A couple weeks ago we visited the holiday light show at the Denver Botanic Gardens. The trees and shrubs were wrapped in spirals of twinkling lights, and we marveled at the thousands of hours it must have taken to clothe the gardens in shimmering rainbows. As we wondered how long it took to create this fantasy winter wonderland (which was reflecting off the new-fallen snow) it reminded me of the one question that everyone asks when they view an intricate amazing quilt. You know the question! “How long did it take you to make that quilt?”
The answer is not weeks or months. It is years, and decades. How long did it take me to perfect that applique stitch? How long did it take me to be brave enough to use orange and purple together in one piece of textile art? How many hours and weeks and years have I practiced freemotion quilting? How long did it take for me to find the right sewing machine? How long did it take to acquire the palette of colors in my fabric stash and thread collection, to put this quilt design together?
It all starts with fabric, in my personal opinion. If you have the right fabrics, you can go to work with your stash and take an idea from concept to reality pretty quickly, by auditioning fabrics and laying them out side by side. All you have to do is give yourself permission to trust your eyes. When you land on the right combination, you know know it, right?
We have another big snowstorm arriving overnight. Our gardens lie sleeping beneath a blanket of snow, and we dream of summer blossoms as we play with our fabrics on a winter’s day.
Snow Days are the best days to stay indoors and sew!
Sharing your love of fabric,
Luana and Paul
* The collage above has a photo from the Denver Botanic Gardens, plus several fabrics in stock now at eQuilter.com
Travel/Quilt Calendar:
Feb 15 – Virtual lecture for Victoria BC Quilt Guild
Feb 22-25 – QuiltCon – GOLD SPONSOR – Atlanta
April 18-26 – Pour l’Amour du Fil – Nantes, France
June 8-10 – Quilt Canada – Halifax, Nova Scotia
August 18-24 – Bear Camp in Alaska – Sign up Now to travel with Luana!
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