There’s something soooo relaxing about stretching a swatch of muslin across an embroidery hoop, threading a needle with some lovely thread and stitching away. I love getting caught up in the rhythm of the stitching, tracing the whimsical lines of my little Abby’s “happy monster” drawings. I’ve transferred many of her drawings from pages of her spiral-bound sketch book to the fabric swatches that I hope will add up to a fabulous quilt in time for her 4th birthday which we’ll celebrate in a little over a month.

It’s difficult to explain how much joy this project has brought me. I love the way Abby’s eye’s light up when we talk about the project and the way I feel when I’m tracing the lines she originally made in crayon. It’s the best craft collaboration ever. I can’t wait to see what develops in her little sister Amelia’s notebook and feel a little dizzy when I imagine how much fun it will be to collaborate with BOTH of them on projects. I could be dizzy with excitement, or maybe it’s the cold meds.

Quilt Update: I picked up my quilt from the mystery longarm machine quilter last night and I LOVE it! (And I can’t wait to introduce her to you.) I’m hoping to start work on the binding tomorrow night and planning to use Heather Bailey’s continuous quilt binding instructions to stitch this quilt to a fabulous finish. My bindings have been a bit wonkie in the past so hopefully the imaginary and bejeweled quilt gods will smile upon this project. Wish me luck and please do pass on any words of binding wisdom you might have. – JAH