With the Help of Amazing Grace

Grace Snyder is my quilting idol. I am unabashedly a groupie.  I even have some of the Salem China company dishes that inspired the Flower Basket Petit  Point quilt - the holy grail of quilts.  Seriously.  There is plenty about her on the internet, but if you want to get the real story you must read No Time On My Hands.    Even if you aren't in to history, the story of this woman's life and what she accomplished is inspiring and amazing.

I've had the book Nebraska Quilts and Quiltmakers for many years and have always enjoyed looking at Grace's quilts in that book.  The one that really GETS me is Mrs. McGill's Cherries.  It's gorgeous, it's timeless, and my Mom's maiden name was McGill - so, total sign from God, right?  As if.

Yesterday I skated out of work to get to the Fabric Corner in Arlington, Massachusetts.   Yes, it is a schlep from Lowell.  Yes, they were having a sale, and my quilting sherpa Debbie raves about the place.  So I checked it out - and it was terrific.  I got there about 1/2 hour before closing time, but managed to scope out the place and establish it in my head as a "definitely go back to" resource.  I also ran smack dab into a bolt of Kona cotton CHINESE RED.   "Oh heavens," I thought, "these would make the most beautiful cherries....."  About $14 later, I left the store with the red (and a nice sold green) and decided to take a whack at my own cherry tree. I'm not sure if it will end as a single block (probably) or a wall hanging, but as long as the Bernina is out of commission, I need some focused hand sewing and this might just be IT.  Wish me luck - I'll need it.