Tah-daaaahhh!

Hello, Amy.

www.amyscreativeside.com/p/bloggers-quilt-festival.html

I finished this wall quilt not long ago, and while the photo doesn't do it justice, I am quite proud to have it done. Working on it once again made me think back over the last decade and recount my accomplishments and setbacks (but mostly the positive stuff), and it has helped me to see how far my sons and I have come in the time that has passed since beginning this particular quilt.

"Reading Rainbow" - Log Cabin, Chevron: 34.5" x 52"

When I began this little color study I was happily building/running a  children's bookshop in a very rural area of mid-Michigan, but my marriage was falling apart. Creating quilts kept me sane and able to focus on more positive feelings for the sake of my sons, and while I quilted I found I could let my mind wander over more pleasant thoughts. Some quilts would hang in the bookshop (for decor mostly), with each season or holiday represented by a new quilt. Some would even find a new home and bring in needed $.

Eventually (sadly), I had to close the shop & find full time employment (during the divorce) to satisfy home bills, and this particular little quilt found itself packed snugly away for 10 years! I was overjoyed to discover it was still safe & sound after all this time (in a storage box in the garage), so it came inside to be finished (with so many other quilt tops).

I still can recall the trip through the fabric store with my sons to pick out the proper backing material (they chose this hysterical dinosaur motif by Alexander Henry, of course).  My freehand machine quilting has come a long way, too, and I find the process much easier than when I began to machine top stitch all those years ago.

My entry decision was a toss-up between this colorful primary Log Cabin piece and an Ocean Waves-version baby quilt I made for a cousin, his wife, and their first child (April 28th blog entry).

Thanks for looking in and have a great day!