I've decided to name the quilt "Waltzing Matilda."
Several things came together to get me to this name. I was reading a book and a character's name was Matilda. The quilt reminded me of movement, of a dance, and I got an email from my friend Megan in Australia.
Matilda + Dance + Australia = Waltzing Matilda.
Waltzing Matilda has been described as the unofficial national anthem of Australia. I'm sure my friend Megan will correct me if I am wrong. It's not about what you think. There's a YouTube video of Johnny Cash singing it, offering a translation as he goes.
I received a wonderful compliment yesterday from Wanda Hansen of Exuberant Color. She thought the fabrics I chose were terrific. There are about 50 - 60 different ones. Anyway, you can click the pictures and click again to get a very good look at all the different fabrics I used.
I started this quilt Tuesday night, after 9:30 PM. I worked on it after dinner till about midnight on Wednesday and Thursday, took Friday afternoon off and worked on it all that afternoon, and after dinner that night, again until midnight. Saturday morning I got up about 9 AM, went straight into the studio and finished making the blocks and designing the layout. I started webbing the top together at 3:00 PM, finished one half, pressed it, had dinner, and then finished sewing the top before I went to bed Saturday evening.
It may not be the fastest quilt I ever put together, but it's damn close. One of the reasons is that I have learned that quilts I don't put a whole lot of thought into turn out really great. They don't suffer from being overworked, overwrought and overthought. It's all about trusting your instincts.
And, I suppose, having a good stash and a pretty good idea of what you want when you start.
5 comments:
I love the quilts you make when they light you on fire like this one did - where you don't overthink and debate with yourself and do endless tweaking. They are almost always amongst my favorites of what you make. Love the name and the way it manifested itself in your brain.
A good fabric stash is so necessary. I can see from this quilt that I need to mix my Kaffe and Tula and Martha Negley fabrics into my multi-fabric quilts too. They are isolated on their own shelves most of the time in my studio.
Love the name, even more so after listening to Johnnie Cash interpreting the song.
Loving the quilt and the name. It reminds me of those toys we had when we were kids with different coloured pieces inside that made patterns as you turned it like a kaleidoscope.
Nancy
Gosh you have been busy Lynne.
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