Linda’s Blog

An Amazing Quilt Show - The San Francisco Quilters Guild

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 08:48:05 -0700

The 2009 SFQG show was very exciting this year for both the Guild and me personally. It was my first SFQG show and WOW! Over 300 quilts were on display and six of mine were in the midst of color and creativity. I was honored to win two ribbons. One for my art quilt titled “Hawaiian Hibiscus” and the other for my “Autumn Safari”. The interesting story is that last Dec. 22 - January 18 my husband and I were on a Crystal Cruise from Santiago, Chili to Buenos Aries, Argentina cruising through Antarctica. I took my sewing machine with me and each morning I pieced the quilt top together on the floor of the Italian restaurant and at one of the waiter stations. Something short of a miracle, the seams came together perfectly. I completed three quilt tops, two of which when completed were on display in this show. Other passengers could not believe I brought my machine, small iron, all the cutting tools, etc and quilted each morning. I must admit I stopped at noon each day to join my husband for lunch and never missed afternoon bridge, the casino or other fun activities. Just goes to show......You can have it all.

The Gallery 2611 Quilt Show

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 20:41:38 -0700

A special thank you to all everyone who helped make my Fall quilt show a success. What a wonderful evening and a fun way to support some of the community projects I work with. Proceeds from this show are being donated to the “Berkeley Cares with Fabric Hugs” Kiwanis project that donates 220 quilts to Bay Area Kids, Veterans, and Seniors. To learn more about this project, Click Here. Please contact me directly if you would still like to donate to this project.
Click the Pictures to See the Quilts.

See the Gallery Live - September 5th,

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:01:51 -0700

For those of you who’ve been waiting to see my quilts in person, I would like to invite you to my Fall 2008 Northern California Quilt Show. Come and enjoy an artistic evening of friends, food, festivities, and of course, fiber art!

Click Here to Get the Map

The Sew-Lympics: If Quilting Were an Olympic Sport

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:51:08 -0700

You may not see too many quilters in the real olympics.... Michael Phelps won’t be seen in a long arm quilting add in the magazines, and major cities won’t have to be converted into quilting stadiums, but since it’s too exciting to quilt and watch the olympics at the same time, I’ve put together a list of alternative “sporting” related events for a very niche market athlete: The Sew-Lympics!

Opening Ceremonies - This event occurs when a person realizes they are a quilter and admits they “have a stash.” Remember how many relatives came out of woodwork when you say you wanted to quilt for family and friends. (No wonder it takes 4 years. I can’t imagine how many other projects I will start by then.)

400 Yard Dash - Everyone in San Francisco experienced that when we heard the Black Cat Quilting Store had a 75% off fabric sale. I live close enough to the store, it was literally, about a 400 yard dash. (Those “professional sprinters,” have nothing on us when it comes to standing between a quilter and their sale.)

Sewing Speedo - A functional outfit that allows you to quickly move from the sewing table, to the ironing table, to the cutting table and back. This is equipped with an automatic pin dispenser and magnet for easy pick up, as well as a “loose thread” sticky pick up.

Balance Beam - It might be as stretch, but when you see a sale on fabric, you can always find a way to balance your checkbook and stick the landing.

Gymnastics - Have you ever tired to paper piece? It involves a lot of “bending,” flexibility, and imagination. Sometimes, it’s even set to music.

All kidding aside; every quilter knows the pride they have in their country and what a great country we have, whether we’re making July 4 quilts, quilts for veterans, or historical quilts. Quilting is part of America and has been for a long time American pastime, hobby and craft but to me it is also a beloved sport!

Veteran’s Quilt Project Update

Mon, 4 Aug 2008 19:40:42 -0700

Great News! Some of the quilt kits sent out to volunteers for the Berkeley Cares with Fabric Hugs have returned. Here is a visual update on their progress. These stunning reds, whites, and blues, we hope will put smiles on the faces of those valued veterans who receive them. I would like to say a big thank you to all of you who are helping make these fabric kits into quilts. If you would like to help, please email me, we need help!

Quilting At Black Cat - From Bento Box to Kimono

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 11:44:01 -0700

July, 2006 marks an important time in my life. I was sitting in San Francisco’s premiere quilting shop, Black Cat Quilts, working on a doll quilt for my granddaughter when I met Jennifer, a woman who would later work with me in turning my quilting hobby into a business. As beginning quilters we both had many questions: how do you sew a straight line? Where can I find a good pair of scissors? What is applique?
On July 16th, 2004, Jennifer and I took our first of many sewing classes together at Black Cat Quilts and we had a ball! The class was called Bento Box, with Nancy Clock as the instructor and we learned to make the simple pattern seen below.

