Whimsy Handmade Custom Quilt

Whimsy Handmade Custom Quilt

We could all use a smile these days and Whimsey Handmade Custom Quilt is just the thing to make us smile.

A collaboration among friends in a quilting group, this custom personalized quilt features quilted sections contributed by various quilters. Take a close look, this handmade quilt has a nice collection of quilting patterns and styles from traditional patchwork to applique.

From clothes hanging on a line to frolicking rabbits, the colors of this custom personalized quilt remind me of the colors in a rainbow, from blue to pink and yellow. After all, rainbows make us smile, don’t they?

As you look at the details, don’t miss out seeing the lovely machine quilting that gives this custom personalized quilt it’s extra dimension.

The details on this custom handmade quilt are charming, from three-dimensional flower petals to fun buttons forming the centers of other flowers.

The story behind “Whimsy” custom handmade quilt reflects the fun that went into this charming work in fabric.

Love the name “loose threads” for the quilting group, too, if you’ve ever quilted you know your house is decorated in these thread remnants all on their own.

This is the kind of custom personalized quilt that makes a lovely quilted wall hanging, a good place to be able to enjoy the whimsy of this quilt design.

See if any of our custom quilts make you smile, too!

Charlotte

Snowy Log Cabin Throw and Wall Hanging

The traditional log cabin patchwork design in whites and off whites. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Snowy Log Cabin Throw and Wall Hanging

It’s getting to be that time of year, not only when it snows but when customers want custom personalized quilts for gifts.

Since custom personalized quilts can take three months from when details are finalized, they are not an option for this year’s holiday season.

There is an excellent alternative, though, and that is to purchase a ready made handmade quilt and have custom embroidery added.

One of my personal favorites is this Snowy Log Cabin Throw and Wall Hanging. A traditional patchwork quilt design in elegant white, off white and cream cotton fabrics, this 50x60 inches throw is the perfect size to curl up in on a cold winter - dare I say - snowy day.

Prairie points edge this lovely all cotton handmade quilt and wall hanging. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Finished with hand quilting where the fabric seams come together, this soft all cotton lap quilt would be pretty both hanging over the back of a sofa or chair. It can also easily be used as a quilted wall hanging.

Log cabin fabric strips are 3/4 inch each. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Versatile handmade quilts have a flat fabric sleeve on the back that can easily be threaded through a curtain rod for wall decor.

A fabric sleeve on the back easily turns this quilt into a wall hanging. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

This elegant throw and wall hangings can easily be made custom by adding custom embroidery. Since this example has an hombre blue fabric as well, blue thread would be a nice option.

Embroidery shops offer a variety of fonts, here are the ones we have. The name of the font is the embroidered example.

Of all of the fonts, Zapf Chancery is the top favorite followed by Diane Script.

Curly font is a great choice for baby quilts followed by Cooper font.

Regardless of what font you choose, adding custom embroidery is an easy way to turn a quilt into a custom personalized quilt.

Charlotte

Custom Grandma's Handmade Quilt

Custom handmade quilt design by grandchildren. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Custom Grandma’s Handmade Quilt

August is the month when I start planning my holiday gifts. I may not have all of them in hand, or even made, but the projects are lined up.

One of the best family gifts we’ve made for parents, grandparents and teachers are the custom quilts where the kids design the quilt blocks. We use the same process to copy the artwork onto special treated muslim fabric so the art can easily be incorporated into a custom handmade quilt. In this case, the kids literally used their hands as the foundation of their quilt block designs.

These special quilt blocks are machine washable on cold; best dried on cool so the whole quilt is washable.

If you don’t know what the gift recipient’s favorite color is, pick a neutral like this honey beige. The neutral background allows the custom artwork to shine.

We finished with an overall pattern quilting that gave the custom handmade quilt an additional texture.

If you want to make a custom handmade quilt for the holidays, we can print the artwork and photos onto the special fabric. Please start your planning now so you can enjoy the process of working with family members to design the blocks and then make the custom handmade quilt.

Charlotte

Quilter's Dilemma Custom Handmade Quilt

This says it all, the quilter’s ongoing dilemma. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Quilter’s Dilemma Custom Handmade Quilt

If you spend any time around quilters you will hear a lot about their fabric stashes and where they found a particular piece. Fabric to a quilter is like paint to a painter. Quilters think and use fabric to make shapes on top of the geometric patchwork designs. In other words, a patchwork design can be altered by what fabric a quilter is using.

