The Quilted Jardin Blog
Year-end Reflections of a Maker
It’s that time of year when, as a small business owner, I take stock of how the past year has gone and pull together my thoughts for the upcoming year. When I retired early in 2016, it was to move to Vermont for family, fabric, and farm. Those 3 F’s, with the...
Birds and Landscapes in Fabric Art: A Mini-Lesson and Some Musings
Fall is drawing to a close here in Vermont. The vibrant colors of the maples and aspens have mostly faded and what is left are a few of those dark maroon-brown leaves that cling tenaciously to the branches and piles upon piles of leaves on the ground. For some reason...
How to Choose a Photograph for Your Pet Portrait
One of the most difficult things for people to do is to choose the exact photograph that they would like made into a pet portrait or pet memorial by me. At art shows and craft fairs, folks pull out their phones and scroll through endless photos, while sharing with me...
Big, Bigger, Biggest: Making a Large Landscape Quilt
Fabric Art Comes in All Shapes and Sizes I am often asked these two questions: “What’s the smallest size (fabric picture) you make?” and “What has been your biggest work?” Well, in case you’re also wondering, here are some stats: Smallest landscape: 3x4 inches (7.5x10...
A Lesson in Fabric Pet Portrait Art: Mickey, Moon, and More
"Good morning! I was looking for a class to take with my mother-in-law... in early March and didn't know if you were offering one?! It's her birthday and it's been some time since both of us have dusted off our machines." Back in early 2019, I received the above email...
Fabric Art Inspirations via Evening Song Farm
The Farm You often hear me mention “the farm” on my Instagram or Facebook accounts or in these posts. The farm is Evening Song Farm, an organic vegetable CSA, owned by Kara and Ryan Fitzbeauchamp, my daughter-in-law and son. It is located in Shrewsbury, Vermont and is...
Their Eyes Speak: Different Techniques for Fabric Pet Portrait Eyes
How Do You Create The Pet Portrait Eyes? “They look so real” and “It looks as if his eyes are following me when I move to sit in his favorite chair” are some of the comments I’ve received on custom pet portraits or pet memorials over the years. My creation process...
When Your First Grandchild Is a Farm
Back when my daughter was expecting their child, needless to say we all were excited. Kara Fizbeauchamp, my daughter-in-law, wrote "When Your First Grandchild is a Farm'' for me and framed it within one of her paintings of garlic growing. I wanted to share it with you...
Two Rescued Dogs
Echo and Callie, my granddogs, both came to Evening Song Farm CSA as rescues. Echo’s rescue story is heartbreaking. Callie’s is about determination. However, both have happy endings with life on the farm. Echo’s Arrival It was important for Kara and Ryan that their...
Making a Pet Portrait: Cooper’s Memorial Pillow
Q: How do you turn all those pieces of fabric into a picture of my dog?A: One step at a time, one step at a time. Let me walk you through the process of the co-creation of a pet portrait, using a recent example of Cooper. First, here’s some background information. The...