The Awesome Duo

Mom had a Kenmore sewing machine which opened up a wonderful opportunity for me…11 years old, already 5’8” tall with the body of a young woman. Store bought clothes were too “old” looking on me, and, in 1959, there was no such thing as “teen” clothes available. I made many blouses, skirts and jumpers. We didn’t wear “pants” back then.
Now more than 50 years later I am still sewing on a Kenmore. Don’t have to sew clothes anymore, just mend tears and rips. It’s great! I’m now able to use my imagination to create quilts, placemats, and wall hangings. I also do a lot of recycling of old jeans into “butt bags”, aprons, blankets, and other useful articles. I love to find older material and patterns, and am more of an “old-fashioned” quilter…using what I have to create “one-of-a-kind” items.
Two of my favourite pieces are “Abstract Bargello” and “Origami Garden”.
Abstract Bargello is made from a yard of pre-printed fabric sewn into a tube, then cut into strips and sewn back together.
Origami Garden is pieced together with folded origami flowers, and then I added a couple of origami cranes and more folded flowers and buttons. This idea evolved from a pattern from a fabric origami book.

For the Christmas Craft Fairs I was busy knitting hats, gloves, scarves, and slippers, as well as miniature gloves and hats, which I made into pins. I also made two wall hangings from panels. The one panel is a nativity scene, which I outlined in golden lame thread. The angel panel is quilted using a variety of different colored floss. I also made a few denim and Christmas fabric cowboy boot stockings.