2024 Shop Hop Adventure

Winter 2025: In the Summer of 2024, I joined other quilters from all over in the All Mid Atlantic Shop Hop. I visited 27 shops and completed two of the regions. At each shop, I collected a fabric square, and in January 2025 I finally organized these squares (along with a lot of scraps from my stash) to create this 84″ square quilt. The quilt was made with seven rows of seven 12″ square blocks, and each block follows the “potato chip” pattern, in which 2 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ rectangles are added to the sides of the block, building the block from the center outwards, designed by Susan Dyer and Nancy Raschka-Reeves. Twenty-nine of the blocks have a fabric shop square or one of the two regional squares at the center. I selected and arranged the fabrics to create a gentle color wash so that the quilt fades through the colors of the rainbow from top to bottom. The backing fabric is from the Shop Hop collection by Beth Albert; it features a landscape of quaint quilt shops set amongst rural scenes. I completed the quilting myself with a mix of straight and wavy diagonal lines and added a scrappy binding.

Grrrrr….

Reproduction Jewels

Fall 2024/Winter 2025: This quilt follows the Faceted Jewels pattern from Glad Creations Quilts. The original size was 80 x 104, but I extended the pattern at the edges to cover a queen-sized bed. The pattern is entirely squares and triangles (some flying geese, some half-square triangles, some isosceles triangles in squares), arranged to form chains surrounding diamonds. A mix of “reproduction” fabrics with designs from the late 1800s/early 1900s in dark red, navy, light blue, light green, dark green, pink, purple, and orange against an off-white background made from several different off-white fabrics with small prints. The borders are made from rows and rows of colorful squares. The backing is a floral print with matching colors. The Quilters Studio did the quilting in an edge-to-edge pattern of vines and flowers, and I added a scrappy binding.

Snail Improv

Double Wedding Rings in Red

Fall 2024: This quilt was given as a wedding gift. The pattern is Metro Rings by @sewkindofwonderful , a double wedding ring pattern. Image description: two photos of a quilt. Large intersecting rings are pieced from a variety of red and white printed fabrics on a white background (actually several different white-on-white prints). Where the rings intersect, red and white striped fabric surrounds patchwork diamonds. The binding is a red and white print with a small striped flange. The backing fabric is red and white toile featuring birds and leafy branches. I added an embroidered label with hearts and birds.

The Hula Hula Quilt

Summer-Fall 2024: Last summer at the @midappalachianquilters symposium, I took a two-day class with Julie Belin of @blueoaksquilting. We followed the @quiltworx #AntiqueLighthouse pattern, combining foundation paper piecing, traditional piecing, and curved piecing to form a multi-layered eight-pointed star over a circle, for a small quilt. My sewing table neighbor during the class said my fabric choices were “gutsy.” I just completed the quilt over the weekend, and I’m very pleased with how it turned out! I chose fabrics designed by @laurelburchstudios for @clothworkswa . The star points have fabrics with zebra, leopard, pink spotted, green spotted, black on black spotted, and gold on white sparkle patterns. The circle has a floral on black fabric surrounded by multicolor striped points and a floral on blue background. The border is a jungle print with brightly patterned animals amongst green grass with gold accents. The blinding continues the small colorful stripes. The backing features colorful elephants. I used gold metallic thread for quilting to add even more sparkle.

Cats for the Couch

October 2024: Anniversary gift for my husband, this quilt is for hanging out with our #CatsOnACouch. The pattern is “Crazy Cat Lady 2” by @ladeebugdesign with fabric from the No Ordinary Cats collection by Bonnie LeMaire for @northcottfabric image description: two photos of a lap-sized quilt featuring 30 blocks (6 rows of 5 blocks), 24 blocks are paper-pieced abstract cat faces; two are swirly “cat tails,” two hearts, and two twisting log cabin designs. The background and sashing fabric is gray with dots; the cat-themed fabrics are red, black, cream, and gray with silly cats and cat-phrases like “life is better with a cat.” There is a narrow red border next to the scrappy binding. The minky backing fabric (not shown) features a red, black, and white cat pattern

W’s Little Spark

Fall 2024: Quilting is a fantastic stress relief. I hope this makes you smile! I completed this quilt a couple of months ago for a friend’s nephew-to-be. The baby arrived and the quilt has been gifted to the family (who I’m told are big fans of a certain purple dragon from a magical world in Florida). The pattern is #DragonDreams by @applesandbeavers, with colors inspired by goldensunshine429 on r/quilting. Image descriptions: front and back of a baby quilt featuring a large purple dragon with orange spikes and a pink belly sleeping in the lower right corner with his friendly, spiky tail wrapping up the right border and around the upper right corner. The background is white with tiny, shiny orange dots. I pieced a large letter W with orange, red, gold, and purple fabrics for the empty space in the upper left corner of the quilt. I chose a backing fabric from Spoonflower (designer DisneyBoundDresses)with a red/yellow/orange/purple geometric, Spaceship Earth-like pattern. The embroidered quilt try label has a dragon tail and the words “one little spark.”

