Primrose Surprise

Well, it's February, the shortest month of the year that only feels so much longer than the rest. Let me guess what you might be craving about now... a bit of color, perhaps?

My quilting friends braved a wintery mix of weather to deliver this gorgeous basket of primroses for my birthday. Aren't they amazing, (both the flowers and the friends?) What a mega-dose of technicolor on an otherwise dreary day!

The rich velvety blooms reminded me of this signature quilt I made several years ago. Wow, it's a perfect match!

It commemorates a special group of friends the year we all turned forty.

Although the fabrics were bright, they mostly read as medium tones. Without a strong contrast between them, I had to rely on something other than lights and darks to create the design. 

Instead, I set "warm" colors (pink, orange, yellow) against "cool" colors (blue, green) to create contrast.

Notice how the cool colors recede, while the warm colors advance, creating a sense of depth particularly visible in the zig-zag border.

Be sure to save your scraps! I used a few to spruce up the label on the back of the quilt.

Lordy, Lordy, We're 

Turning Forty!

20" x 25"

machine pieced, hand quilted

Diane Burdin, 1996