So this charming custom handmade quilt caught my attention at the Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild bi-annual show in Rolla, Missouri October 2018. Tucked away among a variety of miniature quilted wall hangings, this one asks the proverbial question.

Ironically enough, quilters began by recycling existing fabrics. Clothing, curtains, table cloths all became homemade bedding at one time. Perhaps the most iconic of all recycled quilt designs was the crazy quilt from the Victorian era. More affluent quilters could afford to buy fabrics while more modest artists used whatever was at hand and no longer used.

Just as every quilter has a story so does every custom personalized quilt. This one was made by Donna Rae Olson and already had a destination when it was just an idea.

Great use of this charming custom handmade personalized quilt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I can easily see this hanging from a number of quilter’s sewing room walls because it nicely summarizes the real quilter’s dilemma; how much of any fabric is enough!

Charlotte

Two Personalized Custom Baby Quilts

Our custom baby quilts are shipped with a handy quilt care guide. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Two Personalized Custom Baby Quilts

We love to hear from our customers, especially when they are sharing the arrival of two more grandchildren.

In this case, the families are located on either coast so we custom embroidered the same pattern of quilt in different colors. Our zoo baby crib quilts are popular gifts we can easily customize by adding a baby rattle that compliments the baby quilt.

Our custom zoo baby quilt personalized with a giraffe rattle. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

We made our Zoo Baby Crib quilts with a blank center square where custom embroidery can be added. The brown thread color nicely compliments the fabric border around the blocks and will last longer through many quilt washings.

This custom zoo quilt has custom embroidery and elephant rattle. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Some of our custom baby quilts get purchased for cribs. In the event they want to hang them, our custom baby quilts include a sleeve on the back so the quilt can easily transform a room into a nursery.

When not in use, the sleeve on the back lays flat against the baby quilt.

Our custom baby quilts can easily be used as a quilted wall hanging. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

These gifts were shipped to their new homes with a custom personalized gift card.

We try to wrap them so the recipient will easily see that the custom baby quilt has been personalized for them.

We also include a quilt care guide.

We also ship to a different address with a personalized gift card. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Once wrapped, it’s time to get the custom baby quilts in their gift boxes for shipping.

What would you like to see us package and ship for you? (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

And just like that, two more babies in this world will be kept warm!

Charlotte

Story Book Baby Quilts

Three Little Kittens storyline on this charming custom one of a kind baby quilt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Story Book Baby Quilts

As we settle into a disquieting time navigating COVID 19, there’s been an increase in the number of prominent people reading children’s books. Reading is an excellent way to help children develop language skills. Studies show that parents who read to their children significantly increase the child’s learning.

As a big sister and step mother, I can personally attest to the sheer joy of reading out loud. It’s not only helpful but creates a wonderful bond between the reader and the listeners. To this day my brothers can share a word that summarizes our experience growing up reading books to each other.

It was this moment in time that inspired me to make several custom story book baby quilts. Each baby quilt is unique using printed panels out of favorite vintage story books.

The first one features charming Mother Goose Baby Quilt nursery rhyme illustrations, a perfect first baby quilt for the newborn.

I left a center square where the baby quilt can easily be personalized and added a cute as a button toy rabbit. The rabbit looks like it could have stepped out of one of the baby quilt panels!

Vintage nursery rhymes are featured in these custom baby quilt blocks. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Children tend to learn by focusing on first words, which inspired some of our other custom baby quilts.

Our custom Zoo Baby Quilt features favorite animals and their associated words.

Another center panel is available to easily make this a custom personalized quilt.

This baby quilt would also make a great quilted wall hanging in a nursery and something a parent could use to make up their own stories based around an animal.

Animals are featured in this custom personalized baby quilt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

For the older reader, this custom Poky Puppy rag quilt has the Poky Puppy story in quilt panels, so no book required.

There’s a panel top left where the baby quilt can be personalized with custom embroidery, much as names are written into books.

Poky Little Puppy is featured in this custom personalized rag quilt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

These custom personalized baby quilts will keep the listener warm and make it easy for both reader and listener to follow along.

And fall asleep, right then and there.

