Years Three and Four (2006-2007)

2006 saw my "making quilts for others"

ethic swing into full gear.

In addition to several baby and prayer quilts,

I made what has become known as

The Brotherhood of Quilts

for our three nephews.

Panjii (above) was a queen-size wedding quilt

for our oldest nephew and his bride.

(Panjii is Japanese for pansies -

the quilt's colors look like the flowerbeds

planted around municipal buildings here each fall)

(And all photos in this post should super-size

for more detail when double-clicked)

This is Kudzu - a twin extra-long quilt

for our middle nephew's high school graduation.

(green was and still is his favorite color)

And this is Fiesta!

A twin extra-long for our youngest nephew's

high school graduation using his 

favorite colors of purple and orange.

(not sure if they are still his favorites,

but there are lots of orange shirts 

in current photos on Instagram)

2006 was also the year I chose my alter-ego's name.

With Amy Bradley's permission,

I appliqued her design from a t-shirt

onto the back of my denim shirt, 

adding a few dozen hot-fix crystals to the mix.

Designed and pieced by Julie Sefton.  Quilted by Chris Ballard.

2007 is the year I made And Sometimes Y

during Tonya Ricucci's first-ever online class

for her free pieced letters.

SO many long-term friendships

came out of the interactions  during

that international online gathering.

Designed and pieced by Julie Sefton.  Quilted by Chris Ballard.

Even the quilt's back was fun!

 Y was juried into the 2008 AQS Nashville show,

published in the 2010 AQS Engagement Calendar,

and published in Tonya's 2010 book Word Play Quilts.

During 2007 I made a small journal quilt each month

using the tattered remains of my late mother's quilt,

bits of lace and embroidery from my grandmother,

and buttons from countless button boxes.

Each month had some sort of theme

related to whatever was going on in my life

at that point in time.

There is so much of me in each of those little quilts.

(with stories, notes, and quotations written on the backs)

And in July 2007, I started my blog

to give me a way to celebrate the good things

during a time when there were more than enough

health-related challenges in our family.

(My blog's avatar above is a quilt block

that I made for Tonya after that first online class -

each of us in the class made her a thank you quilt block)

Blogging has become an important part of my life

and I cannot imagine missing out on the 

amazing inspiration and far-flung friendships

that have come about in response.

(and this new AHIQ group blog

is offering that same opportunity 

to interact with and inspire each other -

thank you to Ann and Kaja for setting it up)

Quiltdivajulie