Seasonal Houses

This little wool applique piece was done to prove that I could design my own pieces. I made each block and embellished it with all the little notions. It measures 24" x 24".

Gig Harbor Strip Quilt

This quilt was done by talented ladies of The Gig Harbor Art Quilters . The drawing was divided into eight pieces. Then the women each did a section. We then sewed together the pieces, and quilted and bound the piece. The women were Jan Sachs, Trisha Dolge, Lynne White, Jonna Graham, Donna Blum, Kathy Kostco, Delaine Gately and Colene Acker.

The Lynn White Challenge

Boat Blossoms

I am lucky enough to belong to a small group of Art Quilters. We meet each month and explore new techniques, tools and ideas. We share each others current work. Recently, one of our members issued a challenge to all of us. 
Bring 4-5 of your UGLIEST cotton fabrics (8" x 8") to the next meeting. We all brought fabrics we had found difficult to work into our current designs. We put them into a bag and each person had to pick out 4 fabrics that were NOT their own. We had to take them home to create a quilt out of these scraps.  All of the fabrics had to be at least recognizable in the finished quilt. 

                                     12" x 17"  Cotton and hand beaded. Machine quilted. 

Boat Blossoms Detail

 This is the backside of quilt and you can see the 4 fabrics that I pulled from the bag. 

Wandering Wool

Reindeer Run

Like most Art Quilters, I wander off into unexplored new territories to try out other techniques or materials sometimes. Lately, I have been exploring wool applique work. This winter, I worked on this small (12" x 18") holiday wall quilt. It is entirely made out of wool. The fun of working with these patterns is that you get to decorate and embellish  your reindeer any way you wish.


I had a lot of fun learning new stitches and trying different types of thread and beads. This charming pattern is by Suz Litsinger

Theme Challenges

Winter's Song

Part of the fun of belonging to small art quilt group is the opportunity to see how others respond to a challenge. In this case, the theme was;  "How Winter Affects You." Winter is probably NOT one of my favorite seasons. But I do still see the beauty and magic of a full moon and the ice crystals that form on trees. 

This is a small,  8.5" x 11" quilt. It was machine free motioned quilted, using cotton, organza, satin and hand embellished. Sold to a private collector.

Beaded Sunrise

It's Good to Experiment

This is another of my experiments with new materials and techniques. The bonding agent was Bo-Nash Fuse It Powder. The overlay was a very fine pale yellow tulle netting. The background fabric pieces, gold threads and yarn embellishment were laid down first. 

The Bo-Nash was then sprinkled lightly over the composition. The tulle then was laid over all. Then the piece was covered with tissue paper and pressed with a hot iron. 

One of the benefits of the powdered Bo-Nash Fuse It was its ability to fuse very porous open materials. I plan to experiment with it and lace. 

Detail of Beaded Sunrise 10" X 10"

Sea Shell Symphony

I am enjoying the satisfaction of completing an eight month commission. Each sea shell was individually designed and hand beaded. Finding the "perfect" fabric for the sea shells, turtle, seahorse and coral was part of the fun. Back ground free motion quilting featured bull whip kelp motifs. Commercial cotton and hand dyed fabrics were used. 48"X 70".

The client was pleased with the coordination with their bedding.

Completed Commission