prints & promise

I went to the Fabric Corner in Arlington last night for the first meeting of the New England Modern Quilt Guild. It was wonderful to meet so many inspired and inspiring women who are so into modern quilting (and crafting in general). Of course, I couldn't walk away without picking up some fabric. How much do I adore this Michael Miller print? It reminds me of those plastic tote bags they sold at Woolworths that my godmother would always pack towels in when we went to the beach or of some fabulously tacky oilcloth tablecloth from the late 70s (probably spotted in my godmother's house because clearly she had a thing for this type of print). I guess you can just say it reminds me of my godmother, which is only strange because she isn't one to ever wear bold prints or bright colors. I would describe her as pretty safe in style, demure even, yet I think she was fond of flashes of crazy prints and peeks of wild color in her home. She has always been a huge source of crafty inspiration for me. She was a quilter, crocheter, and embroiderer who always had a project in the works and made so many beautiful things for her home and her loved ones. She taught me how to handsew and how to embroider, so it almost comes as no surprise that a piece of fabric would make me think of her. I don't think she sews much now that she is in her late 70s, but I cannot imagine the woman without a crochet hook in her hand or her hair.

I have no idea what I will be making with this print yet, but I bought a couple more different prints as well and am already looking through my stash of Kona cotton to see if I have any solids that would work well with all these prints. I'll figure something out. In the meanwhile, I have to say, I am excited about joining this guild and look forward to future meetings. It's a bit of motivation to finish up the two quilts I have in progress and to start on some more.