Here are the presentation photos

Hello all,  the following pictures are from the presentation that I gave of my Texture of life quilts.  The quilt

to the left on the stage, with the owl is named - For the Love of Nature -  It was made in honor of a local man (Mark Wight)   who passed away.  Mark was a retired forest ranger, after retirement he opened Grafton Notch Campground, with the love of his life Mo.   The Owl represents Mark and Mo's beginning.  Mo told me a story about her and Mark sitting on Marks porch in the woods, on a comfortable evening.  When in the distance they could hear a Barred Owl hooting in the distance.  Mark told Mo that he could get that owl to come closer.  She was a little skeptical.  But sure enough Mark was able to hoot in the same language.  A barred Owls hoot sounds like this "WHOO WHOO    WHOO COOKS FOR YOU."

Sure enough this owl came and sat in the tree above them.  Much to Mo's surprise.

The eyes of the owl, are made from the buttons on a yellow slicker that Mark owned.  The Owl and the turkey is my own design.   Every block has a story on this quilt.  The robin with the Robins nest represents the many walks that Mo and Mark made every morning in the spring, they always saw a robins nest.  The Eagle represents the free spirit of life that Mark projected.  The garden represents the garden they made every year but also represents how they nurtured each other.  The corn is also made from the yellow slicker.





The Caron on the bottom is my own design, it has five stones which represents the fifth month in which he passed.  The meaning behind a Caron is "A Soul has been here."  The Turkey (my own design) represents relationships.  Mo and Mark's last quarrel holds the story of a turkey.  Mark was a hunter, and on one particular morning he was headed out to get his turkey.  When Mo told him he needed to give her a ride to work because her car would not start.
Mark said fine, but the ride to work consisted of driving 5 miles an hour with looking down every dirt road.
Looking for his turkey.  Mo was anxious to get to work and didn't want to be late, and mentioned this to Mark.  And if you are in a relationship you know that anxiety was filling the air.   This turkey represents the
turkey Mark never got. I made this turkey so colorful because that is how I view relationships.  They are

full of color.  Relationships use every color in a box of crayola's. 

 

I also made 2 other quilts for Mo, one was made to hang in the office of the Grafton Notch Campground

it has all of the logos of many hats that Mark owned around the quilt.  Many of these hats where purchased on a vacation Mark and Mo took from Maine across the country to California.   The picture of the mountains is made to duplicate a picture that Mark had taken of his favorite place in the woods.   It is called the  Eyebrow on Old Spec Mountain.  It hangs from a fly fishing rod.   

 The last quilt I made for Mo was Goofy,  I called the quilt the Goofy side of life.  Mark's nickname was Goofy.  He is dressed in Marks clothing and the left side is made of Hat logos and t shirts that Mark owned.

I do have more pictures to share with you from this presentation.  But unfortunately I do not have enough

time to write the stories.  So I will be back when time allows.  Meanwhile I will tease you with some pictures so hopefully you will want to know the stories. 

Till time allows me back out here.  May this blog find you healthy on the other side of my screen.  Thank you for your interest.

part 2 of the Manning family

The next quilt I made was for Jim's daughter Andrea.  I couldn't make just one for Andrea, because
she was a newly wed, and her maiden name was Manning and her married name began with a W
(I don't know the actual name).  I had to make the M, W blend together.  The name of this quilt
is "Always a Manning at Heart".  The other quilt I made for Andrea was of the hat logos and t-shirts
that she had given her father.  This quilt was named "Precious Moments". 

The next quilt was made for Jim Mannings son Mike,  they spent many days together enjoying the sports that the Boston area has to offer.  Mike is shown here with his wife.  All of the logos are from hats

and or t-shirts,.  the 1" squares around the border are from Jim Mannings clothing.

Both of Jims Brothers received a wall hanging.  One is named M for Manning made from various clothing.  while the other is named Family ties made from mostly ties.

This next one was made for Jim's neice who survived Luekemia at the age of 8 who was then in her thirties.
I knew hers had to be colorful.  I choose a pattern called Bargello which represent the ups and downs of life.  This was made entirely of clothing.  When I was trying to come up with a name for it I was pleasantly surprised when the label on one of the shirts that I used read "no fear".  And I knew that in some way
Jim named this quilt.  "NO FEAR".

This next one was just something I was playing with I wanted to make something in a frame.  You probably can't make it out in this picture that I took.  But in the first box of this frame is Jims tie, it has a picture of
a woman with a little boy.  When I placed all the other pieces of quilts that I made in the rest of the  boxes,
I thought it looked like Jim looking over his life with his mother behind him.  Looking at the ups and downs of life, and the windows and doors that opened to him during his life.  After I put this together I thought

it needed some poetry written on it.  So  hence my poetry "Memories walk in unnoticed waiting to be enjoyed at another time."  Sorry the picture is so difficult to see.  

