Label
"The inspiration for this quilt was the full size 'Chesapeake Rose' quilt from the book 'Quilts from the Smithsonian' by Mimi Dietrich. 'Idlewood Rose,' made in 1996, is a reduced version of this quilt. The blocks in the full size quilt measure 24 inches; the blocks of 'Idlewood Rose' are 4 inches.
Commercial cotton fabrics were used in this piece. The hand appliqué was done needle-turn technique with freezer paper template 'on top.' The templates for the flower centers were paper-punched 'holes' of freezer paper. The batt is Hobbs Thermore and the piece is hand quilted with cotton thread. A tiny piping was added before the binding."Label
"Self-taught in sewing, I enjoyed creating with fabrics, and my interest turned to quilting about 30 years ago. A stay at home mom, I loved creating traditional quilts that brought warmth and comfort to our family. I enjoyed being involved with two local quilt guilds, gathering with others to stitch and sharing my love of quilting with others.
As my son Jason grew, the pieces in my quilts grew smaller. I started working in smaller size traditional quilt blocks to make miniature quilts. I enjoyed creating machine pieced or hand appliquéd designs in smaller scale. I loved the challenge of creating precision pieced blocks, using accurate rotary cutting and machine sewing skills to make miniature quilts by exhibiting at quilt shows and teaching. My greatest joy and honor came in being Jason's mom.
Every quilt has a story. It may have been stitched with love for a special person or occasion, or it could be memories of people, events, or places that are part of its making. It may be an 'untold' story - special to the quilter. I feel a quilt's 'name' is an important part of the story and the difficult part of quilting to me. In naming a quilt, input from Jason, my husband or others was always welcomed. After much consideration a 'name' would fit the quilt. 'Idlewood Rose' is the only quilt that Jason called by a different name - to him it was not 'Idlewood Rose.'
Jason's life, as we knew it, came to an end on November 30, 2003 at the young age of 23. Life as I knew it ended that day also.
TO HONOR JASON - 'Rose of Mamalou'
With sharing this quilt, I share Jason's life and love.
'Your absence has gone through me like thread through a needle. Everything I do is stitched with its color' - Unknown"