Sitting on My Shoulder.....

Winter is a good time to work on quilts....at least in Wisconsin. It's not as easy to be outside when the wind is blowing and the temperatures are falling. But spending time with fabric, color and texture moving from my stash to an idea and then a finished quilt can be very satisfying.

I especially enjoy doing the "unexpected" and using something that others might not. When my mother died in 2010 I saved some of her tablecloths and doilies. Some of these have found there way into quilts over the past few years.  But there was still one large linen tablecloth "waiting". It remained folded in a box, and when I'd see it I would think about what to do....but just couldn't come up with a real concept. It's a large tablecloth. I don't remember her using it often but it was probably on the table for Easter with her colorful  Easter egg tree and flowers as centerpieces.

I knew I would never use it as a tablecloth - too much ironing!

A few weeks ago I was re-sorting my stash and realized that I had one piece of butterfly fabric left and the color of the butterflies perfectly matched the threadwork on mom's tablecloth. And if I cut out the butterflies and "tossed" them around the top I could cover a few stains in the process. And so I began.

I'm pleased with the results although it is so long I will have to find a new way to hang it. I think she'd be happy with it....and part of my heart thinks she was sitting on my shoulder and watching as the tablecloth and the butterflies went together.

Thanks mom......you still provide inspiration.