Tangible Love

I often feel like I don't have a lot of gifts that God can use to bless others, but a quite a few years ago a dear woman offered me the chance to use something I love (quilting) to bless others and it changed a lot of things in my life.  It gave me the opportunity to make love & prayer tangible through thread and fabric and a bit of time.
It also taught me that a 'yes' to God is never wasted and even when we think it small, He can transform it into so much more.
So I said another small 'yes' and made this quilt - with more prayer than probably any other one I've made - perhaps because of the size it allowed more time to pray.  There was the piecing of the top, the pressing, the quilting at the frame and approximately 270 inches around by hand for the binding - many hours of prayer poured out at the Throne of Grace on behalf of people I don't know well but that God has put on my heart in a special way.  Time very well spent and fervently offered as service to the One who can touch hearts, minds, bodies & souls in ways we cannot know or imagine.

Scrappy version of a pattern called "Take Five"

The top is machine pieced cottons and the back& binding is flannel.  Machine quilting done on my New Joy Gold Frame w/ the Janome 1600P using King Tut variegated threads -- "Freedom" (blue/cream/red) on top and "Sands of Time" (cream/beige) on bottom -  in an edge-to-edge leaf design. 

As this was my last project for the quilt ministry at our former church, I am praying it will bless the people who will receive it in a very real way.

Quilt Ministry Baby Quilts

**Photo Intensive Post**

Other than the 2 quilts I'd done for the twins born last year, I hadn't had opportunity to get many of the baby quilts finished.  A dear woman I serve with monthly is about to become a great-grandmother and that event (probably happening this week!) was a catalyst to not only quickly create a very special quilt for the soon-to-be-born great-grandson, but also to finish up some of the other projects I've had hanging around.
I do have one more large special project that isn't quite finished yet and that may get it's own post... or not... it's emotionally special for me and I may just keep that private.

First is the newest quilt - for Elijah Robert - who will (Lord willing) arrive safely later this week.

The quilt is an enlarged version of a block I had seen a long while back and I transformed it into a full size quilt pattern - sort of an intertwining ribbon design.  It is made with 100% cotton quilting fabrics for the top in animal/Africa/safari prints that I just love.  The back is an all-over animal print flannel that should be snuggly for a small boy.  It is quilted edge-to-edge on my New Joy Frame with the Janome 1600P, using KingTut "Pharoah's Treasure" variegated thread in shades of green/gold/burgundy in an all-over leaf pattern.  The top is machine pieced and the finish binding is done by hand.

Next are 4 quilts that haven't been made for anyone specific as far as I know, but have been prayed over for whatever precious child God will allow them to be given to in the future.
First up are two 'girlie' quilts.  Both were made when the quilt ministry was in the capable hands of others and I just had opportunity to work on and finish them.

This one was machine pieced and sent out to be quilted by another generous lady with a giving heart.  It is all cotton, pieced front and back with an all-over large meander design.

Here we have a simple design, machine pieced in sweet small print cottons and then hand quilted in double heart designs and some outline work on the chenilled blocks.

The colors in these photos are very off - the closest one is the last one.  This is a full flannel quilt - both front and back.  Simple 4 patch blocks are alternated with solid squares and machine pieced and quilted in a broad line grid. The colors are soft 'baby' greens, yellow and big eyed owls.  So cute!

This was such a fun quilt to make - I adapted a pattern I'd seen in a magazine and built the colors off the backing fabric.  When you are working with mostly donated materials, you sometimes have to wing it.  We had this large piece of John Deere themed fabric and it was great for a back.  I dug through the stash to find fabrics that would coordinate and put this together.  It is in an all-over 'raindrop' pattern (again on my New Joy/Janome set up) using KingTut "Sands of Time" variegated cream/beige thread.  All cotton fabrics, machine pieced and the binding is scrappy and hand-finished.

Special thanks to my very helpful daughter for helping me with all the photos out in the chilly sun-porch.

May God richly bless each little one who will be receiving these gifts of prayer.

