"Do tell, Em..." Do you get a spring in your step when someone asks you the story behind a quilt and its process?

I created this Tree of Life quilt for a dear friend who I work with. Roberto saw my Northwest Christmas Tree hanging in my office and remarked, "Tree of Life, I love what you are making lately." Hmmmmmmm, got the wheels rolling in my mind. Roberto is from Peru and I wanted to create a piece that may have some reflection of his homeland. With gratitude for the line, ANIMAL SPIRITS by Sue Coccia, I ironed on fusible web to the back and then cut out each animal while at dodgeball.

A fresh gilded palette that is a combination of 2 different fabrics fused together.

My quickie tree trunk for getting an idea of what to use for the trunk. Sean said, "longer roots"....A trip to the quilt shop looking at every brown batik and then I bought the one I initially went with in mind for purchase. Fun to have my friends in the shop asking what I am creating :).

Trunk laid out and I added some individual roots after laying out the original single cut trunk and roots.

An eel chasing the Polar bear for my first branch. "NOPE!" not right.....but right when on the RIGHT side..he he!

Do you spy the dolphins playing with one another. They are the only 2 alike animals near one another to represent joy of playful companionship.

The trunk has a feminine shape to CELEBRATE Mother Nature and the roots are influence of my husband who helped me have them size correctly to the tree top. He is a very symmetrical artist and his collaboration is always very helpful in this dept.

A very special lady is quilting this piece!

Thank you for your support of this piece, the emails that you have written make me smile! It is very simply constructed and I would encourage you to create one of your own if you have a hankering...but if you do, plesae send me a photo!!!!

Love, Em

DId the zoo gates unlock last night? Come peek at the mayhem!

Tree of Life for my dear friend, Roberto, is taking shape and I am so love in with the animals. Initially my choice for the branches was not so convincing when I looked at the photo- they took on an appearance of rattlesnake skins....but then I thought, how apropos for a man who I know so well due to working in the desert wilderness. On the trek for the right fabric for the trunk and then....More peeks!

Do you enjoy quilting with the Asian gilded fabrics? When I started quilting I would have never envisioned them becoming a favorite of mine...but then again, I would not have imagined I could pull off creating my own pattern.

What has surprised you along your quilting journey?

Love, Em

From Warbler to a therapeutic project about Anger Management

It is a week of me CELEBRATING the book, Whip Up Mini Quilts. The Warbler (above) by Sarah Steedman is the inspiration for my quilt, Anger Management: Em Style. (below) It is amazing how much fun I can have and progress I can make when I have 2 days off from going in to the office. Can you relate?....

Do you see the subtle buttes in the Warbler quilt?..... Living in land of sandstone and towering rock, I fell in love with this piece immediately and wondered what would become of it when I delved into my scrap bags....

The story behind this piece.......As some of you know, work has been very challenging past 6 months, loss of my dearest pup and I also ride a roller coaster of emotions in the winter months....put them together and I look for ways to calm my soul and find peace in meditation. My hikes with Porsche in the early morning hours of the day or late at night have become a balm and I have rediscovered the beauty of dark starry skies.

Tuesday morning, early early, Porsche and I headed behind the hourse for our hike. Looking over the landscape of my neighborhood, a sunrise began to illuminate the buttes and a flood of gratitude washed over me.

I did not have intention in adding the cowgirls, but oh how I LOVE novelty fabrics and putting a twist in my small ditties. And then text fabric was shouting my name and before I knew it.....A quilt with so many metaphors ready for Roxy! and a little fun with Victoria at Bumblebeans on Facebook!!!!

Keeping with this year's resolution, CELEBRATING GIRLFRIEND TIME!

Love, Em

PS....here is my current WIP started this morning.....From cheeky novelty to Klint's inspired, Tree of Life. Do you like the forming idea?

Where would be if quilting had not been gifted to us?!!!!!

Resolution 2012...More girlfriend time! Quilted.....

DO you think our grandmothers ever envisioned that fabric would be designed with cocktail recipes? Novelty fabric, especially text, can be such a fun embellishment! Hope you enjoy my latest little ditty. I vote it one of the most fun to create and quilt....And my dearest pets were vying for love and in the end, Roxy and the furries each got love and were whooped afterwards. Happy WEdnesday, may it be wonderFULL!!!

