What better day to make a Valentine Quilt?

I sketched this out over a month ago but I could not gather the energy. I washed the fabrics, I sketched the design, I gathered the embellishments I saw on it in my mind's eye.
But I could not start.
Until today, Valentine's day. I got an email from my friend Kathy in Maryland, and she said she was waiting to see my V-day quilt... a gently encouragement from a friend to just... do it. So I started.

Last night a Pairs Skating team skated to Michele LeGrand's Summer of '42 music. It started me thinking about his music and For some reason I began singing this today on my morning walk.

Let this other song of his play while you read how I made the quilt today
                                    ... lovely.
One of my favorite songs, and she does it best, with Tony Bennet a close second.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ITvY8sPeWk

No freezer paper, so I free hand cut out a heart from parchment paper. Placed the folded heart on folded fabric and cut out about 3/8" away.

Snip all around.
Then I used lapel stick to temporarily turn under the edges.


there, done, now place it on my background, a black and white floral. Off center, that's good...

 see the paper is in there. I used some more lapel stick along this edge and pressed down to background then pinned.

after sewing with a blind applique stitch to within 3 inches, I reached in and removed the paper

better check that it's stitched all the way around, yep

Now, lay the appliqued heart onto batting and start the embroidery.

 I used some #5 perle cotton in dark brown to embroider a tree.

Trees symbolize growth.

No marking please, just start a chain stitch and add more til it's done!


Trust the process. At the end I stitched a wee bit of leaves to the tree, to symbolize new life

I didn't worry with making a perfect heart, a perfect tree, I just started, and kept going. Like life, no?

I plan to see if I can get my machine going tonight to quilt through the layers. I plan to echo around the heart, radiating out. Love radiating out from center. Roots of growth based on Trust.

I make a V-Day quilt every year, they can mostly be seen under that label at the side. I try to make the quilt fit the year and we've had a lot of change, and growth, and need hope that they were smart changes, and will lead to more growth and that we will be stronger together for it.

I'm in no great rush to finish this because I am in awe that my tired spirit did this much. I feel the creative part of me comes from spirit, and know it's a gift to make the days worthwhile. Beauty and self expression enhance lives. Love is universal.

I plan to put beads all around the binding after edges are finished, and to place a path of flowers on after quilting.

No rush. I'll show you when done, because I love you for reading my words, and for walking this path with me.

There are many people on youtube to hear singing this lovely work by Michele LeGrand. I discovered this lovely woman singing it and another song is very pretty french, at Birdland in NYC. I wonder do I belong in NYC?

 If that wasn't enough romance, how about this video of Michele Legrand singing along to summer me winter me...

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