Critter Pillows

Fall 2024: some smaller pillow projects inspired by fabric finds. These photos are of two sets of throw pillows, two pillows in each set. The first set includes a large rectangular pillow and a smaller square pillow featuring a turtle (traditionally pieced) and foundation paper pieced animals (crab, woodpecker, kingfisher), and fabrics featuring birds designed by artist @charleyharperart (found at @artistic_artifacts during the Mid Atlantic Shop Hop #AMASH). There are several close-up photos of the pieced critters. Blocks of fabric and the pieced blocks are sashed with vertical and horizontal rows of small, coordinating flying geese (red, blue, green, grey, gold). The second set of pillows uses cat-themed fabric, #Catsville by @garethlucasart from @windhamfabrics . These large square pillows have different arrangements of gold/brown, black, yellow, and pink prints, including blocks with simple pink and black cat head shapes on yellow backgrounds.

Night Owls

Spring 2024: a quilt for me! I made this quilt to snuggle into while watching TV, though I’m guessing it will get even more use by our cats. The pattern I followed is #Foxfire. This pattern and many of the fabrics are from the #Nightfall collection by @ArtGalleryFabrics Image description: square quilt made from 25, 14×14 inch blocks. The center of each block features a large “fussy cut” square of fabric with either an owl or a woodland scene. Rectangles and triangles on the sides and corners of the blocks form a secondary pattern of diagonals and stripes when the blocks are joined together. The fabrics are varying shades of navy, aqua, pink, silver, white, and gold, with flowers, moons, dragonflies, stars, and owls. I quilted parallel, diagonal lines following the secondary patterns in the quilt. The backing is a flannel fabric with flowers on a navy background. The binding is comprised of scraps from the quilt top.

Wild & Wonky

Spring 2024: I can only claim partial credit. This quilt top was pieced by Elizabeth “Libby” McDaniel of Richmond, VA. Other quilters (including my mom) and I are helping to finish numerous quilt tops on Ms. McDaniel’s behalf after her passing. The quilt will most likely go to a children’s hospital. Image description: This is an incredibly colorful throw-size quilt made from well over 100 square blocks. Each block is made from four fabric scraps around a central square in a “wonky” arrangement. I could not find any repeating fabrics in the entire quilt top. I added yellow backing fabric and tried out the ruler-quilting technique to quilt multiple pairs of large, concentric flower shapes using a variegated pink and yellow pattern which blends into the colorful front but is clearly visible on the back side of the quilt. I added a scrappy binding.

Navajo Sampler

Spring 2024: The pattern I followed is #OldNavajoSampler 2 by J. Michelle Watts and was a gift from co-workers when I was on detail in El Paso. Image description: a twin/lap-size quilt made from solid colored fabrics (red, black, terra cotta, turquoise, gold, cream, purple, and green). There are twelve different square blocks, each featuring a Navajo-inspired design (mostly geometric shapes and patterns). There is black sashing between and around the blocks and a red border. The binding is made from long strips of the solid color fabrics joined together. The backing features varying lengths black lines arranged like stitches on a cream background. I used an open zigzag stitch to quilt long vertical lines down the quilt, aligning with vertical seams is the patchwork. This, combined with a higher loft batting, gives the quilt a very soft, ribbed look and feel.

Wandering

Spring 2024: This pattern is #WanderersWife by @jenkingwell . If you don’t count the back and borders, it’s 98% scraps from previous quilt projects. Image description: four photos of a large quilt. The center is an asymmetrical arrangement of traditional quilt blocks of various sizes against a background of 1” vertical strips. I used fabrics from my “stash” which ranged in color from purple/pink to red to yellow/orange. The result is very vibrant! To reinforce it all in, I added several borders – starting around the center with purple and then orange, followed by a yellow and purple batik, then dark purple. The binding is an orange/gold fabric (also used for backing) with a thin orange flange. The back was pieced with the orange/gold print, a different orange/gold and red print, and leftover scraps and blocks from the front. Quilted by @quiltersstudiova with a dark purple thread in an all-over winding pattern of leaves and rosebuds.

