“Nautilus” was one of Libby’s earliest quilts made after taking classes with Mother (Catherine Anthony) from Nancy Woodward Davis.

Libby said people always think she learned “at my Mother’s knee”, but in fact they “learned together” to quilt. This fabric came from the Sew Natural shop in Santa Fe, and Libby chose a shell design “because it was the hardest” and “to challenge myself.”

After accomplishing her goal, including “turn over appliqué”, she “moved on”. The current auction of Libby’s remaining quilts is a continuing example of her “moving on” approach to life as she looks forward to the next chapter after rehabilitating from health challenges.

Year: 1981

Size: 62” x 59”

Quilt measurements are approximate and may vary slightly.  

This item has a 10% Buyers Premium that will be added to the buyers invoice.

Red Sky at Morning

Libby remarked that on this early quilt, “I planned it with orange and yellow and brown but it ended up mostly red-ish and black”. Libby’s explanation for the change was “because this quilt had a mind of it’s own.”

Libby acknowledges that her quilts often determine their own destinies and maybe this one was trying to recite the old adage, “red sky in the morning, sailor take warning.”

Year: 1982

New Mexico Suite: Native Sun

“Native Sun” is another hand quilted product of Libby’s New Mexico Suite series. Libby said this is her favorite quilt in the series because of the title. She liked that “it could mean either Son or Sun.” The pretty colors reminded her of sunshine and sky in the Land of Enchantment, and the idea of “Son” reflects the sort of kinship Libby feels with the “Land of Enchantment”.  

Year: 1984

Times Square

Once again, Libby likes the title of this early quilt “Times Square” because it is a “play on the name”. It reflects the mathematical notion of 3x3 or three squared which is reflected in the pattern of the quilt, and also the crazy lights and signs at Times Square in New York City. She added that she made it, “when I was in a Colorful mood!”

Bureaucratic Maze  

This beautiful quilt was the result of a class given by world renowned fabric artist, author, and professor Michael James, who challenged the class to “make a maze”. (In the early days Michael used to be a house guest in Libby’s parents house when he came to “The Quilt Patch” store in Houston to teach classes. What happy memories!) Libby’s “Bureaucratic Maze” was inspired by the excess paper work and confusion of government offices, which often seem like an unsolvable maze. She chose somewhat muted colors to indicate that no part was bolder or “able to make a decision” better than any other part. The pattern is random and full of unexpected dead ends, until the paper ends in folded airplanes, all pointed back into the maze. Such a pretty expression of a frustrating subject.

Native Tongues

Libby has always been a linguist and word-meister, loving the logic and sounds of other languages. English and the Texas version of it were her first languages. She learned Spanish and Russian in school, and Swedish on the boat on the way over to be an exchange student there her senior year in high school. As Libby traveled the world she always embraced other cultures and learned to say the basics in other languages. This quilt is covered with hearts because it is a “Thank You” note to people all over the world who have welcomed Libby and shared with her a love of fabric art and the fellowship of the worldwide quilting community.  

Year: 1999

Size: 24” x 35”

Quilt measurements are approximate and may vary slightly.  

This item has a 10% Buyers Premium that will be added to the buyers invoice.

Windfall

Libby described “Windfall” simply as, “It’s big.” She said, “I wanted to make it about 50”, but it ended up 87” because “the quilt talked to me and said, ‘I want to be Big’.” So she just let it be Big. Libby always encouraged her students to “listen” to their art and to not be afraid to follow where it leads. She also liked to listen to music while quilting and was known to do a little line dancing between quilt steps if she had country western or Jimmy Buffet music playing. Libby used two of her favorite colors in making this quilt, orange and green, but then again, her favorite colors change from time to time. You can’t help but wonder - was that Libby’s choice or the quilt’s?  

Year: 2000

Size: 87” x 87”

Quilt measurements are approximate and may vary slightly.  

This item has a 10% Buyers Premium that will be added to the buyers invoice.

Lincoln Logs

When Libby was framing this quilt it finally got it’s name. Libby said, “the green frame suddenly reminded me of the Lincoln logs I used to play with as a child.” I liked this quilt a lot better when I added the green frame, it just “made the quilt”. It needed it for contrast.” This quilt was another challenge Libby gave herself to make something different and unique from her other quilts. You be the judge – did she succeed? She thinks so.  

Year: 2001

Size: 48" X 48"

Quilt measurements are approximate and may vary slightly.  

This item has a 10% Buyers Premium that will be added to the buyers invoice.