So much fun starting a new year with lots of COLOR, cheeky girlfriend time, and CEELBRATION of nature! Do you like the cute photo of Kevin looking at the caged parakeets as though we are mimicking a Sylvester and Tweety cartoon? And I give the credit for the quilting inspiration to Green Fairy. Trapuntoed my different highlights with 2 layers of batting and channeled her gift. I decided to use a designer stitch to outline the sky "made fabric" to insinuate.."Patchy skies of blue"....I have been blue lately and how amazing the hobby of quilting can turn around a poor attitude and remind you that few minutes of quilting can change a perspective on life. CHEERS to a new year! and to Lucinda Jones who was my inspiration with her quilt pattern, Blackbird By My Window in Whip it up Mini Quilts.

Love, Em

Thank you, Lucinda.....Her blackbird sang to my 2012 soul

I fell in love with this Lucinda Jones quilt, Blackbird at My Window, and after days of having as a screen saver, created an EM CELEBRATES version. Aren't the DANDY GIRLS spicy and fun? The Jones quilt is in a wonderful book, Whip Up Mini Quilts. Check it out, very fun read!!!!! I may just be making each of the projects....

Happy New Year! Em

Ideas for finishing up the year are swimming in my mind....

Do you ever find yourself consumed with ideas for quilts but short on time and then when you have a moment, you cannot decide what to focus on? A seascape beginning to take shape.....I may just be creating snapshot parts of quilts for next while, but at least the craving to created is satiated.

May we have playful moments in 2012 as the dolphin is dancing in the sunset in this photo!

Love, Em

Did you see the marriage of my sister's delightful quilt and Green Fairy's quilting?

Last week I had fun celebrating mom and Green Fairy and this week my sis, Sharon and Green Fairy. A delightful combo you will find when you visit Green Fairy's blog. I will never forget the first time I heard of Judi the Green Fairy....quilting has never been the same since!

Mary......CELEBRATING her. Giving her bright colors in honor of my own mother

A work in progress......

A little curiousity....BIG fun!

Today I marvelled at imagining the amount of energy that went into creating elementary room Christmas parties this past week....and all I had to do today was place a table near the dodgeball arena, bring out a jelly roll from Green Fairy and then, POOF!!!!! 2 small boys approached me inquiring what I was doing....I am beginning a Valentine Mary of Guadalupe and they recognized her. All I had to do was ask if they would like to join me and they were all over it!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you spy the sweet Christmas tree with the orange lights, large yellow gifts under the tree and a broderie perse star at the top. The tiny boy loved the teeny scraps and would call them mouths and loved gluing them on the backgrounds. My favorite was when the tiniest boy would roll up strips and quietly whispher, "Can I carry these in my pockets?"

I sat there watching and thought, "This is Christmas." I thanked God and then their father for sharing them with me. I am unsure if he could speak english but his smile from ear to ear spoke volumes.

I imagine the little boy and his folded fabric as he talked to him mom when they arrived home.

The gifts that come our way and we never dreamt of their arrival.

Love, Em

Merry Christmas Eve!

I wonder what Jefferson was thinking in the top photo. I call the photo, "A prayer" and this man is a wonder...wonderFULL! He played for our Christmas party and a night I will never forget. Jefferson lives in Vegas and had done a mass text asking if anyone wanted to commission a song for Christmas. I wrote a letter to Harley and sent it to him...the rest is all a song....The memorable moment was when Sean and I were listening to Jefferson begin a song and Sean look up to me when he realized he was singing of our memories and love of Harley....Merry Christmas, baby! The gift of personalized creativity....and all of our quilts.....Personalized Creativity!

Northwest Christmas is done and was a very simple and fun quilt to create and quilt. My feathers are free hand and a couple of my curves are less than curvy but all in all...I enjoy this piece.

Merry Christmas eve. Em

Do you know how much you enrich my heart, blog friends?....A little tear in my eye as I type

If I could hug you in person, I would! I have had so many giggles and smiles and sighs of care as many of you have visited my blog today and CELEBRATED mom and Green Fairy's gifts! I devoted a full day to a wall quilt and was like a little girl giddy that I was reading blog comments and piecing all at the same time. I feel loved and I thank you!

