Sometimes in my travels, I find quilts in unexpected places. Such is the occurrence of rest stop quilts in Iowa. There was no expectation of quilts in the rest stop on I-80 near Davenport, Iowa. All of these photos were taken inside this rest stop. Many years ago, a woman in the quilt guild was raving about a book discussing how quilts were used as signals for the Underground Railroad. My first thought was why has this never been discussed…
One of my goals for this year is to finish binding and tagging 9 quilts that need just that. Well, this quilt is the second one completed, and I am doing a happy dance! This Flock of Christmas Geese is an easy project to make. This simple wall hanging was made over a weekend in April 2021, and machine quilted in November 2021. Then it stayed in a pile of UFOs waiting on binding and a tag. Making a Flock…
Over the years I have learned all kinds of ways to utilize strips of fabric. I tend to use 2.5″ wide strips and keep several plastic organizer totes full of them. But sometimes it is fun to use a different size. This Easy Courthouse Steps mini quilt is made of 1.5″ purple and orange cotton strips. I did not add borders. This small quilt is 22.5″ x 29.25″ finished. All cotton fabric scraps and a left-over piece of poly batting….
Here in central Indiana autumn has arrived. Temps have been much cooler in the last two weeks. Farmers are busy harvesting corn and soybeans. Leaves are turning from green into glorious autumn colors. Our first frost of the season is predicted for this week. And the wood stove has been going in the evenings. A great time for settling in and doing autumn quilting in rural Indiana. I have spent the last few evenings reading other quilt blogs, enjoying their…
Do you need a quick and easy project to decorate for fall? It could not get simpler than this Autumn Table Runner. Table runners are great projects for trying out a new pattern or technique. The size and small number of needed blocks makes them perfect for beginner quilters too. And it is a great way to try out color combinations, and machine vs. hand quilting. Autumn is my favorite season. I love the colors, the weather, and the activities…
We were so poor growing up, and my mom hated to sew. I don’t remember ever using anything for a doll quilt around my “babies” but old worn-out towels. However, I do have special memories of a doll quilt my mom kept safe and gave me as an adult. This is a brief story of my yo-yo doll quilt memories. Apparently, these quilts were popular during the 1920’s to 1940’s. They were portable, could be used for scraps, only required…
What is not to adore about the simple beauty of Irish Chain quilts!? Today I thought I would share this lovely quilt I made years ago for my wonderful hubby. This beautiful green & white Irish Chain uses many St. Patrick Day themed fabrics collected over many years. And since he has a lot of Irish ancestry the idea seemed to fit together well. Easy to assemble: The nine patch blocks are made of 3″ squares. The white alternate block…
Finally, some time to be catching up on projects. My sewing time has been so limited the last several months. However, over the past month, I have been able to carve out a few more minutes of sewing each day. I thought my readers would like to see what I have been doing. Maybe it will inspire you to fit in a few more minutes of quilting time each day or week. More Time: How do I get more time…
The Founding Father wall hanging was fun and easy to make. I love Americana and have all kinds of it throughout the main living areas of my home. The log cabin blocks are made from a 4″ center block and 2.5″ strips. The George blocks had to have a “frame” around them because they did not match the size of the log cabin blocks. There is always a way to creatively make quilt blocks fit. I pieced this quilt top…
Are you looking for another way to use up those strips you have pre-cut or leftover? These super easy rail fence quilts are another quick solution for using those fabric strips. It is usually made of strips in three colors or patterns. I made these three back in the 1990’s after seeing a completed rail fence quilt at a guild meeting. By this point in my quilting journey, I had already figured out I liked working with fabric strips that…
