Eileen from Ladybug Lovelies

Recently, I asked my friends Eileen and Diannalynn to guest post for me. They are both amazing, creative women and I'm excited to introduce them to my blog friends (if you don't already know them, that is!) A little background: I first met Diannalynn (aka DL or Dielle) during my first year of college at BYU. We became good friends and were roommates during the (super fun and laid back) summer of 1993, right before she graduated. I first met Eileen, DL's mom, when she came with DL's family to graduation that year. 

Here's Eileen: 

I've always been a crafter.  Mom worked at a toy store when I was little and gave me a set of about six 6-inch dolls I had at about four or five years old.  I can remember making clothes for them then and for a school project at about age 10, I made outfits for those dolls for different eras of history.  Mom taught me to sew on her old Singer machine (which Dad bought her for having me) when I was ten, so I have been sewing for over 50 years.  I have done a lot of different crafts.  Did decorative painting for years--have always loved the feel of well-sanded wood (friends teased me about how much sanding I'd do before painting);  have done a lot of paper crafting--stamping, card making, making paper, scheerinschnitte either patterns bought or ones I designed such as of Mt. Rainier, a family tree, or one from my mother's window.  Am a very tactile person, so texture of papers and fabrics have always fascinated me.  Did a lot of types of needlework and especially loved cross stitch but it makes me dizzy going from pattern to cloth now plus wow, have those stitches gotten smaller and smaller the older I get!

Marabella quilt top

My favorite current project is the Marabella quilt I've done for my newest girlie girl (granddaughter).  It's by the lady at Ivory Spring but I used totally different fabrics.  First saw it in the quilt festival.  Top is done, so it's just waiting for me to get the back done and get brave enough to home machine quilt it.  I hand quilted a very modern twin bedspread for Adam about 20 years ago--bright colored strips that meandered over huge black squares.  Wish I had a picture of it now.  My hands didn't work well for a couple weeks after doing that.  

Victory Garden

My other project I love is the Victory Garden from Eleanor Burns.  Made a king size with black background for my husband, Randy, and he loves it.  My friend Shirley long armed it for me.  I've made over a dozen what I call comfy quilts for all my immediate family and a couple others in the last year and a half.  They're a variation of what my friend called a Fiesta Quilt and backed with fleece.

Sabrina's quilt

My blog is Ladybug Lovelies which DL set up for me last year.  I've collected ladybugs since 1969 when I was just out of college and found a little ladybug crewel kit.  I have loved and collected hearts since about '76 when we were stationed in Frankfurt, Germany, and they were in all the craft shops and stood for good luck.  

Pat's quilt