It was our family goal to be in Seattle for Christmas and while things are still in motion, we are basking in Southern Utah sun once again for the holidays. And so in my heart today, I created a piece that I title a Northwest Christmas Tree....Nifty and Miki, I will be there sooner than later so keep my spot at Rebels!

A spin off of the Piece O'Cake Leaves and Scrap branches and trunk in honor of Victoria at BumbleBeans....

I will be honest, it is a psychological challenge for me to play with Roxy when I have oohed and aahed over Green Fairy's quilting on mom's beauty, but...I am who I am, Sam I am....and so this is the back of the quilting so far, kinda fun in a simplistic way, isn't it?

Are you giggling as you see this pic of Porsche and the quilt....How do they do it everytime?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No matter the kittens or the pup...They are so predictable and I laugh each time.

Thank you, Santa, for early gift of a day to quilt! I hope he shared with you too!!!!

Love, Em

Stop, Do NOT pass go, Visit Green Fairy's blog- AMAZING!!!!!!!!!

Above is one of mom's blocks that she amazingly appliqued. It is a Piece O'Cake designed quilt. It is the current showcased quilt on Green Fairy blog. You are going to swoon, sigh and sway all at the same time with the amazing job Judi has done with the quilting. Amazing doesn't cover it!!!! What a combination of gifted women, my mom and her piecing and applique and Judi's quilting vision! And guess what? I get to hold it in my hot little hands this Tuesday when I pick it up and have girlfriend time with Ms. Fairy....

Popsicles for Christmas Dinner?

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Thank you, Mary Lou Weidman, for this popsicle pattern, what a fun quickie to adorn my mom's Christmas puzzle! We call my mom, Gritz, and she has loved this popsicle since she saw Mary Lou's lastest book. Are you working on a last minute gift?

I miss you all and work continues to be crazy but I think of you often!!!!!

I have "more time" at the to of my Santa List. Love you to all!! Em

Merry! Mari......Thank you, Mary!

A Mary Lou Weidman pattern and oh so much fun to create for my Mom! A sweet treat that was much needed last night! Roxy is ready to play when I have a moment to breathe.....

Love, Em

Thank you, friends!

Thank you so much for your kind loving words about Harley. I wanted to create a small quilt to convey my gratitude but such little spare time right now...so...A wonderful text in this little pic...

Love and much gratitude, Em

Celebrating my Harley!.....

My dear Harley.....14+ years ago we were a duo, I told him one day he would have to share me with a man who love me as he did....said "I do!", raised a son and loved him today with an older gentleman vet and his assistant and we laughed at the "old son of gun that won't let go"....dear love of my life was spicy until the end. Just like his mom. Reviewing boxes of photos the past days as I was grieving and awaiting the scheduled hour, what a gift he was and what a life he lived. HE SURFED...surfed the wave of love and life!



Love, Em

Mom's color is whirling your way!!!!

Woke up to a fun text! Victoria, were your ears burning?

My mom is a very fun and spicy woman as you know and always playing with color! It was fun to receive this photo this morning and be surprised that it is a style outside of her usual and I LOVE it as I do all of hers!!!!

And this was the text with the picture...."FIred up making a top for Victorias crusade, not malingering" with a smile face at the end. Mom teasingly says she is "malingering" when she is chatting when us girls are piecing up a storm. She can malinger whenever she wants with me!!!!

May this splash of color be a bonus to your Saturday! Em

enJOY! I am hooked on this word this week. Do you have a WORD for your week?

Back to the RIDE.....ENJOY is my newest addition. So much fun to be creating a Christmas quilt collection of word quilts, THANK YOU, Unruly Quilter!!!!

Happy Friday! Em

Ever find your JOY cannot be contained because there is just too much of it!?

oops!!! Just like my old days when making my AAQI projects, just a hair too big! Well, when in doubt, throw out the store- bought and get crazy with "making fabric"! as V at Bumblebeans has taught me to do!

Voila! This was such a fun project to create this morning and Roxy and I were delighted to try a new decorative stitch that seems so perfect for this patchy border. Happy Thursday and Cheers to JOY that is just too big for an allotted border!

Love, Em