At our January quilt guild meeting we had a wonderful speaker, Nancy Wakefield. Even though her topic, color blindness in quilters, was very interesting and informative, the real stars of the show were her amazing array of quilts. And, as often is the case, one of her quilts grabbed me by the throat and wouldn't let go! It was this gorgeous Courthouse Steps with Floral Applique. I bugged her and wrangled the info out of her (well, actually she shared quite willingly LOL) as to where I might find the pattern. She said it was in a Leisure Arts book called Scrap Quilts. Oooh, I was just sure I had that in my home library. Hmmmm...I searched and searched as soon as I got home from the meeting. I had lots of books with the word "scrap" in the title but not the coveted one. Durn. So I went online to my local library's website--nada. Checked Leisure Arts website--zip. Looked through Amazon.com--no dice. Then over the next few days I looked at every local quilt shop (and some not so local) and every craft store for the elusive book. AAAARRRGGGHHH--it was nowhere to be found. I asked my mini-group buddies to please check their libraries--no luck.
Not to be deterred, I decided to just "improvise". After all, Courthouse Steps is a popular log cabin variation so it would be easy to come up with the basic middle of the quilt. Then the old lightbulb went off in my brain (yes, occasionally that happens) and I remembered a Fons & Porter magazine I had been saving for ages--almost seven years actually. Found it and voila!
Just look at this beauty from the September/October 2002 issue of Love of Quilting. Isn't that something? I remember now why I loved it so much. It is traditional and folk-arty and colorful and fun. And I am so in love with pieced quilts that have an applique border. I will most likely stick with the black and cream and red color scheme as I want it for my bedroom. And I will probably make a wallhanging rather than a bedsized quilt. But it just goes to show you, ratpack tendencies occasionally pay off.
I took Bernie to the "spa" yesterday for her annual treatment (translation: my Bernina is at the Bernina shop for yearly maintenance). I miss her already!!!
10 comments:
Oh I think I have been bitten by the inspiration bug. A friend recently made a full sized Courthouse Steps quilt and has promised me all her left-over strips. And I was wondering what could I do - but a wall-hanging sized piece with an applique border - Brilliant!
Marne
P.S. Thanks.
I love your descriptor "frantic search" on this post :-). Very pretty pattern; how could you remember that one magazine pattern!
Very pretty quilt-I'd forgotten how interesting a pattern Courthouse Steps is.
I am impressed that you remembered a quilt in a magazine from 2002! But sometimes you just see one and it sticks with you.....lovely design....I also like the fact that we find a quilt and then vary it to suit....!
What a beautiful piece. Dive into it-- can't wait to see your journey putting this beauty together.
really wonderful love both colors and I do have that book LOL one of my favorite books
how was that football dip? looked yummy
Love the quilt! If I really like a quilt out of a magazine I will rip it out and put it in a folder. I have that one pix in that folder and now will have to pull it out and put it in line to make. Adding applique to a pieced quilt just gives it that extra spark!
It's a stunning quilt - I understand exactly why you searched like crazy for the pattern. How many times have I done that?!? LOL
This quilt is from a Leisure Arts book. It's called Scrap quilts fast and fun. A couple people have it on Ebay right now. The quilt is actually pictured on the front cover. They show the applique border around the title.
Have fun with it! Your pictures are great!
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