For a maker or quilter (which I am), there’s nothing worse in the world than to misplace or lose 20–30 quilt blocks that you’ve already spent time sewing.
That’s what happened with this purple and white quilt.
I don’t usually title my quilts. But after spending several evenings recently reading Elaine Poplin’s blog — messygoat — I’m reconsidering the no-naming thing.
But, for now, this quilt is the purple and white blocks. But, back to my original point, I had lost these blocks. For a year or more. Occasionally, I would think about them, and I would poke around in various bins of fabric. But the hunt wasn’t at the forefront of my mind.
For some reason, in the last 3–4 weeks, I started thinking about these blocks more and more, and it was driving me crazy. Knowing that I had spent the time already sewing 20–30 of these blocks. So, last week, I methodically started going through multiple bins of fabric, moving fabric from bins (used for when I’m going to a retreat or open sew somewhere) back to my stash shelf.
And, there, at the bottom of one of those plastic bins, underneath random scraps of fabric were the purple and white blocks.
And, within minutes of finding the blocks, I walked to my sewing machine, set aside the Minecraft block I had been working on, and jumped right back into sewing more of these blocks.
Last weekend, I posted the photo above on Instagram and mentioned that these were looking awfully dark to me. Elaine commented on the photo and suggested adding a splash of complimentary color.
I experimented with yellow, but I’m not sold. My friend Timna Tarr, an amazing and talented quilter who teaches color theory for quilts, said, “That looks like an LSU quilt if that’s what you’re trying to make.”
Someone at the Northampton Modern Quilt Guild meeting last Sunday suggested a more muted yellow fabric. I might try that.
But, for now, I’m continuing along the path that I originally intended, alternating blocks — white strips framing a purple square alternating with purple fabrics framing a white square.
This is where I’m at today.
I need to make a lot more of the blocks with the white frames.
This is not the first time I’ve made this quilt. It’s based on a Fons & Porter pattern — Cubbyholes. I can’t remember where I first discovered the pattern — a quilting magazine or blog. But, I’ve made two previous Cubbyholes quilts — both green and white.
Here’s one of those.
For now, this purple and white Cubbyholes is one of my current sewing projects.
I’m still pondering a name . . .