You can't go home again--or can you?

I don't know about you but every once in a while I get an order that is just so special, I have to say yes. In this case it was from a lovely couple that I had never met before. OK--why was it special?

You see years ago--like almost thirty years ago--maybe it was even 32 years ago--I am not sure, they had purchased a quilt of mine from a gallery and hung in their living room all this time. Seen children grow, friends come and go. Indeed the only image they had of the quilt was from a large party.

Alas though when they repainted, its time had come. They told me that they cried when it came down.

And that would be enough to make a story. But they wanted me to make a quilt to replace it to hang for the next 30 years. Of course it wasn't going to look just like the quilt they had had. Styles had changed. The quilts I make have changed. Their furnishings have changed. They brought images of the room. Together we looked at quilts I had made and they found a piece I had made 8 or so years ago that they loved.

prairie dawn--quilt--ann brauer

They loved the blue sky in this quilt and the red "sun." But after some thought--they preferred the bottom of this quilt.

rainbows of dawn--quilt--ann brauer

OK--this would be interesting. Now I had not thought about these quilts for years. How do I make them? What colors work? Can I even figure it out? Remember that old saying that you never forget how to ride a bicycle--would it also work for making a quilt?

I had to find out. I told myself to start with what I knew. Maybe that wonderful chartreuse green on the bottom. So I cut lots of fabric in those colors--the palette.

fabric palette--quilt--ann brauer

And started sewing. It is quilt as you go in blocks so I sew right sides together through the cotton batting onto the back.

sewing--quilt--ann brauer--2016

And press open.

sewing--quilt--ann brauer--2016

Check out the back to make sure it is working.

sewing--quilt--ann brauer--2016

Repeat and continue until I have a block.

sewing--quilt--ann brauer--2016

And start to pin it to my design board. This quilt is large enough it will occupy the design board until I get it done. I hope that will be incentive to work quickly.

sewing--quilt--ann brauer--2016

So the story begins. The sewing I know how to do. But will I be able to get the colors to fall into place. Will the top and bottom designs work together? And when can I begin to get this off my design board since I do make work for the American Craft Exposition in Glencoe at the end of September?  Then I have the Philadelphia Museum of Art Show in November and the One of a Kind Show in December--just to keep me off the streets. Yikes!!!

And just like a TV show that leaves you dangling, this will be continued.

What do you think?