Each January I try to look back on what I created so here goes! In 2025, I made six quilts. Four were for charity and each has a story.
The firefly quilt raised $925 for MD Anderson’s Ovarian Quilt Project and was made in memory of my sister, Mary, who passed away in 2016 from ovarian cancer. I’ve made this pattern before and just love it. The pattern has a version with bees instead of fireflies, but the fireflies are just so stinking adorable. The amount raised for the quilt was double what MDA appraised the quilt and probably the most one of my quilts has sold for.
I also made another Quilt of Valor quilt which was gifted to our Texas State Representative. This is my third Quilt of Valor which our quilt guild sponsors. My goal is to make one every year. It is such an honor to place a quilt on a veteran’s shoulders and thank them for their service. My goal is to make one a year!
I made two quilt tops for our prayer quilt ministry. There are several ladies in our ministry that are cranking out quilt tops by the dozens. I
Father Christmas, my new collage art quilt pattern, is now on my Etsy shop as a pdf pattern. After purchase, the downloadable files include a supply list and detailed collage instructions. There are also instructions to print the full-size pdf pattern, and finally, the pattern pages. When the pattern pages are printed (on 8-1/2″ paper) they are to be taped together to create a full-size pattern which will be traced on pattern ease.
For those who have collected Christmas fabric for years, there is a collage art quilt you are going to want to create. Father Christmas includes lots of metallic reds, greens, and subtle snowflake greys (for the beard). There are so many ways Father Christmas can be interpreted. You might want to include a bag of Christmas presents with toys spilling out of it at Santa’s feet.
The Father Christmas image measures 22″wide by 33″high. When the collage is completed, glued onto the background fabric, and quilted, Santa is meant to be an art quilt. I have several art quilts I hang seasonally around my house. This Christmas, Santa will be hung in the foyer! Once completed, the final quilt measures 37″ wide by 46″ high. My longarm quilter used metallic thread to custom quilt Father Christmas. Not all the fabric used was Christmas-themed. Notice the peacock fabric used for Santa’s eyes. The background longarm quilting is an all-over pattern with swirls and snowflakes. I just love how it turned out! Below are photos from making Father Christmas.
I have written lots of tips and tricks over the years on making collage quilts.
My quilting adventures are also documented on Instagram @lifesloosethreads
If quilts could talk what would this Calvert family quilt from east Texas tell us? First, I am 84″ long by 68″ wide. My maker must have run out of fabric for the binding. The backing was used for the top and bottom with scrappy side bindings. My quilt pattern is a four-patch (I know not my name), placed on point, with triangles set in long vertical rows 6-1/2″ wide. I was hand pieced and quilted decades ago. I am also in better shape than most with my binding intact and a few holes throughout. Stains are also minimal. My fabric appears to be old shirts in red, navy, black, off-white, with a smattering of pink, which I quite like. It can be assumed of the 20 plus quilts that have traveled to Life’s Loose Threads’ abode, I am newer than most.
The following is how I honored this quilt – I made Christmas ornaments, heart-shaped pillows, Christmas stockings, and crosses (two-sided) stuffed with rice (most adorned with a heart). The last photo are mini-quilts (six inch squares are two-sided) with inspirational sayings. I found a panel on Shabby Fabrics that had a dozen psalms in white and off-white and sewed a pink heart on the back.
What I learned – Pinking shears are not kind to human hands. However, they make a lovely finished edge. After creating a few of the small heart-shaped Christmas ornaments, I switched to larger items like the crosses, heart-shaped pillows, and Christmas stockings. I also traced with a heart-shaped cookie cutter pink fabric from my stash and added one to some of the crosses and all the pillows. I found the pink hearts are also great for covering up a little worn spot on the cutter quilt pieces.
A quilty friend is inspirational to a project – A few months back, Janet texted me with an idea to make double-sided crosses stuffed with rice out of cutter quilts. She was thinking of a friend going through a tough time and thought it would be a nice gift. Janet created a template and asked if I was game. We had the best day creating a prototype cross. They are 9 inches tall, and because of the added weight of the rice, fit nicely in the palm of a hand. I’ll be making lots more of these.
Many months ago, my dear friend, Cynthia, told me about 20 antique quilts that were going to be donated to parts unknown, likely Goodwill, and did I want them. I am not a quilt historian, and will be the first to admit, I do not have any experience with very old quilts. So, of course, I said, YES!
After taking possession of the quilts, this is what I learned. No quilt had a label or information as to who made them, location, and the year they were made. The quilts were residing in Lufkin, Texas on family property owned by Pat and Gene Calvert. The property had for many years belonged to Gene’s side of the family. His aunts and uncles lived there for many years. I betcha nine dollars the aunts had a hand in creating the quilts. Several old homes were nestled together on the property and filled with quilts and antiques.