For the love of Family

This is Jim Manning


Darleen Manning came to me 1 year after her husband (Jim Manning) had passed away from a heart attack.  They where only married one year a second marriage for both of them.  When I went to her home, she brought me into her bedroom and said I haven't touched a thing.  She said,  I didn't know how to start. I said no problem we can do it together.  Before we began she said I need 9 quilts I need one for everyone in the family.  She said Jim has 2 children, I have 2 children, then there is Jims 2 brothers, his sister and a neice who Jim was very close with, she had luekemia at the age of 8 and is now in her thirties.  And of course I want one.  I said no problem.  But before we start I would like to separate the clothing that is important to everyone.  Darleen gave me 4 bags and I labeled them.  One bag for Darleen, one for Jim's daughter, one for Jim's son and one for everyone else.  On the side table was a framed cross stitch, it had a beautiful verse on it.  Darleen noticed me reading and saidJims sister made that for Jim.  I want her to have it back can you do something with it.  I said I could.

Darleen began with Jims shirts, the first one happened to be Jim's off white embossed Tommy Bahama shirt, she said, this was his wedding shirt. 

Which of course went in Darleen's bag.  And then there where
the t shirts with logo's that his daughter gave him and the hat his son gave him.  Along with the Holy Cross sweat shirt.  She said Jim went to Holy cross you know.  And as we went through each drawer and each hanger my mind was full of ideas.   Just as we where closing the closet door.  Darleen said you know I have my wedding gown here, could you use it,   I said I could but please be sure you can part with it, she said yes for I will never wear it again.  And I placed that gown in the bag tagged

Darleen.   Just before I was about to leave, Darleen said wait I have one more thing.  I know it is here somewhere, here it is.   And she gave me a 1" by 1" piece of material that was from the sash of her wedding gown.

  She said Jim carried this in his wallet all the time.  He was trying to match it to something.  I carefully took that piece and place it in my wallet.  For I didn't want to loose it.  I must say my mouth was saying no problem but my mind was saying where am I going to place such a small piece of fabric. 

On my 2 1/2 hour ride home my mind was full of ideas, the second I got home.  I brought all the bags to my studio.  And began sketching.  I knew the first one would be made with the wedding gown and wedding shirt.  I searched the internet and found a beautiful paperpiece heart with a long stem rose

laying in the middle of the heart.   This is what I made from this beautiful fabric.

I named this quilt "PEACE OF MY HEART"   Remember that 1": piece of fabric well it now sits in the middle of the center rosebud.  The tabs are made from the sash of the wedding gown. 

On the back of each quilt is a pocket from the clothing and a letter from me that explains the history of the quilt.

Because Darleen live on the ocean I wanted to make a quilt that represented what lived outside her windows.  I named this quilt "STORMY SEAS WITHSTAND":  The entire front is made from

clothing.

The next one that I made was for Jim's sister - Elaine.  I took the needlepoint piece she had made and

placed it inside a basket.  I named this quilt 'UNCONDITIONAL LOVE'  ,

Darleen asked that her quilt be a lap quilt.  She wanted something to put on her when she sits to read a book.  This quilt top is made entirely of Jims clothing.  Because of the clock on the top of the quilt

I wanted the quilt to look like it was going from morning to night.  There is a lot of emotion in this quilt.  Every block is a memory, the hat Jim gave her on there honeymoon, the wedding gown heart,

the tie that sits in the middle of the quilt.  It is a man sitting in a chair surrounded by people.  The logo of Holy Cross. The tie Jim's son bought Jim, to wear at the son's wedding.  The nighty Jim bought Darleen with the silver coins on it.  The logo's of places the've been as a couple.  The lips from the joke underwear Darleen gave Jim.  I named this quilt 'TIME IN A DAY."

          The next quilt I made was for Elaine Jim's sister.  She had made the needlepoint that was in a frame:       The basket is made from Jims red and white checkered shirt and his forest green shirt.                                                          

                                                                                    

The verse reads: 

       A friend
       Is one to whom one may pour
       all the contens of one's heart
      chaf and grain together
      knowing that the gentlest of hands
      will take it and sift it,
      Keep what is worth keeping
      and with a breath of kindness
      blow the rest away. 

                             ems

Presentation given at Gould Academy McLaughlin Science Building

Well I gave my presentation called "Every Closet Holds a Story, It holds our Personalities."  I presented a slide show as well as had 5 Texture of life quilts on display.   No matter how many times I tell the story of the lives that make up these quilts I can't help but feel my heart strings being pulled.  They always grab me

and make me feel.  I hope you feel what I feel as I walk you through the wonderful lives that make up these quilts.  All pictures wher taken by Carol Savage Photography.

