Witch Way Handmade Quilt

This black cat seems to have seen a ghost in this charming handmade quilt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Witch Way Handmade Quilt

It’s that time of year when at least in my neighborhood people are ready to have some fun. Over the years, companies that track trends have reported Halloween follows only Christmas as the most celebrated fun holiday.

The reasons vary. It’s the holiday that kicks off three months of celebrating that includes Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s the first holiday after summer. And I think there’s an element of just wanting to have fun.

Now I’m not a fan of slasher movies and scaring people. But I do enjoy the whimsy of Halloween, from witches to black cats.

Since this custom handmade quilt had both, it was a sure bet it would be a favorite. Witch Way Handmade Quilt was an entry in our local Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild show in 2019. The charming quilt features printed Halloween-themed fabrics with a variety of different themed quilt blocks.

Halloween is more than celebrated on this handmade quilt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The spider with the man in the moon is a new image, and I was charmed to see a happy carved pumpkin represented in this Halloween-themed custom handmade quilt.

Every handmade quilt has a story and this one does as well. The handmade quilt was made as a house warming gift for the quilter’s daughter.

Great house warming gift for anyone! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Themed quilts like these are a great way to easily add a bit of whimsy to any room either as a quilted wall hanging or just tossed over the back of a sofa or chair. The colors themselves become the focal point without having to move furniture and change out all of the other items. And if you have a cat, say a black cat ready to lie on it, well that’s the perfect home decor touch!

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

Custom Wedding Dress Baby Quilt

This custom wedding dress baby quilt included white satin and lace. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Custom Wedding Dress Baby Quilt

Over the years we have made a number of these custom wedding dress quilts, some as baby quilts and others as lap quilts. There is something quite appealing about repurposing such a special dress. What other uses can one really have for a wedding dress?

There are some interesting challenges with making custom wedding dress quilts. In the case of a custom wedding dress baby quilt, we had to stabilize lace to ensure that it will have a long life as part of this custom wedding dress baby quilt.

The customer wanted the standard 36 inches by 48 inch crib based on our custom wedding dress lap quilt throw design so we made the square quilt blocks smaller to fit the final size.

We were also asked to incorporate lace, which meant the machine quilting had to work around the lace but still tack it.

Delicate lace is stabilized for a long life. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Our original custom wedding dress quilt design included a machine quilting design along the borders that added a third dimension to these custom handmade quilts. The machine quilting was a little smaller to reflect the smaller overall custom handmade quilt design.

Machine quilting around the edge adds another dimension. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The customer wanted something soft for the backing and provided a very slippery soft quilt backing fabric. Our excellent machine quilter was able to work with the backing and get it incorporated. The end result was a heavy weight baby quilt that repurposes a special piece of clothing to mark the next life chapter, the birth of a child.

This is not a custom baby quilt that can get daily use. We recommend dry cleaning and using this for special occasions like a baptism, continuing the tradition of marking life’s special moments.

Charlotte

Custom Ladybug Handmade Quilt

Can you tell the applique ladybugs are made out of different red fabrics? (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Custom Ladybug Handmade Quilt

Ladybugs are special to me. I can still remember the first time I saw them in my garden, a sign of garden health and the relationship between good bugs and bad bugs. The ladybugs were consuming aphids off one of the plants a friend had given me. Without aphids, there would be no ladybugs.

Ladybugs are a symbol of hard work and good fortune. They were the inspiration for my company’s trademark and for this charming custom ladybug handmade quilt.

We have only made one so far because of the cotton fabrics. Each of the applique ladybugs are made out of a collection of red printed fabrics I saved over a year. The red fabrics needed to have very small print on them so it was a bit of a treasure hunt.

Although some of the applique quilt blocks have duplicates, all of the red fabrics have the same or similar sized printed designs.

We often think of quilts for beds and maybe chairs but I also like to use them on walls. This custom handmade quilt will work well as a quilted wall hanging to easily change a room decor as well as tossed over the back of a sofa or chair, which is how I like to display mine. That way the quilt is handy for actual use!

One of the fun ways this ladybug quilt could be further customized is to have family names custom embroidered on each one of the ladybugs. There are 30 on this custom quilt so there’s plenty of ladybugs to reflect family members!

I know it’s August but it’s not too soon to start thinking about holiday gifts and getting them personalized if that’s how you plan to present them.

