Meadow Breeze Mystery no longer a mystery...

While we’re on the subject of UFOs, this mystery, Meadow Breeze, designed by Pat Sloan in 2010, was completed last year. I chose to make the quilt with a cotton background and wool appliqué. Here is the end result.

While working on this project, I began to appreciate the love I had early in life for the magic of thread.  That love of thread and color began in grade school as I discovered and began to embroider.  As a young adult, I turned to cross-stitching.  Once my quilting began around the age of 40, the laid the needlework aside for the sewing machine.  Picking the needle back up and putting it in my hand let me know how much this was a part of my creativity.

Another revelation I had was about slowing down to enjoy that which I loved.  As this quilt was a mystery divided into sections, I took each block separately, sat down with it, and allowed it to speak to me.  By keeping focused on only the one block and seeing that as the end all for the moment, I relaxed and had fun.

I challenged myself to use as many stitches as possible.  Various threads were used including wool, silk, and cotton.  I added buttons and beads.  Perhaps my most favorite stitch is this beaded coral stitch, seen here using white beads, as taught by Sue Spargo and described in her book "Creative Stitching, Volume 2."  The book can be found here.

One other lesson I learned was to get out of my box of right and wrong when it comes to quilting.  Because the stitching was done by hand, I felt it necessary to hand quilt it as well.  That was not happening and it was sitting staring me in the face going nowhere.  I finally decided that if I didn't machine quilt the piece it would never get done.  So I went for it.  And I love it!  I was so surprised.  And the quilting took me all of five hours instead to weeks or months.

I am now beginning to incorporate hand stitching into my quilts.  This is now "my style."  What is your "style"?  Please share in the comments below and feel free to share photos to my email for posting if desired.

Love and blessings,
Karri