Native Wildflowers Handmade Quilt

Native Wildflowers Handmade Quilt

There are wildflower quilts and then there are simple, charming handmade quilts like this native wildflowers quilt at Mastodon State Park in Imperial, Missouri. I will try not to digress into my Mastodon hunting lesson. Mastodon State Historic Site is a publicly owned, 431-acre archaeological and paleontological site with recreational features in Imperial, Missouri, maintained by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, preserving the Kimmswick Bone Bed. Did you know Missouri had mastodons, a relative to elephants, about 12 million years ago?

Me, neither, so the stop at this site was delightful in many ways. There were bones of the giant beavers that roamed Missouri as well as an award-winning mile high pie nearby but I would just as easily tucked this native wildflowers quilt in my bag to bring home where it even possible.

The staff on duty didn’t know the name of the quilter but we can all read the name of the hand applique flowers.

Delightful handmade native flowers quilt at Mastodon State Park, Imperial, Missouri.

Missouri’s wild columbine is one of my favorite native spring flowers so I was tickled to find it applique on this handmade quilt. Notice how the red embroidery floss on red cotton gives the flower an extra dimension.

Applique and embroidery give these flowers definition. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Same thing with this Jack in the Pulpit flower quilt square only the embroidery floss is easier to see on this flower applique pattern.

Another lady visiting at the same time I was at the park said she thought the flower names were free hand embroidered and I can see why she said that, each seems to have a simplicity to the lettering.

Rose mallow is a lovely native Missouri shrub I hope to add to my garden this year. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Not all of these flowers can easily be found in Missouri’s native woods and prairies. I can’t remember the last time I saw a yellow lady slipper, a form of orchid, in one of my walks.

Missouri’s pawpaw trees are coming back into favor. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Talking to one of the George O. White Nursery staff in Licking, Mo. last year, she said Pawpaw tree seedlings are one of the first of their seedlings to sell out now, although only a decade ago no one seemed to want to plant them.

The paw paw tree can get rather large so I doubt I can add one to my hillside garden but I may opt for a bonsai one one of these days.

Another native flower that gives me much joy to find is yellow tickseed and wild violets, both native flowers that are challenging to cut to bring inside so I leave them.

Did you know wild violets are edible and high in vitamin C? (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Just a couple more quilt blocks to share. The top one reminds me of the wild sweet pea vines I have tried to transplant from a friend’s house to no avail, I may have to settle for one in fabric.

The second block is out of focus but morning glories are easy to grown and can quickly become a nuisance for garden planners who want a well-organized garden. I am not one of those so this year I may be adding blue morning glories to some of my trellises.

Both these native plants like to grow on trellises. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

So there you have it, a short tour of some of Missouri’s native trees and flowers, all excellent plants for pollinators.

Oh, wait, I was talking about a handmade quilt about Missouri natives, wasn’t I. Aren’t you lucky that I didn’t veer off into Mastodon hunting!

Charlotte

Beatrix Potter Baby Alphabet Quilt Gift Set

Beatrix Potter illustrations were a favorite childhood author. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Beatrix Potter Baby Alphabet Quilt Gift Set

Do you recognize these characters? These are part of my childhood memories, illustrations of animals in a garden by Beatrix Potter.

According to Wikipedia, Helen Beatrix Potter (11866 – 1943) “was an English writer, illustrator, conservationist and natural scientist  best known for her children's books featuring animals.

Born into an upper-class household, Potter was educated by governesses and grew up isolated from other children. She had numerous pets and spent holidays in Scotland, developing a love of landscape, flora, and fauna, all of which she closely observed and painted.

Though Potter was typical of women of her generation in having limited opportunities for higher education, her study and watercolours of fungi led to her being widely respected in the field of mycology. In her thirties, Potter self-published the highly successful children's book The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Following this, Potter began writing and illustrating children's books full-time.”

My grandmother introduced me to Potter books. Although I couldn’t read English at the time, I thoroughly enjoyed the illustrations and made up my own stories about the characters illustrated in the books.

This brand new, made in USA Beatrix Potter Baby Alphabet Quilt celebrates the Potter animals through the letters of the alphabet.

