Quilt Sandwich

Woven in Love: A Wedding Quilt Inspired by Bridge Park

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 20:40:00 +0000

There’s something sacred about a handmade quilt—it holds warmth not just in its fibers, but in the intention, time, and story stitched into every inch. Recently, I had the honor of creating a quilt that will be gifted to a newlywed couple, a tangible blessing for their marriage, sewn with love and symbolic meaning.

The colors of the quilt were inspired by the couple’s carefully chosen wedding palette—soft earth tones, deep greens, gentle creams, and the dusky blue of a summer evening sky. These hues reflect not only their taste but also the natural beauty and urban charm of Bridge Park, a place they hold dear.

The quilt’s pattern is a visual metaphor for union, two separate lives, now woven together. Each fabric strip represents a thread of their story: where they’ve been, what they’ve brought into this marriage, and how beautifully they now complement one another. It’s a pattern that speaks of connection—strong, intentional, and artful.

As I stitched, I thought about the lights that shimmer over Bridge Park at night, how they dance across the pavement and water like a quiet celebration. The quilting lines reflect that, a constellation of movement that mimics the magic of those evenings. And among those lights is the steady presence of the Scioto River, which runs gracefully through the park. Its gentle curves inspired the quilt’s wavy stitching—subtle, but present—echoing the rhythm of water, of time, of life flowing forward.

This quilt is more than a gift. It’s a prayer wrapped in cotton; it is a wish that their love never grows stagnant. Like the river in the area they love, they continue to move, change, stretch, and grow. That their bond, like the stitches in this quilt, holds firm through every season.

May it bring comfort on quiet mornings and warmth on stormy nights. May it be draped across their laps as they plan their future, and someday perhaps, be the background of new memories with a family of their own.

Woven with care. Sewn with symbolism. Given with all the hope in the world.

53 x 61"

Pattern:

Quilting: Jane Clark of I Quilt For You

For my daughter and her new husband

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 17:26:00 +0000

Creating a quilt for my daughter and her husband to celebrate their first Christmas together after their July wedding was pure joy! The quilt top drew inspiration from the vibrant, cheerful colors of the flowers that adorned their special day. My daughter has a natural talent for flower arranging and is a budding gardener (pun intended!), a passion beautifully reflected in her bouquet and the stunning table centerpieces. This quilt carries her spirit and creativity into a keepsake they will hopefully cherish for years.

The back of the quilt serves as a heartfelt tribute to my son-in-law’s love of movies, one of his favorite ways to unwind and recharge. To honor this passion, I incorporated a pieced film strip into the design. Unlike a traditional film strip, this one remains blank—free of images or titles—symbolizing the unwritten story he and my daughter are beginning together. This empty film strip invites them to fill it with memories, milestones, and everyday moments as they craft their shared life. It’s a subtle yet meaningful reminder that their journey is just beginning, and the possibilities are as endless as the frames of a reel.

The capstone of the quilt design is the pantograph quilting, which beautifully ties everything together with patterns of film reels and movie theater candy. This choice was inspired by a charming detail from their wedding reception, where guests were invited to take a box of movie theater candy as a memento of the weekend—a playful nod to the groom’s love of movies and an encouragement to enjoy the simple joy of a trip to the cinema. These stitched motifs not only echo the theme but also weave a thread of nostalgia and celebration into the quilt, making it a heartfelt keepsake of their special weekend.

And, thanks to Jane of I Quilt For You for her expert quilting. She suggested gold thread for this task as a subtle nod to the Oscars. It adds a bright spark to the design and was the perfect finishing touch!

A Quilt for the Bride and Groom

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Mimicing the couple's wedding reception colors and this fun scallop pattern the subtle message is that there will always be peaks and valleys in a relationship. But when you're in the valley don't forget that there is a peak on the other side! I've used this pattern from Modern Handcraft before. But this time it's doubling meaningful becasue teh scallops remind me of eyelids. And the bride happens to own a lash extension business. The backing is a cloud printed fabric for the groom, who is a pilot.

This 48 x 61" throw quilt was quilted by Jane at I Quilt 4 You.

