Habari Gani?

Today is the first day of Kwanzaa, so I greet you with Habari Gani. It means what is happening. The answer today is "Umoja". Umoja is unity. Kwanzaa consists of seven principles, one practiced each day of the seven days. The principles are Umoja, Kujichagulia, Ujima, Ujamaa, Nia, Kuumba and Imani. Have a Happy Kwanzaa!
Today's quilt is called Blue Line. I came up with the name because it reminded me of the book proofs that used to be called blue line. They were called that because they were done in blue ink. Why? I don't know. It is 59"x72", just right for a nap.
www.obaquilts.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=37&product_id=62

Gratitude

You never know when that little thing you say or do will mean so much to someone. Thank you so much Carol, you have inspired me. So glad my little posts have inspired you.

I have so much to be grateful for and so many people who have come into my life and encouraged/influenced me. Today I am just feeling all of that gratitude. The quilt I choice for the day is called "No Nonsense." I named it that because the fabric came from a dear friend, Amoyewa, who took no prisoners. I loved her for her no nonsense attitude towards life. When I look at this quilt, I think of her. She had a great idea about what I liked. She knew me well. I miss her.

It is a simple traditional block pattern. This is one of those that I made by stacking up all 20 blocks, then adding the sashing that I pieced with squares and triangles. It is bed sized -77"x100" and my favorite color of orange. I'm sure you hadn't missed the orangeness of it.

www.obaquilts.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=38&product_id=138

Count Down

When I undertook this challenge that I gave myself, I had no idea how demanding it would be to write everyday. Some input from you would have been nice but we all survived this sale. Hey, I just appreciate that you stopping by and reading my blog.
Okay, so I missed yesterday, but I am back on track.
Today it is another small quilt from the scrap bag. I can't wait to make another one of these. It was a quilt as you go pattern, so when you finish you are finished! How wonderful.

www.obaquilts.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=36&product_id=79

Holiday Is Here

The days are ticking away really really fast. Soon Christmas Day will be here. I have this great quilt made from a Christmas print fabric covered with holly and sashed by red & green squares and triangles. It is a nap quilt size -65"x76". This quilt is special for the holiday. Lovely lovely.
www.obaquilts.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=37&product_id=60

Sale Continues

Bed quilts always remind me of my childhood. We slept under quilts at my house, at Mama Josie's house, at my friend Leen's house, and my Aunt Marie's house. I also saw quilts on the beds of all the neighbors and all my friends. Quilts were the standard and necessarily so. They were made for warmth over beauty. Sometimes we lucked up and got a pretty one but not often.

Today I have chosen one of my favorite bed quilts. It has my signature favorite color-orange. I called it "Zimbabwe Basket" because the design reminded me of the designs woven into African baskets. It is a combination of two blocks. I thought the combination was a stroke of genius, not mine though. This quilt is 77"x88".
www.obaquilts.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=38&product_id=55

Gift of Art

A gift of art will last a very long time. Art is often cherished and passed through the generations. Fiber art makes a great heirloom that can be shared with generation after generation. Oftentimes, we don't think of fiber art as lasting very long. I was astonished to see some quilts made over 100 years ago. This will be a good place to start your heirloom collection.
This quilt is hand dyed and hand painted. It is quilted with beads. 41"x36"

www.obaquilts.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=46&product_id=107

Love of Stars

The traditional star pattern was my first quilt love and I still love it. When I made this one I searched out really great star patterns to put in a sampler. A sampler is a quilt that was originally used as a catalog of sorts. The sampler was true to it's name. It sampled a number of designs on one quilt. I haven't quite figured out why I chose that sea shell fabric as a background. I think it was because it gave a nice contrast. All taken in, it turned out to be a really calming quilt. It is nap size- 62"x61". Snuggle snuggle.
www.obaquilts.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=37&product_id=143

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays to everyone. This quilt is special to me because I was pretty much raised by my father. Our mother passed when we were little and my dad kept it going. There is nothing like a father's love. When I first saw this fabric with pictures of a father and child, I knew immediately what could happen with it. Mother and child is fairly easy to find but father and child pictures are kind of rare. There are some great fathers out there struggling alone to make like happen for their children. It is 9.5"x10" and looks really great in a frame.

This quilt honors those fathers. www.obaquilts.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=45_51&product_id=134

Black and White Sleeper

This quilt is called "Afternoon on the Serengeti". I named it that because of the animals on the fabric and the Zebra print fabric. It is 74"x82". Great sleeping quilt and it's a great gift for someone really special. Today the price is just right.

www.obaquilts.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=38&product_id=160

Left-overs Pay Off

I originally started quilting to save and recycle the left over fabrics after I finished making a great outfit or dress. I was obsessed with the idea of not wasting one drop of the fabric scraps. I saved and saved scraps until they were taking over. When I was forced to do something with the bags and bags of scraps, I got serious about quilting. The quilts I made, the more fabric I had. It was growing instead of shrinking. One day I just surrendered, quilters just have a lot of fabric; especially scraps.

