Marvellous Mail

It has been (insert adjective of choice) around here.  I've been quite busy with school and assignments are coming due before the midterm break so sewing has been minimal. Then there's always the mild weather and some minor personal catastrophes.  All told, I'm faring well.

But the MAIL has been BOOMING!  All of it has been from a number of people who answered my request for blocks and fabric for my teacher-identity-quilt-project (I must really come up with a better name for it than that...)   I'm still expecting a few more.  Incredible!  The light and my time available for photographing has been hmmmm....interesting? Please bear with the crappy shots...

From Dresden Quilter:

So bright and colourful. Orange and blue are favourites of mine and I have always loved how pink and orange get along.  Like ruby red grapefruit, the inspiration for CitricSugar in the first place... It's perfect.

From Hello, my name is Quilt:

She had a STACK of leftover blocks and was kind enough to send them my way.  There is a tonne of metaphorical value in these blocks, not to mention that they are gorgeous.

From Evidently:

Not a quilter herself, my dear friend had stashed these vintage hand-sewn blocks from the late 1880's for just the right project.  How unbelievably touched I am that she thought mine was the project! Seriously. A great representation of traditional knowledge and passing it from one person to the next.

I also noticed THIS ONE on materials & method.  Totally cool and completely inspires me.  It hasn't arrived yet but I'm giddy with anticipation.

Here are some of the ones that I improv-pieced:

I'm going to start work on the more structured blocks next weekend.  I have some more curves, some flying geese, as well as some paper-pieced Canadian flag and Love blocks planned.  Should keep me busy during the break when I'm not furiously writing a paper or two.

Love is central to why I'm a teacher.  Selvedge serendipity.

And now, I must get back to the books before a college-sponsored pub crawl (yes, I'm too old for pub crawls and skip most of them but this one has crazy carpets and sledding between bars.  One is never too old to go barrelling down a snow-covered hill with one's friends...)  I anticipate bruises tomorrow.