The quilts probably date back to the 1930’s or 1940’s (my best guess). They were all hand pieced, quilted, and not in the greatest shape. The bindings were mostly shredded and there were many holes and random staining. Despite their condition, I felt there were areas that could be salvaged. After a little research, I learned about “cutter quilts,” a way that tired quilts can be repurposed. The first thing I did was have them all cleaned. My thought was to somehow honor these quilts. But I had to noodle on that for a while. I knew it was going to be emotionally difficult to take a pair of scissors and cut into the quilts.
It is my plan to work on a few quilts a year. The first quilt I tackled was a red 8-pointed star pattern with an orange and red burst. I don’t know the name of the quilt pattern. The quilt measured 63-1/2 inches wide and 69 inches long and hand quilted with navy thread. The backing is a blue and white plaid and might be cotton, but maybe not. Â Â Â Â
I decided to start by making three Christmas stockings by fussy cutting the star and sewing a red binding/hanger at the top. Next, I used cookie cutters to trace and cut out two sizes of hearts for Christmas ornaments. One thing I noticed was how physically difficult it was to cut into the quilt with pinking shears. My thought was perhaps the batting was super dense, or maybe I need to invest in better pinking shears. As I was struggling with the cutting, I imagined this quilt had to be super cozy and warm during those East Texas winter nights. On the larger heart shapes, I sewed a cute ceramic button in the middle of each heart. The buttons have been gathering dust at my house for decades. It seemed right to finally use them. I sandwiched two hearts for each ornament and placed a ric rac loop between the two layers before sewing the layers together with red thread.
I have also fussy cut a stack of six-inch squares highlighting the eight-pointed stars. That project is still simmering on the back “inspiration” burner. I do have an idea! Future blog post alert!
Hot off my sewing machine is another version of the “Eat Cake” collage quilt pattern. This time, instead of an inspirational quote on the cake layers, I opted for red icing drips of varying lengths down the layers. I also found several fabric prints with cakes, donuts, birthday candles, party hats, presents, and threw in random colorful novelties. Can you spot the signature Tula tuna can? I have been known to include one or two in a collage quilt just for fun!
In my earlier Instagram (@lifesloosethreads) post, I played around with a couple different backgrounds for the cake. I opted for the brightly-colored balloons from the Henry Glass & Co. fabric line entitled “This Calls for Cake.” The yellow cake layers are from Wilmington Essentials. The fabric’s texture kinda reminds me of a Moda Grunge.
At the last minute, before gluing the cake down to the background, I changed the cake stand bottom base to the blue fabric. The M&M fabric was not playing nicely with the balloon background. The completed quilt top was double-batted and custom quilted by Lisa Taylor at Kingwood Quilts. I love how it turned out. The wall hanging is 36″ wide by 50″ long! Add a quilt sleeve and it will be perfect as a backdrop at your next birthday celebration. The pdf pattern “Eat Cake” is available for purchase on my Etsy shop.
I have posted multiple photos of quilts and projects in Instagram (@lifesloosethreads), but thought I needed a proper 2023 end-of-year blog post!
In 2023, I finished 7 quilts.
The first benefitted MD Anderson’s Ovarian Quilt Project. It is an online auction held every other year. The funds go to ovarian cancer research and education. This is my third quilt for MDA which honors the memory of my sister, Mary. My sister, Gretchen, made her first quilt for MDA’s project. The angel wing art quilt pattern is my own design. The quilt measures 44″ wide by 49″ long. Since teal is the color designated for ovarian cancer, one of the feather layers is teal. The others are yellow, purple, and orange. Expertly quilted by Lisa Taylor and awesome quilt label by Sally Wasserman.
The second quilt is a Quilt of Valor given to a local World War II veteran in August. The quilt kit is entitled “For the Brave” by Patti’s Patchwork and measures 72″ long by 58″ wide. As I was constructing the quilt top, I kept telling myself this was the only Quilt of Valor I would ever make in my life. The kit had some challenging blocks and I was just over it. However, when months later, I placed the quilt over the shoulders of my veteran, I changed my mind. I’m already thinking about my quilt for 2024. It was quilted by Lisa Taylor.
