The Back of the Quilt

When I first started quilting I used one fabric for the back of my quilts. A few years after joining the guild I am in Quilt Guild of Greater Houston I met a lovely woman who has become one of my closest friends Linda.

Linda has taught me many valuable lessons in quilting and in life and we are only going to discuss the quilting here!! One of the lessons she taught me is the back is as important as the front of the quilt.  That it should tell a story.. the story of the person you are giving the quilt to and how it should have a part of you as well. She also taught me the importance of the label.

She worked with me on my granddaughters Kayley's quilt.  I was struggling with the border and how one part of that border was driving me up the wall. We put the quilt on her bed and did several idea's for the border taking pictures and such...then the break happened. We went to Jerry Built's for lunch and afterwards we looked at the pictures and the decision was made.. but during all that she encourage me to personalized the back of Kayley's quilt.   So off we go on ideas and then next thing I know she was making blocks we were using blocks that did not work out for the front onto the back. I made State Stars from Carol Doak's.  50 Fabulous Paper-Pieced Stars book.  Out of that book I pulled stars from Alabama, Texas and Mississippi.. where the family was from.  One of my favorite blocks is a butterfly block that Linda made.  I used Dimple fabric for the borders and that started my love affair with dimple fabrics.

I did a personalized my grandson's Richie's quilt. Texas Toast.... My daughter named the quilt which is a name that my husband Richard would have picked. It was perfect.  I used things that told his story for the quilt. Also on the back of his quilt is a special block that did not make it to Kayley's because we did not have access to it at the time. He got a block that my great grandmother Neal made out of my grandfather's baby shirts over a 100 years ago. These blocks are very cherished in our family.

 I am still working on Tristen's quilt. Due to technical issues with the machine he got a half finished quilt for Christmas. Trying to finish it now...  Yes it takes extra time to do a "second" quilt as many people have called it but it makes it that much more special when you make it personalized.

Tristen's Quilt

Tristen is getting the quilt for Christmas 2015. He is 12 years old  now and has been the most difficult to play for.  When I saw this pattern from Carol Doak's  Creative Combination's book I knew I had found the perfect quilt for this amazing young man.

I am in the process of making it. It calls for 48 blocks in the body and 8 in the border.

Wesley, My Nephew the Marine.

I made a quilt for my nephew the Marine; Wesley. It was presented to him June 2013 at his welcome home party from his first deployment. We are blessed he came home safely to us.

Texas Toast

A quilt I made for Richie, (Richard's name sake) for Christmas 2014. It was planned for 2013,... but I was not able to do it.

This was not the original quilt. I had one that I truly loved but the blocks were separated from each other. I am determined to get the blocks back together and make him a quilt from it before it's all said and done.

I took all the fabric to my friend Linda's home we had them all over her dinning room table. So glad she has a large one! We picked carefully what to do. I wanted to keep the colors toned down .. so the adventure began.

This quilt was all about Texas in a so many ways. On the back I had put on giraffe fabric (okay it's African looking) but hey if you ever been to the Houston Zoo you would know they have a fabulous African Exhibit that the giraffes are apart of. So it worked.

I also added a very special block on to the back and Richie was the first to receive it. It's a blue and white block that my great grandmother Neal made out of  my grandfather (Paw Paw)'s baby clothes. The block is 100 plus years old.

I hope he loves his quilt. I put a lot of thought into his... what speaks of him.

Kayley's Village

I could not had been able to finish this quilt without a lot of help, love and advice from 3 wonderful ladies, Linda, Susan and Janice. Their love and support helped me through it. I wanted to call Uncle on this quilt and I got love support and a little shove.  Susan allowed me to quilt it on her long arm just days before Christmas and that was a journey within all of itself.

Kayley received the quilt on Christmas Eve 2012. She loved her quilt and still loves it.  I am blessed to have such a special little girl in my life.

Project 7. The Vine the final Block

This was the vine.  It was applique.  The only picture I could find of it was on my design wall.

The Journey Changes

The thing about taking a journey through life it changes. Mine changed September 3rd, 2013. The day I lost my husband Richard. He fought a good fight but I think his body could not take anymore. He is missed  by all of us but our lives have gone on. Through out the 2 years he has been gone we gained a new son in law, Josh and we became grandparents again to Jackson "jax".  I am truly blessed....

The journey will continue as I move on through life. Quilting is a still a huge part of my life. I hope you stay on the journey will me.