Painted Chair, Tuffet, Quilt and Pillow
by Lori LeVar
I grew up in Morton where I met and married, Gary, my high school sweetheart. We have 3 married adult children and 7 grandchildren. My mom taught me to sew when I was in second grade. Over the years I have enjoyed many crafts including counted cross stitch, needlepoint, calligraphy, window treatments, Cricut projects, and my favorite… QUILTING. I can now add chair painting to my list.
Gary worked for Caterpillar which transferred us all over the world. Our journey started in 1984 taking us to Kuwait, Dubai, UAE, then Nashville, Tennessee, and back to Morton. 1995 we found ourselves in Tokyo for a 5-year stint, then on to the San Franciso area before moving back “home” to Morton in 2004.
As we travelled, I was fascinated with different cultures, and had a desire to give back. One of my favorite volunteer positions was telephone counselor for TELL (Tokyo English Lifeline). Other favorites include teaching Sunday School, teaching Brownie Girl Scouts, volunteering at Crittenton Center in the Crisis Nursery. Now my favorite thing is spending time with grandchildren! My passion for quilting is still strong. I have taught quilting classes for over 10 years and have made over 150 quilts for family, friends and donations. I’m involved with the Gems of the Prairie Quilt Guild in Peoria and the Blooming Normal Modern Quilt Guild.
This was my first attempt at making a Tuffet. It was challenging but with Gary’s help I was very happy with the final result. I plan to make one for our home.
