Love Entwined, the adventure has begun.

 

My Love Entwined journey is of to a great start.  This is love at first sight.

Who the maker of this quilt is, is a mystery.  The original exist and the owner has asked to be left in peace  and their wishes, to be respected.  It is good to know,  it has a home and is being well loved by someone in the world.  We all need a special quilt in our lives. It is up to them, to share it, if they want to!

Love Entwined is an amazing applique quilt.  You can read all about it here, on Esther Aliu's blog.  Thanks to Esther, who recreated a pattern, from a grainy photograph, which appeared in Averil Colby, Patchwork book in 1956.  It was simply called " a fine marriage coverlet".

All I can say, it has caught my eye, it compelled me to make one.  Off to the quiltshop, armed with my printed instructions.  The fabric requirements in hand, the search to explore the fabrics, finding the right ones for this quilt.  At the begining I shopped my own stash first, pulled some fabrics I wanted to use, others I was not sure about.  It would be on a white background. 

Coral?  Not a colour I had on my list, it turned out to be a major choice.  This is the backing, which I found while on quilt retreat last year.  Some other fabrics which I found at the same time (below).

A sense of peace and serenity follow this quilt, it is difficult to explain.  Start one for yourself and see if you have a similar experience.

I am on a fabric diet.

It sounds rather corny, I know, but I am trying to work my way through my fabric stash.  Instead of buying fabric for one day, I only buy what I need to complete a project.  Shopping my stash first.
It is a challenge, as temptation lurks in full view when I go to the quiltshop.  Most of the time I am really good, other times, ... I have no self control.  We are all human,  after all.  If I go with a list, it keeps me focused. Coming home with what I need.

About September 2013, I had to do a search for a piece a of fabric which I needed to finish a block.  The end result was interesting, I found the piece of fabric.  As I was unpacking my cupboard, I sorted fabrics which I had bought for specific quilts into piles, then I came across the patterns for these.  So I added them to the fabrics.  Neat, now everything was together.

Why had I never done this before?  The rest of my house is super organized.  I have everything in clear boxes, so it is easy to find. So I was a bit mystified by this.  Do I need my creative muse,  to have everything disorganized all over my sewing room?

Off I went to the local craft store, bought project organizers and the rest is history.  If I need to go to my quilting group, I  take my box and I don't have to run around looking for anything.  It is all in the box, the pattern, fabric, thread, needles, scissors and my thimble.  The result is staggering.  I am finishing more projects and have become more productive.  I have surprised even myself.

Last week I finished this quilt (Hearts-All-A-Flutter).   My reward, I can now start a new project!

Love Entwined here I come.

A Fun Project

Baby Quilts

Recently, my local quilt shop got in this panel (Shadow Box Playmats By Elizabeth's Studio).  I love to practise my freemotion  machine quilting on them.  Turning them into playmat quilts, for babies and toddlers, to be used and washed.  They need to be robust to withstand, the rigours of everyday life,  as part of our normal modern day living.

This panel is an I-Spy top.  What makes it unusual, the background: It is black, not a colour one would think of for young children.  Yet it makes the images, pop!
                                                                

Around the border, clues are printed in white.  Now the fun can begin, finding the 22 black ants....

It is like a treasure hunt.  Who can find it first.  How many can you find?

It is like playing boardgames, when we were kids. 

The binding is pink, because this I-Spy quilt is for a little girl, normally the boys get the I-spy quilts. Traditional I-Spy quilts, are made with squares cut out of novelty fabrics, with sashings sewn around each square. 

Most parents need a blanket to put baby on, when they go visiting, playmat quilts serve this purpose.

Keeping baby comfortable and surrounded by something familiar, no matter where they go.