quilts

I am back in N. H. for a few days to get ready to go to the Vermont Quilt Festival.  I left Maine in a rain storm, but the sun was out half way down.  The weather was beautiful today until suppertime when a thunderstorm came up.  Miss Molly does not like thunder and was very upset.  I think that she likes Maine much better.  She enjoys taking a nap on the swing in Maine and does not like to go outside here in N. H.

This morning, I had six poppies in my Maine garden. My flowers are beautiful here.  I’ll take some pictures tomorrow unless the rain storm destroyed them,  We really needed the rain.

Years ago, when at the quilt festival, I designed a Dresden Plate quilt in my head.  It was going to use hand dyed fabric as well as some purchased ones.  I gathered the fabric for several years. The colors had to be just right. When I think back about some of my earlier quilts I realize that I gathered fabric for years for some until I had just the right combination.    The medallions are very large and the quilt grew to king size.  It is beautiful in its simplicity.

I saw a pattern that stated spectacular quilts from simple shapes. I thought it would be nice to make a simple quilt.  I didn’t pay attention to what it really said.  It did not say simple quilt.  It said simple shape.  The simple shape was a square.  The quilt was not simple to make.   I started gathering fabrics for this quilt and liked what I had, but there was something missing.  At that time, I was teaching some of my co workers how to quilt.  We quilted at my dining room table that had a cutting mat that covered the whole table.  I had found it at a yard sale for $2.00.  It was fun.  We could cut anywhere near our machine.  I miss that mat.  One of my friends had bought a piece of pink fabric at Keepsake Quilting.  She laid it on top of my pile of fabric so we could see it.  That was it!!! Just the right color to finish my spectacular quilt.  I sent a piece of the selvage to Keepsake with a check and by return mail I had my accent fabric.

Every quilt does have a story.

Have a great day and happy quilting.