Charlotte

State Flowers Custom Handmade Quilt

Did you know what Missouri’s state flower is? (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

State Flowers Custom Handmade Quilt

Floral quilts are a personal favorite so when I spotted this State Flowers Custom Handmade Quilt at a recent quilt show I wanted to get a closer look.

These embroidered state flower quilt panels used to be very popular several decades ago. We have a similar quilt Flowers of the Month quilt with the same kind of embroidered floral blocks.

This custom handmade quilt seems to have a little of the antique look with the patriotic fabric colors. Red stars in the corners bring it all together. This would be a fun quilt to use as a quilted wall hanging provided there was enough space for people to stop and find their favorite state.

The collection of state flowers in the custom handmade quilt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Each embroidered quilt block features the state flower’s name along with the abbreviated name of the US state. I found myself looking for the different states where family members live, including Minnesota.

I love the name of this Minnesota state flower. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Another US state with family history is Illinois, where we first settled after moving back to the US from Brazil.

Well, maybe this explains my love of violets, I used to live in Illinois. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

This custom handmade quilt was featured at the 2019 Piece and Plenty Quilt guild quilt show in Rolla, Missouri. The show includes small summaries of the story behind each custom handmade quilt.

This custom handmade quilt is both botanical and patriotic. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Having the custom quilt story includes helps to confirm, and sometimes explain, what one sees in the handmade quilt. This one did indeed combine old embroidered quilt blocks with a new patchwork pattern.

Charlotte

Hunny Buzz Baby Quilt on Its Way!

Adding the last touch to this custom baby quilt with Tigger supervision! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Hunny Buzz Baby Quilt on Its Way!

There are a number of steps to make a custom baby quilt, from picking the design, then the fabrics, how we plan to finish it and what toy will keep it company as it waits to warm a small one. One of my personal favorite steps is hand sewing the tag on the baby quilt. I don’t do it until the baby quilt has been purchased and is ready to be shipped.

Oh, we could sew the tags in the process of making the baby quilt. There is something very - well, personal - about hand sewing on the label. It gives me time to remember all of the work that went into making the custom baby quilt and to wonder about the new baby that will make this a favorite childhood friend.

I have a soft spot for this particular baby quilt I called Hunny Buzz Baby Quilt. In addition to featuring some of my brothers’ favorite childhood characters, it includes some of mine, from birds, snails and caterpillars. It also has some of my adult favorites, can you guess which ones those are?

Tigger is ready to keep this charming baby quilt company! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The custom baby quilt name gives it away, Hunny and Bees.

As a special treat, this custom Hunny Buzz baby quilt has a patterned backing with the same characters, making this custom baby quilt reversible.

And how can I forget a special mention of the bouncy Tigger toy that travelled with the custom baby quilt? Ok, so picking out the toys to match the baby quilts is my second best favorite thing to do, I really enjoyed matching Tigger up to this baby quilt.

So as Winnie the Pooh says, “Home is the comfiest place to be.”

Charlotte

Small Four Seasons Handmade Custom Quilts

All four seasons are featured in this charming custom personalized quilt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Small Four Seasons Handmade Custom Quilts

The earliest spring in 124 years is here, finally. I know I shouldn’t complain because we had a very mild winter - our soil in mid-Missouri never froze this past year - but I am tired of the winter grayness and ready for the greenery of spring.

To celebrate a new season, take a look at these two tiny miniature quilts celebrating spring. The small quilts were featured at the Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild in Rolla October 2019.

The first small quilt is “Four Little Seasons” by Sharrol Stuckey. She uses patchwork designs appropriate for each of the seasons and makes it clear which is which by adding the season name. Her colors are bright and joyous, I can see this little quilt hanging from a wall and brightening any room.

When you realize how small this quilt is, you appreciate the design. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The second four seasons custom personalized quilt is by Linda Sidwell. There is no story included with this small quilt, which allows me to make up my own. I love red cardinals and native plants so this is a small quilt featuring daffodils and purple coneflowers as well as pumpkins.

Each season is represented by an appropriate symbol. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The small miniature quilt itself is 12x20 so these patchwork pieces are small.

If you are starting to quilt, this is not the patchwork patterns to use. The pieces are small and harder to understand as you begin but they can be something to attain with a little more experience.

Happy spring!

Charlotte

Birdhouse Buttons Handmade Custom Quilts

This miniature custom handmade quilt features tiny birdhouses with button doorways. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Birdhouse Buttons Handmade Custom Quilts

It’s about that time at Bluebird Gardens. Birds visit my garage to let me know it’s time to get the birdhouse real estate back out into the garden.

