Country Sweetheart Handmade Quilt

Country Sweetheart Handmade Quilt includes applique and lace details. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Country Sweetheart Handmade Quilt

Just as I like to say that every custom handmade quilt has a story, some of our handmade quilts have special stories all their own.

Country Sweetheart Handmade Quilt was recently purchased to ask a fiance for her hand in marriage. Only this customer did something very interesting, he asked all family members first, swearing them to secrecy. Then he had us embroider family names in the corner quilt blocks, with his name and that of his fiance in the center quilt block along with the names of their two children.

If you think about it, handmade quilts are wonderful not only home decor items but a way to memorialize special events like the joining of two families. Another reason why Country Sweetheart Handmade Quilt was the perfect candidate for this family.

The center hearts are made out of cotton red velvet. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

We had also discussed adding favorite sayings in each of the Country Sweetheart Handmade Quilt corners, which each has a red cotton velvet heart.

Country Sweetheart handmade quilt also has hearts at the corners. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Another option was to add embroidery inside the floral quilt blocks since the Country Sweetheart Handmade Quilt design left a nice area inside each fo the floral circles.

Each floral block also has floral quilting. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

It’s interesting to see how our customers choose to personalize their handmade quilt gifts. The ones that bring families together have a special place in my heart.

By the way, she said yes!

Charlotte

Green Hawaiian Handmade Quilt

Traditional Hawaiian quilts feature local flora in their block patterns. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Green Hawaiian Handmade Quilt

Hawaiian handmade quilts are considered family treasures and rarely leave a family’s ownership according to a native Hawaiian friend I met years ago when I worked there for the US Navy.

Several quilt historians note the Hawaiian quilts we see today date from the 1870s, although religious missionaries introduced the concept of quilting to Hawaii in the 1820s. The Hawaiian quilts from the 1870s used an applique on solid cloth method using two colors: a color for the background, and a color for the applique.

Symmetry was very important with these handmade quilts, and the applique was made much like a snowflake cut out of paper. Essentially, the fabric would be cut into its desired shape and then applied to the background fabric.

One of the still popular quilt design motifs is to feature Hawaiian flowers, like this Green Hawaiian handmade quilt does. Although I don’t know Hawaiian flowers, it’s easy to see these applique designs are definitely floral.

What do you see in this handmade quilt block? I think that’s a hibiscus. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The Hawaiian handmade quilts I saw in Honolulu featured the Hawaiian coat of arms in the center as well as floral and animal patterns. A number of those quilts were red so this mottled green background fabric was an interesting choice to set off the floral applique designs.

What Hawaiian flowers are these in the quilt block? (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Just as quilting makes a huge difference in any handmade quilt design, the hand quilting in this Green Hawaiian Handmade Quilt adds a third-dimension. Starting at the border, then in the quilt background and finally through the white applique, the hand-quilting helps to bring the quilt blocks to life.

The handquilting adds dimension to this Green Hawaiian Handmade Quilt (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Green Hawaiian Handmade Quilt was among dozens of local handmade quilts entered in the 2017 Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild bi-annual show in Rolla, Missouri. Although it was surprising to find a Hawaiian quilt in the middle of the Midwest, I enjoyed seeing the beautiful detailed applique and quilting.

It reminded me of the details and quilting in our Iris Throws, which also represent Midwest flowers.

Each handmade quilt has it’s own story and here is the story of Green Hawaiian Handmade Quilt:

The story behind Green Hawaiian Handmade Quilt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

One of my brothers gave me several Hawaiian quilt pattern books several years ago. This one inspires me to dust those off and see if I can tackle making one for myself.

Aloha!

Charlotte

Pink Cross Stitch Handmade Quilt

Pink Cross Stitch handmade quilt repeats the pattern in the quilting. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Pink Cross Stitch Handmade Quilt

I saw a pile of printed white cotton fabric with floral designs at our local hobby shop last week and it reminded me of this delightful handmade quilt. Pink Cross Stitch Handmade Quilt was shared at the 2017 Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild show, held bi-annually in Rolla, Mo.

Most of us who embroider learned to do so with cross stitch patterns, which are relatively easy to do. The embroidery floss is pushed through fabric in small diagonals, the more equal the sizes of the diagonals the more experienced the embroiderer.

I myself made a cross stitch table cloth with flowers as my first embroidery project; I still have it somewhere tucked away in a drawer and periodically use it.

