Over time though, I have gotten more and more lax, but along with still dyeing Easter eggs, (which I have yet to do this year) and filling at least one communal basket full of treats, (which I have yet to buy any of this year) I always seemed to have the house at least a little decorated for the season, (although I admit it's been less and less with each year the girls grew). With the exception of the white stone egg, pictured in the photo above, I haven't been able to find a single Easter related decoration. (We will blame it on last year's spring cleaning. I must have done an unusually good job!)
Well, no harm done, as it gave me the perfect excuse to make this little quilt for the house! (I want to give it a name but can't can't decide between 'Egg Hunt', 'Easter Parade', or 'Candy Dots'. I am open to suggestions).
I used some of the pretty organic Cloud 9 Fabrics that my good friend Michelle, (co-owner of Cloud 9 Fabrics) gifted me a few months back. (I have been saving them for just the right projects!)
And it also gave me a good reason to do a little old-fashioned piecing, something I haven't done in a long time. And yes, I felt rusty! I had to practice a bit to get those curves close to right, and not every point matches up perfectly... which made me realize that as much as I adore improvised quilt making, I don't want to lose the formal techniques and skills that I once worked hard to learn. I have always felt that it's best to know the rules before breaking them, and it simply never occurred to me before that you could know them but forget them! So, expect to see some more old-fashioned piecing along with the improv, as I realize I need to use it so I don't lose it, (like my Easter decorations!)
"Candy Dots"
ReplyDeleteremember eating them off the paper?
Lovely quilt, too pretty to have just for Easter though :0).
Happy Sewing and have a blessed Easter
My goodness Victoria I am so honored! You know how much I love your work and to see you've done something with my fabrics... well, it's the best birthday present! (which is tomorrow, btw!). THANK YOU. THANK YOU. This is just wonderful.
ReplyDeleteOh, Michelle, it was my pleasure... so happy to have your beautiful fabrics, THANK YOU! Happy, Happy, Birthday Aries girlfriend! Hope it's a great one! (Just had mine last week, it's my last year of being a 40 something, yikes!)
ReplyDeleteKim, yes I sure do remember them, they were my sister's favorite! Happy Easter to you, too!
Such a pretty quilt! I see food in this quilt (I almost always do), a chocolate and vanilla fudge Easter cake!
ReplyDeleteIt]s good to know you still love the old fashioned quilting techniques. I love to work on both sides of quilting these days. It’s like driving a car or playing the piano, you will never really forget the techniques!
I think about this sometimes- there are some traditional skills & blocks I want to learn, but I have so much fun piecing improvisationally I don't know if I should bother. It's definitely worthwhile to have a good foundation laid.
ReplyDeleteMy vote's for "Candy Dots".
ReplyDeleteI don't have any Easter decorations either - someone asked whether my latest piece
http://kitlangfiberart.blogspot.ca/2012/03/ontology-of-rabbit.html
was for Easter and I looked at them blankly. lol
I'm looking forward to seeing whatever you come up with!
That's one of the nicest Cloud 9 quilts I've seen - I love the mixed binding. As for Nicolette's comment above, I'm proof that piano skills get lost pretty quickly and my mum's run two different cars into bollards to demonstrate that driving again after years of not doing it is dangerous! 'Use it or lose it' is right!
ReplyDeleteI've never done much Easter decorating, but this is the first year I'm not doing Easter baskets.
ReplyDeleteBoth girls are away from home on Easter this year. I did buy them each a chocolate bunny though :)
Use it or lose it is right! My hand applique skills have declined since I'm not taking the time to do it.
Darling quilt - I kind of like the Easter Parade title.
In my experience you never really forget a technique, it just takes a wee bit of practice to get it back - doesn't look like you had to practice too hard to me! This quilt is gorgeous, you've got such a great sense of colour and tone :)
ReplyDeleteAnd I've never much marked Easter - I feel it is a religious holiday and I'm not religious - but my girls seem to have caught the bug and informed me that they expect a scavenger hunt. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteWhat a pretty quilt. It is fun to break away from our norm sometimes.
I enjoy everything I see from you, so I'm sure your non-improv work will also be a treat. Circles are certainly fun!
ReplyDeleteNothing says "Easter" to me more than polka dots and pastels, so this piece has everything needed to bring Easter into your home. What a fun wall quilt, and your piecing looks perfect -- you may have started a new Easter tradition (now you'll have to make one of these each year . . .)
ReplyDeleteDiane
This is very beautiful, simple but really effective. I like 'egg hunt' best!
ReplyDeleteThis is a dotty-cute Easter-y hanging. I love it. Such Fun ! ! !
ReplyDeletehugs
I love this color combo! So pretty. I am always eyeing your shop. Even though I quilt...I like YOURS!!
ReplyDeleteI have no easter decor up---and oh my--I still have a Christmas quilt above the fireplace because it looks naked w/o it! ha!
I call it awesome! I love it!
ReplyDeleteI love bringing out the Easter stuff each year, partly because it's about the coming of spring. The quilt came out beautifully! I recently discovered after a season of hand-quilting that I was nervous to get on the machine and stipple! I think it surprised me as much as your being rusty on piecing surprised you.
ReplyDeleteThanks to each of you. :) You all leave the best comments and I truly appreciate each and every one!
ReplyDeleteDee, the same thing happened to me after I did a lot of hand stitching last year... I felt like a complete newbie with the machine quilting, and had to get back in the grove... it was a real shock!