This quilt, these colors, this gorgeous spring setting - I feel so grateful for the chance to make and share such things with the world.

Last weekend I visited a park on the other side of town and was mesmerized by the tall, blooming rhododendrons. When I returned yesterday to photograph this quilt, I was so pleased with how the flowers and myriad shades of green coordinate with my latest finish. How lucky! How wonderful. And, yes, I am in love with this quilt!

This is Collaboration, a “trip around the world” style quilt with plus and heart shapes worked in the mix. This quilt was inspired by a patchwork group from my Positivities block-of-the-month club. I named the group Collaboration because of the way that the design builds from the center out, with each new element resting on the one before. If one piece falls out of place, the whole design falters. Together the simple squares and rectangles form a beautiful and balanced whole.

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This week I quilted the finished quilt top on my longarm sewing machine. I almost chose a rather simple quilting motif, but switched to this Flutterbye motif just in time. Patchwork made of simple square shapes takes well to more complicated all-over quilting patterns. In this case I’m really pleased with how Flutterbye creates a diagonal design element that echos the diagonal radiating pattern of Collaboration quilt.

Plus, the quilting design reminds me of water bugs - the one that skate over the surface of a pond. That’s perfect for this quilt, given my inspiration point of spring, flowers and ponds. It is so satisfying when the quilting adds to one’s appreciation of a quilt!

Choosing colors and fabrics for Collaboration was a well-considered process. Sometimes my fabric choices were influenced by the quantity of fabric that I had on hand, such as with the olive heart shapes in the quilt corners. I didn’t have enough of any one fabric to make all of the hearts identical. In the end, alternating fabrics of very similar color is more interesting than one consistent fabric anyway! It’s the same with the plus shapes. Since the patchwork design is so symmetrical and regulated, I like the variety of fabrics in the plus shapes. It gives the eye something extra to discover.

I would love to keep Collaboration, but I have been holding on to many of my quilts in the last year. Instead of relegating this one to my “quilts I’m saving” shelf, I will send it out into the world, where I hope it will be used and loved. Collaboration is listed today in my Handmades shop. Here’s sending spring your way!