The slide show consisted of my earlier work.  How I began (which is in my first blog named in the beginning).   The next family I made a quilt for was for my friend Helen.  When I went to her home

she pointed to the pile of clothes on the chair in her bedroom.  Telling me to take them.  I said I would like her to show me the clothes so that I could hear the stories behind them.  She said "oh my" and then began and a smile came across her face.  She said oh this shirt is from Saugus, Ma.  we grew up there and as she unfolded each t shirt she unfolded a story.  I like to believe that in some way this was healing to Helen to talk about days gone by.  When she got to the last piece of clothing she stopped for a minute, with her eyes filling up, she then said!  I hated this shirt he wore it everyday.  And those words and that feeling of

loss that filled her made me take note of that shirt.  For it would play a big part in the quilt I designed.

She also gave me a couple of Ed's pins as well as a pair of suspenders that he wore when he skied.

I made 2 wall hangings for Helen. This first Wallhanging is named "DAYS TO REMEBER   which 

is made up of Ed's t shirts. 

The second quilt I made for Helen is named Spin through the life of Ed Parent.  All of the pin wheels are made from Ed's shirts.  When making this I was thinking of the story Helen had told me.  She said her and Ed had moved to Maine to retire.  They loved to ski and play golf.  This quilt is made to represent there life.  Starting in the middle with his white work shirt that is surrounded by his ties which then spins into his golf shirts and bandana's.  The four pin wheels in the corner are made from the shirt Ed wore everyday that

Helen so fondly said she hated.  The border of the quilt is also made from that hated shirt, the brown was the inside of the jacket.   There is a flag pin placed in the middle of the white pin wheel.  Which is surrounded by the ties that would have been worn with the dress shirt.  Ed also wore bandana's

 along with the red suspenders he wore sking. 

    The next quilt is made in honor of Greg Merrill, leaving behind his 16 year old daughter Liz.  Greg died of
a heart decease.  That he did not know he had.  What they found out that it was hereditary and that Liz

needed to have an operation on her heart.  Her dad saved her life.  Because Liz was going into the hospital I wanted to make this quickly for her.  She carried this quilt up to the doors of the operating room and it was waiting for her in the recovery room.

The next quilt was made in honor of Darren Tasmun Roberts Jr. made for his wife Joyce and his daughter Debbie.  Darren was retired and lived in Florida where he and his wife loved to play golf.  Darren always bought his wife flowers.

I named this quilt "FORGET ME KNOT" all of the flowers are made from dress shirts and the leaves from a green golf shirt, embellished with buttons.  The baskets and background are made from sport jackets and pants.  This is my first attempt at making 3 dimensional and I love the effect.

I made 5 wall art texture of life quilts.  This next one is named Petals of Love.  Because I did not know the
wall space that was available in Debbies home.  I made this wallhanging so that each 12 x 12 square could be hung in any configuration she wanted.  They are attached with velcro.  All of the baskets are made
from clothing and the flowers are made from shirts.  The backgrounds are made from dress pants and sports jackets. 

Because Darren loved to play golf, I wanted to represent his love of the sport.  Darren belonged to University Park Golf course.  I researched on the internet what the signature hole picture was on there web site.  This is my interpretation of that picture.  The green was made from Darrens green golf shirt and the water surrounding the green was made from his tie.  The tie was a museum tie.  On the back of the tie it

said that the design on the tie is what champagne looks like under a microscope. Hence the name of this 

quilt is CHAMPAGNE ALL AROUND.  There is a plane in the sky it is Darrens tie pin.  Along with other pins that belonged to Darren.

 

Because Debbie loves to ski, I wanted to make her a small wallhanging to represent the map of Sunday River Ski Resort it show Mount Washington in the background.  The sky is made from a pair of pants, Mount Washington is made from a white dress shirt while Sunday River Ski resort is made from 

white golf shirt.  I hand quilted the main trails of each mountain peak on the quilt.
I named this quilt 'FIRST TRACKS.'                                    

The next wallhanging was made from a pair of pinstripped pants and a blue sport jacket.

Part 2 of my presentation will be added in next blog.  I hope you are enjoying my stitches.

EVERY CLOSET HOLDS A STORY IT HOLDS OUR PERSONALITIES

   I've been asked to give a presentation tonight at Gould Academy on my texture of life quilts.  The name of my presentation is EVERY CLOSET HOLDS A STORY IT HOLDS OUR PERSONALITIES. 

   I am humbled to be asked to do this. 

    It will start with my first family and walk through the lives of 8 of the families that I have had the
honor of making a Texture of Life quilt. 

    Four quilts of my latest work will be displayed on the stage.  As I was preparing this presentation I could see my growth as a quilter.  The majority of these quilts are my original design.  My new designs have
3 dimensional designs on them.  Some flowers emblellished with beads,  An Owl made with 100  individual
feathers as well as a turkey made with 75 feathers.  These quilts stretched my imagination as well as my abilities. 

I have a photographer taking pictures, so I will post them when I receive them.