Its the Small Things
Learning to trust has been one of the most difficult things for me to learn...in life and in quilting.
Mystery Quilts were my first challenge in quilting, and it drove me crazy not knowing how the quilt would look with the colors and fabrics I selected. I have to say that is still the way they work, and maybe what is supposed to happen along the way is what and how you learn.
One of the many MQs I am doing is the black & white. The patterns were supposed to come out every week so that a quilter could make them in 6" and 12". We've only received two patterns so far. The author did say that when life got in her way, she might not post a new one.
In all my life, I observed that I do not have a gentle touch, not on my own self and not in other ways I work and behave. I am not always patient, and often lose interest if things don't move along effortlessly. With the smaller blocks, everything must align, must be pinned, and even the dog-ears must be clipped or the seams get too bulky. Being gentle means not stretching the fabrics cut on the bias and taking time to align everything with accuracy.
Not to lose interest in the project while waiting, I went back to the first pattern she sent and made a 6" block and the 12" for the second pattern. Now there is one of each size for both blocks. It seems like everything looks pretty busy, and I am still figuring out how to select the fabrics for the best effect. Its a real learning process. Each block teaches color coordination, alignment of the pieces so that there are points where they meet and that the block measures to size. In the end, a quilt has been built one step at a time!
My Fat Quarter swap came in yesterday's mail too. I've requested fabrics in black and white from my swap partners so that I can do this quilt. She actually sent 5 FQs, plus two spools of thread, a pin cushion, and a crocheted piece for the thread spindle. Additionally, Carol gave me a few bags of scraps she had, and I used some of the smaller pieces for these blocks as well. Small things.
Its really hard to know how to select fabrics that will work for the block and make sense for the finished quilt. Trust is a huge part when you make a Mystery Quilt.
Its my touch that is key to it all. A touch for visioning, a touch for creativity, a touch for handling small things, a touch for trust that in the end what seems like chaos will evolve into something that is lovely and that I cherish.
