfect in my family room, but also because it was so warm and soft.  I use it often in the winter, wrapping myself in the quilt and curling up in my favorite chair near the fireplace.

   The quilt is made with 42 eight inch squares of soft flannel.  The total size of the quilt is about 44 x 49".













     Of course I wanted to try my hand at making rag quilts.  And I did!!  For a while I was rag quilt crazy.  I ended up making five rag quilts for Christmas presents.

                          A space-themed rag quilt for my nephew, Matthew

              Hearts and flowers in delicious little girl colors for my niece, Ally      

              Another flowers and stripes in candy colors for my niece, Kathleen

      Then I decided that I'd make a couple more for my two best friends, Barb and Lynn.  Selecting fabrics was starting to be fun. There were so many choices. I tried to choose themes or colors that went with the recipient.

Lynn's quilt used bright, light colors, just like her house

Barb's quilt was a camping theme
                                  

This was also the first time I signed my quilts

       But of all my rag quilts, the one I was most proud of was the one I made for my husband, Tom.  He loved using my quilt when he watched TV.  He hinted that he too would like a rag quilt, but he would want it larger.  So I went to work on his Christmas present.  I decided the color theme would be blues and whites to match the colors of his high school.


        To make the quilt larger I used 12-inch squares.  On the square in the upper right corner I added something a little special. I cut the front off of a tee shirt and sewed it to the square.  It was the best present I gave that Christmas.  And not a day goes by that the Benedictine quilt is not used.
      This past summer I found a quilt shop in Fly Creek, New York that had a fantastic collection of flannel.  I selected a collection to make one more rag quilt......for ME.  A person can never have too many rag quilts.  
      All my quilts are special to me but now my rag quilt from Aunt Marge is even more special to me since we recently lost her.  Aunt Marge died after a very courageous battle with cancer and went home to be with the Lord.  Every time I finish another quilt I miss sharing my joy with my godmother and favorite aunt.  But I have a feeling she and my Mom are looking down from above with smiles of approval on their faces.  


             

Sew, the Time Has Come to Be a Quilter....For Real

        I finally retired in June of 2008.  The next phase of my life was out there right in front of me. It was now or never.  I decided it was time to get real about this hobby of quilting. At least give it a try and see if I still liked it.
       My local sewing store, JoAnn's, advertised a beginner's quilting class.  What better place to start then at the beginning. Aunt Tillie and Grandma had given me the desire. But after talking to my Aunt Marge, who was presently doing quite a bit of machine quilting, I realized I lacked the basic skills for today's quilting projects.  So I signed up for a series of lessons.
       When I arrived at the first class with my trusty 40 year old Singer sewing machine, that Grandma had given me for a wedding present, the supply list was the first thing that greeted me.  If I wanted to be a quilter it looked as if I needed a lot of "stuff" that I hadn't accumulated as a garment sewer: rulers, more rulers, mats, rotary cutters, blades, markers, special pins, and of course, fabric; lots of fabric. Well, this had better be my new calling, because I was jumping in with both feet.  Out came my credit card.  I bought all the supplies and the book that, along with the teacher, would be my guide.  Here I go!!!

     After struggling once again selecting my fabric (eggplants came back to haunt me), I found the project to be quite interesting and ideal for a beginner.  This book even devoted a whole chapter to selecting fabric.  It was made for me!!   First I learned about the basics of measuring and cutting.  And then when I started to put the blocks together my world was opened up to half square triangles, flying geese, nine-patches, log cabins, strip sets and chaining.  And I found out the hard way about the importance of your 1/4 inch seam.  As of today I have accumulated quite a stack of quilting books but I still refer back to Hawley's book from time to time. It has served me well. 

    This is my "almost finished" project from that first quilt class.  It is a nine block sampler that measures 54 1/2 inches square.  I've got the backing fabric ready to go.....all I have left to do is QUILT IT!!  Little did I know that this was the beginning of another collection:

       UFO's.............UnFinished Objects

       PIGS's.............Projects In Grocery Sacks

       or PHD's.............Projects Half Done

      My only regret is that Grandma, Aunt Tillie and Mom weren't around to see the results of all their teaching and encouragement.  

   

Getting Closer to a Whole Quilt

   

       Sometime in the late 60's or early 70's, after the 31 yellow blocks were put away and forgotten (out of sight, out of mind) I decided that I wanted to try again.  I was determined to make a quilt from start to finish. This one was going to be for me and the colors would go nicely with the color scheme of my bedroom.
      I don't know where the pattern came from.  It sure wasn't out of a beginner's quilt magazine.  I do know that acrylic templates and rotary cutters were not part of the project.  And I sure didn't do myself any favors about achieving my goal of completing a quilt.  Not only were there 16 pieces to each block, but there were also set-in seams AND curved seams.  If history was any indication, my interest would surely fade long before the last stitch was completed.  And it did.
      It is now 2013 and I recently pulled the quilt from my Grandmother's old hope chest that sits in my guest bedroom.  It was right there tucked in the chest along with 31 yellow star blocks.  The top is completed (all by hand) and it has been basted to the backing.  I even started the hand quilting.  It's about a third of the way through. This project is the closest to being a completed quilt I had come so far.
      I may not remember starting this project, but when I look at the quilt it brings back a vision.  I'm sitting on the front porch of the Limekiln Lake summer house with this big maroon quilt on my lap quilting away and chatting with my mother-in-law.  I guess that's where I did most of the work on the quilt.  Unfortunately, I no longer have a room in my house with that color scheme.  But  when, not if, I get this one done it would look very nice on my bed at the lake house where it has already spent so many summers.