On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
Don’t let the blurb about On the Road confuse you – this isn’t an On the Road post, it’s the first of several posts that will feature some of our many Balloon Juice “creatives”. We’re just using the OTR form for ease of submission, and we are tagging these as Artists in Our Midst.
We had planned for the first Artists in Our Midst featured artist to be Steve from Mendocino, sharing his photography with us. But this submission came in with a special offer, so we will run two this weekend, and then go with one a week after that.
Quiltingfool
I made my first quilt when I was 12 years old. I still have it. The workmanship is what one would expect from a first attempt (not too great) but I kept making quilts. I made a few quilts, here and there, in my 20s and 30s, but quilt making back in the day was rather tedious — no rotary cutters! Pattern pieces were traced using cardboard templates and cut with scissors. Quilting was done by hand, and was very time consuming. Now we have great tools – rotary cutters, specialized rulers and affordable quilting machines. And I am lucky that I have all the tools!
I retired from teaching 8th grade science about five years ago. Teaching science allowed me to be very creative, so when I left the profession, I had to channel that desire for creativity – and making quilts really filled the bill. I work on some aspect of quilting every day I can and I love it. I make quilt tops – sometimes I use a published pattern, sometimes I design my own pattern, I quilt my quilt tops, and I quilt tops other people have made. My avocation has become my vocation, I guess!
Switching gears for a moment, I would like to make you an offer. Many of us here are very concerned with some of the things we see happening in our country (voter suppression is just one of those things). I’d like to help folks who are working to get people voting – Voces de la Frontera.
Here is my proposal. I will donate the cost of one quilt to Voces. Here’s how it would work; it will involve a lottery/drawing. Let me know – in the comments on this post or by sending email to WaterGirl – if you are interested in buying a quilt from my store, with the proceeds to go to Voces. Or you can purchase a quilt on my Etsy site, putting “Balloon Juice” in the comments. Either way, you will be entered in the drawing, and for the winner, I will donate the purchase price to Voces, in your name.
The deadline: To be entered into the drawing, either 1) comment on this thread, 2) send email to WaterGirl, or 3) purchase a quilt on my Etsy store by 10am Eastern time on Monday, July 12.
The winner will be announced on Monday evening.
If you “purchase” a quilt on my site by Monday morning at 10am, and you only want the quilt if the proceeds can go to Voces, I can refund your payment if you are not the winner.
Here is the link to my Etsy store:
Many thanks!
Broken Star Quilt. A traditional quilt pattern. Not an easy nor quick quilt, but worth the time.
Arkansas Traveler. Old quilt pattern, goes by many names. A classic “scrappy” quilt. Back in the day, women didn’t buy material to make quilts, they used what they had left from making clothing or cutting up old clothes.
I designed this quilt for my bed. An example of a sampler quilt – different kinds of quilt blocks tied together by a specific color scheme. Lots of math involved!
Quilt featuring foundation paper piecing. Foundation paper piecing is sewing fabric onto a paper pattern, then tearing the paper away. Can make very difficult patterns easy.
Purple Cat Quilt – I designed this, well, I used many of my purchased cat block patterns and put them all together. A crazy, hot mess. I made it for myself, but it was given away to a young relative as a bridal gift – she chose it out of all my quilts, and she loved it. Quilts are best when they are loved.
Custom quilt for an Etsy customer. She wanted blocks in the quilt to represent two cats she has now, and a beloved cat of 18 years that had passed away.
I don’t work alone! I have a supervisor, Baby. She takes her job very seriously, as you can see.
If you would like to see some of the quilts I’ve made over the past 20 years, feel free to check me out on Pinterest.
Nutmeg again
wow!
dr. bloor
I think we have our winner in the “Understatement of the Day” category. Those are all wonderful, and I am envious of the recipient of the Purple Kittehs.
karen marie
Your quilts are gorgeous. I’ve always wanted to make one but more than a bit daunted given I’m design and math challenged. Is there a book you can recommend for basic hand quilting?
persistentillusion
Beautiful work! I just purchased the Blue Star quilt and am quite excited about being able to display and use a work of art.
ETA – Thank you for your generous and creative efforts to support Voces
IN THE DRAWING
WaterGirl
@persistentillusion: Are you saying you purchased it from Quiltingfool? If so, did you make note of Balloon Juice so you can be included in the drawing?
persistentillusion
@WaterGirl:
I did not mention BJ. I blame the beauty of the quilts for making me my usual inefficient self.
Starfish
These are gorgeous!
mac8
Oh, these are nice. And of course I found one on your Etsy site that I had to have (the starburst quilt). I did put Balloon Juice in the comments. Thanks for doing this!
