While in Montana I spend everyday being involved in the quilt process in some way. But today I took a little break to go crystal mining in Crystal Park. It has been so rainy in Montana, that the search was difficult for spotting shimmering crystals in the mud. The best strategy for a wet day seems to be to look on the surface for crystals that may have been washed clean by the rain.
After being cold and wet all morning, it was great to get back to the cabin to work on a quilt that I plan to enter in the National Quilt Museum contest called New Quilts from Old Favorites. For information check out, www.quiltmuseum.org/contest. This year the pattern is the Orange Peel. I am so excited about this project, as I feel the design plan was like finding a beautiful crystal, which involves some hard work and some luck, too!
When I first looked at the Orange Peel pattern, I did not have a clue of what to make from it, so I sat back and meditated on the idea. I have a tendency of seeing geometric shapes in everything around me. It is somewhat of an obsession. A feature that attracted me to quilting. Then at the time of learning about the contest, my life was also revolving around the wine industry, as my husband is involved in the wine business through Vermeil Wine. Somehow the ideas seemed to click together and it dawned on me that I could make a quilt of wine glasses and a decanter using the "orange peel" pattern.
I must say that I am thrilled with this design, and it is hard for me to leave it (though little breaks are healthy), as it is like watching a child grow. Amazing to see it transform from a little bit of this, and a little bit of that, into something tangible and meaningful. Can't wait to show you!
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