Gathering up Nice Things

with the help of my design wall

Last week I started this project by dismantling some patchwork that had reached a dead end and digging through my orphan blocks for even more already-sewn pieces in similar colors. Soon I had a table full of patchwork bits in all sorts of random sizes, and not the faintest idea where I was going.

Enter the design wall.

I spent a happy hour or so arranging and rearranging elements. And what fun! I really get into the flow when I follow my instincts to balance color, shape, dark vs.light and angles vs. curves. There’s nothing strict about it, just feeling. What feels good, stays. What frustrates, moves or goes away entirely.

A big “aha” moment was adding this bold Anna Maria print to my collage. It brings a nice gesture, while echoing many of the important colors in my quilt: bright emerald, dark sapphire blue, magenta purple and burnt red/orange.

With an overview of where I am going, I find the confidence to start joining the smaller bits. Adding fabric here. Slicing away excess fabric there. Finding just the right strip of color to harmonize.

And before I know it my pieces are getting bigger. A quilt top is coming quickly into shape.

I’m thinking of this as my Nice Things quilt. It gathers together so many nice things. Trees and sunshine. Books and chocolate. Birds and flowers and an “H” for home. Making it is a soothing, healing sort of process. It feels nice. It is nice. After all, creating is one of the nicest things.