The letters of the alphabet feature wonderful Beatrix Potter illustrations. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

To turn this into a gift set, we added a Wedgwood plate featuring Mama Rabbit feeding a sick Peter, a great addition to a nursery wall.

Back to the baby quilt, which features printed panels of Potter’s wonderful illustrations. The quilt blocks are pages from her alphabet book, including the front page of the book.

Rabbits are a favorite Beatrix Potter theme, as in Peter. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

We included the dedication page so you can easily add custom embroidery and personalize the baby quilt.

One of the baby quilt blocks has space to personalize with custom embroidery. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Knowing options are nice to have as well, we added space at both the top and bottom of the Beatrix Potter Baby Alphabet Quilt where custom embroidery can be added. To tie the quilt blocks together, an ivy leaf pattern finished this lightweight baby quilt.

There’s also space at the top and bottom of the baby quilt to add custom embroidery. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Since we started with Peter Rabbit, it only seems appropriate to include the rabbit in the last baby quilt block.

Did I mention a rabbit named Peter? (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

This brand new baby quilt also includes typical baby colors including reds, pinks and greens so the baby quilt should nicely blend into any baby nursery.

Charlotte

Pink Large Rag Blocks Baby Quilt

This pink large rag blocks baby quilt is for that little girl moving into a big bed. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Pink Large Rag Blocks Baby Quilt

Flannel rag quilts have been a customer favorite for baby showers, baby gifts and nursery decor. As we were developing the baby quilt designs, we made another larger one to see how it would turn out. Pink Large Rag Blocks Baby Quilt is for that little girl who has outgrown her crib and moved to a big girl bed but still wants a favorite blanket to keep her company.

To entertain her, we picked soft cotton flannel fabrics with interesting designs that compliment that pink color. There are baby quilt blocks with purple flowers, a favorite of several little girls I knew who loved purple as they grew up. Another popular topic is featured in another baby quilt block, butterflies.

Complimentary cotton flannels feature favorite subjects. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Not to be forgotten, we also have pink flannel baby quilt blocks with bears, although this gift set has a huggable lamb as the toy instead of a bear.

Bears and flowers are favorite baby quilt topics. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

These cotton flannel baby quilts are easy to wash in cold water and dry on cool. The fabrics were pre-washed before we made the baby quilts so any shrinkage of the cotton fabrics should already have taken place.

Can you think of someone who would enjoy this baby gift set?

Maybe we should call it a big girl now gift set!

Charlotte

Green Hawaiian Handmade Quilt

Traditional Hawaiian quilts feature local flora in their block patterns. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Green Hawaiian Handmade Quilt

Hawaiian handmade quilts are considered family treasures and rarely leave a family’s ownership according to a native Hawaiian friend I met years ago when I worked there for the US Navy.

Several quilt historians note the Hawaiian quilts we see today date from the 1870s, although religious missionaries introduced the concept of quilting to Hawaii in the 1820s. The Hawaiian quilts from the 1870s used an applique on solid cloth method using two colors: a color for the background, and a color for the applique.

Symmetry was very important with these handmade quilts, and the applique was made much like a snowflake cut out of paper. Essentially, the fabric would be cut into its desired shape and then applied to the background fabric.

One of the still popular quilt design motifs is to feature Hawaiian flowers, like this Green Hawaiian handmade quilt does. Although I don’t know Hawaiian flowers, it’s easy to see these applique designs are definitely floral.

What do you see in this handmade quilt block? I think that’s a hibiscus. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The Hawaiian handmade quilts I saw in Honolulu featured the Hawaiian coat of arms in the center as well as floral and animal patterns. A number of those quilts were red so this mottled green background fabric was an interesting choice to set off the floral applique designs.

What Hawaiian flowers are these in the quilt block? (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Just as quilting makes a huge difference in any handmade quilt design, the hand quilting in this Green Hawaiian Handmade Quilt adds a third-dimension. Starting at the border, then in the quilt background and finally through the white applique, the hand-quilting helps to bring the quilt blocks to life.

The handquilting adds dimension to this Green Hawaiian Handmade Quilt (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Green Hawaiian Handmade Quilt was among dozens of local handmade quilts entered in the 2017 Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild bi-annual show in Rolla, Missouri. Although it was surprising to find a Hawaiian quilt in the middle of the Midwest, I enjoyed seeing the beautiful detailed applique and quilting.