There’s also some history with this Pink Cross Stitch Handmade Quilt but first let’s take a look at what makes this handmade quilt so interesting.

First, here’s the detailed embroidery design for each of the Pink Cross Stitch handmade quilt blocks. The darker pink flowers are quite solid with embroidery floss and not easy to do, this is where mistakes can easily be seen. I looked but I didn’t see any here:

Very detailed embroidery makes up Pink Cross Stitch Quilt blocks. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Now imagine that floral design quilt block and imagine what it would look like as a block where the design is hand quilted. That’s exactly what the quilter did here, taking that center design and using it as her quilting pattern:

Hand quilting repeats the pink cross stitch quilt design. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Most cross stitch quilts just have the embroidery in blocks, like our Vintage Embroidered Roses handmade quilt.

Now for the back story to Pink Cross Stitch Handmade Quilt. What I love the most, besides this being a family heirloom, is that it was chosen to live on with a daughter.

Love the story behind this handmade quilt, it became a gift for a daughter! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Which reminds me, as you make your handmade quilts, remember to add your name and date to the handmade quilt. That way they can be easily passed on to family members and preserve the name of the quilt maker!

Charlotte

Lollipop Garden Handmade Quilt Wall Hanging

This Lollipop Garden handmade quilt wall hanging was featured at a 2015 quilt show. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Lollipop Garden Handmade Quilt Wall Hanging

My garden has been flowerless for months. A blanket of snow now covers the hillside, adding an elegant dimension to the trees and flower beds but I miss color.

This is an excellent time to review some custom handmade quilts that are also quilt wall hangings. There is no quicker way to bring color and design into a room than to hang a handmade quilt.

This handmade quilt wall hanging has color, whimsy and three dimensions through the machine quilting. The fabric colors certainly catch one’s eye with the purples and chartreuse. It’s not until one gets closer that one sees the details of the machine quilting, which adds another layer of flowers to the overall quilt design.

Quilting adds a lovely dimension to Lollipop Garden Handmade Quilt Wall Hanging. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The lollipop garden flowers are also interesting. They remind me of a modern take on the yo-yo’s that where once popular handmade quilts.

The incorporation of the chartreuse fabrics is also interesting. A modern take on green, chartreuse used to be the exception to the rule. The popularity of chartreuse makes this Lime Green Double Wedding Ring Quilt a modern version of the traditional patchwork wedding quilt design.

This quilt wall hanging was featured at the Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild Show in 2015 in Rolla, Mo.

The Hoffman Challenge recognized the best handmade quilts wall hangings and how they incorporated fabrics. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

As many quilt shows do, this custom handmade garden quilt was entered in the Hoffman Challenge category, which recognized the best incorporation of fabrics into the quilt design.

I’m just happy to see a bright spot of color amidst the cold Missouri winter!

Charlotte

Basket Handmade Quilt

Can you spot all of the baskets in this handmade quilt by a master gardener friend?

Basket Handmade Quilt

As I was dusting off some of my favorite baskets earlier today thinking of spring, I remembered this handmade basket quilt from the fall 2017 Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild quilt show in Rolla, Missouri. The handmade quilt had been made by a master gardener colleague of mine but what I recalled was that I had intended to count how many actual baskets were featured in the quilt.

Baskets are an important element in my life. Besides cat napping spots and storage areas for books, I keep baskets to carry plants around in my garden so I keep many baskets in various shapes and sizes around my house.

This lovely, award-winning quilt also seems to suggest baskets are good for a variety of chores, starting with collecting strawberries.

This strawberry seems to be growing in it's own basket!

Each one of these quilt blocks feature lovely baskets such as the strawberry sitting in its very own colorful container. An applique red bird appears to be getting ready to fly off ned to a basket holding a pretty flower.

Look at how the machine quilting adds nice texture to the quilt background.

This red bird is keeping a lovely flower in a basket company.

This side of the handmade basket quilt, with the award ribbons, feature smaller baskets.

Basket handmade quilt won a second place award at the quilt guild show last fall.

Each handmade quilt has it's own story, one of my favorite parts of any quilt show. This quilt took a little extra time from start to finish, according to Marilyn's accounting but it sure was worth the effort!

One of the wonder features of any handmade quilt is the story behind its making.

In addition to the variety of baskets, I liked the fabric color combinations, the bright colors will help this quilt have a long life.

