The Quilt Legends Are Made Of

15 years ago I made my first full-sized quilt. I was 17. And it was a crazy quilt made up of 25 panels pieced together and hand-embroidered with a scramble of designs.

It was a project of pure dedication, as it took a full year to assemble and embroider each panel. I loved picking out the fabrics, which were, individually, mostly monochromatic patterns. It was often a mathematical puzzle to jigsaw the panels together (which I couldn't have done without the genius mind of my mother leading the way). 

It was a challenge to make each piece have it's own designs and style, but the most challenging part was assembling the quilt into a whole... and then tying it. 

The result is a stunning combination of colors and textures. I can spend hours reminiscing and searching through the various details and stitches. Most of the designs, I actually remember sewing. 

The quilt won an Outstanding Exhibit rosette, the Kent County 4-H Fair Best in Show and a Youth Gold Ribbon award in 2000. It went on to win the Best of Show at the 2001 Michigan State Fair.

It has adorned my guest room since moving in to my house in 2006—it looks stunning against the "carrot cake" walls. But as it is in a South facing window, the quilt is suffering severe fading from the sun, and last week, I put it into storage to hopefully prolong it's life. I hope to find some window coverings that offer UV protection so I can eventually bring it back out again. The quilt is so full of memories and love, I hate to think of it sitting in a box. 

I haven't attempted another quilt since 2000. And it's not really in my future plans, I get a lot of satisfaction out of smaller sewing projects that can be finished in an afternoon! But I still do a bit of embroidery work — I love the creative freedom of a simple needle and floss!

Itchin' to do some Stitchin'

Just before the holidays, I got super obsessed with stitching silly little phrases into embroidery hoops. This new hobby often leaves be hoping for a debilitating flu that strands me on the sofa with my Netflix and my embroidery floss. 

I have a whole notebook full of ideas—here's a few that have managed to escape the pages. A couple I was able to do on the flight for my last vacation. Good thing I have another international flight coming up!

As these are completed, I will continue to post them to my Etsy page. Recommendations welcome. 

When Samplers Get Rowdy

Been stitching like crazy and there's new embroidery pieces available on fivefeettall.etsy.com! 

Mimicking some of my favorite images from pop culture, and a few key phrases, there's a little something for everyone. It's a combination of stitched edges and painted interiors. Not your traditional sampler, but I think Grandma would still be proud. 

I love making these— they're silly and fun, and I love watching the images gain energy as the color and lines are added.

I have a few more in the works so check back on Etsy in the next few weeks! OR, feel free to request your own custom piece!

Give Monday a Beating

It's February. It's Cold. It's Monday. And we're all Tired. Here's some appropriate advice for this Monday morning.

Wise Sentiments. Coming soon to Etsy.

(Let's Go) Exploring Embroidery

Over my extended Christmas break, I turned to a new project...a twist on traditional samplers... pop culture embroidery (surely no copyright violation here....!).
Inspired by a card I'd receive a while back, I suddenly began stitching out my pals Sophia, Rose, Dorothy and Blanche one afternoon. And then while watching the Dear Mr. Watterson documentary I was inspired and began on Calvin and Hobbes. I'm quite smitten with how each of these turned out—it's a simple combination of embroidery thread and acrylic paint, displayed in an 8 inch hoop.


I was going to post this on Etsy but I posted it on Instagram while I was working on it and someone purchased it via the comments there. Well that's a good sign, I guess I'll be making more of these!