It reminded me of the details and quilting in our Iris Throws, which also represent Midwest flowers.

Each handmade quilt has it’s own story and here is the story of Green Hawaiian Handmade Quilt:

The story behind Green Hawaiian Handmade Quilt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

One of my brothers gave me several Hawaiian quilt pattern books several years ago. This one inspires me to dust those off and see if I can tackle making one for myself.

Aloha!

Charlotte

Pink Cross Stitch Handmade Quilt

Pink Cross Stitch handmade quilt repeats the pattern in the quilting. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Pink Cross Stitch Handmade Quilt

I saw a pile of printed white cotton fabric with floral designs at our local hobby shop last week and it reminded me of this delightful handmade quilt. Pink Cross Stitch Handmade Quilt was shared at the 2017 Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild show, held bi-annually in Rolla, Mo.

Most of us who embroider learned to do so with cross stitch patterns, which are relatively easy to do. The embroidery floss is pushed through fabric in small diagonals, the more equal the sizes of the diagonals the more experienced the embroiderer.

I myself made a cross stitch table cloth with flowers as my first embroidery project; I still have it somewhere tucked away in a drawer and periodically use it.

There’s also some history with this Pink Cross Stitch Handmade Quilt but first let’s take a look at what makes this handmade quilt so interesting.

First, here’s the detailed embroidery design for each of the Pink Cross Stitch handmade quilt blocks. The darker pink flowers are quite solid with embroidery floss and not easy to do, this is where mistakes can easily be seen. I looked but I didn’t see any here:

Very detailed embroidery makes up Pink Cross Stitch Quilt blocks. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Now imagine that floral design quilt block and imagine what it would look like as a block where the design is hand quilted. That’s exactly what the quilter did here, taking that center design and using it as her quilting pattern:

Hand quilting repeats the pink cross stitch quilt design. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Most cross stitch quilts just have the embroidery in blocks, like our Vintage Embroidered Roses handmade quilt.

Now for the back story to Pink Cross Stitch Handmade Quilt. What I love the most, besides this being a family heirloom, is that it was chosen to live on with a daughter.

Love the story behind this handmade quilt, it became a gift for a daughter! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Which reminds me, as you make your handmade quilts, remember to add your name and date to the handmade quilt. That way they can be easily passed on to family members and preserve the name of the quilt maker!

Charlotte

Dragon Dance Handmade Quilt Wall Hanging

What a charming way to celebrate a Chinese New Year! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Dragon Dance Handmade Quilt Wall Hanging

Are your January days cold and dreary? Ours in mid-Missouri are so this time of year I try to bring in as much color into my house as I can. I still have poinsettias with their leaves turned red and pink; some of my moth orchids have re-bloomed and salvaged begonias are brightening up my kitchen.

It’s at this time of year that I also think about how to warm up my rooms with quilted wall hangings.At the bottom of my steps to my basement, I just hung a Four Seasons Lap Quilt Wall Hanging to brighten the landing and remind myself winter will soon be over. Luckily many small handmade quilts or lap quilts and throws like this one also include tabs on the back so they can easily be made into wall hangings. When not in use, the tabs sit flat on the back and don’t interfere with using the handmade quilt for naps.

One of my favorite places for home decor inspiration is local quilt shows such as the 2017 Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild in Rolla. One of the custom handmade quilts and quilted wall hangings that I would love to have on my wall this time of year is the Dragon Dance custom handmade quilt and wall hanging featured here.

Made by Laurie Miller, of Rolla, this lovely piece of fiber art won a first place for the best incorporation of the challenge fabric. In other words, the quilter was given a fabric they had to incorporate into their custom handmade quilt and Laurie was the best in show. Nice going, Laurie!

Take a closer look at the lovely, detailed dragon head. The eyes are amazingly detailed and I love how the fabrics compliment instead of compete with each other. With the variety of printed fabrics, this could easily have been a visual disaster but Laurie selected fabrics that hold their own:

The closeup shows the fabric details including the dragon eyes. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

When I first started my custom quilt business, my first quilter and I used to spend hours pouring over potential project fabrics to ensure that we had the right fabric combinations. Since then, I have seen dozens of beautifully- made custom handmade quilts that suffered from poor fabric selection. If the fabrics are wrong, it doesn’t matter how accomplished the quilter is, incompatible fabric colors will lead one’s eye.

