The mister is on his death bed from his trip to Knoxville, where the snow and ice kept him indoors surrounded by little children who were happy to share their germs with him. Then he was ensconced on airplanes surrounded by people who, according to him, had every form of Ebola known to man. The mister woke this morning saying he was dying...just so, so sick...well, being a dutiful wife, I examined him...no fever...no cough...not one sneeze, not even a sniffle...so with my TV-doctor-show-medical-knowledge, I diagnosed the mister with that nasty bug that is going around (hypochondria) and prescribed complete bed rest for the entire day. Clever, no? You see, Saturday is the mister's day...we go to lunch, the movies, dinner, shopping, sight-seeing - whatever - it's his day to play and more specifically, to play with me! So when friends call and want to go to an antique shop or a jewelry show or to lunch or something just for girls, I have to say no, because it's the mister's day. Not today!!! I'm freeeeeee! The mister has already taken up residence on the sofa in front of the TV...and I've set him up with juice and Kleenex and NyQuil - all the trappings one needs for who is not only sick but imaginary sick!
Today with my new found Saturday Freedom, I'm going to head to my favorite quilt shop, Keepsake Cottage in Bothell, to look for fabric for the back of my newest quilt top. (I tried to get a picture of the entire top but it was just too big! And then the wind picked up and so it looks like the top is wavy but it's not, it was just windy!) While this top is new to me, it is not new! It's been in the works for years and years!! My friend Dawn, who used to be in my quilt group but then had some sort of revelation and decided she needed to move to sunny Southern California (and give up the clouds and rain?!?!), gave me the makings of this top. The center was already pieced together by Dawn, and she gave me the fabric to finish the quilt, which I had planned to do the minute she gave it to me...but you all know what happened...the fabric and pieces sat in my aging pile for about 3 years - or more - it's been so long I can't remember! Last month, while doing my annual workroom cleaning, I came across the fabric and decided it had aged long enough!
You might be wondering about Part Deux...well, wonder no more...the quilt above is my first French Quilt...made entirely with French fabric from France - hence making it French! Dawn also purchased her fabric in France and it is the same fabric that I used in my quilt - with about 20 years difference in time! And they still sell the very same fabric today at the only quilt shop inside the Paris city limits, Le Rouvray. It's a very tiny and cute shop and along with American fabric, which is mostly what they carry, they have two French fabrics, the red and cream toile print and the red and cream floral print. Dawn knew I loved those fabrics and that I had the "sister" quilt...and I can't remember why she said she didn't want it any more...but I was very happy to take it off her hands! Now I'll have two French quilts to wrap myself in - which should make me part French, oui?
Dawn fussy cut the centers of the large stars so the toile fabric would show. I added the checked border and then had to do some really, really difficult math to make those stars fit! Of course I had help...I don't DO math! Once I get the backing it's off to the quilters to be quilted - I usually quilt my own quilts but this one is too big - it measures 72 x 72-inches - too big for my machine! Thanks Dawn, it's going to be a beauty!!!
