Personal Quilts

This is one of the personal quilts I have made for friends. This one was for my friend, Anne, the quintessential turtle expert in the entire world. I think it now hangs behind her bed.
I must have made more than a hundred quilts, always for other people. When I make these I think intensely of the person for whom I am making the quilt. This means that I think about my subjects for hours and hours. Lots of quilts are for young people who were once my students. I do not make quilts for anyone. It takes a long time to conceive the design, and much longer to make that design into a workable quilt. Making quilts is also expensive. I make quilts for young friends who care to connect with me.
I love to make graduation quilts for young people going off to college, or graduate school or getting doctorates. I like making marriage quilts. These quilts are full of love (and dog hairs!).
My quilts are not traditional ones. I am self-taught, idiosyncratic and a bit crazy. My quilts are strange collages, mostly machine sewed but with lots of hand-sewed attachments.
This evening I have placed on the floor of my studio the quilt for Maddy, who is soon to graduate from high school. This one is almost finished, and I am happy with the colors and the content. I have yet to pick the color of the backing.
I have three other quilts to complete before spring! Alex, Katie, and Sarah need quilts as well. These are all kids who were my students and who have continued to make connections with me. I love them so much and I will make the quilts for them to take to college, thinking all the while about them.