It’s a little early for hummingbirds, the scouts should be arriving April 1. Bluebirds, though, will start the first of their three nestings this month so I finished making repairs and got the last of the birdhouses outside with their vacancy signs.

The process reminded me of these charming miniature custom handmade quilts featured at the Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild in Rolla last year. The miniature quilts are really tiny - 15 inches by 15 inches. You will get a better sense of the size of the patchwork piecing is looking at the birdhouse button sizes. Those buttons average 1/4 inch!

The other charming detail of Judy Fox’s bluebird blue miniature custom handmade quilt are the two bird buttons she added to one corner. Looks like tenants are getting ready to move in.

Tiny bird buttons add a special touch to this custom handmade quilt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

There wasn’t a story included with this custom handmade quilt but the information confirms how tiny these patchwork birdhouses are.

This custom handmade quilt story shares the size, 15 inches by 15 inches. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I thought this tiny miniature custom handmade quilt was charming. Between the blue fabric colors and the bird buttons, it was something that caught my eye.

So did this version of the same miniature custom handmade quilt design only in purple and chartreuse fabrics.

Birdhouse buttons custom handmade quilt in purples and chartreuse. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

What caught my attention with this custom handmade miniature quilt was how tiny red buttons were added, see them?

It truly is amazing how quilters use fabrics as they would paints, each custom handmade quilt becoming a tiny work of art!

Charlotte

A Monarch's Life Handmade Custom Quilt

The Monarch Butterfly’s life cycle from cocoon to butterfly. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

A Monarch’s Life Handmade Custom Quilt

As we start to hear that Monarchs are migrated back north from their wintering grounds in Mexico, I remembered this lovely custom handmade quilt featured at the 2019 Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild in Rolla, Missouri.

The custom handmade quilt by Lillian Collins features a Monarch Butterfly’s life cycle from cocoon to eclosing as a butterfly. If you look at the photo of the Monarch butterflies in a circle, it’s easy to miss that the green spots in the center are cocoons.

In a wider view of the custom handmade quilt, Monarch caterpillars are around the outside border, enjoying one of the Monarch butterfly’s food source.

The Monarch’s Life Cycle in this lovely custom handmade quilt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Monarch butterflies depend on the various native milkweed varieties to guide them south in the fall. As one species dies off, Monarch butterflies move south to the next food patch, staying only as long as there is food.

One of the more common Monarch butterfly food sources is called “butterfly weed.” The very orange flowers are part of the milkweed family, the main source of Monarch butterfly food.

Butterfly weed, a member of the milkweed family, is featured in quilt corners. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The loss of habitat for butterflies like Monarchs, and other insects, is now part of nationwide effort to plant more plants for pollinators.

Missouri’s Missourians for Monarchs includes more than 43 major federal and state organizations focused on planting 385,000 acres of new pollinator foraging areas. Although Monarch butterflies are mentioned in the partnership’s name, other butterflies, and bees, will benefit from the additional food sources.

The love of Monarch butterflies was also the inspiration for Lillian Collins custom handmade quilt.

Here’s how this custom butterfly quilt was designed and inspired. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The custom handmade Monarch Butterfly quilt is a lovely work of art as well as tribute to these amazing butterfly pollinators.

Charlotte

All Blue Double Wedding Ring Custom Quilt

Close up of our All Blue Double Wedding Ring quilt made in Missouri. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

All Blue Double Wedding Ring Custom Handmade Quilt

So how do we decide on the color of some of our handmade quilts? Very simple, we track trends and select fabrics that are popular.

Although popular colors can vary over time, there is one color range that prevails as a favorite bedroom color - blue. Sometimes it’s a country blue, other times it’s the darker more navy blue that is the 2020 Pantone color of the year.

Blue is a happy color. It’s the color of sunny, cloudless days, of Virginia bluebells, of newborn eyes.

Most blues work well with each other, whether it’s a lighter blue color or the drama of Navy blue.

It’s also a popular wedding gift color so we have an all blue double wedding ring handmade quilt with a range of blue all cotton fabrics, something that will easily fit into any blue bedroom.

So if you don’t know what color handmade quilt to pick, pick a blue!

