Weaving together my life as a maker and other spheres of life.

Best of Stitched in Color {December}

• in the Quilting Studio, no. 32

• introducing Pas de Deux

• Wedge Cross, a scrappy sparkle

On My Mind

Experimenting:: with a new palette for Pas de Deux. I’m sorely tempted to make a second version, this time with a more focused color scheme. I’m thinking of warm colors like dark cranberry, pink, orchid and gold, plus black and white accents. Can’t wait to make up another color sheet!

Reading:: I’m very happy to share with you Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness. I came across this book by Ingrid Fetell Lee through our book club, and wasn’t sure what to expect. It has ended up being a huge inspiration for me creatively. As I read, I’m constantly diverted with ideas for my home and my quilts. I think you’ll enjoy, and who couldn’t use a bit more lightness and joy these days?

Celebrating:: Laurie Matthew of @DresdenLane recently finished a fantastic rendition of my Drummer Boy Dresdens quilt pattern! Her quilt is a hefty 97” square and positively bursting with joyful color. Follow that link to find her post with more pictures, and don’t miss her funny list of reasons why she likes to make really big quilts in the comments!

Sponsor of the Week

The Confident Stitch

The Semi Annual Sale starts January 2nd! Expect great savings.

Anticipating:: Sewing the Postage Stamp Stars spin off quilt design! The Pas de Deux BOM club includes 4 extra quilt patterns, each one a spin off from the Pas de Deux quilt itself. Each Pas de Deux patchwork group could be developed into a stand-alone quilt, but some are just begging for it. Postage Stamps is one of them! This pattern will be delivered to club members in February.

Here are two color palettes I’ve created: Evening Ember and Candy Box. I adore that this patchwork pattern creates so many nestled designs as secondary patterns. The Evening Ember version has a plaid effect, don't you think? Candy Box makes the stars more prominent and includes colorful scrap quartets. Can you guess which one I’ll be sewing in January, just as soon as the fabric arrives?

In December The Netherlands embraced another hard lockdown for corona. In the space of 24 hours, we heard hints of the possibility, then the official announcement and - snap - everything was closed, other than grocery stores and such essentials. As a result, the kids get three weeks of Christmas vacation in place of two. You can imagine their glee! On the other hand, the lockdown means that we chose to cancel our post-Christmas, family trip to Amsterdam. Isn’t it ironic that we have been living in The Netherlands for 2 1/2 years and still haven’t experienced that special city! But someday.

Luckily, another opportunity presented itself - a corona-proof glamping getaway in Luxembourg. Today we are coming home from several nights in a rather beautiful region of Europe that had certainly never been on my radar. We spent most of our days hiking in amazing forests and the evenings inside a simple (heated!) wooden hut, playing games with our friends who invited us along. So, a holiday indeed! I am feeling fully rested and ready to head back to my cozy home to welcome 2022.

Happy New Year, all!