What color is the color of mourning?  My overall emotion is MAD MaD just mad, DamMad ....

My best friend in the world passed this last Wednesday, a week already since she has been gone.  I'm mad that she is not on the other end of that phone.  I am mad that I need to make a living instead of finding the nearest timber and screaming out the pain.  I am mad at the speed of some people's recovery.  I am mad that her life isn't made into a shrine.  I am mad that I chose a job over seeing her, even though I know my family needs my income and it's damn scary here.  I am mad that the best friends I have live so far away.  I am MAD that her face is before me every moment and others seem to be able to function quite well thank you.  I am MAD that I can't solve the issue of getting her horses to me.  I am mad that I didn't have premonition that this was going to happen and make the time to sit in her garden.  I am mad that the people closest to me can't see that my heart is breaking.  I am mad,mad, mad with sadness.

I m.i.s.s. you

Chery's Sunshine on my Mind PIF Quilt day 1

First Square made during Patriot/Giants game

I was at JoAnn's Fabrics when this A Touch of Rosie Quilt book caught my eye.

A Touch of Rosie by Carrie L. Nelson

What I liked best about the patterns in this book was the SUMMER-y fabrics that provided a nice change from the homespun browns and civil war block piecing selections that the quilt stores were selling.  Moda seems to be having the biggest Tea(dye) Party!!  Even this year's mild Iowa winter had me longing for spring, soft pastels and florals.  When I was invited to participate in a Facebook PIF (Pay it FORWARD) opportunity, this book was the first one I reached for to make the quilt and I chose the pattern Allemande for my friend Cheryl, both for the happy dancing all the squares were doing but also to highlight the quiet glow that always surrounds Cheryl and her loving nature.  I was unable to find the fabrics Carrie used in her book but did find Moda Fig Tree line Butterscotch and Roses line as replacement.  The brush cotton is a luxury to sew with, the softness reminds me of a well loved baby blanket but loses none of the shaping.  It's perfect in weight and although my local shop had enough Blanks solid yellow, I went into the hunt to find the buttercream that was in the Butterscotch and Roses line.  Found it here!:

http://preview.tinyurl.com/ButtercreamFabbie

Here is block one.  As you can see, many, many triangles and seams to match.  I have stitched this one by turning squares into triangles but will be using paper piecing tomorrow to see which one makes for exact triangulation :)

Carrie's blog is here LaVieEnRosie

M'

Fabric selection

It doesn't take a $5,000 machine to quilt - honest.  Purchased for $200.00 at Walmart and my portable machine.  Since I wanted to watch the Superbowl on the big screen, left the Janome upstairs and used the old standby.  LOVE Brother machines!

Squares to triangles, geometry made fun

Follow the easy directions and you have connected seams even an engineer can appreciate

Paper piecing, here we come....

Copyright A Touch of Rosie