Friday, July 24, 2009

Vacation and Family Quilts


This last couple of weeks, I have been visiting a daughter and her family in Massachusetts.
We have been visiting historic patriotic sites and I have so enjoyed seeing the places where our country was born. There is still such a spirit of freedom in those areas. I do however feel that most of the visitors centers would benefit by the added color provided by historically based quilts mixed with the other displays. Women also played a large part in the birth of our country.

It was fun for me to see the quilts that I have sent to her family being used and enjoyed. In fact, I have been sleeping under the circle quilt during my visit here. This quilt was pieced by another daughter for a Christmas gift and I quilted it.


Amber appliquéd the many circles onto individual blocks for the top. I decided to continue the circle theme and quilt circles over the whole quilt top. I used a Hartley Fence and really enjoyed the way it turned out. I continued the feel of the circles with a scalloped motif in the borders and then used piano keys in the striped outer border. It is not perfect, but I think it turned out really fun. It was the first time I have tried something like this.





The little bears quilt was made for the little bears in her family (3 active boys).


The squares with the bears were printed on the material and so the quilting was easy - just quilting around each square and adding a swirl in the empty spaces. The checked border offset the plaid back. It really looked fun and the boys love it.

It is always nice to see the quilts you have worked so lovingly on being appreciated and loved.
This last couple of weeks, I have been visiting a daughter and her family in Massachusetts.
We have been visiting

I am a self proclaimed Fabric Junky!


My name is Glory Gifford and I am a Fabric Junky! I absolutely love fabrics. The texture, the colors, the way they look in different lights of the day. Even their smell! I like walking into a fabric store and inhaling that almost palatable scent. All my senses are awakened and I feel alive! For years I have kept boxes and boxes of fabrics piled in my basement. Many are remnants, some are from the poorer years when we gathered from textile dumpsters, and others are full pieces that I had to have, but have never figured out just the right project to use them for. Occasionally one of the kids will bravely sort through them and I hear mutters under their breath, wondering why Mom has so much fabric that she never uses... I just have to have fabric that I can use whenever I want to. One of my favorite dreams is to get fabric from old swatch books from designers or stores. There are so many varied textures and colors; it would be fabulous! I don't know if I can adequately convey to you the feelings fabric evokes, but if you know what it is I'm trying to say, then maybe you too are a Fabric Junky!