Which is yet another accomplishment of this custom handmade quilt, even with all of the primary colors and strong tones, they seem to like each other.

And can you imagine this hanging on a wall in your house brightening up the corner?

Nice recognition of the lovely quilting work! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Me, too!

Charlotte

Fun in Garden Handmade Quilt Wall Hanging

These lollipop flowers have flying friends with those bee buttons. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Fun in Garden Handmade Quilt Wall Hanging

Don’t talk to a Midwest beekeeper in January, all you are bound to hear is how they are missing their bees. That’s right, some of us get quite attached to those little flying bugs and when we don’t get to regularly see them….well, let’s just say I’m in snow and ice-covered mid-Missouri and I’m missing my tiny girls.

When bee-deprived keepers then see a bee, any bee, it’s pure joy and this handmade quilt and wall hanging photo brought a big smile to my face. Can you see why?

Those are bee buttons sewn on the quilted design of lollipop flowers. Honest, I peeked. The yellow looks wonderful against the black and white fabric background. The flowers themselves are quite eye-catching in their bright fabrics and mesmerizing centers.

The flower petals are also interesting, they have strips of patterned fabrics against solid fabrics that add dimension.

I was looking closely at one of the quilted flowers when I was startled by another discovery. See the little green frog in the top left corner?

This is a handmade quilt made into a wall hanging and it proves that small can still be mighty.

The story behind this custom quilt wall hanging is based on falling in love with fabrics. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Handmade quilts each have their own story and this one is quite simple, it was all about the fabrics.

Quilters know bad fabric choice can destroy a quilt design and this work of art shows what good fabric choices can do. And bees, don’t forget the bees!

Charlotte

Lollipop Garden Handmade Quilt Wall Hanging

This Lollipop Garden handmade quilt wall hanging was featured at a 2015 quilt show. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Lollipop Garden Handmade Quilt Wall Hanging

My garden has been flowerless for months. A blanket of snow now covers the hillside, adding an elegant dimension to the trees and flower beds but I miss color.

This is an excellent time to review some custom handmade quilts that are also quilt wall hangings. There is no quicker way to bring color and design into a room than to hang a handmade quilt.

This handmade quilt wall hanging has color, whimsy and three dimensions through the machine quilting. The fabric colors certainly catch one’s eye with the purples and chartreuse. It’s not until one gets closer that one sees the details of the machine quilting, which adds another layer of flowers to the overall quilt design.

Quilting adds a lovely dimension to Lollipop Garden Handmade Quilt Wall Hanging. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The lollipop garden flowers are also interesting. They remind me of a modern take on the yo-yo’s that where once popular handmade quilts.

The incorporation of the chartreuse fabrics is also interesting. A modern take on green, chartreuse used to be the exception to the rule. The popularity of chartreuse makes this Lime Green Double Wedding Ring Quilt a modern version of the traditional patchwork wedding quilt design.

This quilt wall hanging was featured at the Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild Show in 2015 in Rolla, Mo.

The Hoffman Challenge recognized the best handmade quilts wall hangings and how they incorporated fabrics. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

As many quilt shows do, this custom handmade garden quilt was entered in the Hoffman Challenge category, which recognized the best incorporation of fabrics into the quilt design.

I’m just happy to see a bright spot of color amidst the cold Missouri winter!

Charlotte

Reaping Rewards Handmade Quilt

Reaping Rewards Handmade Quilt

No, its not your imagination, this is the same quilt pattern “Ah, Autumn” featured in the three previous blog entries. Of the three previously featured Ah, Autumn handmade quilts, this one looks the most like Harriet Bain’s Ah Autumn quilt starting with the quilt colors. For some reason the quilter has renamed the quilt but all of the basic pattern elements are still there.

This is why a quilt pattern can have different names from country to country or even region and down within a country.

The one interesting element mentioned in this handmade quilt is the use of Guatemalan fabrics.

The handmade quilt border gives this pattern an interesting contrast. It is reminiscent of the leaf pattern found in the rest of the handmade quilt.

This was another quilt featured at Piece and Plenty’s 2018 bi-annual Quilt Guild show in Rolla, Mo.

