Wednesday, April 10, 2013

l love this part

The story of how a quilt emerges is so fascinating to me. I always wish that this story was included in quilt magazines. There is never enough told to please me. Often, the name of a quilt is so evocative, so mysterious and contains a story just begging to be told, but alas, only photos and directions follow.
In keeping with The Golden Rule, I am going to share a bit about my quilt.
Each fall I await the new theme from McDougall Cottage for their annual Wee Quilt Challenge.
I while away the winter months with thoughts of quilt ideas. I sketch and ponder.
I love this part.
It may well be my favorite part.
Then, as the New Year gets underway, so do I.
The sketch above shows my final idea; my vision of the auld sod.
The theme for 2013 was to be a memory from the auld sod whether real or imagined; Greetings From The Auld Sod.
I chose to remember lambs being greeted by the first song of spring.
In my minds eye, there are always green, green hills dotted with sheep, and hedgerows ringing with bird song in the auld sod; the old country.
I layered the background against a spring blue sky, purple for the distant hills and green for the foreground.
Then I added the lambs and a few branches.
You will notice that my original eggs were tan. I chose the fabric because of the eggish spots but the color just didn't work.
The first bird I made didn't work either. Too skinny and busy.
I began blocking in the main shadow and highlight areas on the lambs.
I added a second bird but it was destined to meet the same fate as the first, but for a very different reason.
I was feeling pretty pleased with my quilt at this point. The new blue eggs echoed the sky and the bird was nice and plump.
Then I realized something and it made my blood run cold.
I realized that I had forgotten something.
Something absolutely vital.
All Wee Quilts sent to McDougall Cottage must contain plaid fabric somewhere.
In past years, it had been all about the plaid to me.
I had even used plaid fabric for the backing.
I remembered a guild challenge and a similarly forgotten element.
This time, I could fix things though.
I could make amends.
I soon had a little plaid bird and my lambs had plaid shadows and plaid leaves fluttered on branches.
I auditioned a variety of border fabrics, dark and light and settled on a wonderful brown homespun. It seemed to accentuate the shadows which I liked and reminded me of linen somehow. That seemed a tribute to my great great great grandparents who worked in the linen textile industry.
I free motion quilted leaves around the border.
I bound it with a basket weave print that I had been hoarding for a special project. It made me think of an antique wicker picture frame.
I had carefully measured my quilt as it developed so that it would fit into the largest express post envelope. It fit like a glove and off Spring Greetings flew to Cambridge, Ontario.
It will return like a homing pigeon in September.
I wish I lived close enough to go to the cottage and see the wee quilts on display but maybe one year.........

2 comments:

  1. What a fabulous quilt! So artistic!

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  2. It is even more lovely when viewed in person! Those little lambs appear to be hanging on every peep
    Congratulations on a well deserved ribbon!

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