Wade's Quilt

This was a 'Sampler Quilt', meaning each block was a different pattern and learning experience. It took me 2 years to finish, working on it off and on. This is the original photo of it in 1986 (when it was finished), so we can see how it's faded a bit.

Fireplace cover

I made this quilt completely by hand -had no idea it wasn't a good pattern("Mariner's Compass") for a relative beginner of course!  We used it to cover up the fireplace in the winter, before we installed a proper fireplace (we were young and poor!). It was attached to a piece of plywood. Not sure what happened to it, but I don't have it anymore. Made it int he spring of 1986.

Log Cabin Wallhanging

Made this in the Fall of 1985 using a 'quilt as you go' method. It was huge, nearly 8 feet square, but I wanted something big to put on the tall (15') wall in our family room. It weighed a ton too, so good thing we hung it on a heavy duty rod. Don't have it anymore as it didn't make the downsize move to the townhouse in 2001. Hope someone else is enjoying it now. Machine pieced and quilted as you go.. You sew each strip onto a piece of batting and backing fabric and when you're finished the block it's already quilted. Then you join all the blocks together on the back. Haven't made one using that method since.

Baby Quilt for Danny

 Made this baby quilt in 1986 for my cousin, Kim's first baby -Danny Dametto (he's now 25!) Machine pieced and quilted with flannelette on the back.

Rose/Blue Baby Quilt

Made this baby quilt in August 1986-not sure who received it. I was now starting to do patchwork squares and trying to match up the corners. Backed it with some baby flannelette. I believe I used polished cottons as they had a sheen to them.

Liane's Baby Quilt

Made this for my niece, Liane's birth in August 1986 (it was a belated gift as she was born in 1985). Rose/blue strips. Machine pieced and quilted, backed with flannelette. By this time I was getting pretty good at making this pattern! (Actually there was no pattern!)

Joanne's Baby Quilt

Made this Rail Fence pattern as a baby quilt for my cousin, Jacquie's daughter, Joanne, born in 1986. (Sept.) Backed it with flannelette and put cotton eyelet lace around 3 of the sides. Navy & White.

Pink & Floral Baby Quilt

 Made this baby quilt in September 1986 using the "Log Cabin" pattern  and paired the plain pink fabric with the wild floral. Still putting the flannelette backing on the baby quilts. Can't remember who I gave it .

Red & White Baby Quilt

I made this red & white quilt in September 1986 and sold it at a baby store in West Vancouver (the only one that sold!) I 'fussy cut'  the teddies from fabric from Ikea and then sewed the red strips around it. Put cotton lace around 3 of the sides and flannelette on the back. I was quite proud to be able to sell something, even tho' I probably didn't make any money on it after my time and cost. But it was fun.

Terry's Quilt

 

Made this quilt in 1990 for my husband, Terry. It hung in his office for quite a few years and got very faded, even though it wasn't in direct sunlight. The navy is now a grey colour, but the other colours have remained the same. Machine pieced and hand appliqued. Hand quilted. 

Christmas Stockings

I made these stockings as an order from one of the teachers at Buckingham school, who sent them to her family in Australia as Christmas gifts. It was the first time I'd got paid to sew/quilt something (around $30 each). They were machine pieced using strips, machine quilted, lined and machine appliqued. The names were hand embroidered on. Apparently they were well received in Australia. Dec. 1984.

Advent Calendar

 

In December 1983, I made 4 of these. I went into each of my children's classrooms  (3 of them) with the backgrounds done and the students all made an ornament -the teacher then got to keep the Advent calendar. We kept the last one and still put it up at Christmas time -my 3 children decorated each ornament. It's showing its age now and a lot of the sequins are missing, but it's a wonderful keepsake and the 'kids' still enjoy seeing it.

Adrienne's Baby Quilt

This baby quilt was made for my niece, Adrienne, who was born in May 1984, Just simple strips of fabric and I lined it with flannelette and put some cotton lace around it. Did some machine quilting along the strips.

The Cabbage Patch bunting bags were made for either a doll or a real baby. My daughter, Robyn,  got the pink/rose coloured one and I gave the other one to my niece, Adrienne. 1984.

Spencer's Quilt

Made this quilt for our Kourageous Kids' Calendar project. Some of our Langley Guild members duplicate the drawings done by children being treated for cancer at the Children's Hospital -these drawings were all in a calendar made to raise money for their "Balding for Dollars" campaign.
I chose this drawing as I loved the colours Spencer had used and especially the fancy race car with the flames. Spencer loved his dog, playing hockey and drawing, so there were also fabrics in his quilt to represent his interests. While I was making the quilt, I had a feeling that Spencer had not survived his bout with cancer and did find out afterwards that it was true. When the quilts were presented to either the children or their families, Spencer's Aunt was there to receive it as his family had embarked on a year long journey on their sailboat to help in their grief and recovery. I found out that Spencer had fought his cancer for 4 years, but died at the age of 11 years. Afterwards I received a lovely card of thanks from his family, thanking me for taking the time to recreate his drawing and giving them a memento of it that they would treasure forever. It was very touching. I still try to make one of these quilts every year as these kids really deserve something as they fight this disease -it's not fun or easy and they rarely complain.