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

Handmade Quilts Certified Made in USA

One of our handmade quilts shipped certified as made in USA. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Handmade Quilts Certified Made in USA

Over the years we’ve seen people selling handmade quilts made overseas as made in USA quilts, That’s why when you get one of our made in USA handmade quilts, you also get a little card with my signature certifying that the handmade quilt you just purchased was made in the USA.

So what’s the difference?

Plenty.

Our made in USA handmade quilts are made with the best quilter’s cotton available.

We also double check that the fabrics are good quality, such as the printed cotton used in Polka Dots Baby Quilt gift set.

Between all of those people involved in making custom handmade quilts, hundreds of years of experience go into each made in USA handmade quilt.

The free toys have a quilt care guide included. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

We also double-check and ensure the quality not only of the work but of the materials used. If we say you are getting bamboo fill, your custom handmade quilt will be made with bamboo fill.

Each baby quilt ships with a companion toy. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

We also know you want your handmade quilts to deliver your special message so we include a complimentary toy to carry your message, We also like to think the toy keeps the custom handmade quilt company on its voyage.

We are certifiable?

Maybe. But we know our custom handmade quilts made in USA definitely are!

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

Shipping Handmade Baby Quilts

A great way to personalize one of our custom unique baby quilts. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Shipping Handmade Baby Quilts

Another one of our made in US custom personalized quilts is on its way to its new home and owner.

Of all of the steps involved in designing, making and then shipping these custom handmade quilts, this is probably the one that’s the most enjoyable to me. The detailed work is done. We now get to see the whole gift concept completed, from the custom embroidery celebrating the new baby to preparing the baby quilt for shipment.

Once we have the custom personalized quilt finished, the next step is to add our label.

One of the final steps prior to shipping, adding our label. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I like to do this as the final step in making the baby quilt. It’s a celebration that the baby quilt has been adopted and destined to give a child a new friend as they grow up.

This pink large blocks baby quilt is a little different than our regular, smaller blocked pink rag baby quilts. This one was a larger 50x60 inch size so the child can easily grow into it. Most baby quilts are crib size 36x48 inches and sometimes end up as quilted wall hangings and repurposed pillows.

To ensure the parents know how to care for this very special baby quilt, I include a quilt care guide.

Each quilt receives a quilt care guide with a certificate on back that it was made in US. (Photo by Charlotte ekker Wiggins)

On the back is a signed certificate of authenticity that the baby quilt was made in the USA.

Finally, and the step that guarantees a smile at the other end, we tuck in an appropriate complimentary gift toy. Some people over the years have commented about how much the toy is enjoyed by the child.

Part of me likes the thought of the toy keeping the baby quilt company on its way to its new home.

Final step, adding a fun toy to keep the quilt company on its journey. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

And with that final tuck of a toy inside the baby quilt, it’s time to pack it in a box and send it on its way. With our well wishes and love tucked in the corners.

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

Hang In There Cat Quilt

Don’t some days remind you of this cat? Hang in there! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Hang in There Cat Quilt Wall Hanging

We all have them. Favorite quilts we like to curl up in or were gifts that we don’t use because they were made especially for us.

Now is the time to take a look at them and repurpose them into a wall hanging. Especially for that guest room, basement or garage that has become an impromptu office. There is no better way to warm up a space than to hang a handmade quilt from a wall.

Depending on the size of the wall, standard lap quilts 50x60 inches make excellent quilted wall hangings. Hang in There Cat Quilt seems to reflect where we are today, literally hanging in there.

There are also some smaller versions often found as baby crib quilts 36x48 inches that also work well as a quilted wall hanging in a baby nursery.

Quilts can help insulate a room and also deaden that hollow sound some rooms have, especially garages and basements with unfinished walls. The quilted wall hanging also helps to insulate the space from outside noises.

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

Quilt Mystery Solved

Our Irish Chain quilt ended up with Bill Murray in Super Bowl Jeep commercial! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Quilt Mystery Solved

If you saw my January 21, 2020 posting about a quilt “Windy City Bound,” I now know what production it ended up in. As one of my cats was stepping over my keyboard and freeze-framed the shot, there was the Swirl Irish Chain quilt, keeping Bill Murray warm in Fiat Chrysler Jeep’s Super Bowl commercial.

No doubt about it. Swirl Irish Chain handmade quilt has been in our inventory for many years. I just shipped it to a production company in Chicago. As Bill Murray gleefully gets out of bed reliving Groundhog Day in the commercial, there is the quilt, with its unique quilted swirls in the white fabric blocks.