Charlotte

Hawaiian Floral Handmade Quilt

This version of a Hawaiian Floral quilt features different flowers in each of the handmade quilt blocks.

Hawaiian Floral Handmade Quilt

It's a grey, snowy day in Missouri, a good time to think about and appreciate what greenery brings into our lives. This Hawaiian Floral quilt was one of the entries in the Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild October 2017 and one of my personal favorites.

Hawaiian Quilts have a wonderful rich history, it's very infrequent that one even leaves a family's lineage so they are infrequently found for sale on the open market. When I was working in Hawaii several decades ago, one of the local museums had a small display of some of the locally-made heirlooms and they were stunning, mostly red and white with lovely applique embellishments. Just as this quilt has done, the feature that makes the design almost three-dimensional is the hand quilting.

This Hawaiian Floral handmade quilt block reminds me of tropical hibiscus flowers.

There is hand quilting inside the white applique, then around the green fabric and again in the white borders.

Look at how the hand quilting adds texture to this floral block in the Hawaiian Floral handmade quilt.

Interestingly enough, this Hawaiian Floral handmade quilt features quilting in the green fabric space in green thread. That way the quilting adds dimension without drawing attention away from the white in the quilt blocks.

Here's a closer look at the detailed quilting inside the white parts of the quilt.

The shadow quilting gives even intricate applique patterns a shadow of sorts, look at what happens with this lovely floral block:

This quilt block is a favorite, look at how detailed the floral block is and how the quilting finishes the green.

This handmade quilt includes floral patterns of native Hawaiian plants, a nice way to pay tribute to the traditional design. Made me think if I were to make a similar quilt about Missouri, what wildflowers would I include in something similar.

Every quilt has a story and this is the story behind the Hawaiian Floral handmade quilt

So pretty, and a nice tribute to the warm Hawaiian Islands.

Charlotte

Vintage Grandma's Flower Garden Quilt Secret

Isn't this a pretty version of the traditional Grandma's Flower Garden quilt?

Vintage Grandma's Flower Garden Quilt Secret

I suppose it's no surprise to anyone who knows me that flower quilts are one of my favorite patterns. No, I have to confess, flower quilts ARE my favorite patterns and grandma's flower garden is one of the all-timers.

Of all of the handmade quilts I have made over the years, I still have a Grandma's Flower Garden quilt I started when I was 15 years old. Took me about 35 years before I finished it but it is done, each block from a favorite fabric that was some clothing my mother made me, or fabric that was incorporated into something else in the household. If those fabric blocks could talk!

One of the traditions in quilting is that no quilt is perfect and this vintage grandma's flower garden quilt is no exception. It is beautifully made, don't get me wrong but the quilter made sure the tradition of the handmade quilt not being exactly perfect was maintained.

Do you see it?

The secret of this vintage grandma's flower garden quilt is in the tradition it keeps.

In one of the flower garden patchwork blocks. one of the flower pink flower petals is darker than the rest. It's the only one on the whole quilt, and a definite nod to the tradition that the quilt is not perfectly made so as not to be arrogant enough to assume that one could even make a perfect quilt.

I love the colors in this quilt so as far as I am concerned, it's perfect. Shsssss. That's our secret, too!

Charlotte

Variations of French Wrens Handmade Quilt

Aren't these color combinations wonderful? A touch of spring with a dash of spice!

Variations of French Wrens Handmade Quilt

There are color combinations and then there are color combinations. Some quilts, like our Happy Garden throw, has colors that combine orange fabrics to brighten a room as does this Variations of French Wrens Handmade Quilt, with fabrics that suggest a touch of spring with a dash of spice.

My garden has been inspiration for color combinations so I wondered where I would find these particular colors. The mint green against the pastel peach is definitely a spring combination and then the spicy brick red is a mystery to find but it certainly makes everything pop.

Gana Harris, the quilter, explains in the quilt description what prompted her to make this handmade quilt that was on display during the 2015 Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild show in Rolla, Missouri:

Love the stories behind handmade quilts, each unique as well.

And how can I pass up commenting on the title. Who doesn't love French Wrens??

Charlotte

Red and White Spring Handmade Quilt

Cynthia Felts made this design for what she called a red and white spring handmade quilt.

Red and White Spring Handmade Quilt

When I think of spring garden   sampler colors, pastels usually come to mind - soft pink, baby blue, spring yellow, iris purples. In other words, red and white is not one of the usual spring color combinations. As I was going through the quilted wall hanging section of this quilt show, this Red and White Spring Handmade Quilt caught my attention for that reason, at first.

