I’ve mentioned before I’m newly enamored with sewing tree patterns. (I can’t explain it any more than my passing obsession with backyard chickens. What? I’m weird. It’s okay.) When visiting a friend in California recently who mentioned she too loves all things tree — I came up with a plan. I’d modify that potholder pattern from John Q. Adam’s quilting book and make it a table runner, personalized for their family.
Easy peasy. Right?
Right.
{Remind me, world, that I never superseded anyone’s expectations in math — skills that are so critically necessary to a design project of this nature. Thank God even dummies can do this equation: bad at math + love of sewing = you’d better have a seam ripper and a lot of patience.}
And oh, patience I did have because if you haven’t heard from my incessant tweeting: I just survived my first blizzard. Well, my first non-Health Bar blizzard. Denver got piles of snow this weekend, leaving me with a calendar full of canceled social gatherings and gobs of time to tinker.
I drew up a plan and got to town. Six episodes of “House of Cards” later, and the binding was completed. It isn’t perfect, but I’m happy. And proud I took a leap of faith with the herringbone quilting. I’ve never tried anything quite so complicated, as simple as those straight angles look. My housemate BJ suggested I embroider the trunks with each family member’s initial. He was spot on; the detail was just what the project needed.
Best yet — in part because I couldn’t leave the house, I was forced to use what I have. The only thing new for the completion of this project was the bias tape.
It’s off in the mail tomorrow as the latest CAOK gift. How are you participating? Drop your photos and ideas here.
~K