2019
Size: 52″ Wide x 32″ High
Pattern by: adapted from patterns by Michelle Watts
Quilted by: Janice Almli Newman

I created this quilt two years after I finished the Gathering Basket quilt from leftover fabric wedges. I wanted to reduce my fabric stash and created this smaller quilt. The pattern reminds me of a Native American moon design.
The quilt was displayed at the Fishing Center in Sioux Narrows and received a lot of positive feedback.

2007
Size: 36″ Wide x 35″ High
Background pattern Harmonic Convergence by Ricky Tims
Quilted by: Janice Almli Newman

The composition of this quilt came upon me after I finished the Harmonic Convergence pattern. I was please how it look, but it appeared empty, and so I added the bouquet of flowers, which are made using a fabric folding technique, and bias-cut stems. The flowers added organic lines and a 3D dimension to the design.

Honorable Mention – Small Quilts – 2008 Las Colcheras Quilt Show, Las Cruces, New Mexico

2018
Size: 15.5″ Wide x 35″ High
Pattern by: Kimberly Rado www.starrynighthollow.com
Quilted by: Janice Almli Newman

3rd Place – Small Quilts – 2020 Las Colcheras Quilt Show, Las Cruces, New Mexico

A selection of colorful fabrics surrounds the Peace Angel wall-hanging pattern by Kimberly Rado. The angel, enhanced with eyes and dangling braids, presides amid ethnic patterns unifying them and sending a message of peace. I am delighted how it turned out and pleased that it was awarded a prize as well.

2011
Size: 29″ Wide x 49.5″ High
The pattern is my own creation inspired by a class I took with Kathleen Bissette.
Quilted by: Janice Almli Newman

One summer I took a class in Kenora, Canada with Kathleen Bissette on three-dimensional collage quilting using her Maple Leaf Series design elements. We built layers of leaves that were cut out form various fabrics, such as burlap, corduroy, and of course my favorite batiks. Then the leaves were layered underneath and between tulle fabric, which in my case, was embellished by golden circles that look like due drops, giving the inspiration for the quilt’s name, Some of the leaves are not fully attached this giving the quilt a three-dimensional character.

When we leave Canada in the fall, the trees turn their colors and offer a kaleidoscope of hues. This quilt was inspired by the oncoming of the fall, which was even more impressive in northern Michigan where I originally come from.

2017
Size: 51.5″ Wide x 51.5″ High
Pattern is based on a class by Norah McMeekin, Bella Bella Quilts
Quilted by: Janice Almli Newman

This pattern was very intricate; I could even say challenging. The quilt called on my advanced skills, significant attention to detail, and my bold use of color in all the batik fabrics. It was a project that, I think, I mastered successfully. The spiked flower in the center and on every four corners was my design addition, which adds to the composition.

2010
Size: 46.5″ Wide x 87.5″ Long
Pattern by: Linda Clark www.borntoquilt.ca
Quilted by: Janice Almli Newman

Honorable Mention – Small Quilts – 2010 Las Colcheras Quilt Show, Las Cruces, New Mexico

I attended a class offered by Linda Clark in Kenora, Canada, on the bargello quilting technique. I love the colors I chose and how they work together. One fabric, in particular, I purchased on Fort Frances, Canada, and originated from England, and in a delicate tie-dye design it combines the colors of this entire quilt.

This quilt was completed in 2010, but I did not like the quilting on it, so in 2019 I took it all out and re-quilted it. Now the quilting is based on wavy lines that are 1/2″ apart and follow the bargello pattern. Now I am very pleased with the way it looks, but members of my UU Bee in Las Cruces think I am crazy for having done this. Still, a quilt has to meet my standards, and I will do anything to achieve that.

2007
Size: 16.75″ Wide x 19.5″ Long
Pattern from a class by Vikki Pignatelli
Quilted by: Janice Almli Newman

During this class, I learned how to do paper piecing following an organic line. Vikki is “Crazy about Curves,” and her technique is easy to understand. This tulip came out beautifully and its curves are accentuated by the delicate color transitions of the batik background. I also quilted this piece with an organic vine swirls, which complete the overall organic look. Finally, I painted a shadow line delicately to make the flower stand out even more. This wall hanging is small-ish, but everything in it is in harmony.

2005
Size: 18″ Wide x 36″ Long
Pattern: Dragonfly Flurry, by Love Quilt Patterns, Kathy Love, owner and designer. 
Quilted by: Janice Almli Newman

This wall-hanging was inspired by the dragonflies that fly around the Lake of the Woods, where we spend our summers. The five dragonflies depict color combinations that mimic nature as their wings reflect the sun at various times of the day. Not until I found the border fabric with the iridescent dragonfly print that the piece was complete.

2007
Size: 17″ Wide x 55″ Long
Pattern by Three Swans Studio
Quilted by: Janice Almli Newman

This pattern by three Swans Studio was introduced by Sally Morge during one of her classes. Sally was the owner of Quilting Dragon in Las Cruces, New Mexico, that unfortunately closed.

I enjoyed her class a lot and learned how to fold the fabric to achieve a three-dimensional look. The elegant ogee shapes give the squares an organic line. Each element was very difficult to make, especially since they all had to look the same. I made this piece during my purple period, and all the fabrics came from my stash.

Nevertheless, I mastered all the tricks and completed this wonderful wall-hanging that today decorates my dining room wall.

2005
Size: 18″ Wide x 40.75″ Long
Pattern is based on a class by Sally Morge from Las Colcheras Quilt Guild in Las Cruces, New Mexico
Quilted by: Janice Almli Newman

Sally Morge, who owned a fabulous quilting store in Las Cruces called Quilting Dragon, offered a class on stained glass quilting technique. The store since closed, but this stunning wall hanging hangs prominently on my dining room wall. The fabrics in this piece work very well, giving the piece a convincing stained glass look, especially the bright green appears as if the light was grinning through the piece against all the other colors.

2005
Size: 18.5″ Wide x 36″ Long
Pattern & Fabric by Thimbleberries ®
Quilted by: Janice Almli Newman

This is one of the first table-runners I have made. Over the years I have sewn many smaller quilts and table-runners which I gave away to friends and family.
When I look at this piece I notice the traditional fabrics, simple coloring, and sparse quilting. I am glad that I never gave up and that I continue to learn and push myself each quilt at a time.