Feeling Blue

I had a couple of hours this afternoon to unwind with some quilting therapy – and I sure needed it. My mind has been on a particularly painful custody case – one of those where you feel like maybe, just maybe, you are playing god and you know you aren’t qualified. So I pondered the matter, rolling it over back and forth in my mind while I worked on a Carol Doak block (Rhode Island from her 50 Stars book).


In my work, there regularly comes a time when you have to question your own motivations and judgment. For me, that involves getting down to what is real and what isn’t, and deciding if a decision I am thinking of making comes from following my head, my heart or my gut.

This star is for my Red, White and Blue Patriot/Anniversary quilt but you can see it doesn’t closely match the others.


No red. I guess I’m feeling blue, today. Or maybe I just felt the need to be soothed. I am not sure this block will end up in the quilt. I’m afraid it will remind me of today’s case. On the other hand, if things go well and I’ve made the right decision, it may end up being front row center as a reminder that some decisions in life are very painful but that doesn’t mean they aren’t the right one.

Sometimes I stitch too far and end up clipping those stitches with my seam ripper.


My favorite seam ripper is by clover but I haven’t seen it for weeks. How can you lose something like that????

While I was stitching, My girl, Jezebel, stayed with me to keep me company.


For awhile, she was under my feet but eventually moved out of the way. I like being able to reach down and scratch her behind her ears and nuzzle her muzzle. Sometimes she makes it next to impossible to stitch because she practically gets in my lap. Not that I am complaining. She is love on four legs.

So here is the block, squared:


I think this pattern looks like a snowflake, probably one of the reasons I just didn't feel like putting any red in it. I think if I had substituted the darker blue with a vibrant red it would have looked more like a sunburst and less like a snowflake. It certainly would have warmed it up. I deliberately used the background fabric in the center to make it appear to be floating. The pattern called for alternating fabrics in the center.

And here is the block on the back deck with her sister Patriotic Blocks:


Here is a closeup:


It isn't perfect. In fact, I think it is fairly messy compared to some of my blocks. I had to redo the center seam several times and it still isn't really right. Actually, I may end up going back and working on it, some more. I don't like gaps. They remind me that I am fallible.

Duh!

I've read that the Amish deliberately leave mistakes in their quilting to remind them that no one is perfect. Yeah, I've read that but I think it was just an excuse they made up to explain away their mistakes. Seems pretty arrogant to me to have to MAKE mistakes to demonstrate humility. In my world, the mistakes show up on their own. But maybe that is just me...

The darker blue in the center is some fabric I've been hoarding. I just love it. It was hard to bring myself to cut it - Fabricholics understand what I am talking about.

And of course, here is the highight of this post, for me:


I mean seriously, how can anyone be blue looking at a face like that?????

Evelyn even sang to make me feel better: