hanging plates

Thanks for your kindness and gentleness this week.  My table mirrors my heart.  I've put away Facing East and brought back out the cheerful colors and lovely motifs of these Sleeping Porch dresdens.  It's shocking, really, how quickly moods can change, how the storms give way to such loveliness.  Earth does not blush when it bursts into bloom each spring.  So too I will accept each changing season.

How quickly a dresden plate block comes together!  No wonder it became such a classic.  It looks challenging, but actually suits a beginner once you sort out the right techniques.

I've decided to create a pattern to share this block with others.  My version is unusual on several counts and took some puzzling to sort out, so I am looking forward seeing that time put to wider use!  I need to have Brandon tweak my templates.  Then, after testing again, I'll be ready to write it up.

On my table I'm absolutely in love with these colors!  Of course, since I'm using Sleeping Porch by Heather Ross, she gets the credit!  Her collections do tend to be so vibrantly cheerful, don't they?  I did leave out the red print and solid though, even though I love them alone.  The bold red kept fighting with the other colors in my composition for some reason.

When I started hanging plates on my design wall, I suddenly became unsatisfied with the colors.  Now I think it's the blanks that are bothering me.  I need to fill the canvas with colorful backgrounds and contrasting plates.  Then it will sing again... fingers crossed!

Maybe this will become a twin bed quilt.  I feel it's destined for some little girl's bed.