I’m tickled to share a recent finish in the form of a new wall quilt for my studio. The pattern is designed by my sweet friend Robin Pickens and hers looks like this:
As you can see, it features happy little teacups stacked neatly atop one another, in 4 vertical rows of 8. Technically, it’s designed as a charm pack project, but is also easily doable in a scrappy version which, as you know, tends to be my go-to! To my good fortune, I recently received a small sample bundle of Tilda Fabrics’ upcoming GardenLife collection.
After assembling each little teacup, I kept taking each one to my design wall to pin it up in an assembly of rows, for the purpose of organizing which fabrics I’d want to use for the next teacup.
As a result of this growing assembly of teacups, my imagination began to run away with itself, envisioning a happy little party of 32 friends, each carrying a pleasant little teacup around a room full of mingling, laughter and cheer. This led to a strange sensation of awkwardness as I envisioned holding one myself, because obviously I would be in attendance at this tea party, right? Because it’s my tea party! Suddenly I felt clumsy, imagining tea spilling all over my white, pleated skirt with a row of shell buttons down the front, and all over my white 2-inch pumps, AS WELL AS the beige rug with floral pattern beneath my feet. What a mess that was going to be!
(if you’re looking for an image here, I don’t have an actual one. “G0,” I say to that imagination of yours; run amuck, because here we go with mine. buckle up).
“Why with the white skirt?” I asked my imagination just then. “I hardly ever wear skirts (you know this), let alone white ones,” I continued, suggesting a trip to our collective closet, in case she needed verification. And when was the last time we wore white pumps? 11th grade, girl. You remember them. They were those cute little peep toes, ‘member? We haven’t owned a single pair since. And while I’m at it, wouldn’t the rug be more of a colorful, braided style, with scattered flecks of yellow and red and blue…maybe some green…evenly distributed, instead of beige with flowers? I’m just saying. Respectfully. I don’t know where you’re getting your vibe.”
As usual, she didn’t respond, just kept right on talking as if she hadn’t heard me.
This is when I abruptly realized a modification would be needed to accommodate approximately 10% of party attendees, including myself. Since 3.2 teacups was not an option, I rounded up, shifting 4 teacup handles to the opposite sides of their respective cups.
“You probably should have rounded down, you know,” continued my imagination, but not until after I’d assembled all my finished blocks and was headed to the machine for the quilting part.
“Haven’t you heard? she kept on. “Research suggests that left-handedness is a dying genetic trait!”
As usual, I didn’t respond. Just kept right on walking as if I hadn’t heard her.
I like her for all sorts of reasons, but sometimes she talks too much.