Watch Your Step V Back Porch

Libby said the inspiration for “Watch Your Step V- Back Porch” was an unexpected source. She was “in a fabric shop called the “Back Porch”, near Pebble Beach California, buying fabric when she looked down and saw a wonderful pattern in the hardwood floor. She took a photo of it which she enlarged and used as a pattern incorporated into this quilt. The swirling part of the design was inspired by watching water swirl down the drain in her own back porch patio in Houston after a big rain. Once again, watching her step, paid off.  

Year: 2012

Size: 42” x 42”

Quilt measurements are approximate and may vary slightly.  

This item has a 10% Buyers Premium that will be added to the buyers invoice.

Caught between Right and Wrong

Libby said she challenged herself in this quilt to make it without including any colors other than black, white, and shades of gray. What she learned from this quilt was that she “loved and craved the beauty of an array of colors”, in her quilting and in her life. Nevertheless, this quilt makes a bold statement about the conflict between “right and wrong” and the lightly patterned and different shades of gray demonstrate how some things cannot be categorized easily as strictly good or evil. However, Libby’s basic optimism and compassion couldn’t help but creep into this quilt in the comforting shades of muted mauves and slate blues, which shadow the dark clouds of the conflict dominating this quilt.  

Year: 1986

Size: 48” x 60”

Quilt measurements are approximate and may vary slightly.  

This item has a 10% Buyers Premium that will be added to the buyers invoice.

Chocolate Lovers’ Delight

Libby made this early quilt for her sister-in-law Doris Warren, who loves the colors brown and peach, And Doris loves Chocolate! (You haven’t lived until you’ve had Doris’ homemade chocolate cake with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream!) Libby had only been quilting a few years when she made this quilt, and the family was only beginning to recognize that Libby had a special flare and talent for the fabric arts. It took a while until the family truly understood that Libby had a special Gift, but with great pride we finally appreciated that she was a “rock star” in the quilting world. Now our pride and gratitude overflow!  

Year: 1980 (Oldest quilt in the auction)

Size: 62” x 50”

Quilt measurements are approximate and may vary slightly.  

This item has a 10% Buyers Premium that will be added to the buyers invoice.

Echo Southwest

“Echo Southwest” was an early quilt when Libby was beginning to experiment with shapes tilted with a New Mexican flavor. The beige colors and slate blue reminded her of the canyons, desert sands, and blue skies around Santa Fe, always one of our family’s favorite vacation destinations. New Mexico is truly deserving of the state’s slogan, “Land of Enchantment”.  

Year: 1982

Size: 61” x 62”

Quilt measurements are approximate and may vary slightly.  

This item has a 10% Buyers Premium that will be added to the buyers invoice.

Baffled Arrows

This quilt was another creative idea and fun quilt for Libby to make in some of the earlier years of her career! This time she chose to accent the “baffled arrows” in bright turquoise, deflected by unseen forces but certainly arranged in an enticing pattern on contrasting shades of mauve and gray. This artwork was inspired by the artwork of Native American Indians and perhaps just a smidge by the John Wayne movies of Libby’s childhood. Libby said, “the color contrast from light to dark was interesting to create.”  

Year: 1986

Size: 68” x 54 1/2”

Quilt measurements are approximate and may vary slightly.  

This item has a 10% Buyers Premium that will be added to the buyers invoice.

Migajas

In New Mexico when you want both red and green chile sauce on your enchiladas you tell the waitress you want “Christmas”. This “scrap quilt” is certainly a “Christmas” example of “Migajas” (which means “leftovers” in Spanish). Libby says she used lots of pieces of fabric which were “leftovers” from other quilts, plus she added a little new flavor of her own to spice up this tantalizing dish! Ole!  

Year: 1985

Size: 25” x 30”

Quilt measurements are approximate and may vary slightly.  

This item has a 10% Buyers Premium that will be added to the buyers invoice.

Venus Comb Murex

The artistry of this quilt is not only in the shell made painstakingly as the focal point, but also the wavy lines of quilting on the blue background and the shell pattern on the outside sandy brown fabric. In this early quilt Libby demonstrated her patience, attention to detail, and “color sense” which would serve her well the rest of her career. This is a perfect beach house quilt, or reminder of the same wherever it calls home.  

Year: 1980

Size: 31” x 38”

Quilt measurements are approximate and may vary slightly.  

This item has a 10% Buyers Premium that will be added to the buyers invoice.