Permission to Play

My self imposed One Week, One Challenge (okay nine days!) reminded me of the importance of giving oneself permission to play!  To make a quilt without any specific purpose or recipient in mind.  To sew and play with fabric just for the pleasure of it.  To toss aside judgement (easier said than done sometimes!).  Starting with favourite fabrics (being sure to include a few shockers … those fabrics that your hand might back away from when you see them on the store shelf, but that are so necessary to give your quilt life and depth), making some 16 patch blocks and then making my favourite blocks, “Broken Dishes”, I was in heaven.  

  Know though, that this quilt is version 2.0!  There was a setting fabric decision that … well … suffice to say all photographic equipment was banned from my studio!  That quilt would have been aptly named “What Was She Thinking!”   The lesson in version 1.0, was that I was not listening to the quilt.  The original idea I had in my mind did not need to be tweaked, “improved upon” (remember that judgement part!!! lol!), nor did it need “complexity” … simple celebration of all the elements that came together was best.  

  Pairing 4″ broken dishes with the “16-patches” meant this quilt went together rather quickly.  

  Now how to quilt it?   This week’s blog book tour stop is Ingrid, at Supergoof. I have been following Ingrid’s blog for a couple of years and in particular, her progress on her spectacular interpretation of the Rocky Mountain Thimbles Quilt from our first book “Small Blocks, Stunning Quilts.”   She hand pieced all 6552 pieces, hand quilted it and with it’s completion, Ingrid became an Honoured Member of The Spa Society!   Working by hand Ingrid is already incredibly prolific.  Recently she acquired a Featherweight sewing machine and I can only imagine what is going to happen once she gets going on it!!  I urge you to check out her beautiful blog.  You will be delighted with all that you see.  I eagerly await the completion of her “dollies” quilt!   For her blog post about “Small Pieces, Spectacular Quilts” Ingrid decided to try her hand at a block from “Go With The Flow” , and rendered it in warm and luscious Dutch reproduction fabrics from Den Haan and Wagenmakers.   It made me want to run to my box of precious Dutch scraps and play!   Ingrid’s blog is written in Dutch, however, I found that when I viewed it with Google Chrome a translation button appears at the top after the post is loaded and clicking that translates her blog into English.   If this is your first time on my blog, welcome, and be sure to check out my inaugural post and leave your comment to have a chance at one of the ten giveaways.  Next week’s blog book tour stop is Linda of Quilts in the Barn, way down under, in Australia!   Have a fabulous week & Happy Stitching!