Middle Creek Quilts

08/23/2026

Remember that dive quilt I made for my grandson going to Pace University on diving scholarship? I'd promised an explanation of how I struggled with those applique diver silhouettes. He'd been given a choice of either actual pictures of him diving using the sublimation service (more later) or applique silhouettes--he chose the silhouettes.
I had the local print shop enlarge some photos of him diving (this was the triple he did at Nebraska State 2026) and print. I used the paper copies to make paper silhouette templates and then drew the shape onto a 2 sided fusible. It was necessary to do some stitching to differentiate arm/leg/etc. I stitched that and outlined on the domestic machine. I next cut a piece of bat to put behind each figure and stitched them down. I used a combo of digital quilting stitches on the Grandmother's Fans blocks and hand guided 'water' around the figures. As always with any quilt going to college, etc, I quilt in the recipients name, home city and date--I also label but the quilted name, etc helps keep it from disappearing.

07/10/2026

Some how our household whirlwind swept us out of June & into mId-July with almost no time for quilting. Instead family, friends, politics & house repairs kept us both busy & worn out. You could say I've been testing the limits to my MG. But I've had time since Sun nite to get this loaded and almost to 1/2 way point(11 hrs). 5 thread colors and these JN medallions are just so slow, this one is mine but its also the reason I charge more to quilt. Plus they often require a specialized digital pattern that's not very interchangeable. But I also have another JN that I edge-to-edged that looks great, too.

06/29/2026

I'm seriously alive and kicking! But this month has been crazy busy! Our 11 & 12 yo grands were here from June 13-19th. Son's whole family here the first weekend for a 7 hr MS rugby tournament. Loved getting the chance to see them play. They stayed and worked--12yo brush hogging with tractor for first summer and 11yo on the zero turn mower and both on staining porch rails. While I got to have 2 days of infusions for my MG, the 2 granddads took them to Negro Leagues Museum in KC, which is great. Other grandma took one day to trampoline park. Once they went home, the Hubs and I have spent 2 weeks doing home repair and clean-up--we didn't have THAT much but we are slow! Last night we hosted a meet and greet for some state candidates. Heat and humidity drove us inside but had a great turn-out, ages 17-83!

Next week back to some sewing and quilting. Have a Happy 4th!
Celebrate 250 years of democracy!

06/10/2026

05/27/2026

it is always alarming for one's quilts to pop up on a commercial site--without your permission! To all my quilting clients--if I post a picture of your quilt, note that it will not have binding on it, My hope is that it helps deter anyone from posting it.

05/24/2026

Miami County Quilters Guild provide quilts for county residents that are displaced due to flooding, fire or tornado. April hit the county with several tornadoes & severe storms so we've been busy! These quilts will go to another quild member to bind & label, then be delivered my Miami County Sheriff's Deputies.

05/10/2026

:D

05/08/2026

Now that its done I'm posting pics of my oldest grandson's HS graduation quilt. He has been a diver all 4 yrs of HS, but did not even start diving until his freshman year. Despite a late start to the sport, he has excelled & has earned a 'full ride' to Pace University, in the burbs of NYC. While he's a Midwesterner, his dream is to go to Big City East Coast. We are simply delighted for him.

Using the school colors I designed several quilts that would allow me to use my Accuquilt for better cutting(& less strain on me). He picked this one( my favorite too--more modern). I'd bought some of the Stof blenders but quickly realized that I needed more of the blue--got rest of bolt at Lil Red Hen but still going to be short. After on-line search the only place I could find was in ID! Ordered it & started sewing. About then I received my ordered minky for backing--wrong color. By this time I've got quilt ready for long arm . I spend next morning racing the 60 mi one way trip to KC Makers to get right color 90" wide minky. Next post-- how I did the applique divers & how I'd do it differently.

05/03/2026

It's that busy time of year for most long arm quilters--weddings,graduations and I seemed to get a flurry of baby quilts too! Here's a few.

04/15/2026

Lana does such amazing embroidery work. We decided that a simple chicken wire design quilting pattern would provide enough quilting while keeping the embroidery in the spotlight! Borders are a simple leaf pattern. (Finished on a rainy day so photo lighting blah)