Longing...

My friends are all heading off to the Vermont Quilt Show tomorrow; I'm a bit jealous because I am totally immersed (read completely and utterly submerged) in work this week. However, one of my friends kindly asked me if there was anything she could bring back for me... so I have just spent an entirely recreational evening armchair shopping ALL of the vendors at the show.

This year, my absolute favourite is Portsmouth Fabric Company, with a compelling fabric selection. The entire collection of fabrics calls to me: the carefree zen of Amy Butler, the earthy brushstrokes of Marcia Derse, the urban serenity of Parson Gray by David Butler and the whimsical and retro feel of Lotta Jansdotter's "Glimma"— amongst a shining variety of others—all provoke an involuntary creative longing in me, urging me to find a way to incorporate them in some utopian project.

As much as quilters say we already have enough fabric to last us two or three lifetimes, when we see the colours, designs and combinations of new fabrics, we can't help ourselves. We dream, we envision, we distill the potential of each element, we imagine how the whole becomes greater than the combination of its parts. And in the dreaming, we see how we need the spark of those colours that don't really match, that aren't really "pretty"... but without which, the end product would be dull and monotonous. 

If we could apply the same process to our communities, to the people around us, perhaps we could imagine our way into a world where every individual's place in the quilt makes the whole thing better.

Perhaps fittingly, my favourite fabric from this virtual window-shopping expedition tonight is an Australian fabric that looks like a map, joining all the disparate elements into beautiful harmony.

image from Portsmouth Fabric Company site (for illustrative purposes only  )

UPDATE: here is my beautiful bounty from the show, courtesy of Heather

Petites (Warm) by Marcia Derse / Parson Gray by David Butler, both from Portsmouth Fabric Company; and 5" wide strips of 1930s reproduction fabric from Lancaster Traditional