Penguino's baby quilt

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 18:06:00 +0000

Made with love for our first grandchild, this is a black and white quilt becacuse newborns color perception is limited to white, black and shades of grey, because their eyes and capacity for sight are not fully developed at birth. Additionally it has random prairie points as tactile an interest for baby to grab onto.

As I type, we are waiting for the baby's arrival. Penguino has been the affectionate nickname for this little one that we already love and are excited to get to know.

100% cotton fabrics
QD cotton quilt batting
40 x 47"
quilted by Jane Clark of I Quilt 4 You

Out of the Blue -- A Show Quilt

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Sun, 03 Sep 2023 19:44:00 +0000

Making the most of everything you have is something I believe in. Hence, each year I create at least one scrap quilt from the remnants of my Carrot Top Studio business which designs vestments for clergy. Blue scraps abounded from the season of Advent so I set out to make as many log cabin-style blocks as I could. The simple color palette granted me the freedom to focus on tone and composition.

My goal in creating this quilt was to merge the traditional with the contemporary. I cherish the design challenge of arranging the blocks in a new and different way. In the end, the energy in the small blue blocks and their patterned fabrics needed the balance of large white negative space. The piecing in collaboration with the quilting (by Jane of IQuilt4You) provides visual movement and details to draw the viewer in.

Preparing the quilt for competition
by sewing on the hanging sleeve.

It was such a joy to create this 60 x 89" top. But then a happy dance occurred when I found out it had been juried into AQS Grand Rapids, MI 2023, and International Quilt Festival 2023 (Houston, TX). I have shown quilts previously but these two shows are a notch up!

What a joy to share this work with the quilting world!
**Pictured with Jane of IQulit4You.com who quilts my work.

2024 update - Out of the Blue was awarded a second place ribbon at the Michigan State Fair and will travel with The Original Sewing and Quilt Expo in 2025.

Ups and Downs

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Sun, 03 Sep 2023 19:12:00 +0000

Another quilt throw for a wedding gift is complete! The color palette reflects the wedding colors as a reminder of the special day for the bride and groom. The pattern reminds them that you can hold together in the ups and downs of marriage. And I pray that their marriage is covered (pun!) with much grace.

I like this 56 x 70" size because it makes a great throw for cuddling on the sofa while watching TV or it could be used as a picnic blanket for a romantic getaway.

The fabric top is 100% solid cotton by Kona.

The quilt pattern is an adaption of Summit by Canton Village Works.

Tthe beautiful quilting is by Jane of IQuilt4You. The flowing, edge-to-edge, wavy stitching complements the quilt's angular piecing.

Italian Tile Quilt

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 21:19:00 +0000

This was a gift for a bride and groom who love Italy. I think it's the perfect size to snuggle under while watching a movie or to pack up for a picnic in the country.

Pattern by Sewn Handmade
Top Kona cotton solids
Quilting by Jane Quilts

Peaks and Valleys Quilt

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 13:58:00 +0000

Created in celebration of a wedding, this equilateral triangle quilt is a subtle message to the bride and groom that marriage has ups and downs. There will be times of peaks and great celebration. But there will also be days in the valley that need to be plodded through and worked on. The good news to those valley moments is that the valley has a beginning and end and there is always another peak ahead. So, this is a visual encouragement to keep working on the marriage! Wishing the bride and groom many happy years.

100% cotton solids from Kona Cotton were used on the quilt front and it was machine pieced. The beautiful quilting with variegated thread was done by Jane Clark of IQuiltForYou.

40 x 64"

Quilt back with embroidered square "A & S, est 2022"

A Quilt for the Newlyweds

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 18:55:00 +0000

Playing off the couple's wedding reception colors and this fun scallop pattern the subtle message is that there will always be peaks and valleys in a relationship. But when you're in the valley don't forget that there is a peak on the other side!

It was fun to give a go at the curved piecing via great directions in the Modern Handcraft pattern. And the straight line quilting by Jane at I Quilt 4 You is the perfect finishing touch to give the quilted throw a contemporary edge.

