Lynda DeLallo

‘Inspirations magazine issue #59 included my mother’s original chicken cushion design ‘Feathered Friends’. Here we are 15+ years later and she is stitching it again as two cushions for my niece who raises chickens.’

‘Mom (Ruth Orvis) will turn 95 on June 16th and she still stitches, knits, weaves and hand spins yarn every day. Everyone wants to be her! She still lives in New York, USA’

‘Keep up the beautiful, inspiring work!’

What a beautiful story, Lynda – thank you so much for sharing it! It is so wonderful to see your beautiful mother’s design coming full circle, now being lovingly created for the next generation. We’re honoured to be a part of Ruth’s extraordinary legacy of creativity – 95 years young! We wish her a joyful early birthday and many more years of stitching, spinning, and weaving.

Jane Masenas

‘An interesting crazy quilt offers details that you can spend a long time studying and still find more to see. My newest quilt, ‘Inspirations’, is a great example of the time I spend on each little detail to the last stitch.’

‘I began by brainstorming where I find inspiration for my themed crazy quilts. Each of the nine blocks is planned as if it were a small quilt.’

‘In my studio I always listen to music so I decided that would be my centre block. The other blocks represent different themes that I draw inspiration from as I design, such as water, gardens, and home. Once I have decided on the message of each block, I sort my fabric stash to find just the right fabric.’

‘Next, I look through my collection of embroidery, needle punch pieces, charms, and buttons that will enhance the block. If I can’t find pieces that I need, I look through my books and magazines for ideas to include.’

‘Threads, ribbons, and beads on each block add to the final details. Next time you see a crazy quilt look closely for all the little details to determine how they helped get the message across.’

Thank you for sharing the beautiful story behind your crazy ‘Inspirations’ quilt, Jane. It goes to show how much time, and thought has gone into each block of the quilt. We also loved reading about your creative process, carefully selecting fabrics, embellishments, and details - is a true celebration of storytelling through textiles. There’s always more than meets the eye!

Has your Mum stitched a piece? Have you constructed a cushion? Or have you created a crazy quilt?

Whatever you are stitching, we’d love to see it! Email photos of what you’ve created with needle and thread along with a few details about your stitching journey to news@inspirationsstudios.com