I Shall Wear Purple

The fabric that inspired my latest quilt is bright, cluttered, and loud. I bought eight yards of it at a closeout sale in 1995...yeah, I know, but it was only 25 cents a yard! I've used it for backings and in scrap quilts.

I chose a granny square design to showcase individual prints used in the material. I cut 2 ½” squares with Accuquilt, then sorted them by pattern. I added red, blue and purple blenders as the four center squares, with light beige prints for the triangles.  Layout was done in Electric Quilt 8.  

original fabric

The sashing is a grape Quilters Candy chambray from Connecting Threads. Binding and backing is the original wild and crazy fabric. Quilting in a medium purple, I used a straight stitch horizontally and vertically across each square. Then I added the wide zigzag stitch on the sashing.

I Shall Wear Purple

I am so pleased with the result; it finished out even prettier than I expected. The 44” x 54” size is handy for naps or display.

Jenny Joseph's poem, Warning, has encouraged many of us to keep our playful nature alive. I Shall Wear Purple seemed like the perfect name for a granny square quilt made by an old lady whose favorite colors are purple and red.

So, go out and do something unexpected today and don't forget to wear purple.

Points Of Blue

Blue is one of my favorite colors. This busy little 44” square quilt was cut with the Accuquilt half rectangle triangle die. Blue prints were combined in pairs with black, white and cream.

I added a 2” border of solid black to frame my work, and used blue paisley print backing. Quilting was sewn in a serpentine stitch 3” apart horizontally and vertically with gray and white variegated thread.

Points Of Blue

I had originally thought to keep all the blocks pointed in the same direction. While those neat rows looked nice, rotating the squares created a jumbled effect that I like better. You just never know how a design will play out.

Don't be fooled today!  

Dreamcatcher

I quilt for enjoyment and relaxation. I love the entire process from design to the last stitch. The whisper of an idea can be transformed into a beautiful item. Dreams to reality.

I finished Dreamcatcher a few weeks ago. It is an adaptation of a quilt photo found on Pinterest. The combination of a shoo fly block with 9-patch star block isn't new, but the color placement gives it a modern look.

I combined scrappy bright prints and solid light gray on this 42” square quilt. I used Accuquilt dies: 3” finished triangle in square, half square triangle and square. I laid out the colors in EQ8 software before fine tuning on my design wall. Backing and binding is a gray and white triangle print. Stitching with gray thread in large overlapping circles across the blocks creates the dreamcatcher effect.

Sewing and cutting can be quite messy, because I pull out lots of fabrics to audition for a spot in the quilt. I try to put everything away after I finish, clean off my tables, sweep up bits and threads. A clean space gives ideas room to grow. But not always. That next quilt is waiting to be stitched.

Sometimes magic hides behind chaos.

When It Rains, It Pours

What started out as a normal two week camping escape to Dale Hollow Dam somehow turned into a wild and crazy string of events. We are back home, safe and sound. We handled the stressful stuff well, didn't panic, and actually enjoyed camping. But, I don't think we will forget this trip.

Day one: on the way to Celina, the left rear truck brake got hot, really hot. When you're pulling a big honking 5^th wheel on a twisty, hilly two-lane road, this is not good. Got to camp safely.

Day two: Ordered brake parts at NAPA, only parts store in town.

Day three: Guys at NAPA were great, next day service. Jacked up truck and installed new brakes. Not many campers to observe our amazing work. It is quiet and peaceful here during the week.

Day four: If you're ever in Celina you HAVE to stop at Los Primos for excellent Mexican food. Their Chicken La Loma is the best I've ever had. Just the right amount of cilantro in the fresh salsa. And who knew that a small town Mexican restaurant has all you can eat fried catfish buffet on Fridays? NAPA guy stopped by and asked us if all was well with the truck.

Mother's Day: Scattered the last of Sam's ashes in the trout stream where she and Allen loved to fish. My mama is rollin' on the river now.

Day six: Jerold is feeding the squirrels roasted peanuts in the shell. Three are lined up outside the camper every morning, and taking nuts out of his hand.

Day eight: Drove back home to mow grass and pick up mail.

Day eleven: Woke up 7 am to flood warnings at home. Checked our cameras and sure enough, basement had water. Drove home and found Hwy. 52 blocked near house, detour to Gallatin and back up ridge. More water than I've ever seen across fields and roads. Driveway washed but passable, ditch a mess. Vacuumed up water and started fans to dry out basement. Around lunchtime, a minivan wrecked into the ditch in front of our house. No one hurt, they left van where it landed. Jerold graded drive so we can bring trailer back in. Back to Celina along Hwy. 52 yard sale, shopped a little along the way, ate more Mexican food.

Day twelve: Decided to shorten trip and come back home to air out basement. Traffic crazy along yard sale route. Got home, unhitched. Minivan gone. An hour later, a thunderstorm slammed through, blowing over a dead pine tree out of the woods across our driveway in front. Good timing that we got in before it fell.

Day thirteen: Pulled dead pine (covered in poison ivy) off driveway with truck and picked up debris. Jerold graded driveway again. Basement dry.

Day fourteen (today): Picked up mail, sprung Callie cat from jail. Now we're all home where we belong. 

There are always a few bumps in the road, but I am hoping for calmer days ahead.