This quilt was made from one of those scrap bags. Love love love reaching in that scrap bag and coming out with something useful. It is 16.5"x16.5" and hand quilted. It is called Scandalous #1. www.obaquilts.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=36&product_id=78
The quilt to the right was also made from the scrap bag and a lot of creativity. I entered it in the Holidays Aglow Art Exhibit for 2012. It happened to be the 13th year of the affair. Much to my surprise and delight, it won Best In Show this year. How wonderful!! Like I always say, these little quilts frame beautifully.

The 15th Already

I can't believe the 15th is here already. It was just January 1 a minute ago and I was trying to get used to writing 2011. This has been the fastest year I've seen in all my years on earth. I thought I would take it slower this year and enjoy the little things, pay attention to the minutes and it only made it go faster.

So let's celebrate the fact that December 15th is here. Today I chose a wallhanging quilt called "Choice". This quilt was one in a series of abstracts that I thought I would do. When I finished it most people saw a landscape but a few people turned it upside down and yet a few others turned it sideways. As I struggled with a name for it, I decided on "Choice" leaving it open for turning it either way. It is 15.5"x15.5" and machine quilted.

www.obaquilts.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=147

Stardust Bed Quilt

Stardust is a traditional bed quilt made from satin and cotton fabrics. The star pattern is my favorite traditional pattern, next is the log cabin for its ease and versatility. When I first started quilting, I made a lot of star quilts. I also made mostly bed quilts because my experience with quilts were solely for the bed. We grew up with quilts everywhere. We needed them to keep warm. Now I just cling to them to keep wonderful childhood memories alive.

Quilts are quite different now. The quilts my aunt used to make for our family weren't so much pretty as they were warm. The emphasis of her quilts was on function not beauty. Today's quilters have the luxury of time and an abundance of fabrics. Now I find myself making quilts for the love of quilts versus the function of quilts.

I put a lot of love into this one and hopefully it will find a home fitting its' beauty.

www.obaquilts.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=38&product_id=161

Blue Moon

The idea for Once in a Blue Moon started when one of the ladies in the Brown Sugar Stitchers Guild brought in her scrap bag to share with us. She thought she would offer them to us before she threw it out. So happy she did. I got some really really great pieces from the bag, especially that wonderful blue stripe on the sleeves. I thought this would be a great way to use up a lot of my scraps as well. It was like putting together a puzzle. I had just learned to make the gentle curve that I added through the middle. I gave her a big afro that kind of flopped in the top like mine used to do. I added the moon and some adinkra symbols to the black side and embellished her dress with a lot of beads. It is 31"x39". I also hand quilted it.

Today she is the new Super Savings Sale item. Check it out!

www.obaquilts.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=46&product_id=109

Art Magnets

All magnets are half price. The magnets at www.obaquilts.com are made from my art, my work. I feel a little embarrassed some times when people call it work. When I am in it and communing with the spirit, it doesn't feel like work at all. It is simply my pleasure that happens to consume all my waking hours and some times invades my sleep.
Often times people look at me, as if I have a horn growing out of my eye or something. Then they say, this must be your passion. Now that better describes what I do. I could truly say it is my passion. I think they might be really thinking that I am a tid bit crazy. Who in their right mind would spend countless hours, days, and months making a piece of art that is impossible to get a return in equal monetary compensation.
Lately, I have heard people call it my ministry, a quiet ministry. I have to reflect on that. It is a good thought though, that the art is affecting people somewhere at the core that will make a profound effect on their lives.
So today, I humbly offer the art on magnets at 1/2 price for the next four days of this December Sale.
www.obaquilts.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=178

Savings Savings

This quilt is called Solitude. This quilt features the adinkra symbol- Gye Nyame. This unique and beautiful symbol is ubiquitous in Ghana. It is by far the most popular for use in decoration, which is a testament to the deeply religious character of the Ghanaian people. The meaning is "except for God", symbol of the supremacy of God. I've heard it explained as "only God" meaning that when all things are stripped away, only God is left.

It is a wonderful patchwork quilt that is hand quilted. It is 37"x37". Great wall hanging quilt.

www.obaquilts.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=36&product_id=174

Super Savings Continues

It's on now. Putting up one of my masterpieces today. I have been asked, "how long did it take you to make this quilt?" An understandable question, when you stand back and look at all the tomatoes sewn in one at a time or any other vegetables for that matter. It took me some months. Hand appliqued, hand embellished and hand quilted. I loved every minute of it though. Loved it. Every prick of my fingers as well as the search for just the right fabrics. I love their togetherness. I want to stand back out of site and listen in on their conversation. Then at the end I want to taste that great pot of gumbo they make. Humbly I want to ask them to teach me to wrap my head like they do.