Celebration

January 2024 This quilt was made in celebration of my mentor, colleague, and friend, as a gift for her retirement. I made a few adjustments (complications!) to the Sunshine Diamond Zig-Zag Quilt pattern by Janice Ryan (@betteroffthread ) for @modafabrics Moda Bakeshop. For the white background diamonds, I used Hush Hush 3 jelly roll strips from @rileyblakedesigns and for the colorful zig zag diamonds, I used Eufloria jelly roll strips from the #CreateJoyProject by Moda. Image description: my colleague, Glinda Hill, and I stand in front of a lap-sized quilt which is being held up behind us. The quilt features four colorful zig zags running width-wise across the quilt, separated by white zigzags which form a background. Each zigzag section is made from large diamonds set in alternating directions. Each large diamond is made of 9 smaller diamonds set in rows according to color to create colorful patterns in the overall design. The quilt has serpentine stitching (in large zigzags) and aqua binding.

Bit O’ Green

Spring 2024 I started this modified Irish chain quilt during a charity sew-in day with the Burke Quilters Unlimited guild chapter. I made a few tweaks to the “Charity Chain” pattern from @pinkdoxies This quilt will go to a soldier in the Soldier Transition Unit at at Ft. Belvoir. Image descriptions: photos showing the front and back of a green and gold, twin-size quilt. The quilt top is a patchwork of nine-patch and four-patch squares (green and gold) and solid rectangles and squares (shades of green), arranged so that there are diagonal patterns (chains) running across the quilt. The backing is a green fabric printed with a woven pattern. I used variegated green thread in both straight and serpentine stitch patterns to quilt intersecting diagonal lines over the quilt.

Home Sweet Home

Fall 2023 A quilt my second mom (mom in law @britsrfun ). This is the Agatha pattern and quilt kit from @connectingthreads ). Image descriptions: front and back of quilt which is hanging over a wooden railing. The fabrics are mostly small, tone-on-tone prints in primary colors – red, yellow, blue, and green. Large, 8-pointed stars with multiple fabric colors are arranged in diagonal rows, separated by diagonalchains of smaller squares. The background is solid white. The binding is red, and the backing is a blue, denim-like print.

In Touch with a Sunset

Fall 2023 Unfortunately I couldn’t make it to the Getting In Touch With Literacy gathering in St. Pete this week, but my quilt is there at the silent auction! If you’re at the conference, please stop by and check it out! Images: square quilt comprised of 16 square blocks separated by white sashing and surrounded by a white border (first photo). Each block is a modified log cabin design with orange rectangles in one corner transitioning to gold and yellow-green rectangles and purple triangles in the opposite corner . The blocks are oriented with the orange corners towards the center and the purple triangles pointing outwards. All the fabrics are tropical batiks, including the backing (second photo), which features a variety of whales against deep purple, gold, and violet swirls. The block pattern is #BeachSunsetQuilt from @AlexaQuilts. Quilting by @quiltersstudiova

Forensics for Mom

Fall 2023 This quilt was a birthday gift for my mom, who (when I was little) worked in forensics. The fabric includes finger prints, polygraph charts, and other crime-solving themes (Sleuth fabric collection by @giucy_giuce ) The pattern is Metro Scope by @sewkindofwonderful image description: my mom stands in front of a large lap quilt, holding up a lower corner. The pattern is a 3×4 arrangement of 12 large square blocks. Each block is comprised of a large circle with four smaller, same-color squares to fill out the corners. A contrasting colored square is inset in each of the squares. Inside each circle is a four-sided shape with concave curved edges, like a square with a scoop take out of each side. These shapes are made of four different fabrics. 12 different fabrics are in alternating placements around the quilt, so each block has different patterns and colors (red, gold, turquoise, light blue, blue-grey, purple, and cream). Everything is set against a light cream colored background fabric with subtle gold circles. The second photo shows my mom pulling back the quilt to show the backing fabric (from the same collection), which is printed to replicate a Winding Ways (aka Kaleidescope) quilt pattern, featuring many circular arrangements of small triangles on an off-white background), with similar colors from the front of the quilt.