Since then Jennifer and I have spent many long hours quilting, cutting fabric, pinning fabric, trading Halloween fabrics, ripping out seams, re-sewing, and having a great time. When Jennifer found out I needed a website, she suggested a blog, and pictures of my quilts, she was happy to help, so we teamed up to create the quilting “force.” I feel fortunate that I have wonderful family and friends who have helped make my hobby into a business that benefits many of them and our community.

When I found out our beloved Black Cat Quilts, was closing, I called Jennifer, “we have to take the last class at Black Cat,” I said. “After all, we started our quilting adventure with a Black Cat class with instructor Nancy Clock and it seemed so fitting to take the last class at Black Cat and with Nancy Clock as the instructor! Besides, like so many others quilting acquaintances, without Black Cat, we wouldn’t even know each other.”

And so we took the last class together again. It was a lot more advanced than the simple bento box pattern we had started with, and involved paper piecing. (See Kimono picture on the right.) We met more new quilting friends that day, created a beautiful block, learned a new technique, ate some chocolate, bought some more fabric and just had fun! I have always said a quilting class is like a "happy hour with a sewing machine!" One of the best ways to spend a day or weekend I know.

I’d like to personally thank Gretchen Nelson, the wonderful woman behind Black Cat Quilts, (pictured below) who owned and operated the store for all of it’s twelve years. Her guidance and friendship was always a warm presence in the shop and though we will miss her store, we are so glad she’s still in our quilting community.

Quilter’s Legacy Inspires New Generation of Community Projects - Part One

Mon, 2 Jun 2008 18:58:46 -0700

I am a lucky woman. First of all, I am surrounded by a wonderful family, and second, I happen to know some amazing and caring people. Every now and then people exhibit generosity that just blows you away, and as you can see by the surrounding pictures, I recently received about a quarter ton of generosity. It came to me in the form of a quilting stash.

Those of you who have a quilter in your home know about the “Stash.” For those of you who are scratching your heads, a quilter’s fabric stash is the amount of fabric they accumulate in a lifetime. The stash is usually purchased at fabric stores as often as the quilter can manage, without looking like they have a “problem” to those on the outside. Sale signs popping into the windows of quilt stores are causes for us to drop everything and buy even more fabric. Now, I have my own stash that people often seem to mistake for a fabric store and in some ways that’s true; with a daughter who quilts, 12 grandchildren, and several community service projects I support and supply lots of fabrics for, so since they all shop here for free, I feel a little better about having such a large stash. (That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.)

A woman I never had the privilege to meet has touched my life, her name is Sharon Hale. She was a dedicated quilter who, in her lifetime, created approximately 5,000 quilts before she passed away this year. Her daughter discovered my many community outreach and quilting projects and selected me to be the recipient of her mother’s beloved stash. I was very honored. As every quilter knows, the stash is a very personal thing. When sorting through the literal truckloads of fabric, scissors, pins, buttons, sewing machines, patterns, books, and rolls of batting, I couldn’t help but to get excited about completing some of her unfinished projects. (It also made me seriously think about some of my own unfinished projects. Who would ever finish them? I’d better get started.)

Working with another quilter’s stash is a humbling experience, especially when I consider the community service Sharon accomplished in her lifetime. Sharon spent most of her professional career as a teacher of special education at El Camino High School in South San Francisco. She was honored to receive the Woman of the Year Award in Pacifica, for her many activities with community organizations and selfless sense of giving. Here is an excerpt I would like to share with you a moving story from one of Sharon’s letters.

“Not all of my students were eager to attend High School. I had gang members who would rather be on the streets, students living with their families in cars, students born with fetal-alcohol syndrome, and some with a severe learning or emotional disability. I was fortunate to have a large room and brought my sewing machine and quilt-tying frame to school. The students joined me in my community quilt projects. While making a quilt for someone else, they learned to adjust, adapt and understand life. They learned responsibility, creativity, and stress management skills. I was so lucky to be able to take the time to tie a quilt with a student. We could work together when students need to ease a violent temper or understand why I liked them when they didn’t even like themselves. They gained self-confidence, compassion, and social skills. I wanted to teach my students to get the most out of life by giving”

