Marquee quilt from The Modern Quilt Workshop

Giving myself a deadline to have this at the quilter was all I needed. Once I started the process of putting this quilt top together, I knew I’d get into it and just keep going. It is really coming together well. This is the Marquee pattern from the book The Modern Quilt Workshop. I’ve had it in my mind that I would make this quilt since that book first arrive on my doorstep, years ago. I love improvisational piecing of any kind (which I also call just making it up as I go along).

This quilt will be used on Ian’s bed, and I plan to use a heavier cotton batting inside so that the it can be used in the colder months of the year. I will still use the Goodnight Moon quilt on his bed too (its on there now), but now he’ll have two. My next decision will be what backing color and fabric(s) to use. Do I go totally solid? Bright solid? Do I piece? I will have about a week to decide that before I hand it off. I think I will go with the same quilting pattern that I did on Emma’s.

I was at the fabric store the other day and I overheard a woman choosing fabrics and conversing with her husband and a store clerk over the conversational prints she was choosing for a quilt she was making. I assumed it was going to be for a grandchild, and she wanted to include lots of things the child likes…cats…bright colors…etc. She commented that “this was going to be a wild quilt” because of all the different patterns she chose. It got me thinking…I have never really looked at any quilt and thought that the fabrics within it didn’t go together. Something about sewing pieces together, then adding the layer of quilting stitches that really make my eyes accept all the pattern and color play as a whole piece. I was thinking about this as I was putting this top together because initially, it was such a challenge to find patterns that, in my eyes, felt right. Even as I was piecing I had some reservations about a few of them. But really, when my eye takes it in as a whole piece, everything seems to work.

I can’t wait to get it quilted!

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I am starting my job on Monday (tomorrow). I’m very excited to embark on this new job, its been 11 years since I was last in the apparel industry. Its part time, and I will be able to pick the kids up from school each day, which is really important to me. But it really changes up the structure of our days, and there will be some juggling. I know the key to making all this run smoothly is getting as organized as possible, which I have been working on (hence my absence last week). Its all good, really good. I will let you know how it goes.

This little space is still my refuge, though.