sewing with Hindsight

I love the name of Anna Maria Horner’s newest collection: Hindsight. It has such positive connotations for me. When you are able to look back and see things in a more wholistic and big-picture kind of way, it is such a good feeling, don’t you agree? Clarity and perspective are so valuable, especially in times like these.

I requested these fabrics from the manufacturer, FreeSpirit, because I knew I could not miss this collection. I’m an AMH fan, and this is definitely a good one. It’s fun to see some of our favorites from Anna Maria mixed up and recolored in playful ways.

My first thought was to make a quilt with large half square triangle blocks. It would be simple-to-sew and allow my focus to remain squarely on enjoying the fabrics. But then. Yes, there is a but.

I realized that I’d like to start sewing my Seafarers quilt, a medallion-style quilt layout built from Penny Sampler blocks. The Seafarers pattern is to be included in the Penny Sampler Pattern Club, June delivery. Could I, should I, dare I use these fabrics for that quilt?

So, obviously, I’ve decided to take the plunge. Using such showy, glorious fabrics on a “story” style quilt is not without its risks, but I can say that I’m happy with how it’s started. For the compass block, which is at the center of the Seafarers medallion, I’ve used Stitched Bouquet Dim for the compass center, combined with a plaid from Anna Maria’s Loominous wovens. The solids are Freespirit Spring and Freespirit Aegean. That vibrant green is the exact color of the baby leaves on the trees outside my window right at this very moment! One of my favorite Hindsight prints, Piecework Sea, serves as a colorful background.

Next up for me are the smaller compass blocks, for the four corners of the quilt. I think I’ll be using the Sinister Gathering fabrics above and more subtle combinations. Fingers crossed this all works out well in the end!