Veteran’s Valor

Summer-Fall 2023 Happy Veterans Day! This is a Quilt of Valor, recently completed and soon to be awarded to a veteran. The pattern is Heroes Comfort by Sharon Lake. Learn more about Quilts of Valor at https://www.qovf.org/. Image description: twin-size red, white, and blue quilt. A mix of fabrics were used so there are subtle variations, especially in the reds and blues. Vertical red and white stripes are crossed, diagonally, by a wide section of blue (running from lower left to upper right). 8-pointed stars are evenly spaced across the quilt- blue stars on the red and white stripes, white stars on the blue. Quilted with red, white, and blue variegated thread. Second photo shows background fabric (US flags) and Quilt of Valor label, “Quilt of Valor, made by Rebecca Sheffield, Virginia, USA” #VeteransDay #QuiltOfValor

Indian

Summer 2023 I’m excited this quilt made it to its new home today so I can share my photos! See it in person soon at @WoodsIndianMotorcycleNB This quilt features a 27″ x 20″ paper-pieced Indian motorcycle made from 28 different fabrics following a pattern commissioned from Pitchers Boutique (@QuiltNSew) The motorcycle pattern is comprised of 89 separate units, each of which has 2 to 35 small pieces of fabric in shades of red, grey, white, black, brown, and blue, forming the details of the motorcycle – from the red fenders and tank to the silver and white feather dangling from the handlebars. Following a modified version of the “Courtyard Throw” pattern in Better Homes & Garden’s Quilt-Lover’s Favorites Volume 11, the motorcycle is centered on the landscape-oriented quilt, surrounded by 64 framed rectangles in rows, each rectangle containing two 5″ squares of Indian motorcycle branded fabric (fabric collection by Riley Blake Designs). Fabrics feature tire treads, motorcycles, Indian logos, and ThunderStroke engines. The background fabric simulates quilted red leather featured on some Indian motorcycles. The second photo is of the quilt label (red, white, and blue with stars and text “Made by Rebecca Sheffield, 2023”). The third photo shows a portion of the quilt back, which features long strips of various widths of Indian motorcycle themed fabrics. @QuiltersStudioVA completed the quilting in a “Fancy Feathers” edge-to-edge motif.

Feel the Forest

Summer 2023 For this quilt, many different green corduroy rectangles of varying wales were positioned alternately vertically and horizontally (and along the border, in squares) to provide tactile, non-visual access to the design of the quilt. Brown corduroy was used in the background between the rectangles and squares. The pattern is Forest Bricks by Mary Johnson. The backing of the quilt is made from soft, green flannel, creating additional contrast. Quilt draped on a porch railing in front of a grassy yard.

Nashville

Summer 2023 It has been 20 years since I graduated from college and moved to Nashville,TN. Although I’ve since moved away, I’ll always consider my move to Nashville an especially lucky move since that’s where I met @markjsheffield. This 52″x60″ quilt (ready for hanging on the wall in our home) was made with a Nashville-themed panel by @rileyblakedesigns, adding borders following the Panel Pals 1 pattern by Sam Hunter for Hunters Design Studio, using city-map patterned fabrics (red, blue, black, and white) from Riley Blake’s Destinations line. The center panel features red logos, stars, sayings, and images related to Nashville on an off white background, reminiscent of old concert advertising. The rectangular panel is framed in a series of short angular bars, diamonds, and cornerstones (grey, black, and off white), surrounded by a red border and a scrappy black, off-white, and blue binding. The back is light grey (same city map print as the other fabrics). Quilted with evenly-spaced wavy lines (about 1/2 inch apart)

Where is the love?

