Don and Linda Casey

This year I took on the challenge of Program Chair and Vice President of the local Embroiderer’s Guild (EGA), Valley Quail.  As part of my responsibilities, I am responsible for planning the program at the monthly meeting.  In search of one hour sessions for our monthly meeting, I decided to try my hand at teaching Wool Applique. I’ve dabbled at this for years, making pillows and ornaments but have never tried to teach a class.   As anyone who teaches knows, you can choose to skim the surface or you can take a deeper dive and give your students a rich and rewarding experience.  I went down the “rabbit hole” and surfaced with a new, profound appreciation of a form of needlework that has always given me pleasure.    I’ve worked practice pieces, tried new threads and experimented both with hand and machine methods.  While the class is still in development, some lively experimentation has turned into gifts of love for two very special women in my life.

My first gift was created for Amy Anderson’s birthday.  She’s my friend Karen’s Mom and joy in my life.  The bag is quilted and has a wool appliqued pink Gerber daisy, on black wool attached to the front.  I’m also happy to report that I drew the daisy myself and will be able to use the pattern in future course offereings.

The second bag was created for Dode Walker.    Dode is an amazing woman; teacher, former needlework shop owner and constant cheerleader in my life.  I wanted something as classy as she is so the harlequin bag was born.  It has a rib-less corduroy bottom, red satin lining, red and gold clematis wool applique, and button embelishment.

Christmas Delight!

First of all, let me say that I am blessed with four wonderful children.  In ascending order of age, is Kris, 21,  mine by birth, Sean, 23 and  Jo, 25, by choice when I married their Dad and the newest edition, Brad, 26 by marriage to Jo two years ago.  Quilting is a gift of more than fabric and thread and supplies.  For me, it is a gift of my time, my creativity and most of all, my love for the recipient.   Last year I decided to surprise the kids with cuddle quilts.  I started last February and made Brad’s first.  Being the “fabricaholic” I am, I knew exactly where to start from my stash.  The quilt uses several rows of flying geese and the quilting has lots of movement.  Appropriate for Brad as he works toward his PhD in Genetics at USC.  A quilt of movement with a direction.   Next came Jo’s.  I had purchased the nurse blocks in Chicago several years ago, knowing that someday I would make something for Jo with the fabric. Jo entered a Masters of Nursing program at Cal State, LA in 2007.  After completing her first 4 quarters of study, she received her RN and passed her boards. A quilt using the nurse fabric was the perfect fit!.  Her quilt like Brad’s uses the flying geese blocks blended with the nurse graphics.  She too is constant in her direction toward completion of her Master’s degree in Nursing.   Sean’s quilt was next.  I’ve been saving pieces of black and white fabric for this quilt for years.  I always knew his quilt would be black and white.  But Sean has a quick wit and vast reservoir of creativity, so the quilt needed something to add a liveliness to it to match him, so a pop of aqua did the trick.  Kris’s quilt was the last to start.  He was still at home when the project started so was the only one of the kids that knew what was going on.  He wanted “input” into his quilt so we collaborated on the design and the colors.   This was as much of a blessing as it was a curse.  The freedom of design and color I had enjoyed with the other quilts was now being tempered.  Hmmmm, this was going to be harder.  Kris is a wonderful blend of Science and Artistry.  The central medallion pointing out in all directions captures his energy; many interests, many different directions, all coming from a central core. 

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