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  1. Gorgeous. Excellent work. It’s so nice and amazing. I have never seen this. That’s a great idea. Thanks for sharing this blog. I provide for by my given business to sale this products on

  2. I love quilts and have always admired yours…the one on the chair with the small squares is my favorite. I never mastered the art of quilting partly because all the stitching makes my wrist hurt. I learned to sew in Home Ec. The first thing I made was an apron. I made many outfits for my daughter when she was little and a few for myself over the years. Haven't sewn much in recent years, tho. Computer time has taken the place of my crafting urges.

  3. So, all those quilts in your house…the ones on your wall and on the back of your couch, are your handiwork? They're beautiful!

    1. Hi Melanie. Not all of them are ones I made. All the ones in this post are my creations. The deep gold and white one next to my bed (not in this post) is not my creation. Some of mine in the closet are ones I use on the bed and I didn't make several of them.

  4. What a wonderful story! I cannot sew at all, except by hand. Odd really as my mother owns a leather company and growing up I used to sew the items they made on a corner stitch machine. A straight stitcher just won't work for me,

    I am in love with your quilts and more than that with your tenacity and perseverance to make your own quilts!

    Hope the weather is cooling off.

  5. Hi Brenda… I'll second the motion of Carol and Blue Ocean Quilts! I would strongly urge you to buy a used older sewing machine. All quilting can be done on a machine.. just get an older one (they are better than the new fangled ones) that has straight stitch and maybe zig zag stitch. My old Singer from the 1970's was so great and I wish I never would have gotten rid of it! Quilting on the machine doesn't take away anything from creating your own fabulous pieces of art and memories! Missouri Star Quilt Co. and Shabby Fabrics are two of my favorite online stores for buying.. and they also have great YouTube videos for just about anything! There is also the "quilt as you go" method, which is easy when you don't want to try to machine quilt a big huge quilt. Each square is an entire quilt "sandwich" that you piece and quilt all at the same time. Then you take them and put strips over the seams to make them into a bigger quilt. Lots of UT videos on that.

    I have arthritis in my thumbs and my neck, so I can't sit for very long at the machine, but I still do it. I just LOVE the picking out fabric and design process.. I don't usually use a pattern either, just wing it. Or maybe I see a quilt I like in a magazine and just kind of follow it. I like to keep it simple. There are so many packs of pre-cuts, like jelly rolls (2-1/2 inch strips), charm packs (5" squares) and on and on. Make little triangles with your 5" squares by cutting diagonally and then you have triangles to work with! It's all so fun.. and half the fun for me is picking out the fabrics…. some new when on sale, or at thrift shops and yard sales. sometimes I'll find a bonus of an entire bag of old fabrics! What fun! Or like you did.. cutting up old clothes. The creation is such food for the soul and I can tell you miss it.

    We need to feed our souls. I have bags and bags of old strips of fabric scraps, from projects I made in the 70's and 80's.. and some scraps left from clothes I made for me and my boys. I want to use them to make a quilt for my son… someday soon I hope. also have started a huge king quilt and want to finish it while I still can.

    I made mostly smaller projects in the 70's and 80's.. (I got hooked on quilting then)…. such as pillows, wall hangings and table runners. I had sewn my own clothes since I was 9 years old. My first big quilt was a double bed size that I made in about 2010..I took a class for that, and my sister "long arm quilted" it for me in about 2014. What a treasure! It may be the only bed sized quilt I make, but still enjoy the smaller projects.. it's still "quilting" and love all the wonderful fabrics out there.

    You go girl and get that machine and try it again! Hope you do.. as it will bring back another joy in your life!
    Hugs.. Marilyn

  6. I enjoyed your story about quilting. Two of my older sisters quilted like my Mom and Texas Grandma (her Mom). The younger sister and me (the baby) were too busy raising children, I guess, for us to quilt, but we sewed a lot of our little children's clothes and our maternity clothes, too. I have a quilt my Mom made and some great ones purchased at a garage sale (back when people were getting rid of them when their Grandmas passed). I treasure them all! I think quilts are a forever thing-hold onto yours dearly.

  7. I always enjoy seeing your quilts in your blog. They are lovely. I've thought about learning how to make them myself as well.

    Thank you for sharing. Love how you tell a story.
    Hugs,
    LaDonna

  8. Love your story–I was from central NY before moving to Fl 2 years ago and was around a lot of Amish–and I hate to say this–but alot of them went to the new long arm quilting method (machine) for their quilts–yet would often say they were done or lead you to believe they were done by hand!!!
    And I never have had to worry about 'purposely' leaving a mistake in each quilt–it just seems to happen naturally for me!!!!!
    enjoy the moments, di

  9. You're quilts are lovely. The one with all of the little squares is my favorite. You're whole home is lovely.

    I failed Home-Ec too. Mrs. Jones was a miserable old woman. After coping with her, I really became disinterested in sewing.

