My quilt was influenced by my desire to create a simple methodically pieced scrap quilt.  I chose 4 fat quarters in two color ways and a simple chambray background that would appeal to my sons and their girlfriends.  I wanted  quilt that my sons would want to have in their homes for many years.  I wanted a simple geometric quilting to contribute to this esthetic.

I bought aboriginal fabric at Paducah several years ago, loving the designs.   Linda O'Sullivan teaches row quilt classes at Bernina Connection in Tallahassee.   It was a perfect project combination.   I learned a lot about various techniques with this project.   It just makes me smile.

The quilt is an homage to my grandfather, a country doctor who had a passion for gardening.  I used the Blooms for Julie project pattern offered at thequiltshow.com.  I adapted the pattern and chose to needle turn the applique and use 3-D folded flowers for the centers of the pieced center flowers and on some of the geometric flowers in the border.

I have many humming birds in my garden, this one liked the crocosmia.

I made the quilt for my son who moved into his first apartment. It is a reduced size version of the center of a larger quilt I am hand quilting. The stars around the center were fussy cut from one yard of fabric. I was bothered by one of the stars that stood out from the others. I didn't have enough fabric to make another 8 pointed star. Should I find and buy another yard? That star represents how different we all can be. I am proud of my son and his unique qualities. "Dare to be Different" is my gift to him as he moves forward.

This quilt is based on a photograph I recently took of my daughter as I watch her grow and blossom into a beautiful young woman. I hand drew the mosaic design. It is raw edge, fused and then free motion stitched. There is over 4,000 tiny pieces that make up this quilt.

During a visit my brother planned a ride on the High Trestle Trail, part of the Rails to Trails Conservancy. I was so awestruck as we approached the bridge, I knew I had to make a quilt.  Two years to the day after our ride, it was finished.  The sky is pieced with angular squares. The bridge is done with a modified paper piecing technique, as well as applique.  The rider is done with applique and thread painting.  The Des Moines River is quilted in the sky, as well as rotating squares to reflect the design of the bridge.  There is also quilting to pay homage to the railroad, with the ghost of an engine and a coal car. It was accepted into the AQS Des Moines Quilt Show October 2016.

Pieced and quilted on a domestic sewing machine for my husband's great grandson.

Liberal use of rulers/templates for domestic machine quilting, plus some freehand quilting. 

The quilt is gift for my mother.

This quilt was a challenge as there was very little of the basket fabric to work with, but it forced me to practice my piecing and to let loose of precision a few times just to have enough fabric in spots.  It's now in my friends cottage in Nantucket ready for those chilly evenings.

This is the 2nd place winner for the 2016 Hoffman Challenge I created and dedicated to our family dog "Lucky"  of 19 years. She passed away during the making of this quilt which led me to such intense quilting. It's amazing what we can do when our minds are distracted with such wonderful memories of a family furry member! I love you still Lucky! 

Started as a panel, borders added, lots of outline stitching to set off all elements of the tree and gifts, stars stitched in white glitter thread - very happy with the way the quilting highlighted the image.  Coordinating place mats included for holiday gift.

My crazy quilt features photos from my grandmother's album. It delights me to see the fun that my grandmother and her friends had at the turn of the last century. On the back of the quilt I placed a copy of my grandparent's marriage certificate and three small enamel buttons from my grandmother's trousseau.

Although I love the four seasons of Montana, the winter seems to wear us

down quickly with the cold and snow.  I go to the Studio to anticipate spring.

It is easy to pull the colors of spring, shades of blue skies and green grass.

Moisture, robins coming home and we come out of hiding.

Interpretation of photo taken at Antelope Canyon.

Interpretation of photo taken at Antelope Canyon.

"Walking Through Fields" uses slashed silks, netting and cotton to get the effect of flowering fields.

This quilt was total serendipity. It is made from the scraps from another quilt - mostly Moda Fig Tree.   I love hand applique, so I started out by drawing the central motif and then just added additional borders to the quilt.  I adore Ohio Stars and Orange Peel blocks, so added those, as well.  There was no planning involved, I am embarrassed to admit - the quilt just happened.  I added buttons and yo yo embellishments.  As the quilt is so busy, I decided to keep the quilting simple. It will probably not be everyone's cup of tea, but looking at it cheers me up!