The story behind this handmade quilt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

This handmade quilt story mentions that the Guatemalan cotton has a different texture, something I missed when I was at the quilt guild show. Maybe next year!

Charlotte

Ah, Autumn Handmade Quilt by Harriet

Another interesting combination of fabric colors. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Ah, Autumn Handmade Quilt by Harriet Bain

This is the third in a series of handmade quilts that were featured at the 2017 Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild in Rolla, Mo., a quilt show held bi-annually.

Each one of these Ah, Autumn handmade quilts featured a special fabric or detail incorporated by the quilter. This particular version of the Ah, Autumn handmade quilt also has very bright colors as opposed to the muted greens, burnt reds and browns one traditionally associates with fall colors.

The signature leaf quilt block details close up. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The signature four leaf block also reflects the quilter’s fabric choices. Harriet, who I know as a friend through master gardeners, made all of her leaves with striped fabrics.

As I was reviewing the fabrics I realized this quilt reminds me of the color combinations in one of my quilts our Lime Green Double Wedding Ring Quilt.

This quilt features another special fabric detail. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Winggins)

As fall ends its reign, I enjoy looking at these various Ah, Autumn handmade quilts and comparing the fabric choices and color combinations. This quilt also features a special fabric, this one from Burma, Harriet’s home country.

Every quilt is lovely on its own merit and nicely celebrates the beauty of the season.

Charlotte

Ah, Autumn Handmade Quilt by Becky

This autumn-themed quilt has livelier colors. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Ah, Autumn Handmade Quilt by Becky Bryant

What colors do you associate with fall?

The previous Ah, Autumn handmade quilt I featured in this same Ah, Autumn design had the more traditional green-based cotton fabrics.

This version of Ah, Autumn handmade quilt is a riotous combination of bright purples, reds and complimentary multi-patterned cottons not to mention all of the detailed quilt pieces. If this were tackled in my household, I have a cat who would have his eye on the fabric pieces, especially those fabric leaves.

If there is any part of the quilt that represents the heart of the quilter, it’s the square with the leaves. Each quilt I am featuring shows a definite vision with the fabrics in this particular block.

Quilt block with leaves represents the quilter, (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

There’s another special element to this autumn-themed quilt, and that is the special fabrics that are included.

Every quilt has a story and this is the story of this one, (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Now I want to know how did Becky get Guatemalan cotton??

Charlotte

Ah, Autumn Handmade Quilt by Brenda

This handmade quilt features traditional autumn colors. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Ah, Autumn Handmade Quilt by Brenda Morton

Ever wonder what inspires the fabrics in a handmade quilt?

I do every time I see a quilt, especially ones at quilt shows. The 2017 Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild show in Rolla, Missouri featured several handmade quilts in the same pattern with different fabric choices. I will feature each of the three here so we can look at how fabric choices changed the overall design.

This Ah, Autumn quilt was made by Brenda Morton in what I would call more traditional fall colors of burnt orange, green and cream fabric colors.

If you look closely, some of the patchwork designs feature multi-patterned fabrics that add texture.

Patchwork leaves add more fall color tones. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Those fall leaves are sure familiar, they look very much like the fall leaves in our Fall Leaves Quilt.

This is a quilt pattern from Linda Johnson and Jane Wells, who taught a class in Rolla, Mo. using a patchwork pattern out of their own book.

And here is what inspired these handmade quilt colors. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Would these be similar to fabrics you would have chosen for a fall-themed handmade quilt?

Stay tuned, coming up are two more handmade quilts in the same pattern but decidedly different fabric choices.

Charlotte

Winter Twitterings Handmade Quilt

Winter Twitterings Handmade Quilt from the local quilt show last year. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Winter Twitterings Handmade Quilt

Cold, overcast days are keeping me inside these days but I still make it outside to refill bird feeders and to check my garden, even if nothing is blooming or even green.

Listening to the birds in my garden reminded me of this charming "Winter Twitterings” Handmade Quilt from Piece and Plenty’s 2017 bi-annual quilt show. And no, this is not about “tweeting” on a social media platform, this is a reference to the sound birds make.

The overall color scheme of burgundy and cream is elegant and a nice counterpoint to the more whimsical quilt block details.

