Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Quilts I Made Before I Started Blogging

I came across some photos of quilts, and things that I made some years ago before I started this blog, so I thought it might be fun to post those, since all I have left of most of these are the photos...
This quilt is from the Alphabet Quilt Pattern I wrote and designed. (To purchase the pdf pattern see my Craftsy patterns on the right side bar). When I worked at the local library, Tracie, a co-worker needed a quilt for a baby and I made this for her. I changed it a bit from my own pattern, adding flowers in the corners, with the baby's name written on the flower centers.
The border fabric here was from an "ugly fabric challenge" that a small group I belonged to wanted to do. This is the fabric I received and at first I was going in a different direction with what I wanted to do, then it stuck me to make a Stack and Whack quilt. I love those quilts because it's such a surprise to see what you end up getting and I loved how all the hexagons turned out. Hard to believe those hexagons were made from that border fabric. I donated this quilt to Project Linus several years ago.
This is the back of the Stack and Whack quilt. Those red and purple shapes was what I was going to do for the entire front of the quilt, but then decided on doing the Stack and Whack instead. So I added those rows on the back of this quilt.
Close-up of the Stack and Whack hexagon and my "free form quilting". I wasn't too good at free motion quilting then, so I just used a walking foot and went in all directions when quilting this.
I am a vegan and entered a contest several years ago to make a quilt block or a double size quilt block (this one is double sized) about the cruelty of the fishing industry. The contest wasn't to win anything, but they would use all the quilt blocks and make a quilt to let the public know what really happens in the fishing industry. This is my original quilt block. I could embellish it and I did add lots of different embellishments.
Here is a close-up. I used some leaves from artificial flowers to look like seaweed. I added beads, sequins, metal washers, tulle and appliqued the fish. The background fabric I had painted with paint that reacts to objects that you place on top of the wet paint and leaves images. I used washers, a key and other objects on the painted cloth. 
I remember making these blocks, but I really don't remember where this quilt went. I imagine I donated it to Project Linus as I donated many of my quilts to that organization.
The blocks in this quilt was made by several women in a group I used to belong to. They each wrote a quote of their choice in the center of the blocks. Again I probably made this and donated it, but I really didn't even remember this quilt until I came across the photo. I wasn't too computer savvy back then and didn't rename my photos with a caption, I just left the number of the photo on it, so now I know better.
These quilt blocks also came from that same group of women where we exchanged quilt blocks. I still have this quilt and use it as my picnic quilt to spread on the grass whenever we go to a park. It's backed with that same navy blue fabric that you see on the top.
I knit this sweater for a co-worker when I worked at the library. Kris' daughter was expecting her first child and thus making Kris a grandmother for the first time. Since I didn't know the sex of the child, I found this soft chenille green yarn. 
Purse I made for a friend several years ago. She loves sea turtles and batiks, so this was the perfect fabric combination as both fabrics are batiks.
Back of the purse.
This was a scarf I knit for a friend. I added green eyelash yarn to the regular green yarn to give it that fuzzy look. I sure have come a long, long way since knitting that scarf.
More purses I made that same year I made the black and green one above. These were all gifts I gave away.
I made an all heart quilt in scraps like this (without the house) and it's been on my wall for years. Funny I can barley remember this one. This is only the top, so I have no memory if I even quilted it. Could it be in my pile of UFO's still? If it is I will finish this. If not, where did I give this one to? Oh well, maybe all that is left is this photo. I like making those heart blocks as they use up scraps and are small blocks, but they are paper-pieced, which I am not too fond of doing. At least this is an easy paper-piecing block. *** Okay the memory just kicked on about this one (especially after seeing I signed this)...I made this large block for a quilt guild member who moved out of state a few years ago.
My daughter loves all things Irish/Celtic, so I made her this and it hangs in her kitchen. I used St. Patrick Day fabric for the green fabric and center of the block and this is a double (or is a triple?) Irish Chain quilt.
This was made way, way back in the late 1970's. I was in college and we had to make a final project that had to be 3-D in one of the art classes I was taking. I chose to make a quilt, since I knew how to make the blocks, but hadn't actually made an entire quilt yet from start-to-finish. This was made before there ever were rotary cutters, so this was all stitched by hand and I cut out every piece with scissors after tracing each piece with pencil onto the fabric back using a cardboard template. I used the quilt-as-you-go method to quilt this. I was dating my boyfriend, (who is my husband of 32 years this August) and I took my quilt pieces with me everywhere we went so I could get it done. I did complete it and got an "A" in my art class too. It was our quilt for many years and now my daughter has it, because she likes brown.
A closer look. This the the Grandmother's Fan, set in the Mohawk Trail setting. So many fabrics have faded in this quilt since I made it in the late '70's. There is also a few stains. I have learned so much since that first quilt of mine.
I made this one called The Navajo block. I wasn't good at the quilting part then, so not so great there. I gave this one away to Japan after their natural disasters there a few years ago.
Scrappy crazy quilt. I made so many small blocks trying to use up scraps of fabric and then sewed them all together. I added an off white flannel as a backing (see turned over corner in the right corner of photo). I had intended on donating this quilt after I made it, but my husband loves it. He likes the soft flannel on the back to put on his lap when we watch movies on the telly. Who knew it would be one of his favorites?
I made this when my son was about 11 or 12 years old. Hand quilted it, machine sewed the pieces. My son will be 27 in a few months.
Closer look at the hand quilting.
I was commissioned by a co-worker several years ago to make a tee-shirt quilt using her daughter's tee-shirts from her marathon races. I found the perfect fabric as the backing fabric and the filler fabric on the front of the quilt too. Since so many tee-shirts were all different sizes, I put the small ones in the corners, the center area I placed the same size shirts and figured out out to place the rest using filler fabric around the tee-shirts. I found a red print to add to the border.
This is the marathon fabric I bought for the Marathon Tee-Shirt quilt.
Closer look at some blocks.
Closer look at the blocks and the border.
Another section close up.
This is our king size quilt. I made this one about 10 years ago. It's a Trip Around the World style quilt.
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77 comments:

