Blue Willow Dinnerware Inspiration

For years I have been collecting fabrics that look like the patterns you would find on fine china.  My goal was to make a wall hanging quilt with teacups, plates, bowls, and pitchers on it.  However, my attempts at piecing such objects failed, so when I made a tote for a friend who likes purplish blue, but not purple, I decided to use a couple of my fine china fabrics.  I love how it turned out.

Scrappy Lives Up To His Name

Scrappy found a pile of fabric scraps I pulled out and tossed on a chair. I've never seen a dog who likes to nest as much as this boy. Being short-haired and originally from Northern California, I suspect he's going to need a lot of blankets this winter. I'm thinking of putting the king-sized bed quilt I've been making for the past several years on hold in order to make a quilt just for Scrappy. I think he'd appreciate it.

Skull & Skeleton Fabrics

I know. I'm weird. Who in the world would buy fabrics with skulls and skeletons on them? Well, I have a brother who could probably use a quilt. I don't know what he's sleeping on now, but if it isn't a cardboard box or the floor, it's most likely a couch. He has very cold winters and can't afford to buy most things that a lot of us take for granted.

In his heyday, he was a Deadhead. That's a fan of the music band called "The Grateful Dead". I thought he might tolerate me making him a quilt if it reminded him of Jerry Garcia.

I have no idea how I am going to piece these fabrics yet. They don't exactly match. The orange batik fabric is a bit out of place, but so beautiful that I couldn't pass it up.

The First Stitch

I vividly remember the day I decided to start quilting. I had been working 60 to 80 hours a week as a software tester and desperately needed to relieve some stress. Though out of character for me, I left my computer to take a long walk and ended up in the stationary aisle of a supermarket. There on the cover of a quilting magazine was the most extraordinary design of pieced fabric I had ever seen. Just looking at it relaxed me, so I bought it and kept the magazine on my desk at the office until I finally found the time to pick up some quilting supplies of my own.

I soon found myself hand-piecing various quilts in my recliner each evening before bed, and slept much better after all that sewing. The meditative quality of pushing and pulling a needle and thread was just what I needed to lower my blood pressure and gather my wits at the end of each day. Shopping for fabric for current and future projects became a favorite past-time, and I found that I was most attracted to vivid colors, mostly purples and greens. After a while I had to balance out my stash with other colors and varying shades of lights, mediums, and darks.

I have an old New Home sewing machine that has served me well. However, as I became more ambitious with my quilting, I needed a long-arm machine in order to sew my bed quilts. So, I bought a long-arm Brother sewing machine and quilting rack to rein in all those layers of fabric and batting. My quilting frame usually has a quilt on it, and is the first thing that people see when they enter my home. I am often asked if I sell my quilts, and my answer is always that I hope to someday, but I can't seem to let go of the ones I've already made.

My fabric stash: All the blues are missing, because I am in the middle of piecing a king-sized Storm at Sea bed quilt.