Over the years I have made many quilts. I was originally inspired by the New England Folk Art look, and 99% of my materials are American as I love all the earthy colours that you don't seem to get in English materials. The soft flannel material is my favourite, it's very cosy. My quilts are made to be used not to be put on show and not touched, my son's had them (and still do), when they were smaller they watched TV wrapped up in them, pulled them around them for comfort when they were ill, and they have taken them with them to their new homes.
I've made them for friends, I've made them for people who have lost their partners/Dad's. They were made from old shirts so they held lots of memories.
A few quilts were made as whole school book week quilt projects, in my past life as a school librarian!
A few have been made for 18th birthdays, or 21st's, usually made up of squares with 18 or 21 hearts and stars, more recently I made one for a friend to give to her friend at a baby shower.
Here are a few pictures of quilts that I have made, it is by no means all of them. I lost quite a few of my pictures when my lap top broke a few years back. Some of the pictures are not that good but it gives you an idea of my kind of quilts.
Quilting for me is a form of relaxation, a tactile past time and a chance to play with colour, also a nice way to make something personal for someone special.
When I make my next quilt I will take better quality pictures from start to finish and show you the process in a future blog.
You might be wondering about the dolls, I seem to have made a bulk lot at some point and painted the feet on whilst they were hanging on the washing line, this was obviously a long time ago as I don't really remember doing it! Thought the picture was amusing though!
Until the next quilt, enjoy.
Two sayings that I like about quilts.
Any quilt however beautiful it is has got to be lived with, slept on, used for comfort, or to keep you warm. It is only then that it develops character and holds memories, use it lots
Just as the pieces of the quilt are sewn together with interlocking stitches, all people are linked together in the fabric of our world. In a way, the patchwork quilt represents all the different people of the world. We are individual in our attitudes, life styles, and backgrounds, yet we share so much of what it means to be human.