I also liked the different applique baskets around the border, each one of them a different fabric. Some baskets even have a handle gone askew, which is more like some of my typical flower baskets.

This is one of a number of handmade quilts that were featured at the 2015 Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild show in Rolla, Missouri. 

Here is the story about how this handmade quilt turned quilted wall hanging was designed from the quilt designer herself, Cynthia Felts:

This handmade quilt was also quilted on a home machine.

In addition to the unique design and color combination, this charming quilt was also quilted on a home machine. Look at the lovely swirls in the background that give this quilt its rich design.

It may not be a traditional spring color but now red and white is one of my favorite spring colors!

Charlotte

Flower Quilt Blocks

This bright flower quilt block reminded me of spring in my garden.

Flower Quilt Blocks

Spring is one of my favorite seasons to spend in my garden, it reminds me of all of the wonderful colors I liked to add to some of the custom quilts and throws we have made over the years. I was reminded of my spring garden when I saw this bright daisy quilt block, the colors one of the favorite combinations I have.

This applique daisy was the first flower quilt block that caught my eye at the store.

Picking quilt colors can be a challenge. Whenever I was not sure, all I had to do was look out of my window or take a walk through my flowers, and there nature would suggest a color combination and often offer an obvious solution.

As I was wandering through the stacks of fabric as I would my garden, the orange and yellow applique daisy at the fabric store was the first floral quilt block to catch my eye. A friend and I had stopped on our way home, one of those leisurely days of stopping whenever we felt like it and a fabric and quilt store was definitely on our must do list.

Applique daisy flower on a white cotton background quilt block.

Then I noticed several other floral quilt blocks hanging next to it, all different flowers. I felt quite at home, my garden is a giant cottage garden, each flower bed a collection of native and rescued flowers that are welcome to stay if they are happily settled in where I have placed them.

Except for the strawberries. I keep having to bring the strawberries back up the hill every couple of years but not before I lecture them about leaving the comfort and safety of my property. I mean, there are mean turtles out there who will eat the whole plants, at least in my garden they will just take the fruit.

The strawberry-colored flower on the left reminded me this was the year I need to check on my errant strawberry plants.

Two more floral quilt blocks add bright colors to the possible quilt design.

One of the more traditional floral quilts was an album quilt, featuring a different quilt block with no two blocks the same. I used to love to look at those quilts, marveling at the time it took to make each one of those different individual blocks.

There is some marvel associated with these blocks, too. None of these two blocks are the same, either. Each one of these floral blocks have a unique finish, as well as fabric combination.

Two of my favorite flower shapes, the daisy, on a more traditional, the other more modern.

So here's the fun part, once you were ready to put the blocks together, would you use the pink with a yellow center; a floral border, the floral vine or just the tiny flowers in the corner?

Flower quilt blocks now pulled together almost as a quilt. Almost, but not quite!

I would be tempted to use the flower vine to tie all of the blocks together but then I try not to add anything that competes with the flowers in the blocks themselves.

What do you think, or should the sashing be a simple white with the floral vine on the outside?

Charlotte

Wildflowers Lap Quilt Throw Wall Hanging

Detailed applique and embroidery are so pretty in this Wildflowers Lap Quilt Wall Hanging.

Wildflowers Lap Quilt Throw Wall Hanging

Handmade flower quilts will always have a special place in my heart. In 1997, a friend of my mother was looking for two floral quilts for wedding gifts and that treasure hunt led to starting Bluebird Gardens in 1998.

This Wildflowers Lap Quilt Throw Wall Hanging is imported from India. It is a special order all cotton handmade quilt featuring very detailed applique and embroidery work. One of the things I love about this handmade floral quilt is that the wildflowers are realistic, one can go through each of the quilt blocks and try to guess what flower that design is representing.

Applique embroidered wildflowers on this lap quilt throw wall hanging are very detailed.

In addition, the background beige cotton i s a lovely neutral, making it easy to incorporate Wildflowers Lap Quilt Throw easily into a room decor. My favorite way to enjoy this floral quilt is as a wall hanging, which makes the beauty of the overall design quite clear.

Wildflowers Lap Quilt Throw works very nicely as a quilted wall hanging.