I spent December 21 to February 17th in El Paso, TX, as part of the Department of Homeland Security’s Volunteer Taskforce. Along with volunteers from numerous federal agencies, I supported the work of the Border Patrol officers, primarily at the Central Processing Center and at a smaller station underneath the International Bridge. We worked 6 days/week, 12 hrs/day, providing food, organizing a warehouse, and delivering supplies. For many reasons, I haven’t written about this work on social media, but today I’m pleased to share a quilt I completed as a reflection on my experience (yes, I did buy a sewing machine around my 3rd week in Texas!) These photos show a large quilt of on-point squares with off-set, narrow grey sashing (meant to resemble chain-link fencing). Each on-point square is comprised of four smaller squares. The smaller squares are either solid pieces, half-square triangles (a square made of two triangles), or quarter square triangles (a square made of four triangles). The larger and smaller squares and triangles are arranged so that the colors slowly shift (semi-randomly and unevenly) from red at the top, to orange and yellow, to yellow and green, to green and blue, to blue and purple and brown at the bottom. More than 50 different fabrics were used – mostly solids, but also a few prints, including some southwestern fabrics and the colorful backing fabric I bought at the Thread Bear quilt shop in Las Cruces (the rest of the fabric is from the WalMart next to my hotel!) This quilt reminds me a little bit of an “eye spy” image, where you can look through all the shapes in search of a particular design or pattern. There is a pink heart to be “spied” in my quilt, which I’m calling “Where is the love?” after the Black Eyed Peas song which kept playing on the radio in El Paso. In addition to the chain link, the quilt includes contrast and harmony, groups and separations, hour glasses and pinwheels, a blue river and yellow sunshine… all of which remind me of the migrant families from many nations — women, men, and children and the many possible futures caught up in a system which often seems to have little time or space for empathy.

What-knots

Fall/Winter 2022 Two more quilts given as Christmas gifts this year. These are both mini quilt patterns from the “Simple Whatnots” series by @kim_diehl_quilts , using fabrics designed by Kim Diehl for @henry_glass_fabrics the fist quilt follows the “Traffic Jam” pattern with alternating blocks of diagonal strips forming multi colored pinwheels on an off-white background. The border features alternating vertical and horizontal rectangular strips. The second mini quilt follows the “Heartstrings” pattern with blocks of alternating inward and outward curves and petals, forming connected multicolored circles and off-white flower shapes. Both quilts were made from kits from the @fatquartershop and feature the same fabric colors – classic small prints in dark red, olive, mustard, plum, pink, black, brown, gray, orange, and off-white. I used my embroidery machine to quilt both quilts with a leafy pattern.

Creature of the Forest

Fall/Winter 2022 Here is one of a few quilts I made for Christmas gifts this year! This two-sided quilt was made for a cousin who loves outdoor adventures. The photos show the front and back of the quilt. The front – made following the “Winter Solstice” pattern by @PattisPatchwork – features a variety of tree shapes made from stacked triangles (green) and rectangular trunks (brown). At the bottom of the quilt, the background is made from a range of light and darker shades of brown. Further up the quilt, the background transitions to shades of blue and black, representing tree-covered mountains and perhaps rivers, snow, or ice. The back of the quilt – following the “Legendary” pattern by @ElizabethAGH – also features trees made from triangles, but these are much taller and skinnier, evenly spaced in four rows. In the second row of trees from the top, a dark brown “big foot” creature walks between the trees. The background is a light brown printed fabric featuring tiny signs from U.S. National Parks (@RileyBlakeDesigns National Parks fabrics incorporated in background, bigfoot, and trees). I quilted together the two sides with a horizontal zig-zag pattern, echoing the shapes of the trees.

Celtic Winter Solstice

Fall 2022 This king size quilt has been in progress for most of a year. I am so happy to have it finished and on my bed! The pattern is Celtic Solstice by @quiltville_bonnie , fabrics from @charlottescottagequiltshop in Frederick, MD, long arm quilting by @quiltersstudiova images: 1) a king size quilt on a bed with a wooden headboard; quilt is a repeating pattern of pinwheels, triangles, and squares arranged to form diagonal chains surrounding on-point diamonds. The colors are green, orange, blue, and yellow on an off-white background. Three borders frame the quilt: off white, a series of orange triangles on blue backgrounds, and green, surrounded by narrow blue binding. I used several different fabrics in each color for variation. The back of the quilt is a dark green fabric with a subtle floral pattern. 2) a close up of a small section of the quilt showing the pumpkin-vine top stitching motif added by the long arm quilter using a variegated thread (orange, white, and yellow).

Panda Princess

Fall 2022 Sweet panda quilt for my new niece! Panda Paws Quilt pattern by Laureen Smith, Panda-Monium fabrics by @DearStellaFab I included a friendly mama and baby panda from the @SmithsonianZoo (coordinating skirt for mama). Square baby quilt made from 9 alternating blocks. 4 blocks feature grey and white panda faces with green backgrounds. 5 blocks are comprised of four bear paw designs each, with light peach backgrounds. The interior of each bear paw features mama and baby pandas. The quilt borders are made from grey and light peach panda fabrics. The quilt back is made from a soft white flannel fabric with tiny pandas and an embroidered label. A soft, stuffed mama panda bear with a handmade skirt of green fabric match the quilt is holding a small baby panda in her arms.