Charlotte

Lewe the Ewe Baby Quilt

Try not to smile when you see this custom handmade quilt! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Lewe the Ewe Handmade Baby Quilt

When I spend an afternoon at our local quilt guild’s bi-annual show, it is always intriguing to me what handmade quilts first catch my eye, and interest.

The Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild has a robust group of quilters who hold a show every other year. i can usually remember favorites from past shows, some which draw me just as much as new ones.

Lewe the Ewe Custom Handmade Baby Quilt certainly caught my eye. That ewe is happy, just look at the smile on its face. What caught my eye, though, was the fleece texture made out of chenille.

Looking at it closely you can better see how the chenille was added. What other fabrics do you think could have been used to add texture?

Chenille adds a third dimension to Lewe the Ewe Baby Quilt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The very detailed machine quilting also nicely added dimension. This would make an excellent wall hanging in a nursery and reminded me of one of my favorite sheep-themed baby quilts, One Sheep Two Sheep Baby Quilt. Our baby quilt also has the same raised, three-dimension to the sheep, which invites one to pet them.

Every handmade quilt has a story and this is Lewe the Ewe’s story:

One secret to easily making baby quilts, starting with a panel. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

And how can I pass up saying something about Lewe’s yellow friend and flowers. I have to confess, any bees also tend to catch my eye.

The bee and flowers add a happy note. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

So many custom baby quilts I see these days start as pre-printed panels that can then be embellished to taste. Sometimes I see the same panel at craft shows sometimes side by side and that helps to highlight the creativity of the quilt maker. No two look exactly the same!

Charlotte

Windy City Bound

Windy City Bound

Sometimes I wish my handmade quilts could talk. It’s not a sensible thought or even one that comes close to anthropomorphising my quilts, it’s more of a recognition of the adventure they are starting on.

That was the thought I had as I folded and boxed this Swirl Irish Chain handmade quilt. It’s headed to Chicago to be “in a production,” which isn’t saying much. Chicago is an established shooting location for a number of TV series and other shows.

As I looked at the design, a police show came to mind. Will this be on the protagonist’s bed or the final resting spot of some poor soul taken down by a criminal?

Maybe it will be in a heroine’s home and have a starring role as the actor is introduced at the beginning, and then again as the story is wrapped up at the end.

This is a sweet handmade quilt, a combination of the traditional Irish chain pattern with a detailed quilted swirl that gives the quilt an extra dimension.

This was the last of these handmade quilts in our inventory so wishing it a good journey.

If you see the quilt in a production, would you let me know? Fun to keep an eye out for it!

Charlotte

Escaping Bugs Handmade Quilt

This pink snail first caught my eye on this charming handmade quilt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Escaping Bugs Handmade Quilt

This had to be one of the more whimsical and fun handmade quilts at Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild’s October 2019 bi-annual quilt show in Rolla, Missouri. I enjoy these quilt celebrations because i get to see a variety of patterns and, better yet, stories that go with each of the handmade quilts.

When I think of this handmade quilt, i tend to first think about the jars. What a great way to use fun fabrics to fill up the jars, especially since I like all sorts of insects from butterflies to spiders.

Speaking of butterflies, in the upper left hand corner there is a Monarch butterfly caterpillar.

A Monarch butterfly-to-be is in the upper left corner. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

On the right side, a lovely applique spider is starting to spin her web in the corner.

When I think of bugs, I do separate them between good bugs, like honey bees and native bees, and bad bugs. Ticks fall into that category as do aphids and mealy bugs. Good thing those aren’t popular bug designs.

Lovely spider in the upper right hand quilt corner. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Not sure this qualifies as a bug but this little mouse is certainly joining the party. A purple button makes up its eye.

Not a bug but a cute mouse is also loose on this handmade quilt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I was wondering what compelled the quilter to make this charming buggy quilt. Here is Lillian Collin’s quilt story, in her own words:

Wouldn’t you love this handmade quilt if you were a little boy (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

And now here is the Escaping Bugs Handmade Quilt with all of its escapees including a frog, dragonfly, lizard and the charming pink snail I featured at the top but actually hanging from the handmade quilt bottom:

Escaping Bugs Handmade Quilt with all of its visitors! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Not sure what that one bug is on the second from the bottom row, my first thought is a tick.

This would make a great wall hanging in any little boy’s room, too!

