Thursday, May 3, 2012

Quilting....

I would like to start this out by saying  
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
to our son,
 Jon!

Enjoy your day!


As you have probably guessed....
I like to work with my hands....

Knitting, spinning, drawing, whittling and
quilting!

I do try to piece and quilt on the 
machine by some days I swear I 
must be allergic to the machine....
it just doesn't work right!

I never seem to do as good of job in getting
things lined up as they should be....

When I hand piece or hand quilt I seem to 
be in more control....
so control is the issue, huh?
I knew it had to be something!
ha ha!

Any way this is a wall hanging I made
about 14 years ago.
Another one that survived the many moves.
I made this on weekends when we 
purchased an 1920 house (our second home)
in a village, 
yes I said village,
 in northern North Dakota.  
That is a story for another day.

Every weekend that summer Mike and I 
would take off on the 3 1/2 hour drive on 
Friday after work and stay 
until Sunday evening.  
Riding in the car is boring, so 
I decided to make a wall hanging.  
(couldn't use the machine in the car, right?)
This quilt was made as I rode in the car.

  I chose to do a summer scene done in appliqué.
For those of you who don't know what that is....
it is taking pieces of fabric and
 hand sewing them on the main fabric.  
I like to think of it as painting with fabric.

This is my traveling summer wall hanging....


It was fun to pick out the fabrics, 
cut out the pieces and then decide 
where I wanted to put them and
then sew it on.
There are flowers, birds, a bunny, bees, 
dragonfly, butterfly and even a caterpillar!
It took quite awhile to make but
it is kind of like a long book....
you just get to enjoy it longer!  

I did a blanket stitch around each of the pieces and
when I was finished I did diagonal quilting on the piece.

Every time I look at this I smile.  
I brings back so many happy memories....
and that is what it should be all about....

Happy Quilting, my friends!

Beth

In art, the hand can never excute anything
higher than the heart can imagine.
Ralph Waldo Emerson


22 comments:

verobirdie said...

Lovely wallhanging.
I love to applique too, so soothing.

Bassetmomma said...

What a great piece of memorabilia to have from your time going to your place in the village! Your wall hanging is amazing and to think you did this in the car!! It's beautiful!
Happy Birthday Jon!! :)

The Furries of Whisppy said...

You did that while riding in a car? Unbelievable!

♥♥ The OP Pack ♥♥ said...

One of the top items on my bucket list - learn to quilt. I don't have much with machines either, maybe I need to start with handquilting too. That piece is just exquisite. Such a multi-talented lady you are.

Kathie

MadSnapper said...

it is really beautiful and would look good on my wall. yes it would. i enlarged it to see all the tiny details, that is a lot of stitching. what a great way to travel, riding bores me to tears. in your list of talents/gifts add dog trainer.

MadSnapper said...

also add writer, photographer, humorist.

Marilyn said...

Very pretty, and I'm sure it's filled with wonderful stitches from the heart.♥♫

Millie and Walter said...

What a beautiful little piece. I don't think I will ever do any hand applique or quilting, but I love to look at other peoples work.

Cindy

Chatty Crone said...

Your Summer wall hanging is very pretty. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JON!
sandie

Diana said...

That quilt is very pretty. I too always find things to make in the car,it passes time and I can do things that I wouldnt do otherwise wouldnt take the time to do. This is from my craft blog, check it out, here is a craft that maybe Bailey would like to do for gifts, birthdays etc.
Happy Birthday Jon

Diana

Kathy said...

That is a beautiful wall hanging!
I can't imagine hand sewing all of those pieces while riding in a car, but it is a keeper!

Absolutely love Emerson's phrase at the end of your post!

Unknown said...

So beautiful! I would love to be able to create a wall hanging like that...but unfortunately, I still have a LOT to learn about all forms of sewing haha. Happy Birthday to your son!

Brandi

Ginny Hartzler said...

It is wonderful!!! I made it bigger and saw the rabbit, dragonfly, and birds. Couldn't find the caterpillar, though. I hope you have it displayed somewhere? When I was young, I used to do a lot of crewel work and Phil made the frames. I want to hear about the house and village. Something tells me that you have enough interesting things to post about for years and years...

My Mind's Eye said...

WOW Beth I LOVE everything you do and you do everything well and with lots of love. My mother-in-law did the most beautiful hand work. Of course she was the oldest of 8 or 9 so she had to learn to help her Mom make clothes. She could put in a zipper by hand that looked 200% better than any one done by machine. She also tatted. I have a pillow she embroider here at the house.
Your 'car' quilt is absolutely beautiful.
Hugs C

Sketching with Dogs said...

Happy Birthday to Jon, hope you enjoy your day!
That quilt is so pretty Beth. I have always wanted to make something quilted but it looks so difficult.
Your wall hanging is beautiful.
Lynne x

JacksDad said...

It's amazing that you could do such fine work while riding in a car!! It's really beautiful.

Now, let's see you do one while you're DRIVING a car! :)

Molly the Airedale said...

It's absolutely beautiful! I love doing applique too.

White Dog Blog said...

Sometimes I think the connection to the object you are creating is important to imbuing it with spirit, I don't usually get that using a machine. For years I wrote our blog in ink with a pen into actual diaries and then copied them onto the website...I felt more in touch with the words and adventures I was sharing. That is still the way I write for my paintings. Your wall hanging is beautiful not because of your talented efforts but because of the memories it captures.

Stewey said...

You made that in the car?????
OMD - sooo talented!
Stewey

Unknown said...

May be it's time for me to sign up a quilting course now!

Happy Belated Birthday to Jon!

bichonpawz said...

What a gorgeous piece Beth! I just love it!! You really did a beautiful job on it. Happy Birthday to your son!
xo
Jeanne

The Army of Four said...

That is so beautiful! And the best quilts are ones that have special memories behind them, as yours does!!!
KZK