I am not certain when I started quilt number three! Maybe at the beginning of 2022. I worked on it at several quilt retreats and got lots of fun poked in my direction. And rightly so! The complex little blocks (each 4 inches square) took up very little space on my designated very large design wall. The quilt is entitled “I Spy 96.” The adorable paper-pieced I Spy quilt pattern is by Kimmie Tanner and Missy Winona. It is 43″ wide by 60″ long and contains 96 of the 100 quilt blocks in the book. I have a specific wall for the finished quilt. My least favorite block was the teapot with 41 fabric pieces. Judy Mathis used a swirly quilting design and the label was made by Sally Wasserman. I used Kona solids and mixed in batiks for the images and various white solids for the background. The backing is by Wilmington entitled “School is Cool” by Nancy Mink.
Quilt four is a baby quilt entitled “For Baby Calvert” for my friend’s first grandchild! I used a Moda panel called “Farm Charm” by Gingiber and sashed the blocks. Love the black sheep! The backing is from the same collection but with small sheep. It was quilted by the lovely Val Payne and label by Sally Wasserman.
Quilt five is “The Little Ghost” from a pattern/kit by Leslee Price with multiple blue and cream blocks and appliqued eyes and mouth. It is 45″ wide by 50″ long. It is quilted by Val Payne and label by Sally Wasserman. The quilt goes with the children’s book “The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt” by Riel Nason. I am thinking about donating this quilt/book to a charity next fall.
Quilt six is a Minecraft wall hanging quilt for my grandson, Jacob. The pattern is by My Rainy Day Designs. I made nine 12″ blocks and Jacob picked his favorite Minecraft characters: dirt, sheep, chicken, creeper, mooshroom, pig slime, and zombie. I have no idea what Minecraft is all about but that is okay! I used a fusible 2-inch Quilt Fuse grid for fabric placement. Jacob and Ben helped with the layout of several of the blocks. The finished blocks are sashed with finished 2-inch black borders. The backing is Benartex’s “botanica” by Amanda Murphy. It was quilted by Val Payne.
Quilt seven is a 30″ by 30″ small quilt from Jillily Studio entitled “Joy Wreath.” I purchased the kit/pattern (included fabric for the top, back and binding) at this year’s International Quilt Festival. It was a fun little project that came together quickly. It was quilted by Val Payne with a snowflake panto.
There were several quilt-related projects in 2023, which included: a collaged banner with granddaughter Melanie’s name, a University of Alabama pillow for my favorite neighbor’s awesome son, barn quilt (it was a super fun class), and participation in our guild’s 2024 paper-pieced raffle quilt.
This week I was honored to present my first Quilt of Valor quilt to a 95-year-old World War II veteran. While the ceremony was just beginning, I remember seeing my veteran sitting across the room in the audience. We made eye contact more than once. I wondered if he knew I made his quilt.
That night, there were four quilts presented to veterans at the VFW Post 4816 in Porter, Texas. This was also the first time Quilt of Valor quilts had been presented at the VFW hall. It got pretty emotional in that hall after the first quilt was presented. It was also my first time to set foot in a VFW hall. It was quite something! Did I mention we happened to be attending during “steak night” and were treated to a lovely and delicious dinner? My friend, Susan, who heads up Quilt of Valor for our guild, Peace by Piecing Quilt Guild, also made one of the beautiful quilts.
Quilt of Valor is a national organization that has given veterans quilts since, I believe, right around 2004. As of July 31, 2023, 354,712 quilts have been wrapped around the shoulders of service members and veterans. The mission of Quilts of Valor Foundation is to cover service members and veterans touched by war with comfort and healing quilts. Not only are the quilts wrapped around the shoulders of recipients like a “hug” during the ceremony, we also give them a little hug!
When I joined the guild a few years ago, I knew at some point I would make a Quilt of Valor. Just one though. Each quilt is a huge project. There are also lots of specific requirements. The quilt has to be a certain size: larger than I usually make quilts, and machine or hand quilted, not tied. Longarm quilters donate their services on behalf of the guild. Lisa Taylor did a fantastic job on my quilt! There is a patch stitched on the back with information such as who is receiving the quilt, date awarded, who pieced it, and quilted the quilt. We make a pillow case for the quilt to be stored in when not in use. Everything also has to be washed. The six color catchers I used came out purple. Thanks Susan for the heads-up on the color catchers!
I purchased the quilt kit at Stitchin’ Heaven in Quitman, Texas a couple of years ago. After the quilt top was finished, I purchased a wide back quilt backing with a patriotic-theme from My Favorite Quilt Store. The kit sat on my project shelf for a year after reading through the instructions. I noted the kit could be made with, or without, the central panel with the eagle. The instructions stated the quilt could be made with six-pieced blocks and the panel, or twelve pieced blocks with no panel. After finally piecing one of the blocks, I decided the quilt would be made with the panel. The pieced blocks were very challenging. There were lots of biased pieces. Six blocks vs. 12? Easy decision on my part! I almost had to go to confession over a few of them.