Two charming embroidered birds in Winter Twitterings Handmade quilt, (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Take a look at another block and the cute way Brenda Morton hand-quilted this winter themed quilt. The hand quilting adds some dimension to each of the quilt blocks.

Embroidered birdhouses keep birds company. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Every handmade quilt has a story and Winter Twitterings is no exception.

Every quilt has a story. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

When seen together, this is a charming handmade quilt celebrating birds and winter, something I enjoy watching from the cozy warmth of my own home. Not surprisingly, this quilt also won first prize in the quilt show.

Not surprising, Winter Twitterings quilt won first prize. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

These days most quilts are machine embroidered so I want to make a special note that this one was not only hand quilted but hand embroidered as well. That’s worthy of a tweet!

Charlotte

Santa Express Lap Quilt Throw

Santa Express Lap Quilt Throw

I have to confess, I like easy decorating tips. Actually I prefer easy decorating and that’s why Santa Express Lap Quilt Throw is a personal favorite.

We grew up setting up HO-scale trains around our Christmas tree every year. The track set up itself could take a whole week to lay out so that each of us had a train, and a switch to operate. Once the trains were rolling, the objective was to keep the train engines from running into each other and the cats from knocking the train cars off the tracks.

It was a lot of fun and I can still recall the smell of cookies baking in the kitchen as we laughed at the cats and sometimes didn’t work so hard at keeping the train engines from running into each other.

This brand new, 50x60-inch holiday lap quilt reminds me of those holidays down to the child-like applique designs along the lap quilt border.

If you want to give this as a personalized gift, a family name can be embroidered along the bottom red border.. Or for fun, family member names can be added to the train cars.

Just imagine this hanging from a wall in your den or entrance way, it would quickly add a holiday flavor to any room!

Charlotte

Vintage Flowers Baby Quilt

Each vintage flowers block has an animal friend. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Vintage Flowers Baby Quilt

It’s no surprise that we carry a number of flower-themed quilts but flowers are not a common theme in baby quilts. Except in this charming, handmade Vintage Flowers Baby Quilt, purchased from an estate sale directly from the US family.

This vintage baby quilt would make a delightful wall hanging in a nursery. The hand embroidered flowers are still nicely bright and easily add a garden flavor to the nursery.

When you see the baby quilt up close, details emerge including that every flower has a visitor. The rose flower block, for example, features an embroidered yellow butterfly.

A red butterfly visits the rose in this Vintage Flowers Baby Quilt block, (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

To easily hang this Vintage Flowers baby quilt on a nursery wall, wooden hangars are available so nothing has to be sewn onto the quilt. We can also add fabric tabs on the back to quickly turn this baby quilt into a wall hanging.

Just because its vintage doesn’t mean it can’t be used in a baby bed. This baby quilt is in excellent condition and has many years of cuddling still ahead!

Charlotte

Reindeer Fun Lap Quilt

This reindeer is having too much fun with a tree! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Reindeer Fun Lap Quilt

I just had a marvelous phone call with a returning customer who buys a holiday lap quilt from us every year for her holiday decorating. She has a two-story entrance to her home and uses the holiday lap quilts to easily set the tone for her holiday parties. She is having a number of young grand children visiting this year so we laughed about what was ahead - kids getting into presents early, cookie decorating with more icing on the kids than the cookies, reading Christmas stories at bedtime.

Considering what she has planned, it was easy to recommend a holiday lap quilt for her, our Reindeer Fun Lap Quilt. The 50x60-inch standard lap quilt features reindeer also getting into holiday antics, a perfect reflection of what she has to look forward to with all of the visiting relatives.

Someone is getting into the presents early. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

She also wanted a holiday lap quilt with burgundy colors instead of tomato red and Reindeer Fun Lap Quilt includes those colors as well as traditional Christmas green and even a touch of contemporary lime. Or should I call it chartreuse!

Reindeer Fun Lap Quilt sets the fun tone to the holidays. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I may still have a box of stuffed reindeer toy ornaments I will include so her grandchildren can add their names to the ornament before hanging it on the Christmas tree. She said she expects a few may adopt the reindeer toy and that’s fine, too, I’m sure the reindeer ornaments won’t mind!

Charlotte

Mother Goose Baby Quilt Gift Set

Mother Goose Baby Quilt Gift Set

Do you remember your favorite nursery rhymes?

