My Quilts

Delaware Quilts
My Quilting Photo Journal

Here is a photo history of my quilts. Keep checking back, I'll be working on this for a while!

Please note as you view these photos, the sizes may not be all proportional. You might see a quilt that looks as small as a wall hanging or vice versa.

I began quilting in 1974 while working at Minnesota Fabrics in the Washington DC area. The home economist was required to do a quilting demonstration and was looking for help. It sounded like fun to me, so I volunteered.

The pattern I picked for my first ever quilt project was the Lone Star because we’d recently moved from Texas. This was pre-rotary cutters and I never heard of plastic for templates, I wasn’t real sure what a template was period. As soon as I realized I was over my head in skill level, I picked another pattern, a log cabin. That went quite easily, so I picked another one, a churn dash. Before the demonstration was held I had finished four different quilt projects, but not the Lone Star.

The Lone Star wasn't finished until about a year later. Then I didn't know what to do with it, so I "framed" it. It was cool when I did it, not so much now, but I'm glad I still have it. It shows me where I started and how much I’ve improved.

I made a few quilted pillows, then a baby quilt, and then more baby quilts.. and so on and so on.

To say I was hooked was an understatement. I've been quilting ever since. I started teaching in 1983 when a friend asked me to show her how to make a Dresden Plate. Then I showed her friend, and then another, and so on. I "retired" from teaching in 2010 due to heath issues and now do all of my teaching on line and at the Retreats.

Seeing a student's satisfaction when finishing a quilt gives me great happiness. I find more personal satisfaction teaching someone else to make a quilt than making it for them. However I am occasionally talked into making a quilt for someone.

Quilts that I make for classes are given away as gifts to family and friends, and to local charities. I don't make museum quilts, but quilts to be used. It gives me great pleasure to see my quilts worn out

In 2013 I started sharing my quilting history in photo journal form. With each new page I've shared a free pattern of one of my quilts from that year. That will continue for a few more months until all of my quilts are posted.

While living in England (1987-1991) I made quite a few baby quilts, a few for gifts and several to sell at the base Christmas Craft Fair. I have no photos of any of them. When we moved to Germany (1991-1993) I was drafted into a group of crafters there and made baby quilts to sell at their consignment booth. Then the same the group told me that we would be participating in The Ramstein Welfare Bazaar which was one of the largest bazaars in Europe and I could put in everything I wanted. I made at least 25 baby quilts, dozens of Christmas Stockings, and 60 Christmas Tree skirts. Here are photos of a few, I guess my favorites since I have these pictures to show.

1991

When we returned home to the states I had some tree skirts left over to finish and sell and of course was still sewing. I made baby quilts for gifts, tried some new quilting techniques, and learned how to use a new gadget called a Rotary Cutter, I was in love!

I found an old list of my quilts in a photo album and it started with 103 and 104, and the other quilts listed below. I know the numbers are wrong because of all the quilting I did in England and Germany, but since that was where it started, I used those numbers. I don’t have photos of the missing numbers sadly. I’ve recreated my entire quilting history from here forward. And of course I’m adding to it all the time.

1994

#103 & #104

#106

I found some pretty little pastel florals that I wanted to do something with and decided to make this. I didn’t really have a pattern, just winged it. I love this one and it’s still in my personal collection.

1995

In 1995 John retired from the USAF, we moved home to Delaware and we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary.

And I did two local craft fairs to sell some of the leftover Christmas tree skirts, stockings and quilts I had made. I did very well and reduced my piles of quilted items significantly.

#107

#108

#109

Before our move I decided the boys needed quilts made by Mom on their beds. I made Jonathon a Dino Log Cabin which he used until he went away to college and Michael a Fisherman's Quilt which he used until he moved up to a double bed.

#110

#112

This is a baby quilt made as a gift. Looking back years later I wonder if I was just being abstract.

#111

1996

I made this fishy quilt for a lap quilt for our living room. I quilted it using decorative stitches from my old Singer machine.

#113

#114

#115

I did another craft fair the summer of 1996 and sold lots of stuff. I was enjoying making money from my hobby, even if it was costing me more than I was making.

#117

#118

#119

#120

#121

This was my second trip around the world quilt, a Christmas present for John's sister Cheri. Believe it or not, she still has it and uses it while she's reading to keep warm.

Fluffer was the official quilt inspector for many years.

There are two free projects to go with this page in history, Trip Around the World and Trip Around the World scrappy version.

In late 1996 a quilt shop opened in Lewes, and I volunteered to work there and eventually volunteered to teach too. I made many wonderful friends in my time there, and learned some valuable lessons too, not all in quilting. Below are a few shop samples I made. (Shop samples are marked with an asterisk)

#122*, #123* and #125*

#126*

#131*