Yes - It's Been Over A Year

Uh... where did 2014 go?

I'm still here, still quilting.  Just not blogging.

But I've got some finished projects to share and a few in-progress, so here we go, let's see if I can get back in the groove.

At the moment, I'm getting some photos together to post here, will get those set up and post them, starting next week. There's bedspreads, table runners, and a couple of "throw" size quilts.

In the meantime, I've got a story to tell you. Back in August 2013, I put up a series of posts about "Rob" - a self-taught quilt artist in Colorado. Rob is the next-door neighbor of my good friends Kathy and Katherine, and I met him when hubby and I visited them that year.

Rob was very kind, showed me some of his amazing quilts and gave me permission to share my photos with you. And oh, what an gifted quilter he is. An amazing eye for colour and design - and what gorgeous pieces of art he's created.

I absolutely went mad for one quilt in particular. This one:

(Click the photo above to see a larger version)

Honestly, it's the most gorgeous quilt I've ever seen.  Little 1" blocks meticulously hand-pieces and hand quilted. And the arrangement of the coloured prints - not random. No. They are very deliberately arranged. Ever since I saw this quilt back in 2013, I've thought how much I'd like to make one like it. But, honestly, the idea of all those little blocks is intimidating.

Yes, it's just little squares sewn together. Sure. But look closely. Folks, it's not a simple quilt at all.

Rob's piecing isn't random. Have a look at the closeup below. I've circled 4 blocks in particular to show you. Notice there's 2 red ones, 2 black ones, diagonally from each other. Now look again at the photo of the full bedspread above. Each and every diamond on the quilt has the solid red and solid black blocks in exactly the same position.

(Click the photo above to see a larger version)

HOW THE HECK DID HE DO THAT!?!??!  It astounds me. I can't imagine the concentration and attention to detail required to get those solid blocks positioned so precisely. And those red and black squares are the only solid blocks (other than, obviously, the cream ones).

And the prints he used - oh, what charming pieces. When you look closely, you notice that there are halloween prints, Christmas prints, Valentine hearts, and so on, almost an homage to American holidays. And, of course (as you can see from the first photo above), the overall effect is like stained-glass.

It's brilliant. Simply brilliant, partly because of it's deceptive simplicity. Simple? Only if you don't really look closely. And the more I study it, the more astounded I am.

Well - Kathy and Katherine visited us here in Australia back last January. They brought all kinds of goodies from the US for me - my favorite soap, hair dye (a L'Oreal colour which, for some reason, isn't available here), and other treasures. The big moment came when Katherine brought in her duffle bag, unzipped it, and THERE WAS THAT QUILT!!!!

Yes - the quilt you see in the photo above. Recognize the bedroom?  It's my bedroom here in Australia. Yes, folks, as astounding as it is, Rob sent that quilt to me. Kathy and Katherine said Rob simply wanted me to have it. He knew I fell in love with it and, well, there you are.

It's been almost 3 months, and I still can't walk by this quilt without stopping to marvel at the artistry, and at the generosity of the man who made created it.

Thank you, Rob.