Farmhouse
Last spring my Northern Colorado guild, Rocky Mountain Creative Quilters, designed and made quiltlets to be sold for the Loveland Habitat for Humanity Women Build project. I wrote an article about this charity project in the November Machine Quilting Unlimited www.mqumag.com (I am the managing editor) and included photos of seven of the other donated quiltlets. We had a great time constructing these pieces and learned several new techniques along the way.
Green Bamboo
Green Bamboo ©2009
My mother-in-law recently underwent surgery for colon cancer. There seems to be an epidemic of both breast and colon cancer going on right now, or at least among the people I know. I hope this small quilt will cheer her up as she makes her recovery.
Making a Stand
©2009
24″ x 40.5″
My good friend and wonderful boss, Vicki Anderson, has been going through what can only be described as complete torture. After being diagnosed with colon cancer in October, 2008, she first went through a couple of months of chemo and radiation treatments to shrink the tumor. Radiation burns you both inside and out, and chemotherapy poisons you, so I guess they have to almost kill you in order to cure you. This regimen did shrink the tumor, thankfully, and Vicki underwent successful surgery to remove what was left of it last week. Her margins and lymph nodes were clear of cancer! We are all breathing a huge sigh of relief and happiness, although she does still have several more months of chemotherapy to go through.
When Vicki was first diagnosed, she pointed out a picture of aspen in the fall that she had taken and which she said inspired her. I decided to make an art quilt for her which would help inspire her as well, and added mountains, rocks and a river for good measure.
I admire her very much for the grace, dignity and good humor she has shown so far as she takes her stand against this dreadful disease.
My son-in-law, Matt, with the puppy.
Finally getting enough to eat. He really likes being safe and warm and loved.
Cosette, at 2 1/2, playing with the leaves in her yard this fall.
The Christmas Puppy
My daughter Erin found this little guy shivering under her parked car in the driveway, freezing and starving in the cold Northern Colorado wind. He is very small and obviously just a puppy and was filthy and had been outside for at least a day. She fed and bathed him and warmed him up, and he slept the rest of the day while receiving hundreds of sweet little kisses from my 2 1/2 yr old granddaughter Cosette.
Erin asked everyone she could find in her neighborhood, no one knew where he belonged. Her best guess is that he has a Christmas present – but was unwanted and abandoned. Who could leave such a tiny puppy out in the cold to freeze to death? He is totally adorable and we are trying to find a home so he doesn’t have to suffer the trauma of going to the Humane Society. Cosette is allergic to dogs, keeping him isn’t an option for their family, and my German shepherd and lab would have him for lunch (to say nothing of what my alpha cat would have to say about it).
Goddess was begun in a class on Woodcut quilts by Laura Wasilawski. Although my friends and I were far too rowdy and surely deserved to be sent to sit in a corner, Laura was an excellent teacher and a good time was had by all.
Goddess of High Maintenance
Tree of Hearts copyright 2008
Vicki Anderson, of Meander Publishing, where I work as Managing Editor of Machine Quilting Unlimited and Unlimited Possibilities Magazine, recently asked me to make a quilt for her charity auction. Tree of Hearts was finished in time to be exhibited at a new quilt festival in Northern Colorado, and will be auctioned in November 2008 and 100% of the proceeds will go to the American Heart Association for their “Go Red for Women” education campaign. More information is available here:
I’ve been taking a workshop, Think like an Artist, from the wonderful Pamela Allen online at QuiltersKeepLearning. This first effort was a study in black and white fabrics. I loved the title of this book, and thought the juxtaposition of the apocalyptic and the mundane was irresistible. It is the first time I have made a quilt to match the title:
The End of America With Shoes and Wineglass
The 2nd lesson added color, either an analogous palette or one with complementary colors. With lots of helpful suggestions from Pamela, I put together my desert scene. Nothing is actually sewn down as yet, but unlike the black and white piece, which is destined to live only in the cyberworld, I am going to start sewing on this one as soon as I get some time.
Desert Almost Still Life
Who knew that starting a brand new quilt guild could be this fun? Up here in Northern Colorado a few of us got together and decided that we needed a guild focused on art and contemporary quilting, one that was geographically feasible to get to on those cold, snowy winter nights that we experience from time to time. We sent out a call to see if there was enough interest and the response has been phenomenal. We now have 47 paid members, and we are still in the organizational stage! Volunteers to hold board positions and do committee work such as the quilt show, hospitality, facilities, programs and all the myriad tasks that a guild has to do have been in enthusiastic supply. We realized that first we needed to raise some funds. Our amazing president, Stephanie Patterson, organized and held a Quilter’s Garage Sale last month and took in $1,400! Kelly Gallagher-Abbott and I worked hard on putting together a 5.5 x 5″ desktop calendar that comes in its own display case, and features 14 Northern Colorado artists. (Edited, printed and published by the multi-talented Kelly, I might add.) It is available for purchase at: jukeboxquilts
The cover quilt, A New Dawn, is by our wonderful local (and rapidly becoming nationally known) artist Melody Randol.
Recently my nephew’s girlfriend, Kat, graduated from massage therapy school. She did this while holding a full time job and caring for her two young daughters, an amazing achievement in my book. I made this quilt, Follow Your Dreams, as a present for her graduation.