Across Abbey Road

Fall 2022 Beatles themed quilt created in collaboration with my mom and sister as a gift for my cousin. The Abbey Road appliqué and paper piecing pattern is from @fancytigercrafts. Many of the sampler blocks are from Amish Sampler patterns by Joan Baker. Twin extra-long quilt with white Beatles band members crossing a multi-colored version of the zebra crossing at Abbey Road on a black background (black fabric actually has black-on-black music symbols, white fabric has white on white music symbols). Above and below the Beatles scene are two rows of four unique sampler blocks each (16 blocks total) in bright colors with black backgrounds. The border is made of varying lengths of colorful strips lined up like piano keys with shorter black and white strips nearer the quilt center. The back of the quilt is made of large blocks of the black-on-black fabric mixed with blocks of Beatles-themed fabrics. Quilted with musical notes motif by the @quiltersstudiova

Sea Fire

Spring/Summer 2022 Pleased to finish up this quilt I started at the @QuiltersStudioVA Enclave retreat back in March! At the retreat, I took a class with the marvelous @MathsonWendy whose #SeaSnails pattern is the basis for this quilt. Fabrics are Floralessence Ombre by @QTFabrics Image description: approximately 75” square quilt with a symmetrical design comprised of four quadrants with four swirling stars in each (shades of aqua and gold on a red background), divided by horizontal and vertical strips of squares and diamonds (gold), borders in green with extended vertical and horizontal strips of gold squares and diamonds. Since the fabrics were all ombré (shades ranging from light to dark on the same bolt), the colors vary in intensity throughout the quilt. The quilting (top stitching) is a pattern of wavy, swirly lines, about 3/4 inch apart, all over the quilt. The second photo features the backing, also Floralessence Ombre, with shades from light to dark gray.

Whale-come Home

Summer 2022 What better way to celebrate a new home than with whales? I finished this small quilt as a housewarming gift for my parents. The pattern is Jolly Whales by Janet Clare for @ModaFabrics, made with great fabrics from the @QuiltersStudioVA and an embroidery pattern from @DesignsByJuJu Image description: a quilt hanging across a porch railing on a sunny day, approximately 42” square, featuring blue, aqua, and white nautical fabrics arranged in five rows of different sized rectangles, with 3 large, smiling whales with metallic button eyes (sperm whale shapes) swimming across the quilt (right-swimming whales top and bottom, left-swimming whale in the center). A pattern of bubbles was quilted all over the quilt (using my new embroidery machine!)

Alaskan Lady

Winter 2022 AlaskanHoliday quilt made for my aunt, from pattern by @laundrybasketquilts Description: approximately 72” square quilt with a symmetrical design of stars (one larger star in the center, gradually smaller stars surrounding the center and spreading into the corners), blocks are comprised of purple, green, and brown triangles (flower and leaf fabrics) and white-on-white flower fabric background triangles and borders, scrappy colorful binding, machine quilted with serpentine diagonal lines. First photo shows front of quilt, second photo shows back (off-white fabric with leaves plus strips of leftover triangle scraps from quit front), third photo is an up-close look at fabrics in a folded portion of the quilt. Once again, found the perfect fabrics for my project at @quiltersstudiova !

Stained Glass Celebration

Fall/Winter 2021 LeadedGlassQuilt given as a Christmas gift, created from AQS pattern by @TraceyJayQuilts using fabrics from @QuiltersStudioVA Image description: 72” square quilt with colorful diamond and hexagon blocks intersected by narrow strips of white background fabric, giving the appearance of stained or leaded glass. Colors transition from lime green in lower left to blue/purple, to red/pink, to orange, to yellow in the upper right. The colorful blocks overflow into the wide white border at the upper right and lower left. Multicolored binding made from scraps of the fabrics in the quilt top.

Scenes from Alaska

Winter 2021 Wall hangings for an Alaskan home! Quilt panels designed by @dawngeretyart. Image description: two colorful wall hangings, each featuring a panel surrounded by multiple borders of alternating strips of squares and strips of fabric featuring swimming salmon. One panel shows a large grizzly approaching a river; the other shows a field on wildflowers in front of a mountain range.

