Barn Quilt

 Barn Quilts are paintings displayed on barns that feature a quilt block.   Some rural areas have many of these and publish a list of locations so that you can take a driving tour.

I made one about 6 years ago (many have posted about it, might not have.  who knows?)    I hung this one on my garage wall and can see it from my kitchen.

Last January I did one at a quilt retreat with friends.   This one was hung on the side of the garage and can actually be seen from the street.  If you look hard.  And if the tree isn't leafed out too much.   And if you're at the right angle.

Last weekend another friend and I went to Winchester, Tx, and painted blocks.   The sponsoring group provides everything.   Profits go to the town council for civic improvements.   I hung this new one near the second one, on the side of the garage.   Would love to put one on the door side but there isn't a a place for it that is big enough and non-moving.   

My Daugters Gift to me - Photo Book

At our Thanksgiving gathering, my daughter presented me with this wonderful book.  It's full of pictures of me, my quilts, and many of the people that I've given quilts to.   And no, I have absolutely no idea how many quilts I've made.   Keeping track and maintaining statistics is not my strong point. 

The book includes lots of family members, lots of baby quilts, many high-school graduation presents, a wedding quilt or two, a quilt for a 50th anniversary, Quilts of Valor, Linus Quilts, and some I-thought-you-needed-a-little-bit-of-love quilts.  

This page shows a number of my great grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, including Will, whose quilt is getting threadbare from use.    

Love that!   I want all my quilts to be used, not put up into a closet and forgotten.     

The guys on the stairs are my nephews sons; the quilt in the foreground was made by my grandmother Leone Baumann. 

.My son in law, Luke, posing in front of his portrait.

.. 

                                                                              My granddaughter Natalie and her husband Brennan                                                                                                       with their wedding quilt layered over my Dear Jane Light

This is the last page.   It includes my GGD Kaycee with the pillow I helped her to make, Kaycee with her high school graduation quilt, my great niece Katie with the crocheted basket I gave her, my grandson Aaron with a quilt that I had made for his dad and he received after Scott's death,   my hermit great-grand-grandson Leland with his high school graduation quilt, and my Katie with her high school graduation quilt.  (Katie is the one who, when she became a senior, gave me some fat quarters in colors she liked  because she was hoping I would make her a special quilt.  That was some very satisfying affirmation of my hobby!

 What a special gift.

What a special daughter.

June Flowers

 There's a street near me that has a field growing pretty wild.  In the spring, it's full of wild flowers.  Yesterday I picked 14 flowers, all a different species.  

I can't identify all of the flowers, but there is Horsemint, Basket Flower, Indian Blanket, Coreopsis, Gaura, Prarie Verbena, Trompillo, Sunflower, and Fluttermill.

Guild Birthday Party and Linus Reveal

Our local guild celebrated its 12th birthday this year. The celebration combined socializing, games, food, and a showing of the Linus Challenge wherein members took identical panels and made quilts.

The quilt on the left is mine and shows the full panel in the center.   The next quilt is comprised of the panel which has been sliced vertically and had purple inserted.   The third was the one which won the most votes - some of the leaves from the panel were used whole and more of them make up the birds.

The meeting was very well attended  - probably 50 to 60 members and a few guests.  Sixteen quilts were displayed.

We also played a few games and had a flip-flop contest - our theme was "escape to the beach"

Duckworth bordered panel quilt

 My local guild passed out preprinted panels to anyone willing to make a quilt for the Linus connection out of it.

I took one and pulled fabrics from my stash to make 4.5" Modified log cabin blocks to use as a border.

Because of the panel proportions, I also pieced two coping strips to add to the panel before adding the border.

Because this quilt turned out so well, I arranged with the challenge coordinators to give it to a 90yo friend of mine - a former quilter who has given away all her quilts and and has become bedridden.

As a part of the arrangement, I agreed to take two more panels to finish and donate to Linus.  One is done but the other is still on the design wall.

I've posted this picture in a Facebook group and received over 400 Likes and 60 comments.   

O'Henry Museum Auction

 As a part of the O'Henry pun-off in Austin, a silent auction is held to benefit the O'Henry museum.  

This year I donated my Yellow Rose quilt; it raised $200.

Art Show in Round Rock

I spent most of the day today showing off my Pfaces with a story at Prete Plaza in Round Rock.  

The  City of Round Rock Arts and Culture department.offers local artists a chance to sell their works periodically by providing canopies and tables and publicity for the event.

There were painters there today and potters and weavers and all kinds of artists.
Lots of people stopped to look at my little quilts and read their stories.
I had a good time.