Quilter's Block

I am a quilter. Sort of. I have been quilting for years and years yet my quilts still smack of "beginner". Oh well, that seems to be my comfort zone -- or rut -- whatever. Two years ago my DD asked me to make her a lap quilt in the form of an American flag for her classroom. I pieced together a lovely flag with the correct proportions and everything. Everything but fifty perfectly placed, appliqued stars. When I showed DD the pieced top, expecting squeals of delight, I was met with a dejected, disappointed look -- where were the fifty stars? Well, I cut out the stars, fused them on and I am STILL appliqueing the stupid things on the blue field which wasn't a solid blue field but rather a blue field with, yes, stars.

Ok, so being the sort of person I am -- I am sure there is a name for it -- I really hate starting a new project before I finish an existing one. I am not saying I haven't -- I have made about four or five other quilts while sticking these stars down -- but I don't LIKE to do it. So, during this whole process, I seem to have lost my "edge". I go to the fabric store but I just don't have the drive to buy the fabric -- even for my stash. The fifty stars seem to have sucked the very life out of my creativity. It is very sad.

In an effort to get past the "block" I am experiencing and to do something completely spontaneous, I dragged A to the Bear Creek Quilt Guild show this past weekend. The weather was lovely. The show wasn't so gigantic that you couldn't find your way around the hall because of the crowds. The theme was exciting -- "Four Score and Seven Quilts Ago" -- showcasing Civil War reproduction quilts.

Altogether there were some 400 quilts on display. Large quilts, small art quilts, old quilts -- all very exciting. I could just feel the urge to sew wash over me. It was a great show, a wonderful way to spend an early morning. We were done by lunch, even browsing the vendor booths. And, I managed to bring home a very special pincushion with much personality -- Miss Buttons. I even think A enjoyed looking at the Civil War "stuff" so it was a good time for both of us.

Well, I guess I should get back to those insufferable stars.