Velvet and Cotton Wallhanging

Made this wallhanging in 1980 out of velvet and cotton. Hand pieced and hand quilted. About 18" square. Pictured with it are my niece, Andrea (12 yrs) and son, Wade (6 yrs) in December 1980. I seemed to like that velvet for some reason -still not bad for my first year of quilting.

Mrs. Hammonds Wallhanging

The first placemat was a set of 2 made for the kids' piano teacher, Mrs Hammond as a Christmas gift in 1983. The second was also a set of 2 given as a wedding gift to Robyn's 1st Grade teacher when she got married in 1983. You can date the placemats by the colour choices and combinations -not that pretty now, but at the time they were considered quite lovely. Actually blue & brown are now in vogue again, but it looks quite different (everything that comes around, goes around they say!) All hand sewn and hand quilted

First Quilting Attempt

This was my very first quilting attempt in 1980. . Think I found the pattern in a Quilt magazine -the only one available at that time, and it was all black & white.  I used poly/cotton fabrics, including corduroy in the middle -had no idea what was considered 'right'. Hand pieced and hand quilted. As you can see, the borders were 'waleless' corduroy also. It hung in our kitchen for quite awhile.

My First Patchwork Quilt

First patchwork quilt-made in 1980 of 65%/35% poly cotton. Completely hand sewn and tufted (tied).- I cut out  each square by tracing a cardboard square cut  out of a cereal box, and hand sewed it on the lines. A work of love. Hand quilted in 1981. Made it for Wade's bed. Pictured are Blair (2 years) and Robyn (4 years). Later I machine quilted it 'in the ditch'. This quilt travelled a lot in it's lifetime, from Wade's bed, to a comforter watching TV. to my Mom's dog bed , and finally recycled it to the thrift store for someone to enjoy. A little faded, but still in good shape, considering.

Robyn's Grad Quilt

 

Made this quilt to celebrate my daughter, Robyn's, high school graduation. It was an original design and I hand quilted symbols of the sea in the white section as she loves swimming, the ocean and and all things tropical. It was on her bed for quite a while and it now lives with her in Toronto.

Trip Around the World Lap Quilt

I can't believe how many quilts I made using this pattern! I made this one in 1992 and believe it was the first one I made using this pattern, before teaching it to my friends and introducing them to quilting. It was tied (not quilted) and we still use it to this day on cold winter nights while watching TV. About 48" x 60".

Asian wallhanging

I made this wallhanging from a kit I bought in 2010 at our guild quilt show as it just appealed to me. It's about 45' x 60". It was very simple to put together and then I machine quilted around some of the birds etc. The back is made up of the leftover fabrics -a great way to use up fabric! My daughter now has this one as she loved it.

"Seasons of Wonder"

This quilt was a 'block of the month ' class held at Wineberries in 1998 from a calendar pattern called "Piecemakers". I love this quilt and am going to hang it in my new home very soon -have a wall chosen for it. It was mostly hand appliqued. The stars at the top and butterflies were machine pieced. I finished the top in 1998 and finally had it quilted by Rose Momsen in 2007 as I knew I was never going to get around to it myself. I had planned on hand quilting it-what was I thinking? She did a beautiful job and now I can enjoy it. Each block represents a month of the year and/or season.

Floral wreath (black background)

I made this wallhanging (about 30" sq) in 1998 as a sample for a class I was teaching to my quilting friends at our annual "Quilt Day" in May 1998. I also made it in a lighter colour. I did discover that using the black was a lot harder to match up as you have to match the background colour of the floral fabrics, but from a distance it's fine. I actually just quilted this one in 2009 as the top had been sitting around for a long time.

Wade's Sampler Quilt

I made this quilt for my son, Wade, in 1986. It was a 'sampler' quilt, meaning that each block was a different pattern - a great way to learn how to quilt. I started it in 1984 and it took about 2 years, working on it on and off. The blue has faded a bit , but the colours are in vogue again now, which is interesting. It is machine pieced, hand appliqued and mostly hand quilted. I machine quilted the straight lines in the border but the rest are all hand done.

Terry's 'Storm at Sea"

Hey- a label! Yahoo! Made this one in 2002 for my husband, Terry's 54th birthday. I attended a class with Brenda Brayfield to learn her technique of sewing the fabric to paper (paper piecing) and then sewing the blocks together before removing the paper on the back. It gives you much more accuracy.
About 40" x 48". I love the backing fabric -it's called "Dogs in Chinatown" (I'll take another photo as this one is blurry). Terry loves the ocean, dogs and is Chinese -how appropriate!