A long time ago, in a place far away, I was taught by a kind, gentle and slightly crazy lady how to sew and quilt. It was my first experience with someone who was passionate about a craft-hobby, and though I wasn't thrilled about the end products, I was immediately fascinated by the possibilities of fabric... specifically the wide range of colors and patterns. I mean really, how can you NOT be bowled over by the sight of a well-arranged wall of fabric? I'm a sucker for color.
Dolls? Nah. All I wanted was my box of 64 Crayolas.
But, I digress. Sewing and Quilting. I learned to sew basic clothing items and small quilting projects, spending much of my free time in college hunting down quaint out-of-the-way fabric shops, usually run by the Amish (or the might-as-well-be Amish). For my 20th birthday, the kind, gentle and slightly crazy lady gifted me a gently used sewing machine, and for some time all was well in the world.
I'm ashamed to admit that in a fit of immature bitterness, I left that sewing machine behind as a casualty of my first marriage. Over the next few years it was with borrowed machines that I sewed curtains for my various apartments, and with which I re-sized this gorgeous embroidered duvet cover I scored on steep discount from Anthropologie to match the rich crimson I had painted my bedroom when I lived in Somerville.
I love that duvet cover. Probably more than a reasonable person should love a duvet cover.
But now our bedroom is a bold summer green with white trim, the grey-blue duvet cover is too muted for the crisp spring/summer feel I would like to create for the room. And so the need arises, and I have decided to try my hand at quilting once more. Nothing fancy, just a simple patchwork block piece, but it was with an almost-forgotten enjoyment that I spent some time pulling bolts of fabric, arranging, and finally deciding upon these:
I can't wait to start working on it.
Post-Olympics of course. ;)
