I designed this quilt for a modern quilt challenge to show that "modern" quilts could also be appliquéd, but it wasn't completed in time. Once I did finish it, I entered it in a couple of local shows, but it didn't place. Still, I love it, and a friend of my like it so much that she currently has it hanging in her entryway—it's on loan, I keep telling her 

I was interested in seeing Barbara Shapel on your show this week.
I used to live in the Middle East and went to a workshop of hers in Abu Dhabi in about 2009/10. She was as passionate about threads and the correct needles then as she is now.  
This was one of her early patterns and my first attempt at freezer paper applique.  She was an inspiring teacher.  I would love her to know I finished it and quilted it myself and embellished it with beads found in an Abu Dhabi souk !!
 

Dogs have long been human companions, bred to create canines much different than the wolf ancestors of thousands of years ago.  And yet, we get glimpses now and again of their wild heritage.  The trappings of domestication fade as they chase a rabbit or shred a stuffed toy and, just for a moment, we can hear their ancestor's haunting call before the pets we know and love are themselves again.
This portrait is of Monique, my youngest standard poodle.  She had little human contact the first few months of her life and it took her a long time to enjoy and seek human affection and contact.

Also now dubbed the teaching quilt, this monster (101" x 111") quilt top was picked up at a yard sale in PA, pieced by an unknown person (someone Amish I was told) and then given to me to use for practice quilting. 
I'm going to say right off the bat this was a fabulous learning tool. The gift that kept on giving.......issues, but that is the beauty of it. I learned to quilt cupping in the fans, inaccurate piecing, and dealt with poor pressing during construction, but that is where the learning curve was beneficial! It cost me my time (valuable) and the price of the backing, batting, thread, and improved my quilt-vision. The colors were definitely old fashioned and dated, not to my taste. The piecer probably used leftover dress fabrics. I decided to spice it up with floral appliqué and lace because it lacked life and needed contrast. The appliqué and lace perked it up and I put it on my long arm to give it depth with wool batting. 

January 19, 2015 update: 
I began the process of quilting to give it dimension. That being said, it gave me excitement as I worked on it more. I drew a cable and feathers pantograph for the 11 ½ " border. I used a rope tool from Quilter's Rule for the inside blue border. 

January 31, 2015 update: 
After a week of jury duty I came home at night to find myself wanting to stand up and do no more sitting!!! So, got on my feet and I quilted! I used Quilter's Dream 100% washable wool batting, and So Fine 50 weight polyester matching thread (#417) on the top with Bottom Line ecru thread in the bobbin. I finally finished the quilting January 30 and trimmed it up ready to be bound. I previously thought I was going to use bias strips from the backing but then decided it would distract away from the border details. I was going to try to find a close match for the pink background to use for binding and ended up using purchased pink quilt binding. 

February 25, 2015 
Binding was completed! It was another first for me in that scalloped binding. Every step in this quilt was a new one for me. 

March 1, 2015 
The quilt finished out at 98 x 108 inches. I could call this "Transformation" and leave it at that, but I wanted to use fan somehow in the name. Those fans seem to just dance around on the quilt. I think Fandango, a Spanish dance, fits. "Fandango Transformation" is now its name!

Sept/Oct 2015

The quilt was chosen to be featured in Machine Quilting Unlimited magazine's Noteworthy section on page 71 of the Sept/Oct 2015 issue.

April 13, 2017

 I received notification this quilt was selected for the Houston International Quilt Festival's special exhibit, "In the American Tradition - Appliqué 2017: International Quilts".   Fandango Transformation has now also traveled with the exhibit to the Chicago International Quilt Festival, April 12-14, 2018. 

This wall hanging was inspired by Libby Lehman.  It is my third attempt at her ribbons technique.  The more I play with this technique the more I love it ! 

  ebay.com/itm/181682883697?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649 One very important factor about this piece is that the honors go to Libby Lehman for teaching how to do this technique. Part of the proceeds will go toward the Libby Lehman Medical Fund.   Hugs....Ellen.

I'm so excited about this quilt; was accepted into the MQX juried show in April '2015..  My first juried show.  This is a foundation pieced quilt and I used my fabric stach to make this quilt.  I was not tempted to buy new fabric and for me that is an accomplishment.  Maybe everybody who looks at my quilt will wish me luck and maybe or maybe not I'll win something; wouldn't that be exciting.   Hugs to all....Ellen

"Marmalade Sky" - Great Blue Heron at sunset - constructed with a combination of fused applique, traditional piecing and free motion stitching. Commercial cottons and recycled fabrics. Inspired by a photograph by Janis Morrison, Fresh Air Photography, by permission.

I quilt depicting an older couple that "Still Do"  The perfect anniversary quilt!  I made this for a friend.

Batiks reminiscent of the changing drama of colour on the walls of the Grand Canyon at sunset inspired the name of the quilt. The quilting was meant to convey the force of water carving through that rock, eddying and flowing.  Cutting random curves in the blocks was really freeing!

My neighbour wanted a Celtic knot hanging to remind her of her trip to Ireland. 

MY 2014 BOM , finished in greens.

  Inspired by the dogs next door that kept "an eye" on me for several summers. Dogs are created with raw edged fusible applique. Fence is created with several layers of fabric with a woodgrain fabric on top. Fabrics were stitched together in a woodgrain design then cut dow to different layers to achieve a rough look to the fence.Second place winner in Art Innovative in AQS Quilt show Chattanooga 2014.  

Original design based on a photo I took of a Clouded Leopard at the Nashville Zoo . Raw edge, fusible applique , freemotion machine embroidery, shading on clouded leopard with Tsukineko inks, cotton and wool battings used.

This small quilt was made following the passing of my husband.   It is a personal narrative expressing the future that is unknown to me, but I press on believing that I will remain in familiar environs and embrace new ones as time goes by.

This quilt is stretched on canvas bars.

This small quilt was made following the passing of my husband.   It is a personal narrative expressing the future that is unknown to me, but I press on believing that I will remain in familiar environs and embrace new ones as time goes by.

This quilt is stretched on canvas bars.

This quilt is for my Sister-In-Law.

This is my take on the Farmers Wife quilt. Most of the blocks are true to the book but a few are added - including the crosse kayaks in honour of my other hobby. There is even a "humility" block! I noticed it when loading the quilt on the frame and decided to leave it.

This quilt was made from various orphan blocks.  I quilted it on a Bernina 750QE.