I feel, very much, like a part of Sharon Hale’s vision is alive and well when working with her stash. In fact, it is this inspiration that has created my current quilting outreach project with the Berkeley Kiwanas: Berkeley Cares with Fabric Hugs. I like to think of this as the continuation of a great cycle, and that the projects we do in life impact others far more than we can ever imagine both for those who give and those who receive. I think that giving to others is very rewarding. I encourage all of you to find ways to give back and share as much as you can with those who most need it. If you live in the Bay Area, and you’ve been inspired, email me to volunteer with the Legacy Stash. You can make a difference by finishing one quilt, six quilts, or fifty quilts. There are ways for everyone to help, (we even need people to wash a load of flannel fabric). Wherever you see yourself fitting in, come and play with us, there’s room for everyone to have a great time and be inspired.

Look for updates on the progress of this stash as it works it’s way through the community. Click the button below to read more.

Legacy Stash in Action: Berkeley Kiwanis Get Involved - Part Two

Fri, 30 May 2008 08:03:14 -0700

After being the recipient of a large donated fabric stash, I wanted to make sure the community was able to give back. I have been a member Kiwanis International since 1988 (the first year they allowed women members). For those of you who don’t know, Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time and I am currently a member of the Berkeley Chapter.

I approached the Berkeley Kiwanis community service committee and chair, Bettye Lowman and told them I had been given enough fabric to make over 220 of quilts. I asked who would best be served in our community to receive these quilts and what community service projects we could begin. Needless to say, they thought it was a very exciting idea. The Kiwanis Board agreed and approved this as an official project.

Senior Center
Bettye went right to work and identified a local senior citizen residence facility of 55 seniors over 65 years old. The staff was very excited, and the residence will soon find out about our special gift. Our goal is to make 60 quilts for the 55 residence, to make sure everyone has a variety to select from. Volunteers will be key in making the quilts.

Children of Berkeley
Kiwanis serves the children of Berkeley and we’re making between 50-60 children’s quilts to The Vera M. Casey House for babies with young teenage moms attending Berkeley High School.

I am so excited about getting the community involved in this project. The ladies at the Madonna House share in my enthusiasm and every week they have quilting kits assembled, and projects ready to go out the door. They’ve spent over a year making quilts for their families and friends and developing sewing skills farther than they imagined, and now they’re cranking out amazing projects. It is very exciting to see people who some might consider the recipients of an outreach quilt, graciously creating for others.

Legacy Stash in Action: Quilts for Veterans - Part Three

Tue, 20 May 2008 11:41:41 -0700

Every quilter makes a Fourth of July quilt but Sharon Hale’s donated quilt stash has activated a growing community of over 30 local volunteers to give something back to the men and women who defend and protect America; I’m talking about quilts for local veterans. Digging deeper into the stash, I discovered a whole box of military themed fabrics with with large, 20 inch, logos and emblems from the US Army, Navy, Air force, Marines, and Coast Guard. When I saw this fabric, the idea of Quilts for Local Veterans was born.

We launched the official project at my house on Memorial Day. Over the three day weekend, my home studio saw over twenty-eight volunteers who put together quilt kits and made quilts. It was fun to see High School and college kids who’ve never quilted before, turned on to this exciting art form. The many quilt tops they designed and sewed will be well received.

Given that I recently read Bill Clinton’s book Giving, where he advocates that everyone has something to give, whether it’s time, money, or talent, it’s exciting to see all three of those incorporated in this project.

It’s a lot of fun creating something from a bunch of scraps. You can discover hidden beauty in watching random pieces of fabric unfold into full blown quilts. I hope to see this as an ongoing, annual project (certainly not always to this scale) that’s going to be a lot of fun. Check in with me next year, or check in with me now if you’re the kind of person who’s been inspired by Sharon Hale’s Legacy Stash and this amazing project!

Madonna house Graduation: the Mermaids “Come out to play”

Fri, 16 May 2008 08:29:59 -0700

It’s official: the ladies at the Madonna House have moved on to designing their first colleague quilt. Until now, we’ve done a lot of “straight sewing.” Now that the ladies have graduated from beginning quilting, they are up for new challenges. We had a spunk-filled graduation ceremony, where the class of 2008 received diplomas and a great sense of accomplishment.

