Having traveled and lived with my family in several countries we have found that most friendships were started through patchwork and quilting. This craft is a great ice breaker and the mutual interest in fabric and color is a wonderful way to meet people everywhere.

The first contact with patchwork was made through a Norwegian friend when we lived in Mexico in 1981-82. This is where my first quilt was sewn, a baby quilt for our son. My husband Michael cut the hexagon templates out of yogurt containers, the batting was a piece of flannel which of course shrunk much more than the other fabrics. Nevertheless, the quilt withstood countless washings and is still in fairly good condition and much treasured.

Gregor´s Crib Quilt 1982

Back in Germany many techniques and patterns had to be tried and learned. Only a few of these quilts remained in my possession.

"From Heart to Heart" 1995 136×136cm / 54"×54" Design: Michael Tacke Technique: Log Cabin Machine sewn, hand quilted	"Sunflower Star" 1996 * 144×144cm / 58"×58" Trad. Block Double Aster Machine sewn, hand quilted
"Ocean" 1997 * 107×122cm / 43"×49" Machine sewn, hand appliquéd and quilted	"Birds and Baskets" 1995 Machine sewn, hand appliquéd, machine and hand quilted and embroidered

In 1997 we returned to Mexico, this time to stay for 5 years. Mexico with its incredible colors and color combinations has definitely had a strong influence on my quilts.

"Sunny Side Up" 1997 * 114cm (Hexagon) 46" Technique: 60º Log Cabin Machine sewn quilted	"Mexico I" 1997 * 178×137cm / 71"×55" Machine sewn, hand appliquéd, embroidered and quilted
"Chevron" 1997 * 144×130cm / 58"×52" Material: Silk Technique: Log Cabin Machine sewn, hand quilted	"Rose Trellis" 1998 * 78×78cm / 31"×31" as taught by my friend Rosemarie Reinelt Machine sewn, hand quilted
"Glorious 9 Patch" 1998 * 72x72cm / 29"x29" Machine sewn, hand quilted	"Ojos de Dios" 1999 112×112cm / 45"×45" Traditional block "Merry England" Machine sewn, hand quilted
"Kaleidoscope Stars" 2000 * 91×91cm / 36"×36" Technique: Stack'n Whack by B. Reynolds Machine sewn, hand quilted	"Tianguis" 2000 124×89cm / 50"×37" (Tianguis is the Nauatl word for market) Machine sewn, hand appliquéd and quilted

A new door was opened for me when I took a class in Hawaiian Appliqué and Design with Mary Haunani Cesar during the Houston Quilt Festival one year. I am still fascinated by the possiblities of design and the colors in Hawaiian quilts.

"Noche Buena" 1999 ** 136×136cm / 54"×54" Hawaiian Appliqué Hand appliquéd and quilted

"Periwinkle" 2001 */** 145×145cm / 58"×58" Hawaiian Appliqué Hand appliquéd and quilted

In 1999 I combined my favourite quilt technique and my favourite flowers in a series of Log Cabin Rose Quilts (see "Quilting Today" #84, 11/2001).

"Log Cabin Rose" 1999 *** 81x141cm / 32"x56" Technique: folded Log Cabin Machine sewn, hand quilted

"Rosa Mantequilla" 1999 * 75×75cm / 30"×30" Technique: folded Log Cabin Machine sewn, hand quilted

"Log Cabin Rose" 2001 * 71×71cm / 28½"×28½" Technique: folded Log Cabin Machine sewn, hand quilted

Through Hawaiian Quilts I became interested in other styles and methods of hand appliqué and the combination of different styles such as the reverse appliqué used in the Molas of the Kuna Indians of Panama.

"Autumn Leaves" 2002 */*** 116×116cm / 46"×46" Hawaiian and Mola Appliqué Hand quilted

"Pomme Granate" 1999 * 92×92cm / 37"×37" Machine pieced, hand quilted

"Jungle Tree" 2000 * 110×98cm / 44"×39" Technique: Stack'n Whack by B. Reynolds (machine sewn), Hand appliquéd and quilted

"Trip to Sedona" 2002 155×155cm / 61"×61" Machine sewn, hand quilted adapted from a J.Beyer pattern

"Scherenschnitte" 2002 *** 115×115cm / 45"×45" Hand appliquéd, hand quilted, hand dyed fabrics

"Crazy about Africa" 2003 * 131×131cm / 51"×51" crazy patchwork by machine, mola appliqué by hand, hand-beading and quilting

I would like to say the quilt "Crazy about Africa" was inspired by our move to South Africa but as a matter of fact the mola blocks were sewn for classes taught in Mexico and Germany and the African fabrics were purchased at quilt festival in Houston before we knew we would be moving to South Africa in 2003.

"Garden Creatures" 2004 120×120cm / 48"×48" Hand-appliqué, hand-embroidered and hand-quilted

Garden Creatures was a "block-of-the-month 2003" project for "The Seven Sisters", my quilt group in Germany. There are more photos to follow as soon as the sisters finish their quilts.

	"Snowflake "
	Free fold-and-cut-pattern
	Freies Faltschnitt-Muster

*  = quilt for sale
**  = can be reproduced
***  = (block)pattern for sale