  1. Wow, I am just amazed at your work. So beautiful.

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  2. I love that Irish chain quilt. I don't know if it's double or triple, but it's fabulous.

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  3. Daryl you've got a great history of your quilting life here! You encourage me to do a better job of documenting the quilts I make! Thanks for sharing!

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  4. Awesome. I love being able to see what I did "then" and how far I have come. Great job...all the way around :-)

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  5. you are one busy lady!!! great quilts. and I love your alphabet quilt. sooooo cute!

    Lorene

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  6. I found you from Sew Many Ways. I am adding you to my blog list. I totally understand what you said in your comment to Karen. I feel the same way. I can't wait to spend some time on your blog. Sending blessings, Michelle

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  7. Wow, you do very nice work. I especially like your aphabet quilt.
    All your work is beautiful.

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  8. OH I love your quilts. I have so many I need to 'post' somewhere too, but need to start a Blog. I'm working on it..lol
    Glad you shared..

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  9. Karen over at Sew Many Ways told me about your blog. I, too, am a quilter. I love all crafts, but quilting is what I do for customers.

    I agree that it is SO depressing taking time to write a blog, just to feel like NO one is reading it. I just recently started getting comments, however few.

    I'd be honored if you would check out my blog, too. :-)

    robin

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  10. Your quilts and bags are beautiful!! I'm so glad Sew Many Ways talked about you. I find new blogs from comments and never came across yours before. Thank you for sharing your beautiful work! Florence

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  11. Hey Daryl, I'm one of your lurker/followers. I can't remember when I started to follow your blog but it was a while ago. I enjoy looking at all the things you make and post about. I hope you keep on showing us your lovelies!

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  12. Hi Daryl. Thanks for giving Karen permission to publicize your blog. It's the first time I've come across it and I've been blogging for over three years and reading them longer than that.

    I am a New Jersey born American living in Israel for 28 years. Despite that, we have a lot in common. I am a quilter and knitter, too, and everything else in between! I have put you in my google reader and look forward to reading more. I am especially impressed with your yarn dyeing!

    My blog, in case you're interested. http://debbiesfiberwork.blogspot.com

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  13. Very nice quilts. You have done a lot of work over the years.

    I just wanted to add that I read blogs on "smart phone" sometimes and find it awkward to comment.

    I have started pinning some things in Pinterest. I wonder if some of your tutorials are there from people. Is there a way to tell that?

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  14. This is so beautiful. You are really talented.

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  15. WoW! Amazing work! Every time I would pick out a favorite I would scroll down to another favorite! You are very talented!

