2021 - "PURPOSEFUL" is my word for this year.

"PURPOSEFUL" is my word for this year. 

In January a New year had begun! I have come from a year of "Intention" in 2020 to a "PURPOSEFUL" year in 2021 here in my Quilting and Sewing Arts Studio.  Last year was filled with intention as I continued to unpack and organize my studio here in the peaceful hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. I have come along way and am proud of what I accomplished in 2020 year of the pandemic. it was also my year for "Scrapy", I organized my scraps into squares and strips of various sizes, reducing 2 large totes of scrappy material to one tote bag and a bin of organized squares from inch, 1 1/2", 2", 2 1/2", 3",4" and 5" squares and strips. This year I continue to work on my "UFFIZI" Quilt for Nancy. I am purposeful and want to finish the Quilting on my Q20 Bernina by May.  This is my 1st larger Quilt I have done on my new sit-down Longarm.  It is not perfect but each stitch has been done with love. 

"Queen Bea" - My Bernina Q20 Longarm

 

I also have been asked to make a quilt for a friend.  So I have been busy acquiring the needed Pattern, fabric, and supplies for that.  In between my quilting, cutting, and sewing of both quilts I have been making small wall quilts and mini-quilts, gifts, and working on my Polymer Clay projects.  Life here in 2021 has been quietly hectic but full.  I am now enjoying the milder days of spring.  It is amazing to watch my world here in the Blue Ridge Mountains, bud and bloom.  I have noticed that some of my herbs like my rosemary has over-wintered well and so has my Thyme.  My Lavender plants are waking up also so I see some gardening taking place on my front deck as soon as the weather clears.  

Happy Sewing Y'all! - Dianna Elizabeth

My Quilted Irish Scarf A New Mini Quilt

My Quilted Irish Scarf A New Mini Quilt Wall Hanging

The Irish Scarf Mini-Quilt Wall Hanging
on the Living Room Wall.

The Scarf hanging from its special Branch

In 2008 four friends and I traveled to Ireland for a two-week vacation.  We had so much fun and bought back many treasures.  One of these treasures was this scarf pictured above.  This scarf was beautiful and I loved wearing it to work or out and about.  In recent years (since retirement) I have not worn this scarf very much. Its beauty was hidden in the folds of it and only the end corners were seen so it took up residence in my scarf drawer.  

It is now 2021 and I have been retired since 2010, I am now living with my daughter and son-in-law in Virginia and really love it here.  A month ago I decided to reorganize my scarf drawer and came across my Irish scarf.  Inspiration hit me!  My son-in-laws Birthday was coming up in early March and I wanted to give him a present and thought about his Irish Heritage. I took the scarf out of its retirement, (in my dresser scarf drawer) and thought it would make a nice wall hanging for his reading area.  I love to quilt and had been watching YouTube videos from Helen Godden a quilter known for her "free-motion Quilted" wall art using painted fabric and silk scarves; (FMQ for short.) I had purchased a sit-down Long Arm from Bernina last Feb, this would be an opportunity to play, and play I did. 

I did FMQ on the scarf 

This is my Bernina Q20

I enjoyed quilting this scarf.

I had my son-in-law search for a branch I could to hang the quilt from... He chose a very fun branch full of Mushrooms growing along the branch.  Perfect! I sealed it with modgePoge and it looked wonderful 

The Irish Scarf Wall Hanging on the special branch

He had decided to Place the wall hanging in the Livingroom area - Now I can enjoy seeing the scarf in its entirety.  This was a fun quilting project for me.  

Celebrating Hand Quilting

TODAY I'M CELEBRATING THE ART OF HAND QUILTING.

Hand Quilted Heart's Panel Mini-Quilt - Circa1980's 

The Back Panel.

Hand Quilted Panel - Quilter Unknown

My Added Label 

A Mini-Quilt Wall hanging "Hearts". A Mini-Quilt featuring a heart panel that was Hand-quilted, Quilter unknown. I found this panel at my local thrift store in Nellysford, VA. I added the outer border of vintage fabric I had purchased from a thrift store in Elswood Wisconsin about 8+ yrs ago when living in Hudson Wisconsin. I choose my binding fabric from my stash. I chose unbleached muslin for the backing, and fabrics I thought would compliment the heart panel in both value and appropriateness to showcase the hand quilting of the panel. The Mini-Quilt is Displayed on the wall of my Quilting and Sewing Arts Studio Update: a few months ago a quilting friend told me as a child she had worked on this same heart panel with her mom in the 1980s. Wow! I now have a circa date of the 1980s for this beautiful hand-quilted heart panel.