Summer day

fragments of color float in my mind

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remnants from the experiences of life

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without tense of time making up my being

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like a summer day with a chronicle of smiles and

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laughter near and far dancing through my soul

To wash or not to wash...

I've already dealt with the question of pre-washing fabrics before you start a quilt... and I know quilters have a definite preference on that one. Today I am questioning whether to wash a wall hanging quilt or not before it is considered finished. I made a little sample with the same exact technique and threw it in the wash with a batch of clothes... just to see... what if.

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The technique for the quilt piece was to use heat fuse to affix little pieces of fabric to a base fabric (like the Ticker-Tape Quilt) but instead of stitching around each piece, I did vertical rows of stitching on the whole, sometimes catching the exact edges of the little pieces and sometimes not.

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The wash sample came out great! I like the exaggerated 3D look of it washed.
Here are my samples:

This one is the sample I made and washed

This one is a sneak peak of the actual wall hanging, yet unwashed.
Plus washing will rid those pencil lines...
I have yet to buy a disappearing ink pen.

Seeking Sun Quilt

Finished. Found some sun up the canyon so the quilt could lay like a lizard on a rock and soak up the sun.

The back is predominantly orange with a pieced stripe offset with the mustard yellow. Stipple quilted.

May you always have sunshine in your heart.

A Request from Haiti

The RHFH Rescue Center has posted a request for diapers, sundresses, and aprons.

click here

and here for good sewing instructions
They also have an updated "Current needs" list.
click here

Debbie Woodward
1500 Jackson St. NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413

When you donate to them you know that is is going right to THEM to help the people of Haiti, and not getting hung up in some big ball of red tape somewhere.

String Quilts

String quilts fascinate me. This first picture is one that was made during WWII by my Great Grandmother.
Along with it are a number of unfinished blocks, sewn onto a 1944 Tulsa Daily World newspaper. The articles are all about the war, about Pearl Harbor, and voting, and the advertisements are about fashion, Coco-Cola, and wedding rings.

I will not be removing this fragile bit of history from the fabric blocks, but will leave it as is. Framing may be an option for a couple of the blocks - with the backside showing!

Meanwhile, I am experimenting with some sting quilting myself. I am using 8.5" squares of copy paper for my base, some of my warm toned fabric, and smaller stitches so the base paper can be torn off easily.

I am placing some rather wide "strings" of off-white down the center to carry inspirational messages, and I plan on joining the blocks together with the black and white polka-dot fabric shown.

String quilts are an easy project and a good way to use up bits of fabric from the scrap bin. If you are looking for further inspiration on string quilts, click here.

Ticker Tape Quilt

It's a celebration!

The ticker tape quilt is 30" X 21" and goes on my wall

to remind me to be happy and celebrate life!
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Here is how it started...
I had the ivory strips left over

from the pink coin quilt,

and the bright color scraps

left over from the ditty bags...

Used some heat fuse to adhere the little rectangles to the strips,

then sewed 9 strips together for the quilt top.

Added a cotton batting for the middle,

and a bright fabric for the back.
Next I stitched around each square... twice.

Then the fun stipple quilting down the rows.

My goal was to have the appearance of the confetti falling.

Are we happy?