Charlotte

Raining Cats Dogs Handmade Quilt

Love those valiant mice in the center of this Raining Cats and Dogs handmade quilt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins0

Raining Cats Dogs Handmade Quilt

No surprise to anyone who knows me that this would be one of my favorite handmade quilts. This was an entry in the 2017 Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild Bi-annual quilt show. I love the details, from the tiny green trees and mice to the animal faces.

What makes this custom handmade quilt even more intriguing is how it was made. The quilt group members each added a row, not seeing the final product until everyone was done.

Can you imagine? Could you do it?

Raining Cats and Dogs handmade quilt story of how it was made. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I think I would be tempted to run off with each of the handmade quilt rows. This is one of the rows for the dogs, floppy-eared happy pups courtesy of eye and nose buttons. I won’t look at buttons the same again!

Fun eye buttons and noses on these patchwork dogs with bone charms. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

On another row, the feline additions, from favorite toys and food to the charming cats themselves. Some handmade quilts with repeated patterns change out details on the patterns only, like using different fabrics.

For these cats, their faces change expression from one quilt cat block to the next.

On the other side, cats with a variety of facial expressions. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Finally, it’s all pulled together and quilted, making this “rain” a fun experience. So much fun, Lee Linebarger!

The whole quilt with all of the rows together. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I would love to participate in something like this although I don’t know how well i would do not peeking. Or repurposing the quilt blocks for something else. These cat blocks would make fun throw pillows.

And my favorite block, this charming cat! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Charming!

Charlotte

Women of Substance Handmade Quilt

Women of Substance Handmade Quilt was an award winner in 2017. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Women of Substance Handmade Quilt

I don’t know too many people who use this expression “women of substance” these days but it has a specific meaning.

Dictionary.com notes this expression means "substantial or solid character or quality." Other definitions include "consistency, body" and "something that has separate or independent existence." 

Based on these definitions, a woman of substance would be a woman who has strong character, is consistent, has more to her than meets the eye and has a variety of interests outside and within her home and family, according to “Our Every Day Life. “ They note “she is interesting to get to know; she possesses a depth of personality and character.”

So it will come as no surprise that these women of substance referred to in this handmade quilt where the women in the suffrage movement, working to get women the right to vote. The custom handmade quilt was entered into Piece and Plenty’s Quilt Guild October 2017 Rolla, Mo. bi-annual show.

Women of Substance Handmade Quilt flower blocks are each unique. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

From the handmade quilt name I was expecting to see the names of the 12 women honored. Instead, there are twelve handmade patchwork quilt blocks with red patterned fabrics.

Gana Harris, St. James, Mo. both pieced and quilted this custom handmade quilt for her oldest daughter. It crossed my mind when I saw this handmade quilt that Mom is passing on some strong character qualities presenting this quilt as a gift for her daughter.

Each handmade quilt has a story and this is the story of Women of Substance Handmade Quilt, (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Besides the lovely custom quilt details, Women of Substance Handmade Quilt is hand quilted, giving the quilt a lovely three-dimension.

This handmade quilt is dedicated to a period in history close to when another traditional patchwork quilt got its start, double wedding ring quilt like this Vintage Double Wedding Ring Cutter Quilt.

Apparently the Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild judges agreed, this custom handmade quilt won first prize.

Women of Substance Handmade Quilt won first place at the local quilt festival. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Ok, now how many of the 12 women suffrage women can you name. I’ll start.

Susan B. Anthony.

Now it’s your turn!

Charlotte

Nine Patch Photo Quilt

Traditional quilt patchwork with printed photos makes a great memory quilt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Nine Patch Photo Quilt

If you are just starting to make handmade quilts, you will recognize this basic, beginning patchwork quilt design, the nine patch. This beginning patchwork handmade quilt design features a basic design with nine same size boxes. To change the design, the quilter selects different colored fabrics, sometimes adding multi-patterned cottons with solids or multi-patterned cottons with solid colored fabrics.

This is an updated tribute to those first handmade quilts only this handmade quilt uses the nine patch for the corners and incorporates photo memories as the main handmade quilt blocks.

The customer for this handmade quilt embellished her photo blocks with cute stickers that represented the people in the handmade quilt blocks, from flowers to books and other mementos.