Wildflowers Lap Quilt Throw is a standard size 50x60 inches, which is a wonderful size for a quilted wall hanging. As you look at this last photo, you can also see the nice hand-quilting that completes the design.

There is also a rectangle box in the bottom center where you can personalize this quilt with custom embroidery - a name and birth date, a couple's name and wedding date, or an anniversary date for an anniversary gift - are all examples of how Bluebird Gardens customers have personalized this quilt.

Another way to give someone a garden, no weeding required.

Do you have a favorite flower in this quilt?

Charlotte

Floral Double Wedding Ring Throw

Blue and yellow flowers form the rings in the traditional double wedding ring quilt pattern.

Floral Double Wedding Ring Throw

I love anything floral so finding this sweet Floral Double Wedding Ring Throw was a great find. 

This brand new, imported lap quilt throw forms the double wedding rings with flowers. The blue and yellow machine embroidered flowers are linked with vining leaves against a white cotton background. 

Detailed hand quilting helps to give this brand new throw additional texture.

Detailed hand quilting adds texture and dimension to the overall design. And another find?

Look on the back!

This lovely throw has a pretty complimentary floral backing.

Floral Double Wedding Ring Throw is reversible with a complimentary blue and yellow printed fabric so you can easily reverse this throw to update your room decor. Reversible quilts are great to quickly change up a room by turning it to the other side, whether it's folded over the back of a sofa or chair, or stretched out on the foot of a bed.

So pretty on both sides, don't you think?

Charlotte

Pink Applique Tulips Quilt

Pink Applique Tulips Quilt from The Williamsburg Collection hints at the history of the pattern.

Pink Applique Tulips Quilt

If you have been to Williamsburg, Virginia, a re-enactment community that simulates the early European settlements along the East coast in the 1600s, you will appreciate the historic background of this brand new, Pink Applique Tulips Quilt.

Pink Applique Tulips Quilt pattern is based on a historic applique pattern, a design European settlers carefully packed with them when they travelled across the Atlantic Ocean with their bee hives and edible orange daylilies.

I can imagine how much beauty this design added to a spare bedroom, and how much time young women put into making these applique floral quilts by hand.

Lovely hand quilting adds another dimension to this brand new imported quilt.

A sweet blue applique flowers finished a corner of Pink Applique Tulips Quilt

In those days, people re-used all fabrics, turning clothing into curtains, tablecloths into quilts. It was the lucky young woman who could buy fabrics specifically to make a specific quilt pattern. Young women who had time to applique also tended to be in more affluent families.

I love this Pink Applique Tulips Quilt because, in addition to the lovely colors, the detailed hand quilting adds a beautiful third dimension to this brand new, imported quilt. It would also make a beautiful wall hanging.

And even better yet, no deer will munch on the flowers!

Charlotte

Lovely Hibiscus Quilt

"Hello Hawaii" Hibiscus Quilt

It's summer in Missouri, a time when my potted tropical hibiscus keep me company on my outside deck. These are more than just potted plants. Tropical hibiscus also keep me company inside over winter, chasing away the winter blues with their lovely flowers and a promise of warmer weather to come.

So it was great delight that I spotted this lovely hand-pieced and hand quilted Hibiscus quilt at the Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild bi-yearly show in Rolla in 2015. I enjoy their quilt shows for the variety of entries, many by people I personally know.

This lovely floral quilt was easy to spot, as was this vintage floral quilt. The bright reds and yellows easily stood out against the darker, blue and green-toned fabrics. 

Here's the quilt maker's further explanation:

And is it any surprise that this lovely flower quilt won first prize? Look at the blue ribbon, don't you love the flower for the award rosette?

Congratulations, Ruth, beautiful quilt and quilted wall hanging, hope you are using this as a wall hanging so you can enjoy seeing it every day of the year, regardless of the weather! 

Charlotte

Rhapsody in Bloom Quilt and Wall Hanging

Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild 2015 second place winner in quilted wall hanging category.

It's hard to tell from the pictures because this could be a full size quilt but it is, indeed, a quilted wall hanging. Beautifully rendered in primary colors and finished with hand-quilting, almost any favorite pattern can be made in a smaller size for a wall hanging.

This reminds me of some of the tulip-designed quilts we offer, such as the vintage-inspired pink applique tulip quilts. 

Yes, it's time to start thinking about making gifts for holiday giving. This lovely work helps to get me in the mood. How about you?

Congratulations on your award, Cindy Felts!

Charlotte