this mauve Iris

Tapestry Garden in Winter

It’s March. This is when the season turns, I feel. The flowers are pushing up, the weather is getting “softer” as we say in Dutch, and the day is stretching out to more generous proportions.

sunset from Montmartre in Paris

It feels like a good time for me to sew all the way through my Winter Tapestry Garden quilt. I’ll tackle one patchwork group at a time, in the same order as the block-of-the-month and find out how this quilt works in a limited color palette.

These earthy colors with hints of mauve still suit my mood, but I have a feeling that a month from now they’ll feel way too somber. Best to strike while the iron is hot.

Today I am sewing the Iris block. There are a few applique elements, which I am preparing above with the sew & turn method.

Did you notice the pinking blade on my rotary cutter? It’s fun! And handy. If you don’t have one, maybe treat yourself before April? Or at least find your pinking shears. It’s way faster than notching the seams by hand before turning.

Isn’t sewing patchwork a bit like doing a puzzle? After all the fabric choices and cutting prep, I love the part where you lay out the pieces on a work surface and get a first glimpse of what you’ve been creating. So pretty.

Bonus, when the puzzle is finished, you don’t have to take it apart and return it to the box!

Nope, you get to keep it and admire all your lovely points and celebrate those clever fabric choices.

Then pop it up on the design wall with the rest of the work-in-progress. We’re working towards a usable, three-dimensional object, people.

It’s the best kind of puzzle.