A Garden of Strength and Beauty makes me smile!

Every now and then I make a quilt just for me. The latest "me" quilt is A Garden of Strength and Beauty. This quilt is part of my personal collection.

Gentleman Farmer will find a home in Alabama.

Since I was so busy making Christmas quilts for the Clara Ford Found Christmas Tour of Quilts, I only gave away one quilt as a gift this year. The quilt is called Gentleman Farmer. I generally don't do commissioned quilts. Somehow it takes the joy out of it for me. But when a special friend called and said she was dating someone who had absolutely everything except an "O.V. Brantley quilt", what could I do but help her give the perfect gift?!

Gentleman Farmer is made from 20 different fabrics that reflect the recipient's love of the outdoors. There is a wine print on the back because he also makes his own wine. It measures 64 x 80 inches, has a hanging sleeve on the back, and is signed and dated.

I hope he likes it. But more importantly, I hope he is worthy of my friend and the quilt.

Santa's Secret Weapon

Who needs elves when you can have these smart, sneaky scotties to help make your Christmas special?

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM ME TO YOU!

Ivye's Flower Garden Heads to New Home

Ivye's Flower Garden is a housewarming gift for Ivye Allen. Ivye and I serve on the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation Board together. Ivye recently got a new job that caused her to relocate and buy a new home. Hopefully, Ivye's Flower Garden will help her new home feel special.

Ivye's Flower Garden measures 58 x82 inches. The colors in the quilt were chosen basen on paint chips that Ivye shared with me. It will arrive at her house in time for Christmas.

Christmas Traditions part of Clara Ford Foundation Christmas Tour of Quilts

Christmas Traditions is a row by row quilt created by the quilt store Quilts and Fixins in Jonesboro, Georgia. This quilt has a little of everything in it -- stars, trees, candy canes and Santa. The quilt measures 73 x 83 inches.

Christmas Traditions is on display during the month of December at the Helene Mills Multi-purpose Senior Center, 515 John Wesley Dobbs, Atlanta, GA 30315 as part of the Clara Ford Foundation 1st Annual Christmas Tour of Quilts.

Candy Cane Christmas part of Clara Ford Foundation Christmas Tour of Quilts

I love making Christmas quilts. With the Clara Ford Foundation sponsoring its 1st Annual Christmas Tour of Quilts, I had to really get busy this year. Candy Cane Christmas is one of my 2007 Christmas quilts.

Candy Cane Christmas is composed of 13 sampler blocks offset by candy cane blocks. This quilt is large measuring 71 x 78 inches.

The Clara Ford Foundation Christmas Tour of Quilts runs through the month of December. Quilts are exhibited at three of the Fulton County Multi-Purpose Senior Centers.

Beautiful Mother Commemorates Retirement

This wall hanging was created for Sherryl Williams, a very special friend, to commemorate her retirement. Aside from being just an all around great person and hard worker, Sherryl is an exceptional mother to her daughter. I named the quilt Beautiful Mother to honor her.

Do Flowers Dream?

Do Flowers Dream? is a quilt that I worked on over the past year. It is a block of the month quilt sponsored by the Intown Quilt Shop. All of the blocks were appliqued by hand. I enjoy participating in Block of the Month programs because, since someone else chooses the pattern and the fabric, it allows you to work outside your normal box.

Such is the case with this quilt. These are not my normal colors -- bright oranges, lime greens and brilliant yellows are just not me. When I looked at the finished blocks, I thought, "I've never seen any flowers that look like that!"

But they were so sassy, I wondered, "Do flowers dream of being more than they are like people?"

I hope so.

The beautiful custom quilting was done by Janna Bigelow. She perfectly offset my sassy flowers with a swirling wind pattern that makes them look as if they are dancing. This quilt is part of my private collection.