Michele's Quilt Gallery

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Queen of Diamonds

Grand Prize Winner
1999 Viking/JoAnn Fabrics Contest,
“Diamonds are Forever”

In 1998 I had to quit my job as an administrative assistant because of a neck injury. Wanting a new sewing machine but reluctant to spend “family” money on it, I decided to enter a quilt contest with a sewing machine for the grand prize. I told my family I was going to win, and they conferred on how to let me know gracefully that I was being overconfident.

Well, I worked hard and I did win!

Because of this contest, I was asked to teach quilting at a local store. Being insecure in my teaching abilities, I typed up instruction sheets of each lesson for the students. At the end of the series of classes, one student remarked that I had passed out so much paper, I should just write a book. That seemed like a good way to eliminate all those visits to the copy store, so I contacted a few publishers. One liked my work and signed me to a contract. And that’s how The Essential Guide to Practically Perfect Patchwork was written.

Life certainly has peculiar turns in it. When one door is closed, another one opens. I don’t think anyone could be happier than I to be able to spend almost every day creating, thinking about and writing about quilts!

Flowers and Fans

Made by members of the Genesee Valley Quilt Club, Inc.
2002 – 2004

Fans and Flower Baskets is also a quilt made to benefit not-for-profit organizations: Compeer, Alternatives for Battered Women, and the Rochester Museum and Science Center Textile Preservation Fund. It is my original design executed by over 50 members. The border baskets and the fans as well as assembling the blocks were done by machine. All the applique was done by hand, including insects that were cut from printed fabric and broiderie perse appliqued to the top. Accentuating touches for birds, flowers, leaves and insects were added with embroidery. It is hand quilted in a one-inch grid and feather scroll design. It was juried into the American Quiler's Society 2004 Annual Show where it was appraised at $3,800. Raffled off, it also raised almost $7,000 to be divided among the three charities.

Patterns of this quilt are available for purchase.

A Baltimore Fancy

Made by members of the Reverse Curves Quilt Club
1989 – 1990

This beautiful quilt was made as a fund-raiser by members of our local Reverse Curves Quilt Club in 1989 – 90 to benefit the new Ronald McDonald House in our area. We were able to give $7,000 to the House with the proceeds of ticket sales. (Our quiet little club was one of their high donors that year.)

The patterns for the blocks came from different sources including Pat Andreatta's book, Heirloom Applique, two Elly Seinkiewicz’ designs (angels and urn); an old, historical Baltimore Album quilt; and my original horn of plenty, center basket, flower garlands, birds, ribbons and borders. It is hand quilted in a one-inch grid. We made it from fabrics in our stashes. It was accepted into the American Quilter’s Society Annual Show in 1991. Because of its fine workmanship, it’s presently valued at $5,500!

Beyond the Dark of the Moon

My first "art" quilt made in 1990 was an entry in my local quilt group's challenge using the then new Rainbow 100% Cotton fabrics. I hand quilted every line in the printed swirl background fabric -- doesn't even show! This is how I developed my theory, "If it doesn't show, don't do it." And THAT is exactly why I machine quilt most of my quilts in the ditch by machine (where the stitching is almost invisible) and hand quilt the open areas where the stitches can be appreciated.

From our House to Your House

In 1992 "From our House to Your House" was designed as a fund-raiser for our local PBS station, WXXI. Quilting "Friends of WXXI" and I made the quilt. It was a big success for the station. Most of the patterns came from Georgia Bonesteel's books, although I had to redraft them to fit our quilt. A few of the patterns are my own. Georgia Bonesteel herself visited Rochester during a publicity tour for her public broadcasted show, and drew the winning ticket.