Tami's Treat - Contains 24 pieced blocks and one appliqued SBS block and given to #1 granddaughter for her 25th birthday. She loves purple and I collected these fabrics over a period of 30 years before making her the quilt. She has used it as a bedspread for several years. The "Goose Girl" block was a pattern in a Quilt World magazine back in the 1980's.

Sunbonnet Sue & Friends - Made for granddaughter #5's 5th birthday. Sunbonnet Sues are done in shades of aqua and turquoise--colors of the sea--to represent Marina's name which means "beside the sea." Each Sue is holding a different toy behind her back: Piglet, Mickey Mouse, Barney, Bugs Bunny, Care Bear, etc.

Ultimate Sunbonnet Sue Challenge Quilt - This quilt resulted from a challenge among the Prince Georges Quilt Society (MD) when 13 quilters each exchanged six 6" calico squares. Every fabric had to be included in a quilt plus 3 solids and a background fabric could be added. I added flesh for the arms & hands, and pink and blue to frame the cornerstone squares. I was the only quilter who made a SBS quilt, and the other quilters enjoyed finding their fabrics in the quilt and loved it, but it has never been shown publicly.

The Hanlon Express - This was a challenge quilt with 12 quilters contributing six 6" calico prints each. All fabrics were to be used plus a background fabric could be added. I chose to feature my 12 grandchildren in the windows of the train cars. The train is appliqued; the photos were printed by computer on inkjet fabric and a "Wild Goose Chase" border was added. This wallhanging has not been displayed in public.

Childhood Memories - Began this quilt in the late 1970's when candlewicking was popular, but didn't quilt it until 1984 to show at the NQA's Silver Jubilee in Charleston, WV in June 1984. The embroidered pictures are mostly my own designs except for "Farmer Jim" and "Patchwork Pat" who were designed by my friend, Pat Newkirk (deceased) in 1980. She designed them with my encouragement so I feel like a part-owner. I used the candlewicking for making the pictures and I wove pink and blue thru the chain in the stripping and the borders. Could not find cotton for the pink & blue prints so used a rayon fabric there. The white is cotton.

Friendship Triangle Quilt for Sue

Mike's Maltese Cross - This quilt was made of scraps from making polyester knit clothing plus two discarded pair of polyester slacks. When my son was a senior at Randolph-Macon Academy (VA) he had a private room with a damaged wall. He admired this quilt block design when he saw me using it in another quilt and called it a Maltese Cross. I then made him the quilt to cover his wall and he later took it to Randolph-Macon College where he used it as a utility quilt at concerts, parades, etc. to sit on and kept it in his car. When he suffered a fatal auto accident, bystanders took the quilt from the back seat and covered him with it. Years later my younger son had it in his car when someone broke in and stole it along with his CD's and hiking boots. We advertised in the local newspapers, but never saw it again. My younger son felt like he lost his brother all over again. This quilt was featured on the cover of "Quilt World Omnibook" for Fall 1981.

Sunbonnet Sues from 1938 - My maternal grandmother made this quilt for me right after I was born. It was my inspiration to become a quilter, but I didn't start until after her death so she never knew I quilted. It has faded and has some scorch marks on it because my mom warmed it over the open oven door and brought it up to wrap me in to bring me downstairs in the winter months. We only had a heater in the kitchen and the house got cold in winter. The quilt is all hand made--pieced, appliqued, embroidered and quilted. It was finished for Christmas 1938.

Paper Piecing Sampler - This quilt piece was made as a sample for a class to teach students how to paper piece. It starts with simple blocks and moves on to more complicated ones.

Rust - This was a theme for my "Challenge" group: Rust. U rusted the fabrics myself in packages with vinegar (bad smell!). I used a lot of freemotion quilting and foil-on.

Returning To My Path - Painted on Material using a variety of mediums, inks, stains and markers and crayons, then fabric applique on top and heavy embellishments with beads etc. I completed this quilt in 2011, however it began the year of my divorce while reminiscing over pictures. Returning to my path as a title was significant because I was doing alot of soul searching after starting over after leaving a 34 year marriage to my high school sweethear due to worsening domestic violence. I started over spiritually as well as returning to my journey of myself and this seemed appropriate. As often happens, the actually painting consumed me and it was one of those things where I didn't even eat or anything. The finishing of the quilt took a while. I was even afraid to quilt it because I was so happy with it. I couldn't even believe I had painted it on fabric. Now that I have added the quilting it took on even more dimension, so I am really happy with it. Even though I lost the place I loved so much, I will now always have it with me and in my heart forever!

Pineapple Pizzazz - This quilt was made from a kit of batiks from Sew Batik. It is a king size quilt, measuring 107 X 120. It has 56 separate pineapple blocks plus 2 borders. It has appoximately 26 different batiks in the quilt.

Loving Mother - This quilt was made from an original drawing by the late batik artist, Marlene McGoffin. It was entered and accepted in the "100 Quilts for 100 Years" competition held by the Arizona Historical Society. It hangs for one year in the Historical Society in Tucson and then will travel around the state for another year.

Frond Fantasia - This was my first attempt at raw edge applique.

Options - I used methods from Susan K Cleveland's book Marvelous Miters and Carol Doak's Mariner's compass books.

Indian Summer - I made this quilt in a workshop taught by Jan Krentz.

Sea Turtle