Blessings,

Sewing Room Upgrade

Last week my darling husband bought me an amazing gift - a quilting frame and mid-arm machine with a stitch regulator.  It's a New Joy Gold standard frame (fully adjustable from 47" to King size) with a Janome 1600P and Quilter's Cruise Control.  God provided bountifully via a very nice couple from the next town who had purchased the entire set-up and never even used it once!  The machine was still in the box with the styrofoam packaging!  She wasn't going to use it and he wanted it out of the house so they gave us a phenomenal deal.  I was just giddy with excitement and anticipation.
It took a few days to get things set up and running, and then we opted to re-arrange and expand the frame to the 3/4 length that will accommodate pretty much everything and anything I will be making & quilting.

Welcome to my newly upgraded sewing room!

From the doorway - Brother Serger & regular Janome sewing machine

The rack in the corner that is over-flowing with fabric is all for our church quilt ministry and will become baby quilts and other lovely things over time (Lord willing).

New Joy frame with Janome 1600P mid-arm machine

This mess of fabric is all mine and needs some re-organizing (yet again)

I've been busy practicing with the new machine and will post some photos of my practice work soon.  Today I started piecing a baby boy quilt for the church ministry and am looking forward to being able to quilt it myself when it's ready.

Two for Two

A precious family in our church was blessed with the addition of twin boys and I had the opportunity to work on two darling baby quilts as part of our church quilt ministry to bless their family.

This first quilt had no pattern to work from - our ministry group is blessed by donations of fabric and sometimes you just have to make it up as you go.  The animal square print was the inspiration fabric and the quilt was pieced from there - filling in from the church fabric stash to build the quilt around those blocks.

It is backed in a cuddly flannel print and machine quilted using a walking-foot in a criss-cross wave pattern using a variegated thread for both the top & bobbin threads.

The second quilt uses the pattern "yellow brick road" and again is made with prayer of thanksgiving from all donated fabrics.  I especially loved 'fussy-cutting' the alphabet print fabric to anchor the top corner with the last initial of the family.  This quilt also incorporates one of the same fabrics (blue swirl) from the other quilt - brothers sharing a link in even their quilts.  The binding is pieced from all the fabrics used in the quilt top to add a scrappy flair to the finishing.

This one is also backed in a flannel print and is machine quilted in a double line grid pattern.

Baby quilts are so much fun!  They work up fairly quickly and it is a tremendous blessing to be able to pray for the babies and their families as they are stitched together with Christ's love.

It is our prayer that each child will feel the love of Jesus surrounding them.

Blessings,

*Special thanks to my dear daughter for her help in taking these photos.

Jacob's Quilt

A darling African fabric baby quilt for soon-to-arrive Baby Jacob.

4-patch blocks in gold & green with brown African motif fabric alternating with large single patch blocks of the fun safari animal print.  Machine quilted in an all-over meander/stipple pattern.

Will's Quilt

Newest baby quilt from the Riverside Christian Church Quilt Ministry made with much love and many prayers for Baby Will. 

Machine pieced top in "Yellow Brick Road" pattern with a variety of fun fabrics and hand tied. Binding is diagonally pieced with two of the top fabrics and backing is soft blue fleece for cuddling.

Big brother Chase liked it too!  When a 2-year-old likes your work... I think that is a good sign.  :-)


Blessings,

Baby Girl Quilt

Here is our newest baby girl quilt from our church quilt ministry.

This was (like all of them) a labor of love.  Momma is one of our Pastor's daughters and such a lovely lady.  The new addition is absolutely adorable and I'm looking forward to being able to hold her in a few months - when she's big enough that I'm not freaked out by her itty-bitty-ness. :-)

Here are a few more pictures:  My camera is having issues with the flash, so they aren't quite as clear as I'd like.

 Close up of the quilting work done by a dear woman as a gift to our church ministry.

All cotton fabrics. Center medallion panel (pink, white & brown prints), bordered with a small scale brown & white floral, pieced border in a variety of pink prints, second brown floral border, (all set on point) with hot pink striped fabric setting triangles.  Machine quilted in two different all-over designs.  Double fold binding in backing fabric that is hand-finished.  Batting is cotton "warm & natural" and the entire quilt is easy care machine wash/dry.  Very important for a busy mom and essential in a quilt that is meant to be used well.

The back is a fun Debbie Mumm plaid fabric.