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  16. Hi Daryl, I read about you on Karen's Sew Many Ways and I totally understand your frustration at not getting any comments. I even have a birthday give away atm but only received one comment so far (and an annonymous) It feels like total rejection. It is for this reason that I am going to start following you. Looking forward to reading your blog from now on.
    Cath
    Bits 'n Bobs

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  17. Nice wander through your quilting past--you have done a lovely variety of different quilts over the years. Aren't we glad for rotary cutters and short cuts in qulting that exist now?

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  18. I too came from Sew Many Ways. Thought I'd stop by and give you some love. You make beautiful quilts! I found the best way to get noticed was by joining a design team or linking up to challenges or showing off what you've done. I don't have many followers but the majority of mine are from a design team o was a part of (and family and friends of course)! I'm excited to see what happens with getting recognized on SMW's blog. Happy blogging!

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  19. Hi Daryl from your newest follower!
    I saw your featured comment on Sew Many Ways blog and completely agreed with everything you said.

    I've often thought about that myself - I see blogs that I don't think are particularly brilliant and they have a lot of followers and I also see excellent blogs(like yours) that don't have many followers and I wonder why.
    I hope you get lots of new followers as your work is certainly inspiring. You are a talented lady and I for one am looking forward to reading your posts. Have a great day!

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  20. Wow, you are so talented! I am still saving up fabrics and courage for my first quilt. I love the blue star quilt you did!

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  21. Aloha, Karen sent me, too. I signed up to be a follower. I can totally relate--I only have 13 followers, too, but a few are pretty loyal and comment on nearly every post. I try to do the same for them. I love your work. I did a stack and wack just like yours (except different fabric, though)and they were so addicting to sew together. Ones I thought would look great, were maybe just "meh" and others I thought would be horrid were awesome. Such fun! I donated mine to a fundraising auction and was seriously thrilled by the amount it made. I can't wait to see what else you are up to.

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  22. Hi Daryl:) I also read about you on Karen's Sew Many Ways and can remember feeling depressed for not receiving any comments after taking the time to post, I recently started doing videos and sometimes feel the some way. I also do it because I enjoy it and love to use the products I use:) I would LOVE to post about you on my blog so that other blogger friends can see your AMAZING work!! Your work is such inspiration and I hope to learn how to really sew one day LOL!!
    Hugs,
    Norma

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  23. You are a very busy lady. I especially love your alphabet quilt and the Irish Chain. Gorgeous!!

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  24. What a lovely showcase of your work! It's good to remember the journey from time to time, and good that so many of your quilts are used and loved.

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  25. I have 'found' you thanks to Sew Many Ways. I love your quilts, very inspiring to a new quilter.

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  26. Amazing! You make such beautiful things. I love the alphabet quilt.

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  27. So much fun! Yea, I understand that not getting comments can make you wonder, but ... blog because you want to. Your stuff is GREAT! Thanks for the "trunk show"!!!!

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  28. I too read about you on Karen´s blog...and love your quilts, especially the Fish have Feelings one.
    PS - You have just got another follower :)

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  29. What an amazing collection of work! I wish I had that many finished!

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  30. Wow! It looks like you can do it all. Such beautiful work.

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  31. Gosh your quilts are absolutely beautiful. I hope one day I might be half as good!

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  32. Wow! You have beautiful, stunning pieces of work. I'm now a happy follower. I never would have found you if SewManyWays didn't highlite your comment and I'm glad she did. Lots of great things to be inspired by.

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  33. Hi!!! I got here through Karen and I am amazed at your work. It is beautiful!!! I am from Argentina, my blog is in Spanish (but I have a translator "thingy" in it). I don´t have tons of followers but 258 I think is a good number. 40 (aprox) of them comment regularly. I think one thing that has helped me is comment on other people´s blogs regularly...after a while other bloggers start coming to visit and some end up staying. I wish you many many followers and comments from now on!!!!!

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  34. Lovely blog. I got the majority of my followers after I linked up to a giveaway on Leap Day and gave each person two chances to win: leave a post and then tell me you are a follower. But it looks like you have found your way.

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  35. I am glad that Karen at Sew Many Ways shared a link to your blog - your quilts and other fabric projects are divine!
    I understand your thoughts completely - I have never had a large blog following. I rarely even post on it anymore. It seems that Facebook and Pinterest are quicker and I feel that I am redundant if I mention the same things at more than one outlet. But I will not delete my blog because I actually enjoy going back and reading my earlier posts occasionally.
    I hope you get lots of new readers - you have an interesting and fun blog!

