Two New Endeavors

Recently I was approached to do a commission for someone......I gave the standard answer, that I rarely accept one, and that it has to be something that I really want to do, AND that I am expensive to hire.

But this turned out to be a little bit different case.   A friend  had gotten halfway finished on a quilt that she was making for a family member, and then she lost the ability to use her hands that way due to neuropathy which developed as a result of chemo treatments.  Okay, I'm in.  Her design called for minimal quilting paired with a puffy polyester batting (so pretty), so with her being so far along on it, I really didn't have much to do.  I finished it within a week, and she and I both felt blessed for the effort. 

Her handwork in cross-stitching the panel blocks is just beautiful.....some of the best that I have personally witnessed.

The project fell into my lap when I was between personal works, and I really didn't know what I wanted to make next.  So I spent the quilting time thinking on it.   I gave her this quilt on Tuesday, and spun my heels for another day and a half.

Then yesterday afternoon, I got out some charm packs that I have had for a good while, and I started playing with one in particular.  At first, I just threw a bunch of them up onto a background of dark solid brown, with no specific order to them.  Many of the squares were very floral.

Then, the more I studied them, the more I wanted to portray the idea of a tree, and grass, and bushes covered in pink blooms.   Late yesterday evening, after a dozen or so photo trials, I came up with a design that I was happy with, and I started piecing.  I finally had to make myself go to bed at 11:30 p.m.

As soon as I got the chance, I was back piecing again today, and I am happy with this finished work. 

It sortof has the look of peering through a window, or a lattice, or garden gate.  I could have pieced it to look more like attic windows, etc., to be more realistic; but I really didn't want that.  I wanted to keep it more abstract.   I can envision this hanging on the wall of my sewing room on dreary, gray Winter days, promising Springtime's burst of color.  Yep.....I like it.

I hope you like it too.  The charm pack's name is "Sultry", by Moda, and is well over 10 years old. Top finished around 39 inches square.