A Quilt Without a Home

I spent a lot of time this week thinking about fabric choices, my own quilt aesthetic, and why my brain cannot handle color.

I got excited about Amy Smart’s Gratitude Quilt and she generously offered a free pattern. The pattern is a simple, fast sew that uses pre-cuts. After making a few quilts that made me think a lot, I told Rachel: “Give me shortcuts and pre-cuts!”

In Amy’s original quilt from this pattern she embroidered words expressing things she is grateful for:

My plan was to have Louie write things he is grateful for and then I would embroider over his writing. I wanted to do this over the course of the next year and finish the quilt for next Thanksgiving, but I started to realize even that was going to be ambitious. I imagined myself cajoling Louie into writing words and then I would be embroidering 40 some blocks that say “monster trucks” and “the Buffalo Bills.” (Side note: my first ever attempt at quilting was derailed because I was trying to embroider all of the blocks. I got to three and quit.)

Then, enter the fabric choice conundrum. I actually think I am pretty good at choosing fabric when I am making a quilt for someone else. However, I have never made a quilt for myself or for my own house (outside of Louie’s bedroom). I realized why — I am bad at choosing fabrics for my own quilts. Is this a problem that anyone else has?

For this Gratitude quilt, I bought a charm pack and a layer cake called “Homemade Homespuns” from Fat Quarter Shop.

As I started to assemble the top I realized I do not like this fabric choice for my own house. I was listening to an episode of the American Patchwork & Quilting podcast called “Find Your Signature Color Palette” and I realized that my signature color palette for my own house is — no color. Therein lies my problem. I seem to forget my preference for neutrals when I start making a quilt for myself. Making a colorless quilt might seem sad to some people and it is limiting when there is so much beautiful, colorful fabric out there. But, I am excited about the challenge of making I quilt that I actually want to put in my house.

In the meantime, I finished the top of the Gratitude quilt, but just without the gratitude. I decided since I was not in love with this quilt it did not make sense to add the embroidery.

Rachel told me that this quilt would look great in a cozy, woodsy lakeside cabin. I totally agree! Thinking about this quilt there made me much more excited about its possibilities. However, I do not currently have a cozy, woodsy lakeside cabin and so for now I will fold this top and put it away for some future day when it might have a better home. If I am ever able to put it into a cozy, woodsy lakeside cabin I will embroider #LAKELIFE in huge letters across it and feel extremely grateful.

This post is linked up at My Quilt Infatuation where you can find some very colorful quilting inspiration!