Women’s Rights are Human Rights

Fall/Winter 2021 Women’s Rights Are Human Rights quilt, a birthday gift for a great friend! twin-size quilt with International Sisters Block (instructions from @SewPreetiQuilts ) incorporating paper pieced lettering #ModernInternationalAlphabetFPP from patterns by @Amarar_Creacions Fabrics from my stash and @ArtGalleryFabrics #OpenHeartCollection by @MaureenCracknell, found at my favorite quilt shop, @QuiltersStudioVA ! Image description: rectangular quilt oriented “landscape”; 24 on-point blocks representing female figures of different skin tones in dresses and head wraps of various fabrics; lettering in the center in blue, green, and orange reads “Women’s Rights Are Human Rights”, border fabric (triangles) has pink and orange geometric flowers, backing fabric features a variety of female side profiles with flowers

Frida y Día de los Muertos

Fall 2021 Quilt made as a gift for a good friend; paper piecing patterns by Ingrid Alteneder of @joejuneandmae Fabrics and inspiration from @quiltersstudiova image description: brightly colored quit (yellow, pink, turquoise, purple, green) with head and shoulders image of Frida Kahlo (paper pieced fabric) at the center surrounded by sacred hearts, sugar skulls, crosses, and flowers on light blue and turquoise backgrounds, arranged in diagonal rows of on-point diamonds; the back of the quilt is pieced in a woven design with wide strips of colorful fabrics featuring Frida and Día de los Muertos themes

Calvin, Hobbes, and the Starry Night

Summer 2021 I finished this quilt a few months ago and my terrific husband just hung it in our foyer. The background is a modified version of the half-square triangle Starry Night pattern from @emmaleedesigns_ , with fabrics and long arm quilting from @quiltersstudiova Image description: a swirling background of blues, yellow, green, pink, purple, and red, with moon and stars, all created through an arrangement of colorful squares, each square made of two right triangles. The comic strip characters Calvin and Hobbes (by Bill Watterson) are shown in black silhouette, walking with arms outstretched in front of the Starry Night sky

Star Baby

Spring 2021 Baby quilt for a little guy, made following the #StarBabyQuilt pattern/tutorial by @diaryofaquilter Fabric is from the Hungry Animal Alphabet collection by @rileyblakedesigns, designed by @jweckerfrisch, children’s book illustrator Image description: square quilt made from an arrangement of relatively large triangles (half-square triangles), the arrangement and color of the fabrics reveal an 8-pointed star. Fabrics are reds, yellows, blues, and greens, featuring animals and foods associated with different letters of the alphabet, as well as stripes, checks, handwriting and typewritten letters of the alphabet, and sunflowers

Flying Away

Spring 2021 Flying geese quilt made as a graduation gift; pattern is a variation of #RemixedGeese pattern (@robertkaufman) with inspiration from #SunAndSeaQuilt by @connectingthreads Fabric from @quiltersstudiova (I especially loved the white-on-white background fabric which features honey bees and coordinates with some of the other fabrics which also have bees, and the backing which has a honeycomb design) Image descriptions: photos of a rectangular quilt draped over a wooden deck railing; quilt features a semi-random arrangement of pairs of isosceles triangles in light blue, aqua, mint, and gold colors on a white background.

Alaska Baby

Winter 2021 This arctic themed quilt went to a great home in Nome, Alaska! I used a mix of scraps and great fabric finds from @quiltersstudiova and followed the North Stars pattern by @elizabethagh Image description: a large, square quilt comprised of 9 blocks, arranged 3×3. Each block features an arctic animal or pair of animals: polar bear, foxes, musk ox, owl, seal, walrus, otters, reindeer, and narwal. Smaller patchwork star patterns accompany the animals in their blocks. The sashing and backgrounds are light grey and silver fabrics. The quilt was finished with wavy diagonal quilting and a multicolor, scrappy binding.

Bright Bargello

Fall/Winter 2020 Christmas 2020 (though shipping delays led to this quilts being a delayed “Christmas-in-January” gift) My mom helped piece this quilt, making it an extra special gift for my mother in law! Description: brightly colored twin size bargello quilt following “Modern Bargello Quilt” pattern by Angela Walters using #BoundlessCollage tone-on-tone fabrics in purples, blues, pinks, and greens, arranged in three circular sections comprised of repeating and reflecting patterns of rectangles. Quilted (by me) with contrasting thread which outlines the seams and borders in the pattern.

