Illusions - from Caryl Bryer Fallert's Pattern

It was lots of fun making this wall hanging using the pattern from Caryl Bryer Fallert. I used the work station with the circles on my Gammill long arm to quilt the circles throughout this piece. I liked the way the circles pick up on the design from the fabric used in the border.

Graduation

Purdue graduation ceremonies were held in the middle of May. As Chairperson of the Senate I led the procession for all 5 commencement ceremonies at the West Lafayette campus, carrying in the official Mace. Miriam Otoo, who worked with me doing research on the women kossai vendors in West Africa, received her Ph.D.  Here's Miriam and me right after the ceremony.

Here is the quilt that I gave to Miriam as she heads off for a position at the International Water Management Institute in Sri Lanka

I used the pantograph "Snowbird" for the quilting - here you can see the pattern of the bird stitched in the quilting.

FibR Exhibit at Tippecanoe Arts Federation

Our FibR arts group has a show that we hung on Monday, May 9.  Nothing like deadlines to motivate a person - so over the weekend I worked to finish up pieces for the show.

Here is my African Business Woman that I finished with border fabric that I had purchased in Ghana last November.

Here is the Flower Garden Confergence that I added a black marbled border to.  I quilted flower designs in the quilting in the center of the quilt and leaves in the border.

Here is a lap size quilt made from batiks - that really does set things off when it is hanging above the fireplace. I used a pantograph quilting pattern that turned out to be very effective.

The final piece I have in the show started as one of my hand-dyed pieces of fabric

I did lots of stitching on it - and this is the end result.  As I worked on it I was trying to decide if it was mnore like a yellow flower (the dandelions were seeming similar) or a sunburst.  I ended up calling it sunburt.

I also finished the Sunflower Convergence.  It just didn't fit with the rest of the pieces in the show - but Angie Flack was looking for a new quilt to hang in her work area and so that is where it found a home.  She is very pleased with how it brightens up her work area.

I had fun with the quilting for this one also - notice I quilted a sunflower design into the quilting

Another Retirement - Another Signature Quilt

It was a busy month of April with retirements and signature quilts. Thursday, May 5 was the retirement reception for John Connor from the Purdue Ag Econ department. For this signature quilt I used the Shadow Box pattern with beige sashing, black for the shadows and different gold and black fabrics for the boxes. I collected the signatures on the light gold blocks.

Signature Quilt and Retirement Party

I presented the quilt at the retirement party this afternoon.  Here is the quilt hanging in the center of the stage in the ballrrom of the Purdue Memorial Union. Angie Flack did the arch of balloons.

 

Signature Quilt

Well, it was "deadline weekend."  The IRS had given us all an extension this year with the filing deadline on Monday April 18.  I got my taxes filed (thanks to Turbo Tax) just before noon today.  I also needed to get my latest signature quilt quilted. On Saturday I worked on my taxes in the morning and then started on the quilt. Here it is on the long arm.

This quilt is a French Braid in shades of gold to black (Purdue Black and Gold) with gold strip between the braids. I collected signatures on the gold strips. Black ink on the gold strips complements the braids.

I used this pantograph for the quilting design in each of the strips. The gold strips were must a bit wider than the 8 inch pattern and the braid strips were wider (with over an inch extra on each side). After stitching the pantograph I went to the front of the machine and used echo quilting to fill in the strips.

Here are some close ups of the quilting. I like the texture that the stitching creates on the back of the quilt.

I got the quilting finished just before 9:00 Sunday evening.  I have until Friday to put the binding on it and to put a hanging sleeve on the top. 

The celebration for the faculty member receiving this quilt is on Friday, April 22.  it will be held in the big ballroom at the Purdue Student Union building and they are going to have the quilt hanging during the celebration. Its a good thing that Angie Flack is in charge of things for Friday - as her experience creating gigantic balloon desigsns will be imporant in figuring out how to hang the quilt in the ballroom.

Baby Quilt

This quilt is for Aaron (my cousin) and Melissa's baby girl who was born in early February.  I had the blocks done before Spring Break and then sewed the blocks together and added the borders while Lauren and Teri were here.  Here it is with the blocks sewn together and before the borders were on it.  The sock monkeys were treasures that Teri found in the UFO (unfinished objects) drawer.  I finished them - and then we realized that they go perfectly with the quilt and that a baby will surely enjoy these soft monkeys.

  I quilted it yesterday while I was listening to the Purdue Men's Basketball game.  The quilting was MUCH BETTER than the game (which was a disaster).