I call this quilt "Gumbo Ladies #2: Lagniappe Sil Vous Plait." It is 45"x64" and great for hanging in a narrow hall, beside the bed, in the dining room or where ever. Fall in love with them too!

www.obaquilts.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=45_49&product_id=121

Red & White Day

Today I feel all cheery and stuff. I figured red and white would express that good feeling best. As many of you know I love the color red. This wonderful traditional quilt pattern called a square in a square gives a great clean modern effect. Best gift of all and great price.

And don't forget to get your 2012 Calendar. Buy one and get one free for month of December. Go to www.obaquilts.com today and check it all out.

www.obaquilts.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=37&product_id=144

Super Savings Sale Day 8

Another day and another sale. Today we have this fantastic little beauty. My friend Marquetta calls these little quilts babies. She says, You'd better buy it before it grows up," and smiles. It features hand dyed fabrics and hand quilting. It is bead embellished and fits nicely into a frame. 14"x15.5" Beautify your walls with this one. Great gift for that special person.
www.obaquilts.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=36&product_id=73

Baby, It's Cold Out there

Baby, it's cold out there. That is exactly why I say wrap yourself in this wonderful king-sized bed quilt. It is a traditional log cabin quilt pattern. I simply love all the things you can do with that simple quilt block. It measures 106"x96" in black and white cotton fabrics.
Day 7 of the Super Savings Sale and the month seems to be flying by. Hurry to get one of these treasures for your special family member or friend.

www.obaquilts.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=38&product_id=52

Super Savings Day 6

Last year Elaine, Janice and I presented "Vistas" as our 4th annual art exhibit. We created several different landscapes, cityscapes, seascapes and more. This is one of my favorites. I used quite a few hand dyed fabrics, a little hand painting and a lot of applique. It is 38"x32". On sale for the next four days or until sold.

Still waiting on you to tell me what you want me to put on sale. We 24 days of the sale to go.

www.obaquilts.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=46&product_id=162

Day 5 Super Savings Sale

I decided to go with something small that fits just right in a frame for beautifying your walls. This quilt is called Hugs and it is number one in the series. It is an applique of a printed fabric on the courthouse steps quilt pattern. It is 14"x16". I thought the purple made such a regal statement. On sale at a great price for the next 4 days or until sold.
Check it out at www.obaquilts.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=45_51&product_id=74

Half Price Bed Quilt

Today, I have chosen a bed quilt. The bed quilts are my favorites because of childhood memories. I had many good nights sleep buried under a warm quilt. This quilt is for the black and gold lovers. You know who you are. I call it Stellar Experience. Stars are my favorite of all quilt patterns and this one is covered with stars. It is 84"x96". It is a great gift at 1/2 price. This is the first quilt I have slashed to half. Check it out. www.obaquilts.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=38&product_id=53

Come on now and help me chose!

Day 3 Dec. Sale

Precious Precious is one of my most creative endeavors. It started when I was learning to marble fabric in a class with Marquetta Johnson. I fell in love with marbling. The random beauty of the flow of the dye in the water excited me. I started out with the idea of a mother and a baby. Then it developed into the Madonna and child.

The quilt is 41"x36". It is hand quilted, bead embellished, hand dyed, and hand painted.

It can be yours by going to www.obaquilts.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=46&product_id=108

Second Day Dec. Sale

Ninety Degrees is my choice for today. You can help me make the choice for tomorrow. Go to the website (www.obaquilts.com), choose one you'd like to get and email me, facebook me, or write a comment on this blog.
This quilt is the size I call a Nap Quilt. It is 54"x66". This quilt is made for curling up under. Some are wall hangings art pieces. This one is an art piece designed to be used. I used ninety degree angles to make it, thus the name. It is just the right price for a special gift. Check it out. www.obaquilts.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=37&product_id=58

Encore: Reception

We had a wonderful time. The weather cooperated and the staff of the Atrium on Auburn was so gracious. I wish everyone could visit this exhibit. We have some great works of art from the past four years and some outstanding new pieces. I'll post some of the new pieces here.

If you are in Atlanta, come on by. 236 Auburn Avenue 9am-4pm Monday through Friday

Super Savings Sale December

I have this wild idea that I will put one different item on sale everyday of December. I thought I would kick the month off with a quilt that so many people have wanted and loved. One lucky person will end up with her.
This quilt is so special. You have got to love the colors, her big jewelry, her flowing dress with beads dripping from the tail, her big hat, her ankle bangles, and lovely tiny little earring. The quilting design across the quilt makes it all the more delightful. She is 24.5"x33". This quilt is number 3 of a 20 quilt series. It is easy to frame and lovely hanging on the wall with or without a frame. The ultimate gift. Get it now at http://www.obaquilts.com/