Daily Notes- May 17

                                      

There were four of these squares.  This one was taken apart and remade a year or two ago.  Some leaves still be to be added.  I am thinking of replacing a few of the darker leaves with a more lighter green print perhaps something from Joyce's box of Civil War Print Cloth- mine since she passed.  Because...... I have added 20 years to myself.  And what I like -now.  And I can "trial" things on this square before starting/finishing the other three.

I gave up for a while. 20 years? I could not find the fourth cut square.  And three does not a Baltimore Square Make.  And there was no finding of the original background fabric.  So, my choice was 1. Start over with four new squares. 2. Stop. 3. Keep looking (the Attic).   When I "re- appliquéd" this square I had found all the reds and greens on the Attic Closet Shelves.  But only three squares.

A week ago I found the fourth square.  Yes, the Attic coughed it up.  I found it as I was selecting fabric to bring down to the new small closet.   And as I stood looking at the small selection in the Sewing Room Closet downstairs - I said- I have no red. Do you remember me writing that?

So I went to get red and as I turned to put the red pile down and look through it....... there was the missing square.  Just there.  Folded into quarters.  Just there. I stood for the longest Time. Just not sure if it was real or imagined. It goes like that in the Magic Attic. It was real.  Each time I pick up this square- I count.  To see if there are three or four.  Four.  Today.

I am so much better at reverse appliqué these days.  I cringe when I see the older work- and I know it was good enough then for people to ask me to teach classes.  It is much smoother and invisible now. These squares were before that.  This was at the beginning.  A first project. Hardly begun and unfinished. The remake up in the picture is really a huge improvement of the original work but still not good enough to make all four.  So, I think about what I would change, do differently.

If I was selecting a project from the Baltimore Book today- it would be so much more elaborate- possibly ribbon work.  But I am determined to finish (or re-do) the four blocks, sew them together and make a hand appliquéd border for the four of them.  The border will have a different background-

I was wanting something new to work on.  This is very labor intensive so I have put it off.  But this- the four with a border or two- that could be USEFUL.  Would be a very special cloth to have or to give.  But first- what would I do differently???  This first block might undergo some changes.  Then I will make the other three.

Another set of appliqué blocks are nearly complete in the Attic.  With hand sewn sawtooth border strips.  No machine work at all.  The quilt top together would be very very large. I had it out about 18 months ago- spread on the floor.  So different from eco dyed cloth.  So very different but hints there of what I like now.  I folded it all and tucked it back into it's storage box.  But it whispers as I walk past.