Bright Mountain for Dark Winter Days

There is a funny thing about a blog. When you go a bit without posting it is harder to post. It is a paradoxical notion for me because the longer I do not blog the more things I have to share. The more thoughts I have thought. But then I just have TOO much! It overwhelms me... and I go dark.

That, and I had to spend most of November in Tennessee for work. It is an awesome project, but really puts a damper on my blogging productivity. Strangely, I have finished a ton of projects. So here is project one!

Bright Mountain came about as the result of a guild charity challenge (Triangle Modern Quilt Guild!). We were given four fat quarters and minimum size and told to make a quilt. Truth alert: I hated two of my fat quarters. This stumped me for awhile. Then I realized, I am a grown adult making a quilt for charity.. I can use whatever fabric strikes my fancy. So, I pulled out the scrap bins and just started cutting.

I think scrap quilts are the most cathartic projects.



For this one I worked with a limited palette of bright yellow, navy blue, and "low volume" scraps. I did not use a pattern, but the block is a variation of the traditional Delectable Mountain block.

I did not count, I did not plan the placement... I just cut fabric up and sewed it back together.

It was balm for my soul.

The quilting is an all over angular pattern.

As soon as I can make it to a guild meeting (they are literally at the worst time of the week for me), this is going to head off to a Durham foster kid to snuggle underneath. I imagine it going to a little girl who is not a fan of pink or overly floral things... basically me as a kid. I imagine 12 year old me loving this. Hopefully, this is a bright point during some dark winter days.



I love you all. I hope you have a merry weekend before Christmas!

Quilt Stats
Name: Bright Mountain
Size:  approximately 50" by 60"
Fabric: Scraps! The "inspiration" from the challenge were Joel Dewberry herringbone and Modern Meadow yellow flowers
Quilting: Zagged all-over triangles with Aurfil Thread
Finished: November 2014 (thanks to binding help from my awesome friend Melissa)

Cover the World in Quilts. Quilt Lemonade.

Good afternoon my dear friends! Today I am blogging at you from Buffalo, New York. My family had a little reunion in Niagara Falls this weekend and Derek and I are spending the night in Buffalo before we head back to North Carolina.

Yesterday, we rode a boat underneath Niagara Falls (EPIC! AMAZING!).

Today, we bought my husband hockey skates and ate Buffalo wings (when in Buffalo...).

Tomorrow, we journey home and do laundry.

Tuesday, I am heading to Alabama for work.

Life is funny sometimes.

To the point... I made this quilt.

In the world of quilting there are many very deserving charitable organizations that ask for your talents. It can be sort of hard to determine which organizations to support with your limited time and resources. I read my friend (and guild mate) Val's passionate request for quilts for the kids living in a safe house in La Limonada, a community in Guatemala, and I knew I had to make her a quilt. According to Val, many of these kids have nothing to call their own. Can you imagine having nothing? Can you imagine not feeling safe as a kid? Or your kid not being or feeling safe?

This scrappy coin quilt was made with a little boy in mind. The colors were inspired by a terribly destroyed quilt my father's grandmother had made for him. My dad loves this quilt!

I have been informed that this quilt has journeyed down to Guatemala and is in possession of a little boy who is very pleased with it. Actually, I was sent a little picture and thank you from Val herself, but I can't share it because this little boy's anonymity needs to be protected. I can share that the photo made me happy cry.

If you are interested in making a quilt for Quilt Lemonade, the details are here. The organization working in La Limonada is Lemonade International and there are many other ways you can help this community.

Quilt Stats:
Name: Cover the World in Quilts
Size: Approximately 50" x 55"
Fabric: Scraps
Quilting: Infinity Loops with Aurifil Thread
Finished: June 2014

If you like this quilt, see this quilt, which is very similar.