Wild Cherry

You don't need me to tell you about how awful this endless winter of our discontent has been, how the snow drifts threatening to bury the house or snowflakes sticking to the windows made me feel suffocated....nope, not gonna rant; I've already done that, and so have you, I'm sure. But really, this winter did a number on me, and if it snowed one more time, I was going to curl up in a little ball on my closet floor and stay there until my tulips bloomed.

I needed to at least look at something cheerful every day, so quilting to the rescue! I started my first wall quilt, to hang on the wall across from the bed, to be something beautiful I see when I first open my eyes in the morning (instead of the white s--- outside the window [use the four-letter s-word of your choice there])

Here's how this quilt evolved: Once upon a time, I noticed I had a bunch of pretty deep rosy-pink fabrics in my stash. I gathered them together, thinking about what kind of quilt I wanted to make with them, and put them in the project closet...where they sat for about *ahem* three years. I'd go to the closet often to get and work on the quilts I'd given priority, and every once in a while I'd think about the pile...maybe add a fabric, maybe take one away...but still no ideas for a quilt design. At one point, I realized Rosy Pinks needed some lively new friends, so I introduced a couple yellow solids and a couple greens. Well okay, the party was gettin' started.

Late last year I began thinking about making my first wall quilt. Then I re-read Liberated Medallion Quilts by Gwen Marston (she is my absolute quilting idol, for her quilts and for her liberated approach to designing and piecing). I kept thinking, "That Amy Butler 'Love' fabric would make a great center medallion..." So all that combined with some serious winter blues, and I knew it was time to get crackin'.

Here's the finished quilt top, taped up where it will hang, replacing a large Georgia O'Keefe print.
(Georgia, I really like your work, but I've been looking at that big purple petunia since I had my first apartment. It's time to go.)

Hand-quilting it shouldn't take too long. 
Soon, my pretty, soon...

Linked up with Lee at Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday!

And Awaaay We Go!

Hello, and welcome! My name is Lynn. I sew and quilt and play with fabric in a little yellow house in a town in West Michigan. I'm a self-taught quilter (with the help of books and blogs), finished my first quilt in 2010, and haven't slowed down for a minute since then. I consider my style to be modern and prefer to work improvisationally, usually making things up as I go along, but I have a soft spot for the charming classics, so I often combine styles and techniques. And I love--need-- lots of bright, cheerful color.

I really enjoy reading sewing blogs; they give so much inspiration and a sense of community--I want to be a part of it, too! So this little space is where I want to show you what I'm working on, and get all excited about quilting, sewing and fabric, as well as a record for myself of what I make. I'm not always comfortable putting myself 'out there', and sharing like this to the big wide world is a little outside my comfort zone...but it's good to try new things, so let's see how this goes!

Okay, that's enough of me talking about me. Let me show you the biggest project I'm working on. (I'll save the other six quilts-in-progress for future posts!)  This quilt is called Sea Glass; I finished the top last year, but then I took a break to make a smaller red and white quilt for Christmas (I'll show you that one later in the year), so Sea Glass sat patiently in the closet, waiting its turn. After the new year, I finally basted and started hand quilting. It's a big queen size--hand quilting it is gonna take an eternity--but I'm half done, so it's getting there. 

I quilt like this, with no frame, just holding it draped over me and the chair.

This bright combination of purple, blue and green is one of my favorites.

If I leave it unattended for even two seconds, squatters move in.

Thanks for stopping by! I'd love to hear your comments...and come back soon, I'll have lots more to show you.