The production company said they used Swirl Irish Chain quilt because it was almost an exact copy of the handmade quilt in the original Groundhog Day movie.

Just so happens that this Jeep commercial is my all-time Super Bowl commercial so what a treat to know one of our quilts was included.

it’s one of those little life moments, sheer fun!

Charlotte

Butterflies and Flowers Handmade Quilt

Butterflies and Flowers Handmade Quilt by Carol Creighton. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Butterflies and Flowers Handmade Quilt

It’s been a grey few weeks in mid-Missouri; typical of Januaries except for the record warm temperatures. I can’t remember the last Christmas here that was 70F, nor the Groundhog Day that marked 72F.

Not surprisingly, the groundhog February 2, 2020 did not see his shadow, forecasting an early spring. More reliable predictions have been made by scientists that as our global temperatures rapidly continue to warm, our springs and falls in the midwest will be longer with shorter winters. They’re not as cute as a groundhog so maybe that’s why some people dismiss their forecasts but they’ve been accurate so far.

So i spent Groundhog 2020 piddling around my limestone hillside garden. i dug out two concrete planters i had turned over and used the bottoms for legs, and then enjoyed the rest of the afternoon gently snapping off native pink phlox stems from last year’s crop of flowers.

Butterflies love the pink phlox so the more i have growing in my garden, the better. Cleaning up the pink phlox reminded me of the lovely butterflies in this Butterflies and Flowers Handmade Custom Quilt featured at Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild’s bi-annual show October 2019 in Rolla, Missouri.

This elegant custom handmade quilt has a traditional center wheel patchwork design with butterflies and flowers along the sides.

A closer look at the butterflies and flowers. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Although I don’t know of any butterflies with these color combinations, I do recall some that have elements of these fabrics.

Blue Sulphur Butterflies, for example, are tiny but its easy to spot them as they alight on blooming flowers because of their unusual blue color.

The butterflies on this custom handmade quilt remind me of some of the butterflies on our Butterflies Lap Quilt throws which, interestingly enough, also feature blue colors.

The story behind this quilt and who quilted it, Faye Melear! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

So much to like about this custom quilt story, too. This is a unique design, combining the center patchwork wheel design with the applique butterflies and flowers. And even a nicer surprise, the custom handmade quilt was quilted by Faye Melear, who for years has contributed to making some of our custom handmade quilts.

Nicely done, Carol Creighton!

Charlotte

Poorly Printed Woodland Quilt

This is a close up for the printed quilt with fuzzy borders. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Poorly Printed Woodland Quilt

You will see these all over social media sites, lovely handmade quilts from a Chinese printing company that claims to be a custom quilt maker.

One of our customers was curious about the product so we ordered a Woodlands Lap Quilt for her. Her plan was to give them to family and friends as a wedding gift with a personal message embroidered on each one.

It took 3 weeks and this is the printed quilt that was shipped from China. There is no quilt fill; the backing is black. The front has the printed design but some of the colors are running, and it definitely is not even close to the original marketed product.

This is how the printed quilt is marketed, a very different product quality. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

We appreciate that the price point of $49.95 is attractive but, as my mother used to say, you get what you pay for.

Printed fabrics have come a long way in the past few years; we know because we print photos and original artwork on fabric. This particular product, however, does not close close to the quality of the original marketed item and it should. Printing techniques have greatly improved and should be almost equal to the original product.

If there is any use for this quilt, it may be as a wall hanging where people can’t get close to look at the details.

If you don’t mind that the colors are bleeding and you don’t have quilt fill, then by all means this may be the handmade quilt product for you. However, we won’t be carrying any of these quilts if and until the quality improves.

We are currently in the process of returning it and getting a refund. Although the company says satisfaction guaranteed, it has offered to refund only 45% of the price, which my customer is not happy about but will accept.

The sad part about this story is that now my customer is telling everyone she knows about how bad the product is and how they don’t stand behind their refund policy. Good customer service and honoring their return policy would have made a big difference.

i won’t mention the company’s name here but if you are thinking of buying from a Chinese printed quilt company, email me and i will let you know what company to not work with unless you don’t mind losing your money.

Charlotte

PS As of February 21, 2020 the company website is now off line and all emails are being returned. There will be no refund.

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