a study in contrasts

Yes, indeed, this summery, picnic-y, quilt that should be shown hanging from a clothesline is laying in the snow. Talk about contrasts! But there just isn't anyplace else to go with it.  (We had another 5 inches yesterday, bringing us to the 4th highest snow-presently-on-the-ground-total since 1979.  No wonder everyone is so crabby.)

  A post or two ago I showed you this one laid out on the floor.  The patchwork blocks are from our retreat exchange.  We gave a focus fabric, mine was the summery fruity fabric you can see in the center of the blue polka dot (below.)  I received nine blocks, I made the tenth, the black gingham basket way up at the top.  Then to balance it out I did the little posies in-between blocks.

To keep it summery and light I put a separating one inch red checked border that looks like a checkered tablecloth and the border is green gingham.  Does anything say summer like gingham??  I had a feeling as I was working the posy blocks that I was going to like this quilt but last night after finishing it I decided I LOVE this quilt.  Now to put it away (after the snow wetness dries up) for months till I have time to get back to it to quilt it.

And I'm thinking out loud through another project. (Don't you have several going on at once? One you're working on, one you're cutting out and one you're dreaming up?) I'm not sure about this one.  There's still a lot of walking away and coming back to it and hmmmmm-ing going on.  But I want to go sew with a local group next week and I need something portable to work on. I like this stage of quilt making.  The tossing of fats together in a pile and walking away then coming back to it.  Just because some of them are cut out doesn't mean they made the cut.

 I got this from Tending the Garden by Barb Adams and Alma Allen.  There wasn't anything in the book I didn't like.