Stitching My Heart

Chapter 1

Commissioned to make a large ornate quilt by an important member of the community I headed to my studio to draw out a pattern and write down some ideas. Hours later I remerge with a pattern and a shopping list ready to head to my local quilt shop to gather everything I need to get it done in the next month and a half.

Paper piecing this quilt is going to be insane! The wolf is made of diamonds and the full moon is made of hexagons with the background of the quilt being shades of twilight and the foreground being a bare forest on either side of the wolf.

I was provided with a picture of a gorgeous wolf white with stripes of grey and black running randomly down the sides of this larger than normal wolf, the silver blue as captivating as the rest of the creature.

The drive to the first store is short. I pick up thread and the paper I will need. The next store specializes in a different item I needed and is a little further away.

I went on to the next step, gathering the fabric for my two main pieces in the quilt the moon and the wolf until I arrived at the last store where I would choose the background and outline fabrics for the trees to accent the rest of the quilt.

The first week flew by between my part time job and cutting the fabric, attaching it to the paper, to ensuring the points would line up creating designs in the each unit of the quilt.

The next week was spent attaching fabric to paper then separating them into colors and for different parts of the quilt. Purple, orange, yellow white and even blue for the sky, dark greens and browns for the forest floor and a medley of whites, greys, and blacks for the wolf and moon.

The third week starts the making of the quilt. There are lots of snip, pricking fingers. I was always going back and double-checking the pattern to ensure the pieces were going together properly, that the rows add to the one before it and around the middle of the quilt. When I saw all the individual pieces thus far of the wolf joining together to create the bottom part of the body I was amazed on, one how huge the quilt would actually be and two how well the pieces and colors join together to look like actual fur.

I cannot wait to finish this quilt and see the customer's reaction.

The quilt finally comes together after many Band-Aids; needle meeting finger, and a few curse words meaning its ready to be quilted.

Something this big I need to have my friend's help so off to her house it means.

With one week to complete this, I hope she is free because this quilt really needs some of her art to complete it.

She finishes the quilting in three days and now comes my favorite part piecing and attaching the binding well into the night so that its ready for its Friday de beau.

No sleep for the wicked.

Friday I am just finishing the label while its still warm from the dryer when a knock on the front door catches me by surprise causing me to poke myself deeply with the needle I am working with drawing a thick bead of blood to the tip of my finger staining the dark fabric of the back of the quilt.

"Just a minute," I yell with my finger in my mouth trying to stop the bleeding. I quickly make the last stitch, which is miraculously neat with my left hand controlling the needle. A knot and a last snip of the scissors I was off to open the door and greet my visitor.

When I open the door, I see the client who ordered the quilt for her son's up and coming

"Hello, Mrs. Blackwood. How are you doing today?"

"I'm doing well I cant wait to see his quilt. I've been on pins and needles trying to keep this a secret the whole time."

Pins & needles, I can relate I think as I look down at my poor wounded finger. I lead her to my display room, directing her to one of my quilted wingback chairs to allow her to clearly see the finished project in all its glory.

"I'll be back in a moment but I must ask a favor." She looks interested, "Would you be so kind as to close your eyes so that I may show you the quilt as it should be viewed, the first time."

She nods her head and obliges my request as I prepare the display rack and attach the quilt.

"Okay, you make open you eyes now."

I watch her waiting for her to take it all in. ""Oh my goodness," she says on a gasp. " You've out done yourself. When I saw your website I was amazed but this," She gestures toward the quilt, "is a work of art not something to simply keep you warm. WOW! I will definitely be sending some of my friends your way."

I smiled at her compliments. "I can send the frame for you to display it the same way for him if you'd like. I do not have any pressing need for it over the next two weeks. At her nod I move, "Alright let me get everything packed and loaded up for you."

The quilt is carefully package away in its sleeve along with the equipment all nice and neat in her car.

Her praise and thanks continues until everything is in her car and shut once again,

"Thank you, Mrs. Blackwood. I hope he enjoys it for years to come." I put my hand out, "If you need anything else or any repairs to the quilt call and I'll come to you just like it says on the website." She refuses my hand instead pulls me into a hug.

"Oh darling you can count on it. Once again thank you for doing such a fabulous job. Its wonderful and I know he'll love it."

With one last hug and a wave and she is out the door and on her way home.

And I am once again off to my studio to create another quilt that will hopefully sell at the next show tomorrow.