And tada, here's the back --

Travel Block Quilt

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Mon, 06 Sep 2021 20:34:00 +0000

For years when I traveled I carried with me a pile of 4" square fabric scraps in neutral colors and a bit of embroidery floss to do some mindless stitching. I need to keep my hands busy! Finally, it was enough and the quilt top was pieced, a bit more embroidery and borders were added. Jane of IQuilt4You finished this fun piece off by echoing the geometric design with her expert quilting.

The finished piece is 56 x 42" and it has a coordinating scrappy backing.

2021 Scrap Quilt

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Sun, 04 Apr 2021 20:32:00 +0000

Often in the winter I take the time to create a scrap quilt from the previous year's Carrot Top Studio clergy stole sewing. This year I used the Kira pattern by GeDesigns. The result is this 60 x 76" piece. The pattern suggested a traditional repeated color way all over the quilt. I had to make it my own with the variation of moving from lights to darks. I did a series of batik clergy stoles with fabrics from Rwanda in 2020 and especially enjoyed incorporating those remnants in this quilt. As usual, Jane of I Quilt 4 You knew just the right swirly quilting design to use to enhance the geometric piecing.

front

the back - scrappy too!

detail - quilting pattern

Christmas Tree Skirt and Table Runner

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Sun, 23 Aug 2020 20:52:00 +0000

Being home more than usual because of the Covid-19 pandemic allowed for some sewing that I might not otherwise have gotten to. Like this Christmas tree skirt and coordinating table runner. Actually, that might be an understatement! The reality is that I've never had a Christmas tree skirt. I usually just go through my fabric stash and find a large remnant that I can throw around the base of the tree. That's a true confession of a sewist isn't it? Now I'm ready for Christmas 2020 and hopefully many years to come.

Look closely at the beautiful quilting Jane of Jane Quilts did! It was her idea to use the variegated threads. She said they'll really sparkle at night when the tree lights are on -- I can't wait!

Peak Quilt

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 12:24:00 +0000

We are in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Living in Michigan we have been sheltering in place and quarantined for over a month. My studio is in the lower level of my home so I now realize that has pretty much been my routine for the 15 years of Carrot Top Studio's existence! While lots of people went into house cleaning mode, when I learned of the official government order the first thought was to piece a new quilt top using only fabric from my stash. I had the Modern Handcraft pattern "Peak" waiting in the wings so I set to work and put my spin on this fun to assemble pattern.

Before Michigan totally shut down I was able to deliver the quilt top and back to my quilter, Jane of JaneQuilts. As usual, she had great ideas on the quilting pattern and thread and batting choices. When finished she left it in a tub on her front porch for me to pick up. Who would have thought that we'd someday doing trade like this! But I'm thankful that we could.

I can always count on a black and white binding gives a frame with a nice visual punch.

front - 100% cotton fabrics, finished size 80 x 62" - with clear thread for the quilting

back - with green thread for the quilting

Taking photos at Highland Recreational Park was a great backdrop albeit windy!

Lake Sunset - A Wall Hanging

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Sun, 02 Feb 2020 19:19:00 +0000

Jennifer Sampou's ombre SKY fabric line for Robert Kaufman was too luscious to resist! And her Sunset Lake pattern was a nice challenge to compliment the fabric. I made it my own by not doing all the prescribed rows and columns in the quilt design. Little appliquéd triangles were also added for some additional sky sparkle. Jane of Jane Quilts found just the right quilting pattern that echoed the triangles yet provided curved movement for this wall hanging. And we boldly agreed upon orange top thread for the quilt stitching. This happy color acts as a neutral yet provides a final touch of lightness to the design. This piece reminds me of the beauty of the sun setting or rising over the lakes of Michigan where we currently are happy to reside and quilt.

detail

4' x 5' 4"

the perfect quilting pattern!

