Thursday, March 06, 2008

More medallion quilts.....

These are the photos of the quilts that had the second assignment completed from my quilt group. The second assignment was to create the first border using an influential person in your life as inspiration. It was a really special evening being able to see these quilt tops being laid out to share them and their stories...


Hanneke ~ Her first border is a symbol of her mother who is always with her. Her mother is always telling her that fabrics cannot be put together like she does which is represented by the 9~patch blocks in 9 different red fabrics.


Miep ~ Her border is a representation of her husband who has passed away. She placed two black triangles to show the two years that he was ill and in a nursing home. His favorite pastime of fishing is shown in the fabric in the corners and the gold fabric is a symbol for all the good times they had together. The many straight lines between these triangles show his straightforwardness in life and the outer fabric is all the same representing his constant good character.


Joke ~ She has used the Storm At Sea pattern as her border to show the storms in nature around their vacation home but also the storms she has withstood in life. The small red triangles in each corner block are the strength, intensity and sometimes rage of life.


Jacomina ~ This quilt was not shown last time as she was using a piece of fabric for her center block. She used a piece of toile fabric with a little boy and girl as she has entered a new phase in life becoming a grandmother to twins (a boy and girl) for the first time in life. Her border is Broken Dishes blocks to symbolize the harsh winter of 1962~63 in Holland. At the time, she and her mother walked across the built up ice floes on the seas just over the dikes. She remembers this vividly along with everyone being so alarmed that they took this dangerous walk on the ice. She used not only the pattern to show this fragile ice but also her choice of fabrics.


Elly ~ Her border has hearts in the four corners to represent each of her four children. She says her children knew without being told which heart symbolized which. The star of David on each side represents her traveling with her boyfriend to Israel recently while the corners leading out to the heart blocks show the other parts of the world she has been to on vacation with him.


Bep ~ There are 12 blocks built up around her middle block which are a symbol of the members of our quilt group. It shows the warm and cold side of each person in the color variation from red to yellow.

These quilts are all very unique and made special by the stories they tell.

14 comments:

Beatrice said...

Oh My!! all the quilts are amazing. The colours are wonderful. The stories are very touching!

Roberta said...

Heidi, the quilt blocks and their stories are so touching. Again you are such a great inspiration.

I value your friendship and admire your creativity.

Roberta

Nancy said...

Oh Heidi! The quilts are absolutely gorgeous! I love reading all the meanings behind the colors and patterns. Simply amazing!

I have to agree with Hanneke - I think her use of color has a lot of visual appeal!

diane said...

Please thank the ladies for sharing their wonderful creations with me! I enjoyed each story, they are so personal and neat!!!

Carolien said...

Very impressive to read the stories and to see the stories 'woven' into the quilts.
Thanks for sharing, Heidi, and thanks for sharing, all the ladies of the quiltgroup! You have done a marvellous job.

Greetings, Carolien

hazel c UK said...

Hi Heidi, The quilts are beautiful and the stories behind them so moving. Such lovely work and colour combinations. I so wish I lived in Holland. Thank you and the ladies for sharing such lovely thoughts. Hazelxx

Kristen said...

Oh how beautiful they ALL are! As I was scrolling down, I was saying oh that is wonderful, I love that, and so on! You have obviously inspired them to make some absolutely breathtaking quilts! What a wonderful testimony of their love for their family! LOVE THEM!!!! Well done ladies! Now, does anyone want to help me learn how to make such a masterpiece? :)

Suzann said...

Heidi,
These are all so beautiful. I love the blocks and the stories. I want to quilt. Can I come stay with you and learn???
Suzann

Nancy said...

Well I know all these ladies, and they certainly put a lot of thought into these quilts. Bep, that is oh so you. Jacomina, I love the little boy and girl. Elly, I think you did a beautiful job and so glad you didn't change the center. It is perfect. Hanneke, very nice work and thinking of your mother makes me smile. Joke, what a neat center and I love the thought you put in your border. Miep, that is a very fantastic job. I love everything about this quilt, and I hope you bring it to the quilt night to show us while I am there. Heidi, what a great inspiration you are to these wonderful ladies.

Anonymous said...

Wow! Wow! and Wow! My dear sister, you have surpassed mere art and ascended the heights of absolute genius in your craft. I am honored to be remembered in this classic piece of timeless beauty, humbled by the attention to detail and skill in every stitch, and rendered speechless by the overall panorama of emotion and color. Well done, Heidi, well done.

Love, Eric

Sweet Cottage Dreams said...

Wow! These are all so very pretty! I enjoyed the stories that went with their quilts. I am thinking that I need to make a quilt - it isn't like I don't have enough fabric! You would love a quilt shop in a town close by. There are so many wonderful fabrics to choose from. My friend, In The Garden With Miss Jean, has some quilter's links on her blog that you may want to read. Jean is a quilter, too. You should see her sewing room - amazing!

I left you a comment on the previous post, too. Hope all is going great for you and that you are sewing away!

Hugs and cuddles to all,
Becky and Doogs

Teresa said...

Heidi,
The quilts are beautiful. Please let the women know I enjoyed seeing them.

Teresa

Karen said...

WOW those quilts are amazing, but I love the stories that go with the color selection and block choices. What a treasure of each one of their lives. I hope there writing this down for a label on the back. What a great challenge.

Hugs - Karen

Christine said...

WOW!! Those are awesome quilt blocks. Very well done. What an amazing group of talented creative quilters.