Not Your Average Quilt

We have moved 8 times in our 23 yrs. of marriage.  That averages to about every 3 yrs.  With each move,  I have found there is always something I learn about myself.  Whether it is about my character (I learned it takes me 3 solid months to adjust to change with people and places),  a new creative outlet (I started painting in Beijing), or I would pick up a new hobby (like learning to play golf in Indonesia).  

The last location, Sumatra, started my quilting craze.  Well...I didn't quilt them actually, Ebu Upi had that talent.  Maybe I should say, I discovered that I liked designing them with fun, whimsical pictures.  Like a painting.  Each idea came from a desire I had (like visiting Paris one day),  holding onto a memory (like my doggie quilt), or something fun for my 'lil peanut.  I would draw and cut the patterns and Upi would piece it all together. And in the end...it looked like a finished painting.  Something we created together.  Except, I think she definitely deserves more credit than me!   

I hope you enjoy some of our quilts

This quilt is in memory of our two yorkies, Pepper on the left and Opie on the right.  All the fabric is batik, which I explain about later.  Pepper and Opie are under The Tree of Life with a big heart in the middle for our love for them.  I understand the tree of life's meaning to be, "The tree of knowledge." They were very smart dogs, so I thought that was fitting.  I have St. Martin de Porres' name on the branch.  One attribute St. Martin de Porres was known for was his ability to communicate with animals.  

 We had Opie 13-14 yrs.  We got him right after we were married.  My good friend Lucy was unable to care for him anymore(due to her job).  Since I was babysitting him so much, we decided I would keep him.  Over time he got old and sick.  And sadly we buried him in Beijing.  My good friend Patty K. helped me with his burial, which I am forever grateful!   She really took care of Opie...and me.  Patty K., I  love you girl!  Can I get an amen.  My other two friends Cathy and Patty B. came over and stayed with me for several hours.  I will never forget their compassion and generosity of their time they gave me that day.  Precious women!  Pepper was our second Yorkie.  He was the kids first dog they picked out all by themselves.  We got him right before we moved to Sumatra.  He was just three yrs. old when he passed unexpectedly.  We buried him in our backyard in the jungle.
  I tried drawing my two dogs, but couldn't get it right.  So, I asked my friend Andrew, who is an artist and the kids art teacher at the time if he wouldn't mind lending me a hand...literally his hand.  He was gracious enough to come up with these drawings based on photographs I gave him.   Didn't he do a great job!  We had Pepper looking young and playful and Opie sitting and looking like a distinguished older gentleman.

  This is one of my favorites.  She just looks so sexxxxy and sassssy!  In a, "Come hither dahhhling," kind of way.  She got some tata's goin on too ;) 

Lady in Paris with her poodle.  Enchante (nice to meet you)!  She's so chic with her sunglasses and hat.

This was my way of putting out to the universe, "I want to go to Paris one day!" Five yrs. later, it happened. :)))  She is standing in front of the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe. 

This is for my 'lil Texan Cowgirl. She's havin a heck of a time, as we say in Texas.  I found this image off a greeting card and changed it a bit to suit my youngest.  It is a lap quilt.  Actually, most of the ones I am showing are lap quilts.  

Como sei bella.  Meaning, you are beautiful, in Italian.  I think it sounds so pretty, don't you?  She is a hawwt dancing queen!  I made this to take back to the states to sell.  But, I never did.

My Granny, maternal side, bought this fabric when she lived in Jakarta, Indonesia in the '70's.  My granny and mom both used it as a table cloth.  When it was passed down to me, I thought it would be pretty quilted.  I didn't want to put food on such pretty fabric.  

Indonesian fabric I had quilted too.  They make great lap quilts and look exotic laying on the arm of a sofa or chair.

This is not my design.  I copied it from my friend Beth, she was my neighbor in Sumatra.  She lives in Poland now.  Wow!  What a life, huh :)  She made her quilt in different shades of red and black.  I liked this design because it reminds me of my time in China.  It is made from batik fabric.  Batik is cloth made using a manual wax-resisted dying technique (wikipedia).  

Here is a photo of my 'lil one making batik fabric at her school's  Indonesian Culture Day.

And last, this is one my mom designed.  One summer when we were home visiting, she asked everyone in the family to go to Hobby Lobby and pick out a piece of fabric that we felt represented ourselves.  She had all of us sign our name on transfer paper and then she embroidered it on to a piece of white fabric.  She did this for four quilts (for my brother, sister, myself, and herself).  I brought back all the pieces to Sumatra.  These were quilted my Rini.  A beautiful, young Indonesian woman.  In fact, she quilted these last two.

I saw some very fun and unique quilts on instagram today.  One insta girl had a quilt made out of her daughter's dance costumes.  So f.u.n.!  And she will have a very useful keepsake forever (I wish I could publish her inst handle, but I might be breaking some etiquette rule I haven't read about yet).

There you have it.  My not so average quilts.  Tell me about yours...