In most cases, they will be something out of Mother Goose stories, a classic collection of rhymes that shaped baby boomer childhood night times.

Inspired by those memories, Mother Goose Baby Quilt features favorite nursery rhyme characters in quilted baby quilt that can also be easily used as a wall hanging.

To keep the baby quilt company, I found a fun pop up book of favorite Mother Goose rhymes.

Pop Up Book of Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Even with all of the social media and electronics, there still is something very comforting about curling up with a favorite blanket and a good book!

Charlotte

Unique Butterfly Handmade Quilt

This one of a kind butterfly quilt combines old-fashioned with current designs. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Unique Butterfly Handmade Quilt

We have made dozens of custom, one of a kind handmade quilts for our customers and this unique butterfly handmade quilt is still one of my personal favorites.

Combining an old-fashioned butterfly patchwork design, we combined the old-fashioned patchwork butterfly in a variety of different colors with the more contemporary flower blocks in the center of the blocks.

I have seen both all butterfly quilts and all floral quilts but have yet to see a combination of flowers and butterflies. Since butterflies depend on flowers for nectar as flight fuel, it seemed appropriate to add flowers to the quilt design.

A close up of the butterfly quilt blocks and flower corner blocks. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Butterflies are among the pollinators currently threatened by our rapidly changing climate and less foraging area.

To help all pollinators, we all should be planting less grass and more flowers and trees so pollinators have healthy food sources.

This unique butterfly patchwork quilt celebrates the relationship between butterflies and flowers and serves as a reminder we should be planting more flowers!

Charlotte

Cat Mischief Lap Quilt Wall Hanging

Cat Mischief Lap Quilt Wall Hanging

Have a cat lover on your gift list? Then Cat Mischief Lap Quilt Wall Hanging may be just the ticket.

This brand new, imported lap quilt is the standard 50x60 inches made out of quality cotton fabrics. Several feline scenes are depicted on the front, from cats getting into trouble to cat naps. A charming border of red mice taunt the cats in the center.

One of the reasons lap quilt throws make excellent gifts is that you can also hang Cat Mischief as a quilted wall hanging.

Take a look at a close up of some of the cat lap quilt wall hanging scenes:

This smug calico cat is giving you a welcome!

Put two cats together and you are bound to find something’s amiss. There’s a nod to that in this charming lap quilt wall hanging:

Two cats play with a grey mouse in Cat Mischief Lap Quilt Wall Hanging.

Not all cats are getting into trouble, this little grey is taking a nap.

Grey cat takes a nap on top of a small patchwork quilt.

The standard lap quilt throw has a border that surrounds it with red mice.

Red mice form the border and surround the cat scenes.

To make this a personalized gift, add cat names to each scene and the person who lives with cats at the bottom with custom embroidery.

Nice way to celebrate that cat lover on your gift list!

Charlotte

Flight of the Honeybee Handmade Quilt

Love the bright colors in Flight of the Honeybee handmade quilt and wall hanging. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Flight of the Honeybee Handmade Quilt

We’re expecting our first frost in mid-Missouri tonight. My plants are all tucked inside as are my honeybees in their outside hives. After 8 years of keeping bees, the hardest part of winter is not getting to visit with my honeybees every day.

I thought about that when I first saw Flight of the Honeybee Handmade Quilt at Piece and Plenty’s bi-annual quilt show in Rolla October 2017. It’s actually a wall hanging, a lovely piece of fabric art that nicely honors the flight of the - well, you know.

And, to boot, it features my favorite flowers!

The flowersare one of my favorites, zinnia flowers. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I just spent a couple of hours preparing zinnia seeds to plant in my garden next year for my bees and butterflies.

The other surprise was that this was made by a former colleague, Johnnie Fiscus, and her mother, Alverta.

Nice explanation of what this quilted wall hanging represents. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Usually every featured handmade quilt and wall hanging has a short biography of each of the quilters and this one was no exception.

Biographies of Johnnie Fiscus, left, and her mom, Alverta. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

If I could bundle these two together, I would add Flight of the Honeybee quilted wall hanging to our handmade Honeybee days of the week kitchen towels. Yes, I’m getting in the holiday spirit!

Charlotte