I was just looking at some of my favorite quilts on Pinterest and once again noting how appealing some of the simplest designs are. A little charm pack sewn together with wide sashing and quilted. Divine.
But, I’m afraid I don’t often make those quilts. I love designing and tend to add my “what if” philosophy to the process – adding and complicating things. I like doing that.
Indigo Pearadise is one of those quick, relatively unplanned projects that resulted in a pleasing outcome. Minimal preparation, some very pleasant zen time with my needle in hand, some dancing with my sewing machine, and I have a little wall quilt.
Last spring, I had been stitching pears in preparation for an upcoming class I was planning to teach at my favorite local quilt shop. I had drawn this pear as a design to use for the introductory class. With gentle curves and a few pieces, I could focus on the beginning steps in needleturn appliqué, making a template, marking the background, learning the stitch.
In doing my homework for the class, I made numerous samples varying fabrics and backgrounds. Pears are like chocolate (pears are good with chocolate, too); they can become addictive.
We were anticipating an upcoming trip, and is usually the case, I spend more time thinking about the sewing project I’m taking than the clothes I will wear. I wanted to continue my pear exploration with minimal preparation. I had a charm pack from Minick and Simpson’s Indigo Crossing fabric line from Moda and knew I would love whatever project I made. Anything blue is good. Anything these two sisters design is good.
So I reduced the size of the original pear pattern I had made for the class (from 6″ x 9″ to about 3″ x 5″), made a plastic template, and marked a linen background with guidelines for even placement of the pears.
I stitched all the pears in the evenings in our B & B in Blue Ridge and later at Amicalola State Park in Ga. No, the fact that one of our destinations was Blue Ridge did not enter into my fabric choices. It’s serendipity.
Now when I see this project, I see blue pears. But I also see rainy days in Blue Ridge, delightful walks about the town, nice meals with my husband, and fun with family at Amicalola.
The quilting is done with 60 weight silk thread using a continuous curve design. I mark a grid, in this case 1/2”, with a removable marker to guide the free motion quilting. Dream Wool batting. This project finished at 16″ x 21″.
It’s “pearfect”!
Thank you. I bet you noticed the colors of Rowe pottery!