A Snowflake Quilt - two ways

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Wed, 01 Jan 2020 19:44:00 +0000

For quite some time I've admired and followed the work of Nicole Daksiewicz of Modern Handcraft. When she started talking up her new snowflake quilt pattern last summer I had a feeling I needed to try to create it. Plunging in first with my red fabric scraps I quickly fell in love with the scrappy assembly process and knew I should also make a blue version as gifts for my daughter and daughter-in-law. Both are twin bed sized and have been quilted by Jane Clark of JaneQuilts. A few more pictures --

A Baby Blanket

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Sat, 16 Mar 2019 18:27:00 +0000

This was my first go at using double gauze. I quilted it myself and would do that again for something this size. Warm and Natural brand cotton batting was used. Pieced quilters cotton fabric made the binding. It was super soft after it was machine washed.

Queen Bed Quilt

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Sat, 26 Jan 2019 19:59:00 +0000

This is the largest quilt I have ever pieced. I'm pleased with the results but learned that I don't really enjoy working in this great size. The quilt began with a desire to use Robert Kauffman's Essex linen blend fabrics and the inspiration happened when visiting Blue Bar Quilts in Madison, WI. They had a display sample of the Kira pattern by Gudrun Erla and I felt drawn into wanting to create my own version.

The environment of our Michigan winter provided a great backdrop for a photo shoot. The stripe of color on the back is revealed when the quilt is turned down for bedtime.

Details are fun to interject into a large piece like this quilt! We learned that we liked using the selvedges (bottom pics). This was a happy accident as we started to run out of fabric and were to impatient and practical to order more :)

We're grateful for a relationship with Jane of Jane Quilts who did the quilting on this piece. The retro designs are fun and she listened to the desire of edge to edge quilting broken up just a bit visually. That resulted in the square/circle pattern used on 3/4 of the quilt with the complimentary round edge rectangles in a section that rests right below the pillows on the bed.

A Quilt for a Newborn

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Thu, 27 Sep 2018 18:13:00 +0000

It's always a joy to sew in anticipation of a birth of a child! This quilt is focused on the high contrast that a newborn is able to see. It is a 100% cotton, modified nine patch that I quilted myself. Hope it will keep the little warm and visually stimulated!

Scrap Quilts

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 19:46:00 +0000

In January of 2017 I started working my way through Tula Pink's City Sampler: 100 Modern Blocks. My two rules were to use only scraps and they needed to be warm colors. I ended up piecing these into two twin size quilts of different settings. Jane of Jane Quilts helped me choose complimentary quilt designs for each work. The results of her long arm quilting was the perfect addition!

Working my way through the piecing of the blocks helped me hone my sewing skills and it was fun too. The quilt blocks are surrounded by neutral kona cotton fabric. Here are the results--

Quilt on the left above (details)

Quilt on the right above (details)

Ordinary Time Wall Hangings/Banners

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 14:25:00 +0000

This (one of a kind) creation was designed while pondering the energy, God's activity and abundance in the first words of the book of Genesis. The circle represents creation, the spirals are for energy and the water recalls God's activity through the Holy Spirit. Lastly the wheat symbolizes abundance because grain is a gift from God and he always provides for our lives. See it in full here.

This 18 x 36" was professionally quilted with exquisite details that mimic the imagery by Jane of Jane Quilts.

This one of a kind art was inspired by Ecclesiastes 3 and focuses on symbols of growth and the cycle of the seasons. See it in full here.

This 18 3/4" x 53 3/4" was also professionally quilted with exquisite details that mimic and enhance the imagery by Jane of Jane Quilts.

A Unique Commission

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 21:41:00 +0000

One thing led to another.

First a stole was purchased through our online stole. Several years later, upon ministering at a new church, a commission was entered into led by this same pastor. This project included stoles, Communion table cloths and paraments for the pulpit/lectern. The process became a collaboration as the Church year rolled along. With each new season we emailed back and forth our ideas, sketches and fabric swatches until a plan was ready to be executed in our Michigan studio.

Just when we were mourning the end of the year long work we were thrilled to receive a request for a new piece of fiber art for the pastor's study. The parameters were to first have it fit a 46 x 56" space. Secondly the pastor thought maybe the rich illuminations of the St. John's Bible would be able to provide inspiration. We did some cartwheels at this news and dug in to make plans!