I decided to introduce them to a simple, and fun appliqué technique. We started with an aquatic Laurel Birch print, which had some of the most free floating, liberated mermaids I’d ever seen, and cut them out. Then, we choose other ocean themed fabrics, cut out shells, fish, coral, and waves, and laid everything on a design surface. Then we used fabric glue to adhere the pieces onto a base layer of fabric. (The process is a lot like the colleague we all did in grade school: cut, place, paste.) The end results are stunning, and the ladies are excited about their newly learned method of quilting. Even though the ladies used much of the same print to start with, each mermaid “aquarium” quilt exhibits it’s own flair that is reflective of its maker. What a beautiful way to spend the afternoon.

All Shook Up Over Elvis

Wed, 14 May 2008 09:10:35 -0700

This one’s for all you Elvis fans. As this blog is being posted a “Quilt fit for the King”
project is underway. Despite the fact that I’ve been rockin’ round the clock on a variety of other projects, I got stung with a burning love and couldn’t resist turning this musical themed fabric into a quilt that’s sure to get stuck on you. The quilt commemorates Elvis’ big hunk O’ love, hip-swaying legacy that changed the face of American rock n roll and melted the hearts of many a hard headed woman. I have a luscious love me tender faux fur fabric planned for the back of the quilt, and the top is almost pieced. I’m going to call it "Snuggling With Elvis” because you just can’t help falling in love with it.

My First Quilt Trunk Show

Tue, 6 May 2008 13:56:35 -0700

It’s official; I had my first quilt trunk show, courtesy of Drue A. my good friend, who offered her beautiful Victorian home in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights Neighborhood for the event. It was a stunning event, but in my mind, I’d imagined a cozy event laden with quilts and cocktails, where women could cluster and discuss art. What was I thinking? Thirty quilts and countless sleepless nights later I was ready for the show which, for those of you who do not know San Francisco style Victorian houses, was not without it’s unique vertical challenges. Here is how the journey to the “quilted” part of the house began:

1. Parking: Fortunately, I was aloud to park in front of Drue’s home, but some of our guests walked over three city blocks in heels to get there.
2. The Outdoor Stairs: A long, narrow outdoor flight of stairs, complete with sharp turns.
3. The Indoor Stairs: Once guests reached the receiving room, they were greeted with another two dozen stairs to reach the upper half of the house that was converted into a quilt gallery.

Instead of chocolate covered strawberries, my guests needed an oxygen tank and a shurpa to see them safely to the gallery. Everyone had a lovely day, and I am grateful to my friend Drue for lending such a stunning location to my first show. I laugh now of course, but what an unforeseen challenge, and here I thought making the quilts was the hard part!

Sew many projects. Sew few hours in the day.

Fri, 2 May 2008 17:34:16 -0700

Keeping up with the Madonna House Quilters is not for the faint of heart; these women have sew many ideas and sew at a million miles an hour! It seems like only yesterday that we brought a handful of Brother sewing machines into the Madonna House Craft Room, and today, the room is a dedicated, full-service sewing center, with amazing projects flying out the door.

The Twelve-Foot Baby - The Saga Begins

Sun, 2 Mar 2008 16:32:24 -0800

Most people’s idea of a sewing machine involves a small, portable, tabletop portioned mechanism that allows one to take two pieces of fabric and sew them together. When I first started thinking about quilting, I too was under such an impression. It wasn’t until recently that my perception of the sewing machine changed from a desk friendly box into a boat-sized behemoth that occupies the entire garage.

I call her Shirley. Yes, Shirley my trusty long-arm sewing machine. I’ve named her after my mother, a woman whom I miss dearly and loved deeply. (This is a picture of me at the age of one, and my mother. She would have gotten a kick out of knowing that I named my sewing machine after her. I know I get a kick every time I see that little piece of joy that moved into my life a few months ago and forced my husband’s car into the driveway. Hey, a woman’s gotta’ have her toys!

Reflections in fabric

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 12:30:47 -0800

Over the last year I have had the unique opportunity to work with some of San Francisco’s most deserving people, including the ladies at St. Anthony’s Madonna House. Located in the Tenderloin district of the city, the Madonna House serves as a refuge for low income women over 60, and teaching these women to quilt has both inspired me and deepened my appreciation for the resiliency of the human spirit.

I teach at the Madonna House weekly. I design the curriculum for beginners, as many of these women have never sewn a stitch. We sew on Brother machines, which I’ve provided, in a full craft center, where the ladies are free to let their creative minds run wild.

I’ve included some pictures of the ladies’ sewing adventures. We started with simple table runners and fabric selection, but some of them have moved on to bed sized quilts!