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  36. I just found your blog and I love all the beautiful things yoy've made.

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  37. My goodness, you've been one busy woman! Now I'll have to go back and see what you've achieved since you started blogging!

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  38. Everything is beautiful! Very talented!

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  39. I love your blog! I will become a follower for sure. I need to meet your friend that you made the turtle purse for, I am a turtle and batik lover myself! I have a sea turtle tattooed on my foot!! :)
    I will be back.

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  40. I hear what you are saying sister!!!
    You spend time creating and sharing and so...... few comments.
    Well Karen is a angel for spreading your site. I am so glad she did. I love BOTH sites and joined both. I know you will be busy after this posting but when you are free stop on over and say at Helenernst@blogspot.com.
    I am not pushing for followers but like to share what I know and do with others too. Plus I am a Patchouli Freak--I think we will bond. Helen

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  41. I'm a new follower and glad to say your work is beautiful & keep it up!!

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  42. I loved seeing your first quilt. I,too, made my first quilt in the 1970s, It was a Log Cabin that I gave to my mother. She still puts it on the guest bed when I come to visit. Like yours, some fabrics have faded, But I still love it.

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  43. I came over from Sew Many Ways to take a look. You have a lovely blog, very well ordered and I like all the white space. Plus, I admire the name of your studio and you do lots and lots of great work. I wouldn't worry about not having lots of comments and followers. You enjoy blogging and probably wouldn't want it to become a job!

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  44. Beautiful stuff!!! I love the zipper purses. I'll be watching your blog.

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  45. I wish I had found you blog sooner. You do amazing work. Thanks for sharing.

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  46. These are all SO beautiful! I have always wanted to be good at quilting, but was not blessed with that ability! Clearly you were! I love the t-shirt quilt!

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  47. I found you listed on Sew many ways and I can totally understand how you feel, as I have those same feelings. With that being said, your quilts are awesome! I enjoyed your story about the one you made in collage, and it was all done by hand, WOW! You did a great job and I can see why you got an A in the class! I'm going to add you to my google reader.

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  48. Just discovered your blog through Sew Many Ways and I'm so glad I did! Your work is stunning. If I could offer one small piece of advice concerning your blog, it would be to change the font so that it's a little easier to read. I read blogs on my iPad and find that most fancy looking fonts are harder to read.

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  49. I'm a new follower and blog from the Blacklands of Texas. Like you, my interests and projects are varied. Love so many of your ideas...

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  50. You are really talented. Dont stop!

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  51. Love your work - especially the t-shirt quilt. I've pulled out my sailing t-shirts and plan on doing one but don't know about the background fabric. Do you use regular cotton or t-shirt material? Thanks.

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  52. Amazing. Isn't it funny how things go away and you're not sure where. Love your stuff.

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  53. Wow! You do amazing work. Your quilts are gorgeous. Even your 1st quilt is amazing. Thanks for sharing them with us.

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  54. Awesome Quilts and I love your sewing room! Love that red floor!!

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  55. Awesome Quilts and I love your sewing room! Love that red floor!!

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  56. Keep on blogging! Do it for yourself, a little place on the internet just for you to record these fabulous treasures. I have just a handful of followers but they make it all worthwhile. It's lovely to think we're talking to someone instead of ourselves. Also, we're not all on blogger so it's not so easy to follow via Google. I'm on Wordpress so I added you to my favourites instead. Good luck!

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  57. Hello, I found you from Sew Many Ways. I love all of your handmade items. Do you sell them? Also, we lived in Albuquerque from 2009 to 2011 (air force base). We love all of the sunshine in New Mexico and still have friends there. Your blog may explode with comments now so good luck ;).

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  58. This is beautiful work!! I found your blog from Karen at Sew Many Ways! My great grandmother promised to teach me to quilt but sadly she died before she got to it. I hope you'll consider doing tutorials again!!

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  59. So glad Karen referred us to your blog! Your quilts are beautiful!! Wow! Quilting is something that's been passed down in the women of my family, and I really want to continue learning so I can pass the skill on to my children. I'm very much a beginner and struggle with the patience needed to finish! :) On another note, I think doing tutorials and then posting them on pinterest would get you more followers. Pinterest is a great way to showcase your blog. I'm your newest follower! So excited. I'd love it if you visited my blog www.defrumpme.com. :)

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  60. Wowee, you have been busy! Amazing! I love the 'ugly fabric challenge' quilt, the hexagons blow me away. Incredible they are all from the same fabric, such a clever idea to make the most of one piece of material! Keep up the great work.

