Handmade custom heirloom quilts
“Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” is a 1969 song recorded by Sly and the Family Stone, and it perfectly describes the reason I made this quilt. This project went to one of my all-time favorite high school teachers. Mr. Burrell, aka Mr. B, was a fantastic educator and an even more amazing motivator. He helped me through a very rough time, and I will always be thankful for him encouraging me to be the best version of myself (or mice elf).
Creating this AKA quilt was a special challenge (and treat) for me because I quilted the whole thing with intricate ivy leaves. T-shirt quilts also present the unique challenge of having to balance different-sized shirts into a grid. The owner of this quilt gave me some great insight into how she wanted her shirts arranged.
I created this Atlanta Teams Sports Quilt for my son, who is an all ATL teams superfan. This quilt is made from jerseys and shirts from Atlanta Falcons (NFL), Atlanta United (MLS), Atlanta Hawks (NBA), and Atlanta Braves (MLB).
This Magic of Disney Quilt was made for a friend who really REALLY loves Disney. The fun part about making this was scouring thrift stores to find the right shirts. I used a Mickey Mouse sashing create a border around the shirts, and I think that tied everything together nicely.
I was asked to make a Prince Tribute Quilt from a stack of t-shirts that a die-hard fan had collected over the years. I took the shirts she sent me and also used some printable fabric to add Prince’s album covers.
I am happy that my client was happy with this custom longarm quilting job I did for the quilt top she created. A longarm quilting machine is a specialized piece of equipment used by quilters to create intricate and detailed quilting designs on large quilts. Traditional quilting involves stitching layers of fabric together to create a quilt, and a longarm machine is used to create the stitching patterns.
This Care Bear Receiving Quilt was made to welcome a good friend’s baby girl into the world. Receiving quilts / blankets are often used in hospitals, birthing centers, and homes to wrap newborns shortly after birth. Swaddling with receiving quilts involves wrapping the baby snugly in the cloth to mimic the feeling of being in the womb, which can help soothe the baby and promote sleep.
I called this quilt Caribbean Blue after the 1991 song by Celtic singer Enya. One of the song’s writers, Roma Ryan, said this song “is to encourage the listener to believe in him or herself,” and it is a “metaphor for positive thinking.” I hope the baby that gets this is warmed and even motivated by the colors and patterns.
An excited Grandmother reached out to me and asked if I could make a quilt using clothes from her grandson’s first year. I happily took the job, and this Baby’s First Year Quilt is the outcome.
I titled this quilt Summer Madness after the 1974 instrumental song by Kool & the Gang. I used some of my favorite fabrics to represent what I see as the colors of summer.
– tan and blue for the ocean and the beach
– pink and green Liberty Tawna flowers
– purple batik fabric for the summer sunsets
– light dark blue for the summer skies
– bright yellow for the midday sun
– vivid red for the mercury rising in the thermometer