After the quilt top was finally finished and handed to Lisa for quilting, I decided I had made my one and only Quilt of Valor. I just checked it off my bucket list. Except … wait … after presenting my quilt this week … stay tuned … I betcha nine dollars I’ll be making another Quilt of Valor next year!
So I wrote a book entitled, “A Joyful Embrace: A Memoir.” It is now available for purchase as an e-book, paperback, or hardback on Amazon. The book was a labor of love about the rare glimpse into the inspiring and joyful life of my daughter, Mimi, who was born with cerebral palsy. Though wheelchair-bound with the mental capacity of a delightful two-year-old her entire life, her extraordinary social and spiritual gifts challenged what is “normal” for anyone she encountered.
I also designed and made the collage art quilt, entitled Angel in Flight, which graces the cover of the book. My friend, Lisa Taylor, did a beautiful job longarming the quilt. The pdf pattern is available for sale in my Etsy shop.
In 2022, I cranked out 7 quilts and lots of smaller projects like Christmas stockings, table runners, as well as pillowcases and backpacks for charity. I’ve also learned some new skills in 2022: machine binding, cute little zipper pouches, and a chic sewing machine cover at A Needle and Thread, a local Houston area sewing lounge. I am definitely going to do more learning this year.
But back to the quilts! The collage angel wing quilt was the only quilt pattern I created this year. It can be purchased in my Etsy shop as a pdf downloadable pattern. It is definitely wall hanging size. A photo of the angel wings will also appear on the cover of my upcoming book A Joyful Embrace: A Memoir which will launch on Amazon this February.
My lovely fellow quilter, Noreen (we call her the “Fabric Whisperer”), agreed to be my pattern tester and made the angel wing quilt in pastel colors. I love how it turned out. As always, she continues to awe! Just as she asked, I paid her in jars of homemade pickles.
I re-created Laura Heine’s elephant collage, Lulu. Originally, I was going to give the new quilt to my niece, Karin, a mighty cancer survivor. Instead, I gave her my original quilt over Thanksgiving. I will keep the new version. It is very similar with the yellow background. I love to show Lulu at my trunk shows as the quilt that got me hooked on collage art quilts.
I also created a simple baby quilt with appliqued name for my grandson, Leo, born in late 2022. He is also the cutie pie featured on the angel wing quilt. The zookeeper panel quilt was made for the Michigan grandkids and now hangs in their playroom. The gigantic snowflake quilt was for my daughter, Katie. She loves all things modern! This quilt is totally her style right down to the horizontal quilting. My quilting buddy, Sally, made the amazing quilt label with the snowflakes. Another one of my friends who is at the top of her game.
The cowboy boot quilt is currently hanging in my foyer all ready for when Houston Rodeo season cranks up in late February. I purchased it as a kit several years ago at the International Quilt Festival changing up a few of the fabrics.
I’ve made my list of quilt projects this year and hope to top 2022. I do expect a fair amount of time to be spent marketing my book so we will see what happens. At the top of my list is a Quilt of Valor kit purchased at Stitchin’ Heaven in Quitman, Texas. I have a few of the blocks finished. Let’s just say the directions are great but this one is not as easy as I expected!
The Christmas Quilt!Lots of new Kaffe fabricLots of blue!Picking out background fabricShe made a smaller version!Notice the Tula roses?Can you find the tuna can?
Two weeks ago, I had the privilege of presenting and teaching for the Tri-County Quilt Guild in Cypress, Texas. This is a large guild with over 300 members and 80+ in attendance at the meeting. I was treated to dinner before the meeting. Not gonna lie. It made me feel like a rock star! Later in the week, I taught a dozen enthusiastic ladies at Bobbins & Threads Quilting & Crafts in Houston.
I have found the heart pattern is the best way to learn collage quilting and the ladies certainly stepped up! It is a large enough image that students gain confidence in their collaging skills to move on to a more challenging pattern. The ladies came ready to work and by the end of class we actually auditioned lots of completed hearts for background fabrics.
Each heart is so unique! This is the first time I’ve had someone try Christmas motifs and it is beautiful! The lady in the hot pink shirt had lots of new Kaffe Fassett fabric. Seriously, I was on the verge of drooling. It was all so new, I didn’t have any of it in my stash. Also, you might notice a Tula Pink vintage tuna can in one of the quilts. I allow students to pick through my secret stash when I teach. I have found quilters to be very good at sharing. It is probably why I always wind up with more great fabric than when I started teaching the class.
Life's Loose Threads 