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  61. Love the Birdhouse quilt and the Heart quilt. I want your sewing room if I can get my oldest dauther out of my spare bedroom I could get my sewing center out of my kitchen. It is a large kitchen and I have plenty of room but the spare bdrm would be my wish.
    I am gladly following you on GFC.

    Have a Blessed Day,
    Patricia aka Mamaw

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  62. It really is so disappointing to receive no coments day after day. It gives me such a lift just to hear someone's "voice" out there. I try so hard to keep making my blog better and better but I never thought it would be this hard to gain followers when I see the huge numbers on other blogs that aren't that old. We just have to remind ourselves that we are doing it mostly for our satisfaction. Keep up your lovely work. You are very talented. I do suggest you turn off your word verif.

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  63. You are absolutely amazing! I wish I had just a "tiny" bit of your creative ability.

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  64. I saw your featured comment on Sew Many Ways blog and completely agreed with everything you said.
    Karen is such a nice person.
    I too wonder why people follow some blogs and not others.
    I find it discouraging when you never get any comments. I guess we just have to do it for ourselves and if anyone follows or comments it's just a bonus.
    Maybe one thing you could do is turn off the word verification on your blog most people don't like it.
    I really like your Alphabet quilt. I just made one for my little Granddaughter.

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  65. You do beautiful work! Love the Celtic one and your son's stars.

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  66. Truly amazing creations, Daryl... You have done some beautiful things and have been generous in giving them to people and organizations!! Such a talented woman!

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  67. What a great blog. Can't believe I never found you before.

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  68. Your blog is wonderful, thanks for inspiring all of us! I love that marathon quilt!

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  69. You're quilts are beautiful. My granddaughter is a runner in college now. I have a pile of shirts to make her a t-shirt quilt. I surely wish i could find that marathon fabric to use on her quilt. I haven't worked on my blog for almost 6 months. We recently retired and moved south, so i've been figuring out how to get 4 floors of things into 2. I'm trying to get in my sewing room. I guess i don't comment, because i didn't think people really cared. I'm so glad to know that you do.

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  70. Wow, Your quilts and purses are so beautiful. I look forward to seeing more of your work!

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  71. I LOVE your marathon T's quilt! That is such a neat idea! I've never seen the marathon runner's fabric - so cool...

    So glad to have read about you via the Sew Many Ways blog! I loved your comment, and the sincerity behind it. Sometimes I think I follow too many blogs, because I've got time to read the posts (I usually follow by getting the posts in my e-mail, which is a setting you can use on Blogger - so nice!). But, because I read so many, I really don't have time to comment on all of them. There are quite a few I follow that "don't do much for me." Your post makes me think about deleting some of those, so that I have fewer to read and can actually leave comments more often! :)

    Thank you! Your quilts and crafts are wonderful!

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  72. I know how you feel about no one leaving comments, I just started a new blog. I love your quilts, I wish I knew how to quilt lol I can't sew a straight line lol. I do alot of scrapbooking and card making, and some of your pieces have given me inspiration.
    Thanks for sharing
    Angela
    gypsydreamdesigns.blogspot.com

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  73. I love all your quilts. I am also a hand quilter. The only machine quilting I do is 'stitch in the ditch' on a few small projects. I'd much rather hand quilt, I just don't have enough time.

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  74. Wow! I would think I love that quilt, then scroll to the next one, and fall in love with that one! Beautiful work! Love the Irish chain and the king size the best!

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  75. Beautiful quilts! Quilting is my favorite thing in the whole world, but I also enjoy some knitting projects, etc. once in a while. I think the best way for all of us to stay connected is by continuing to share and it helps to link up once in a while on a blog like Sew Many Ways.
    New Mexico is so beautiful!

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  76. glad to read your comments and see that so many have stopped by to say hello..very kind of Karen to feature you on her blog....

    Mona
    I understand because I have blogged for 2 years and have very few followers..???

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  77. can u please tell me where u got the marathon fabric? i am searching so i can have someone make me a nursing scrub top. thanks. love ur work

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