An “old” friend from Germany visited us over the Easter weekend, and she brought her family. The mom, Rebekka, is about the age of our sons; she, her sister, and parents were so welcoming when we lived in Gelnhausen more than twenty years ago. We kept in touch with occasional emails and Christmas cards. And now Rebekka is grown up with a family of her own, and they are spending this school spring break exploring the east coast.
Annika, Rebekka’s daughter, attends an “Upcycling” club once a week at her school in Germany. The teacher encourages the students to repurpose textiles, making something new out of something old. Annika showed me a small patchwork tote bag she made for her mom out of denim jeans. Prior to their arrival, Rebekka told her daughter about my quilting hobby, so she was primed to enjoy my sewing studio. When I asked if she would like to sew something during her visit, she responded with alacrity.
We opened a charm pack of “Sincerely Yours” designed by Sherri and Chelsi, and Annika chose nine squares for her quilt. She loved the heart and daisy prints. I asked if she would like to make a tote bag or a pillow, but she decided to make a wall quilt. We talked about 1/4″ seam allowance and the Star Wars technique of “pressing to the dark side.” She chose a lilac fabric from my stash for a border and backing. Rather than quilting in the ditch or echoing the seam lines with straight stitching, Annika chose a loopy decorative stitch and white thread. Zoom in to see the cuteness this adds to the quilt. The zigzag stripe fabric of the binding pulls together all the colors of the quilt center, and there’s a hand-stitched hanging sleeve on the back. This spring break souvenir project is ready to hang in Annika’s room when she returns home.
It is so rewarding to share my stash and skills with an enthusiastic learner!
And now . . . to figure out what to do with the rest of that charm pack of pink, coral, red, and low volume prints. Do you have a suggestion?