Great Smokey Mountains

Winter 2020 First of two gifted quilts, Christmas 2020 Description: a national parks themed lap quilt with four panels with scenes from the Great Smoky Mountains, arranged 2×2, separated by “bear claw” blocks and bordered with triangles, fabrics and National Tours pattern are from a national parks themed collection by @rileyblakedesigns, quilted (by me) with brown thread in a wavy pattern of concentric diamonds

#POD

Summer/Fall 2020 ProjectOfDoom (POD) paper-pieced quilt, with patterns from @fandominstitches Long-arm quilting from @quiltersstudiova Image description: large quilt depicting a bookshelf against a stone wall, with a star-filled sky in the background On top of the bookshelf: Hedwig the owl, potion bottles, a book, and Ministry of Magic paper airplane messages. In the upper left corner, a Hogwarts crest. In the upper right corner, the Wesley’s flying car On the top shelf of the bookcase: time turner, books, kitten plate, Luna’s glasses, and lantern Second shelf down: books, butter beer, snitch, Tri-Wizard Cup, framed picture of Dumbledore Third shelf down: books, quill, Harry’s glasses, flying key with broken wing, candlestick, teacup Fourth shelf down: books, crystal ball, Crookshanks the cat and the sorting hat, potion bottles Fifth shelf down: potion bottle, books, Harry’s wand, Gryffindor tie Bottom shelf: pumpkin, Scabbers the rat, books, test tube, cauldron Left of the bookshelf: Leaky Cauldron sign, torch, Hagrid’s pink umbrella Under the bookshelf: green carped, sleeping green dragon Right of the bookshelf: Fawkes the phoenix on a perch, torch, Firebolt broom

Four Storms at Sea

2019-2020 Over a year in the making, this is my first self-designed (not from a pattern) quilt — king size with batik fabrics from @quiltersstudiova (they also did a beautiful job with the long arm quilting!) My design was inspired by Wayne Kollinger’s “Quarter of Four” blocks (waynekollingersquiltblog.blogspot.com), which are derived from the traditional Storm at Sea pattern. This was a lot of fun – and I am happy to have it on my bed!

Home Awaits

Spring 2020 HomeAwaits quilt from a kit by @connectingthreads I started this quilt while working far from home, looking forward to ending the school year and coming home. Little did I know that I’d be heading home sooner than expected and that I’d be getting a lot of time at home to make up for being gone!

Baby Bricks

Winter 2020 BricksAndStones (@redpepperquilts) baby quilt made with #myimaginationfabric from @claretheresegray for Windham Fabrics

Blue Christmas

Fall/Winter 2019 fairislequilt in blue, fabric from @quiltersstudiova Happy Anniversary gift for my Mom and Dad!

Army Star

Spring 2019 for Mark Sheffield in honor of his service in the U.S. Army (camo patterns from when Mark was in the Army during Desert Storm) #ExplodingStarQuilt pattern from “the Best of Scrap Quilting Made Easy”

Fair Isle Christmas

Summer/Fall 2019 FairIsleQuilt (Freshly Pieced #110) and coordinating pillow (pattern from from https://weallsew.com/fair-isle-pillow-tutorial/)

Shimmery Sea

Fall/Winter 2019 ShimmerQuilt, twin size, fabric: Sirena (Jessica Swift for Art Gallery fabrics), backing is a batik from the Fabric Shop in Saint Thomas, USVI

Nine Patches

Summer 2018 Nine patch quilt from my beginning quilting class @QuiltersStudioVa (summer 2018) (pattern by Debbie Welch)

Sunny & Sleepy Sheep

Spring 2018

Side 1 of baby quilt made with blocks from #Sunshine&Marmalade quilt pattern (@quickquilts) and sun, moon, and “counting sheep” paper-piecing templates from @rightpatterns ; tactile features added to the sheep using chenille tape and minky fabric

Side 2 of baby quilt made with blocks from #Sunshine&Marmalade quilt pattern (@quickquilts) and sun, moon, and “counting sheep” paper-piecing templates from @rightpatterns ; tactile features added to the sheep using chenille tape and minky fabric

First Quilt: Moby

Winter/Spring 2018

“Moby” – inspired by multiple readings of Moby Dick by Herman Melville. Thanks to Cindy Mackiernan for helping me get started and to Mark J Sheffield for putting up with my mess! #PreppyPodQuilt by #ElisabethHartmanPatterns Fabric, machine quilting, and a lot of advice from @quiltersstudiova

Close up of machine quilting whale patterns on my “Moby” quilt; #PreppyPodQuilt by #ElisabethHartmanPatterns Fabric, machine quilting, and a lot of advice from @quiltersstudiova