BEST OF STITCHED IN COLOR {September}
how to choose a man (midlife musings on dating after 40)
Spinny in Pink Princess (sugar sweet spiderweb patchwork)
Random Kisses (working out a patchwork idea)
On My Mind
Experimenting:: in September I experimented with making multiple sample versions of a quilt palette to test out ideas. The result? I just want to sew them all! Oops. I think that I will have to sew at least two Spinny quilts to work these ideas out of my system.
Reading:: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke. I picked up this book for pure entertainment while traveling to the states. It wasn’t what I expected, but it was entertaining. It definitely brings into focus the importance of authenticity in social media for mental health.
Celebrating:: This soft and dreamy Tapestry Garden quilt top sewn by Clare and shared via the Stitched in Color chat.
After asking the community for quilting input, Clare has decided on serpentine quilting, and I think it’s looking amazing!
Anticipating:: going home. I’ve been away for two weeks in the United States, becoming a grandma and spending time my sick father. While it has been a very important trip, I am looking forward to arriving home tomorrow and reuniting with Elora, who stayed in The Netherlands with her father. There’s no place like home.
Featured Freebie
the Kingfisher stitch-along
Stitched in Color includes a library of free tutorials, 15 years in the making. Each month I’ll feature one to spread the good news.
Kingfisher is a hexie flower quilt that combines English paper piecing, applique and traditional piecing. I co-hosted this quilt-along with Tales of Cloth in 2018. It’s a great project for someone who has sewn a few quilts and is ready to experiment with English paper piecing.
I have become a grandmother! Aria gave birth to baby Michael shortly before my visit, which meant I got to help her in the early days when she was just finding her baby legs. Aria’s a natural, and baby is doing great!
He was a little jaundiced here, as all of my babies were too, but now that’s resolved. Good job, Michael and Aria!
We even got to go apple picking, together with Aria’s husband. Our annual autumn visit to Sky Top Orchard was a dear tradition when we lived in South Carolina, so it was very special to get to join this new little family on their first visit to the orchard. And we had lovely sunny weather too, which now that I live in The Netherlands, I don’t take for granted.
Thank you also for your prayers and well-wishes for my father. He is not doing well, but it was a blessing to him and my mother both that I could be beside them during this difficult time. We’re already planning the next visit.
xoxo,
Rachel
What a lovely holiday you have had catching up with your family
I am sure you will miss them all it is hard when you live in different parts of the world
I did the kingfisher quilt a couple of years ago and loved it as I was traveling and was great todo something that I didn’t need a machine till the end but I have never quilted it as I could not decide how todo it
How did the people quilt it back in 2018 could not find any finished quilt photos
Thanks Caroline
My very best wishes for your father, for comfort and easy days.
congratulations gramma!! Baby Michael looks so adorable. Aria and her hubbs look very happy together, a happy young couple.
You had no second thoughts about staying in the US to be near family?
My cousins in Holland and Austria say stuff like, "Your parents were both from the Netherlands and you should be living here speaking dutch" 😂
So, I understand your comfort in the place that you are now.
I hope you can come back to see your parents a few more times- and your grand boy!!