Twist My Arm--I Love It!

You all know Anne over at the Cottons 'n Wool blog, right? The half of me that loves all things darker, homey, and primitive loves everything she does. I drooled a bit over the homespun Country Homecoming quilt she started working on a couple months back. She invited other quilters to join in, and the other half of me--the half that likes happy, brighter quilts--thought the quilt would be fun to make with happy, brighter fabrics. As I found out, though, maybe not. I made three house blocks and they weren't calling to me the way Anne's blocks--and the blocks of other quilters working on this project--did, so I put them aside. I'd like to start over with homespun fabrics, but I haven't gotten there yet.

Anne also started another block of the month project, a Christmas quilt called Comfort and Joy. I'd come across the pattern and admired it just before I saw it on her blog, so I purchased it and told Anne that I'd think about joining in. She urged me on and before I knew it, I was included in her group of quilters, despite the fact that I hadn't even cracked the seal on the bag the pattern arrived in!

Today I received a group email from her about posting our third section of the quilt. Yes, our THIRD SECTION--and my pattern hadn't even been opened. Time--PAST time--I knew to make a decision and either start on the quilt or gracefully bow out of the group.

Well, I suspect you already know what I decided.

This evening I rummaged through my Christmas stash and pulled out some fabrics that appealed to me, and you can see them stacked there behind the pattern. One of the fun things about this pattern is that the back shows the same quilt done in country homespun/primitive fabrics, but I think my color choices are a little more consistent with the quilt on the front.

There are a lot of pieced elements that pair with the appliqued blocks, and I like that. Ideally I'd like to get all of the pieced elements made ahead of time and then work on the applique month by month. Tonight I pieced the three log cabin blocks I'll need for the quilt.

I started the 9-patch blocks too, but I only made three so far--I think I need to make eight more.

I don't know if I'll have section 3 done in time for the "reveal"--in fact, I can't remember off hand when we're supposed to post that--but at least I've begun.