These photos blocks had embelishments on the corners. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

A small multi-patterned pink cotton with small white flowers merged the photo quilt blocks into the overall pattern. Sometimes it is challenging to select the right fabric but we advise to pick something simple and neutral so the custom photo blocks stand out on the handmade quilt.

The custom photo quilt blocks were printed as the customer provided them. They were designed on standard 8.5 x 11 inch white paper and we cut the quilt blocks down to size. We use a unique printable muslin cotton that nicely maintains the photo colors through cold water washing.

In case you are wondering, all of the original photos are returned once they are printed onto our custom photo fabric.

Here’s the handmade nine patch photo quilt top ready for quilting. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The customer also provided the photo layout so they had each one of the photo memories in the right spots on the handmade quilt.

I can imagine a child spread across this handmade photo quilt pouring over the photos, can’t you?

Charlotte

Diamond Hexies Handmade Quilt

Fun to see how the different fabrics were blended into this handmade quilt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Diamond Hexies Handmade Custom Quilt

When I think of hexagons in a handmade quilt, I think of Flower Garden handmade quilts like Vintage Martha’s Flower Garden custom handmade quilt. Diamond Hexies handmade custom quilt is a new take on the use of paper pieced hexagons and I love the overall look.

Diamond Hexies custom handmade quilt was featured during Piece and Plenty’s bi-annual quilt festival October 2019 in Rolla, Missouri.

If you are a beekeeper, Diamond Hexies custom handmade quilt will remind you of a frame of bee bread where bees store flower pollen in honey for later use. Think of it as a bee’s larder for feeding baby bees.

If you look at the various hexagon collections, within each block there are different fabrics, all scraps from the quilt maker’s fabric stashes. Although I understand the attraction of buying new fabric, using fabric scraps is more attuned to the spirit of original handmade quilts, which were made from clothing and home decor fabrics, a true repurposing.

Close up of the different fabrics used in this custom handmade quilt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Diamond Hexies custom handmade quilt, as most quilts do, has its own back story.

The story behind this hexagonal handmade quilt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

One of the thoughts I have had over the many years is to spend one winter making teeny tiny flower garden handmade quilts out of very little hexagons.

I may still do it!

Charlotte

Dragon Dance Handmade Quilt Wall Hanging

What a charming way to celebrate a Chinese New Year! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Dragon Dance Handmade Quilt Wall Hanging

Are your January days cold and dreary? Ours in mid-Missouri are so this time of year I try to bring in as much color into my house as I can. I still have poinsettias with their leaves turned red and pink; some of my moth orchids have re-bloomed and salvaged begonias are brightening up my kitchen.

It’s at this time of year that I also think about how to warm up my rooms with quilted wall hangings.At the bottom of my steps to my basement, I just hung a Four Seasons Lap Quilt Wall Hanging to brighten the landing and remind myself winter will soon be over. Luckily many small handmade quilts or lap quilts and throws like this one also include tabs on the back so they can easily be made into wall hangings. When not in use, the tabs sit flat on the back and don’t interfere with using the handmade quilt for naps.

One of my favorite places for home decor inspiration is local quilt shows such as the 2017 Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild in Rolla. One of the custom handmade quilts and quilted wall hangings that I would love to have on my wall this time of year is the Dragon Dance custom handmade quilt and wall hanging featured here.

Made by Laurie Miller, of Rolla, this lovely piece of fiber art won a first place for the best incorporation of the challenge fabric. In other words, the quilter was given a fabric they had to incorporate into their custom handmade quilt and Laurie was the best in show. Nice going, Laurie!

Take a closer look at the lovely, detailed dragon head. The eyes are amazingly detailed and I love how the fabrics compliment instead of compete with each other. With the variety of printed fabrics, this could easily have been a visual disaster but Laurie selected fabrics that hold their own:

The closeup shows the fabric details including the dragon eyes. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

When I first started my custom quilt business, my first quilter and I used to spend hours pouring over potential project fabrics to ensure that we had the right fabric combinations. Since then, I have seen dozens of beautifully- made custom handmade quilts that suffered from poor fabric selection. If the fabrics are wrong, it doesn’t matter how accomplished the quilter is, incompatible fabric colors will lead one’s eye.

Which is yet another accomplishment of this custom handmade quilt, even with all of the primary colors and strong tones, they seem to like each other.

And can you imagine this hanging on a wall in your house brightening up the corner?

Nice recognition of the lovely quilting work! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Me, too!

Charlotte