It’s to remind me that once–before I was writing syllabi and course calendars and reading student emails too early in the morning–I had a life as a quilter. I reach out and touch this fabulous quilt, and say to myself, “Soon. Soon.”
That’s the nice thing about quilts. They get done, never go away, never have to be re-done. I’m looking forward to having this beautiful blue quilt at the end of my bed, in order to match my new bathroom.
Sometimes when the creative juices have just run dry, or I can’t get to my own creating, I enjoy visiting the blogs of artists who are good at what they do (probably from long hours of practice) and seem to have fresh ideas for me to enjoy.
One of those artists is Mimi Kirchner, who I’ve written about before, but to be sure, I can’t find the post. I found her some time ago, and was fascinated by her “art history,” as she calls it, when her pottery studio burned to the ground and she went a completely different direction. This morning’s post showed this new doll of hers all done up in a Heather Ross double gauze pinafore, striped stockings, turquoise shirt and a little wee crown, for she is the Frog Princess. Mimi knows just how to combine the usual with the unusual that always makes studying her dolls an adventure and a lesson in creativity.
Front of French Pincushion
I read a lot of blogs, but I do have my favorites. One of them is Cindy’s Live a Colorful Life, which is always enjoyable to read. She talked about her new business, Sewing on the Edge, where she takes selvages and turns them into pincushions. This summer I’ve been doing a lot of sewing and I thought I should send her all my selvages, so I wrote to her and Yes! she’d love to have them.
Back of French Pincushion
But when I looked at what I’d hoped to send her, it was a pathetic little collection. So I grabbed my food fabrics stack–you know, fabrics with food all over them of all kinds–and started slicing. I’d been collecting these for years, one of those things you start collecting and keep at it, and can’t remember why. (I do remember now: I want to make a basket quilt, using only food fabrics). Some of those things are over 12 years old, maybe even 15. By the time I finished I had a better bundle of stuff to send. Then the French fabrics arrived for the Provence quilt, and I saved those selvages and sent those as well.
Yesterday our held mail was delivered in a stack, and top was this tiny little box. I opened it and the sweet little French pincushion was there. Wonderful! Thank you so much!
I’m always thinking I’d like to do something with the selvages–like made a chair cover, or a little pincushion, or something. But at my age, I’ve realized that it’s okay to NOT do everything. I don’t have to hand-dye my fabrics, really I don’t. I don’t have to be the Queen of Applique–the Princess will do just fine. And I don’t have to worry about doing something creative with selvages: Cindy’s got that one down, and I’m happy to contribute to her industry and creativity.
OccasionalPiece--Quilt! 