The resulting piece (above) has a creation theme based on the words in the book of Genesis. The use of batik fabrics add depth to the work. The story art is told through appliquéd images and symbols and is accented by sheer fabrics, metallic textile paint and free motion embroidery details. The finishing touch was the machine quilting done by Jane Clark of Jane Quilts. The wavy quilt lines move from open/fluid to tight/closed to add to the energy of the creation story.

As we recently traveled to a mini-vacation on the east coast we were passing by the pastor's church so had the honor of unveiling the work face to face. This is a rare treat and it was wonderful to be able to talk about the art and see it in situ.

Artist Jenny Gallo and patron Reverend Dr. Trent Hancock examining the art.

Image description, left to right:

heaven and earth/light and dark
sky and sea
land and vegetation
stars and moon
life in water and birds
creatures on dry land, and
rest

A look behind the scenes ... Stitching a favorite detail, the preying mantis.

Art in place -- Glenshaw Presbyterian Church, Glenshaw, PA

We remain thankful for this relationship and body of work.

Has this intrigued you? Seeking a commission? Email Jenny.

A Quilt for a New Home

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Mon, 15 May 2017 21:07:00 +0000

Our dear daughter has graduated from college with a B.S. in nursing! She is moving onto her first job and into her own apartment. It was with great joy that this throw was stitched with a minimalist breadfruit motif. It was quilted in an all over chevron design by Jane Clark of Jane Quilts.

Darby might not have entered into the nursing program at Messiah College if it wasn't for a mission trip to Haiti her junior year of high school. At that time, with the encouragement of another American nurse at the mission, Darby learned to take vitals, assisted with community nursing and attended the birth of a baby. In one week's time she felt like she'd found her calling.

So why the breadfruit motif? Breadfruit is one of the things we enjoy eating while in Haiti. We don't ever get to eat it in the United States so it's a special treat.

I hope this quilt will be a reminder of trying new things, of being an encourager to others, and of the beautiful country of Haiti and our friends there. We can't wait to see how God uses this young woman's gifts as a nurse!

Then and now--2011 and 2017

Second Try Is the Charm

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Fri, 24 Feb 2017 15:42:00 +0000

I've always been intrigued by the bold blocking of Amish quilts. I saw a pattern that had a bit of a modern twist on it. I made it but my color choices were wrong. The icing on the cake was my machine quilting was sloppy. I lived with it for months but couldn't let it go. Sooooo I set out to remake the quilt. I gave myself the perimeter of having to use the scraps from the original quilt minus the one color choice that was wrong. And I sent it to a professional quilter. Because the scraps weren't enough to replicate the original design I created a modification of the design so it became more of my own. All of that angst, extra time and quilting done right was well worth it.

wall hanging measuring 43 1/2 x 38 1/2"
Kona cotton solids
creative, custom quilting by Jane Quilts
2017

Upcycling

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Sun, 30 Oct 2016 21:50:00 +0000

I generate a lot of scraps in the studio and save them in hopes of a use for these fabrics. This quilt is the result of my latest "upcycling." The pattern is my adaption of Unraveled from Vintage Quilt Revival by Faith Jones. I did purchase new the gray and white solids for the front. The back fabrics were also part of my stash busting plan. The quilting was the inspiration of and executed by Jane of JaneQuilts.

Completed September 2016, 76 x 60

detail

back

This piece was made in honor of my 30th wedding anniversary.

"And over all these virtues put on love,

which binds them all together in perfect unity. "

Colossians 3:14

A Quilt for My Daughter

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 21:50:00 +0000

Taking my daughter's bedroom from a teen's room to a young adult we set out to first make a new bed quilt to be the focal point. This gem was designed by my daughter. I had the joy of machine piecing it and it was quilted by Jane at Jane Quilts. The goal was to simulate pieces of different types of wood assembled to make an intriguing pattern. The natural hues of the Kona cotton play well together. It was pieced organically after the initial design inspiration. It seemed fitting to photograph it at the edge of the woods but it will be good to have it make a permanent home inside.

Looking down on the 83 x 81" quilt.