Spring Fury

Created for the Project Quilting Season 7 A Goose in the Monkey Wrench challenge.

I struggled with this challenge.  I started something, but wasn't happy.  I found excuses to not work on it.  And suddenly inspiration struck. A while ago Kim (yes, the Kim that runs Project Quilting and is also my daughter-in-law) gave me some Spoonflower fabrics she had designed by manipulating pictures of some of my quilts. She'd challenged my to make something from them, but I had not.  I decided now was the time.

These are the 2 quilts that were photographed to make the fabric.  Interestingly, both of them have been sold.

Spring Blossoms

Pansy Fury

So I fussy cut each piece of an oversize monkey wrench block and used the scraps to make flying geese to go up the side.  It was a really quick project that is very unlike me.  I feel like I played it safe with the challenge by not transforming the ingredients.  But I do love my finished project and it is a great reminder of the 2 quilts I no longer have.

The pieces of my first start to this challenge have found a home in my orphan block drawer until the day inspiration strikes me again and they become part of something wonderful.

Made by Diane Lapacek near Poynette, WI.
24" x 28"

Is That Our Orchard?

Is That Our Orchard? was created for the Project Quilting, Seasson 7, Through the Eyes of a Child challenge.

Children's art has always been important around here. I have a kid's art wall where I display some of my favorites, so inspiration was close by.  I started with the first piece of kid's art I ever framed.  It's an original painting by my granddaughter, Cedi, when she was 5.  She asked me why I framed it and I told her because every time I looked at it it made me smile.  Cedi is 9 now and it still makes me smile.

For a layout, I went to this great work by my granddaughter, Capri, done last year in first grade.  It hung in the office at her school for a few weeks before she gifted it to me.  I decided on 3 trees and I'd use that great echo quilting Capri had used in her project.

My third granddaughter, Pip, (age 4 3/4, just ask her) is big on paper chains, so I thought I'd create a paper chain border like the one hanging around the old window that displays lots of kid's art on my wall.

And I thought it needed a sun, so I asked Pip to draw me one.  She drew this great picture. First the sun, then the person on the left.  She said, "That's you, but you're going to have hair."  So she added the straight yellow hair that I usually get.  Then she said, "But today you have curls.  It's someone you know. It's Trish."  

Then she drew herself by me and said, "Sometimes I have a big hand."  A few flowers and my picture of a sun was ready.  Definitely, this one is going on my wall.

Pip wanted to cut out the apples, so those are also her contribution.  I resisted any urge to make them more round or more uniform in size.  This is kids art, after all.

I couldn't call it finished without one last thing.  Back in 2013, Capri was making 3D birds.  I needed one on this quilt.

 I don't think mine is nearly as cute as hers, but it makes me happy.

All done but the name.  Pip saw it when it just had trees and part of the quilting.  She took one look and said, "Is that our orchard?"  Well, yes, it is.

Created by Diane Lapacek near Poynette, WI.

20" x 26"