IN THE DRAWING
dnfree
Beautiful work and design! My college roommate is a quilter and she keeps me supplied with many beautiful and useful items, so I don’t need more, but if I were in the market I would certainly enjoy your quilts.
susanna
I’m dripping with talent envy.
My grandmother made the old fashioned quilts, and they continue to delight, but yours reflect a more diverse, interesting mix.
Betsy
Absolutely magnificent.
Quiltingfool
@persistentillusion: I will note that you are in the drawing. On Monday, we will let you know if you won the lottery. At that time, if you don’t want to purchase, you can withdraw your purchase, okay?
That is a pretty quilt…I really love making quilts with stars.
Quiltingfool
@karen marie: Before I recommend, are you wanting to piece by hand (make the blocks by hand sewing, not machine sewing)? That will help me with recommendations.
zhena gogolia
Gorgeous.
Quiltingfool
@dnfree: Your quilts are special because they are made for you by a friend!
WaterGirl
@persistentillusion: We can enter you in the drawing even if you didn’t add Balloon Juice.
WaterGirl
If you say you want to be in the drawing, and you plan to pick out a quilt if you win, please speak up in the thread or send me an email.
Once I have seen the comment that you want to be in the drawing, or you have indicated that you have purchased, I will add this to your original comment:
IN THE DRAWING
karen marie
@Quiltingfool: Yes, entirely by hand, no machine. Thanks!
I actually inherited from my grandmother a small hand-operated sewing machine from the ’30s or ’40s that was popular with quilters in the ’90s but sadly I sold it!
A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan)
@Nutmeg again: That was my exact reaction! Wow! What great quilts, with complex piecing and fabulous designs and colors. A quilting fool indeed. Brava!
Denali
Oh, I am so envious of your talent and abilities – and patience. I love them all and wish I had room.
JPL
Just gorgeous.
persistentillusion
@Quiltingfool: I don’t plan on withdrawing my purchase. But thanks for making the offer.
@Quiltingfool: Indeed I plan to sleep under it.
AJ
Your quilts are beautiful!!
skerry
Beautiful quilts
MomSense
Your quilts are stunningly beautiful. They are so well crafted snd the colors are wonderful.
MomSense
@persistentillusion:
Enjoy!!
way2blue
I love quilts! And yours are wonderful. My favorite is the Arkansas Traveler which seems so fresh & cheerful.
I have finished one quilt—a crib quilt for my daughter. And have an unfinished queen-sized quilt in a drawer. Batiks and ikats inthe Drunken Path pattern. (I once took my sewing machine on a research cruise to work on my quilt off watch standing. We set it up in the ‘gravity room’ at the center of balance. The ‘best’ part was watching the guys in the skiff lifting the sewing machine up to the guys on the ladder (ship was anchored out). Didn’t get dropped in the drink!
MaryLou
Your work is amazing! I especially love your cat quilt. I send a screen capture of it to a dear friend who just lost her 21-year-old cat, Misty.
KSinMA
Your work is gorgeous!
Quiltingfool
@karen marie: You can hand piece any quilt pattern! As a matter of fact, some quilt blocks are easier to make by hand than machine – I made a Tumbling Blocks quilt by hand; I was in college and had no sewing machine!
My recommendation is Marsha McCloskey’s Block Party. There are 120 block patterns (all nine inch finish). The instructions for block construction are clear. The block patterns range from simple to more complex. I use the patterns in this book A LOT. The quilt I made for my bed (pictured above)? Most of the blocks were from this book.
I don’t know what tools you have, but I strongly recommend you purchase a rotary cutter (I use Fiskars, 45mm blade), a cutting mat and a cutting ruler (6” x 12” would be fine). I use quilting needles when I do English paper piecing, and a threader saves your eyes, lol!
The internet is your friend. There are tons of how to videos and free patterns out there.
You know, my paternal grandmother pieced quilt tops for sale – she always made Double Wedding Ring quilts, and they were hand pieced. Which made sense, because that pattern is not easy to machine piece. I can make that quilt, but I have to use foundation paper piecing and sewing curves on a machine is tricky. In other words, I don’t willingly make a Double Wedding Ring, lol!
Quiltingfool
@way2blue: My maternal grandmother made lots of Drunkards Path quilts. She didn’t approve of alcohol, so she would probably rather I call the pattern by its other name, “Robbing Peter to Pay Paul!
TEL
So glad you posted this! I’ve been looking at quilts on Amazon because I’ve worn out my favorite throw ( 30 year old quilt) and I don’t know why I didn’t think of Etsy. Can’t really afford it right now, but I’m probably going to get the scrappy quilt anyway – I love it! Put me in the drawing if you see this, but I’ll get it regardless.
IN THE DRAWING
karen marie
@Quiltingfool: Thank you very much!