We Love Color

I was thrilled to receive a copy of the recently released book We Love Color compiled by Susanne Woods.  We Love Color is a collaborative quilt book with contributions from 16 designers using Kona Solids.  I was given my book by my sister Rita from Red Pepper Quilts whose quilt Lady of the Lake features in the book.

Rita made the traditional Lady of the Lake quilt with a very modern twist.  She chose a green/blue palette for the larger half-square triangles and surrounded the blocks with array of colorful triangles.  I love the way the colors sparkle against the white background.

While Rita usually quilts her own quilts, on this occasion I was asked to quilt for her.  Rita's quilting usually involves straight lines or cross-hatching and she wanted the quilting on this quilt to be within keeping of her RPQ style.  We decided on diagonal lines through the larger blocks and simple continuous curves on the surrounding smaller triangles.

For more information on the other wonderful quilts  in We Love Color as well as some great give-aways, take a look at the We Love Color Blog Tour which is currently running through Robert Kaufman Fabrics.  We Love Color is available now through Amazon.

Vale Pat - 1924 - 2012

Today I went to the funeral of a fellow quilter and friend, Pat McArthur.  At 87 years of age, Pat was one of my dearest and kindest customers - over the last few years I quilted a number of quilts for Pat and I loved picking up and dropping off quilts at her house.  Pat certainly loved a chat and a quilt drop off would invariably last at least an hour.

I found Pat to be an inspirational woman and while I only knew her as a quilter, the church today was filled with mourners which is testament to the many areas of interest in her life.  Pat left instructions for her funeral including the request for no eulogy and no photos of her.  As a result, I won't eulogise too much here other than to say that I will miss catching up with Pat and hold dear the times I was able to spend with her.

I will leave you with a photo of a quilt Pat made which now hangs in her beloved St James Anglican Church in Thornbury - this quilt was completely hand pieced and quilted by Pat.  Pat also made the wonderful Pies and Tarts quilt I have previously blogged.