My Story Quilts

I love quilts that tell a story. Mary Lou Weidman, and her books and classes, have dramatically changed the course of my quilting adventure, by exposing me to the art of Story Quilts. 

It's wonderful to celebrate a moment in someone's life. Once you start thinking about people and events you could capture in a story quilt, you'll see inspiration everywhere!

This was my first real story quilt and was machine pieced, machine appliqued, machine quilted, and embellished with buttons, beads, sequins, hand and machine embroidery and photo transfers. I made this quilt for a good friend and coworker who took care of our office's technical needs. It always made me chuckle to see this beautiful young woman under someone's desk working on a computer. This quilt shows her under her own desk.

Everything in the quilt is meaningful. Her computer screen always shows a photo of her nieces or nephew, she loves black eyed Susans, iced tea and rollerblading. The little chick that sits on her computer was a gift from another coworker and the "SSS" on the soles of her shoes stands for "Sexy Sensible Shoes," (a long story). A photo hangs above her desk of us on a boat in the Seattle harbor on a free day of a business trip we took together. "Cyberqueen" was her nickname at the time and is embroidered on the crown (the crown fabric was left over from my daughter's prom gown!) The star blocks in the top corners are the "Friendship Star" and "Perpetual Motion" (which describes her perfectly!) The bottom border represents her love of the outdoors. The tree blocks are connected by "firefly" quilting. A thought bubble comes from under the desk to a photo of her husband from their wedding day. The wave quilting in the left border is another reminder of our fun in Seattle. This was a gift for her 30th birthday. I used her favorite colors (blue and green) and a little of my favorite (purple) to make a special quilt. I think of this quilt as a snapshot that celebrates this time in her life.

The National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service (CIS) was planning it's 25th anniversary (October 2001) and each of our 14 offices was asked to create a block for an anniversary quilt. Our staff did some brainstorming to think of ways to represent our region.

It took many hours to design and stitch this little block, because I was convinced I couldn't draw. (Thank you, Mary Lou Weidman, for the encouraging books that gave me the courage to try.) Two of my coworkers insisted she wear laced high top boots! The words below are my boss's interpretation of the meaning of the block.

This block, created by the Mid-Atlantic Cancer Information Service, depicts "Sunbonnet Sue" as representing how the strong tradition of the CIS telephone service has embraced the new age of technology. As you can see, CIS Sue sits at a telephone carrel with a computer and her own headset! She is prepared to handle a variety of inquiries, including telephone calls, and instant message requests.

CIS Sue is thoughtful in her attire and her work environment. The hearts to the left of the square and on her pinafore pocket symbolize the love she brings to her job. She provides information to CIS users in a very caring, compassionate way, and is also a real team player as she works with her coworkers to continue to enhance the CIS service. Her bonnet provides appropriate protection from the sun when she takes her lunchtime walk.

The Earth on her computer screen represents the CIS's global perspective. She decorates her carrel with wall hangings that reflect the geographic areas within the region. The tall sailing ship represents Jamestown, Virginia, which was one of the first 13 colonies in the United Sates. The crab represents the Chesapeake Bay, a significant source of industry for both Virginia and Maryland. In addition, the Washington Monument represents the District of Columbia, and a small "Moon Over the Mountain" quilt depicts the mountains throughout our region and the quilting heritage of West Virginia.