  10. I LOVE your quilts. Each one is so beautiful and confirms a definite talent you possess. Although I passed Home-Ec, had we been assigned quilts, I might have failed. Beautiful story.

  11. Enjoyed your post about quilting, also enjoy seeing your quilts. My mother was a quilter and did hers by hand also even though she had a nice sewing machine. I have never desired to quilt. I have many of hers that she did for me.

  12. I've always loved your quilts especially the one with the flowers. I never learned to quilt. It just seemed too hard in my eyes for me yet I paint so go figure. My home ec class I made a pleated skirt and probably could have picked something easier. But the then made a blouse with a V neck which quickly became a large U neck. I did go on to sew a lot though but never really enjoyed it. I picked up a beautiful old quilt in Cottonplant Arkansas, it's heavy and has butterflies on it. It needs to be cleaned but afraid to take it to cleaners and can't put it in the washing machine.

  13. Those aren't mistakes–those are practices for perfection. I admire your tenacity and determination–and your beautiful quilts.

  14. Lovely post and your quilts are beautiful! Love the one on the back of the couch. I know it has been suggested but I'll parrot that thought…what about sewing on a sewing machine? I began my quilting journey over 30 years ago thinking I HAD to do it all by hand, but got over that and now do everything on my sewing machine. In fact most quilters are machine users these days for both the piecing and the quilting. And have you heard about pre-cuts? Cute packages of squares already cut out and ready to sew showcasing a complete collection of fabrics that coordinate. Also if you have some time and interest check out the Missouri Star Quilt Company.
    https://www.missouriquiltco.com/

    Not only do they sell fabric but the owner Jenny Doan does the best videos walking you through the entire quilt project… I met her and she is just as sweet as she is in the videos. Have fun!

  15. I didn't realize you made all your quilts! I just love them! In all honestly, I really like the simple rag quilts. They're much more homey. So did you always only hand sew them? I've always wanted to try it, but I truly have no desire to do it by machine! I like to sit and do things like that by hand! What a lovely read!

  16. Brenda, as a quilter I encourage you to buy a cheap sewing machine and start again. I had one at work (it's a long story and me and a co-worker used to quilt on our lunch hour) and we paid all of $75 for it on an Amazon deal of the day. All you need is something that will sew a straight line. You have a real talent with color and it would give you such a creative outlet. I quilt and have never hand stitched a thing! Youtube would give you free tutorials when you get stuck on what to do next, or you could write a blog post about when you are stuck and us quilters would help you over the hard bits.

    Quilting is as expensive as you make it. It really can be an reasonably inexpensive hobby if you are a thrifty shopper…which you are!

    Just a suggestion. Feel free to disregard if you aren't interested.

  17. Hi Brenda:

    I love seeing your beautiful quilts in various blog posts. Perhaps simple squares are, well, simple…but I think I like them best as you do.

    Annie@The Cooler Side of My Pillow

  18. I love handmade quilts – what treasures you have bestowed on your children too! LOVE the one on the leather chair. Gorgeous.

  19. What a lyrical post. It's so sad you can't quilt anymore. Have you tried with a sewing machine? I adamantly refused to take home ec. However, in the '70s everybody sewed and I made a lot of my own clothes (and hated doing it). My grandma taught me a lot. She made me, my siblings and cousins each a couple of quilts from flour sacks. The 50 lb. sacks were printed, often with flowers. She also made me more than a few dresses from those sacks, so when I see the quilts, all kinds of childhood memories flood back. They are now very tattered, but I keep them and "visit" them from time to time.

  20. thanks for sharing your journey as a quilter. I think your quilts are lovely; I, too, love a scrap quilt (your blog and Bonnie Hunter's are the two blogs I never miss). Yours always enhance the beauty of your various rooms.

  21. Thanks for sharing your quilting story, Brenda. I'm sorry your quilting years were cut short, but it is wonderful that you have those quilts to give you comfort and enjoyment now. I always enjoy the photos that feature one of your quilts on the wall or the back of the sofa, because it gives such a warm and inviting touch to the room. I admire your tenacity in learning to quilt and then making a number of them in a short time.

  22. Oh Brenda! I love this post and I have always admired your quilts in your photo's. You have always had an eye for color, because your quilts are beautiful!! Funny about the pants in home ec… we made sundresses and i never got my zipper in! LOL

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