Saturday, February 21, 2015

Fiesta!

Could it be a coincidence that in the thick of the backyard reno and prepping for Anna's 21st Fiesta that I hunkered down last night and made a baby quilt by the same name? Not likely.
Some people eat when they are stressed (how did I think of that one?). Some people worry. Some people seek support. Some find a creative outlet! I think it's safe to say that I engage in all of the above. (And my family could add stuff to my list of stress-behaviours I'm sure, but they don't get to write this blog, thankfully!)

Last evening I had two of my good friends over. We enjoyed sundowners on a partially finished deck. We admired what has been accomplished and couldn't ignore what's still ahead on the reno to-do list. 100 invites have been extended for a party in 7 days time and the venue looks like this:

Brewing this past week during all this hubbub, has been a hankering to sew. The shop is well stocked with my current favourite fabric collection "Cotton and Steel" (go Jacqui, you are the ultimate fabric-picker-outer, range-buyer-extraordinaire!). And I knew that if I asked, Janette and Jacqui would help me out during this extra busy, stressful time with sewing support while I accomplished my sewing fix!
So we settled into a Friday sewing bee. Likely there are not many who think this could be fun. You will have to take my word for it! 
I pulled all of the prints from the C&S range featuring animals - wild mustangs, gazells, lions and tiger striped cats, some cotton, others linen, and all in a modern palate of aqua, navy, coral and mustard. 
Recently, Janette re-sized my original Fiesta quilt pattern to make a gorgeous baby blanket for a friend's newborn. The pattern is a straightforward lineup of squares and rectangles with some prairie points randomly strung between rows. I think these 3-D triangle inserts are a nice tactile addition to a baby quilt.

In no time at all our collaborative sewing efforts produced a finished little top, ready for quilting. Presto, our shop has a darling new sample showcasing these new prints. Now (well not exactly 'now' but after Anna's fiesta) I must get busy and update this version of my 'Fiesta' pattern using Janette's new math. I feel much better for having spent the evening creating with friends - a welcome diversion from the tension of renovations and their finish dates.