Monday, January 16, 2017

At Times Like These


Hello everyone. Where were we when I last posted? Oh yeah, smack dab in the middle of the worst year ever! Twenty-sixteen brought an unrelenting onslaught of disasters -- everything from wildfires, hurricanes and floods to mass shootings, civil unrest and unprecedented political farce. In the midst of it all, a sudden death in the family left me paralyzed with grief.


It's only been nine months, and healing from grief takes time. 


Meanwhile, my friends have stuck by me every step of the way. Lately though, I've noticed them promoting pursuits more constructive than my usual ranting and raving. Kathy keeps asking if I’ve written a new blog post, and Linda has gone so far as to issue an ultimatum: "No new quilt photos until you start blogging again!" 


While social media is hardly a cure for despair, creative endeavors are. To that end, Linda did a deep dive into my sewing room looking for something to pique my interest. Well, something finally did, an assortment of homespun plaids all cut and ready to sew. Kathie Holland, do you remember sending this kit to me years ago?



The blocks are pieced using Mary Ellen Hopkins' “connector corners” technique. Stars cleverly appear as the blocks are sewn together. Wanda Hanson assembled the quilt and added plaids of her own to make it a more functional table runner size.



Wanda chose a lovely striped backing and binding in my favorite colors. I like how her diagonal machine quilting echoes the linear theme.


Plaid Fancy

18" x 27"


Some of the comfort a quilt provides comes from the soul of its maker. This one's imbued with the love and kindness of compassionate friends, who in bringing it to life, restored a bit of my own!