Wool Quilt Project - Maybe Next Christmas
Every quilter should have a wool quilt project. That's not a rule, but I like to try different techniques and using wool is one I think is good to try at least once. It’s been my desire to make a quilt incorporating wool since the first time I stopped into Primitive Gatherings in Menasha, Wisconsin. The shop owner is Lisa Bongean. I love all the projects and quilts on display in her store.
Primitive Gatherings is a stop on our annual Packer-Game-Quilt-Shop weekend that was canceled this year do to COVID. This trip is always a highlight of my year. Missing it contributed to my blah-ho-hum-feeling November. My good friends Debbie and Helen are my Packer quilting buddies. So, I didn’t just miss the Packer game, I missed seeing my friends and all the new projects in the shop, too. Boo, hoo!
The Right Wool Quilt Project
Two years ago on one such trip, I fell in love with this Christmas Rose quilt. The rich golden yellow background contrasts beautifully with the red and green wool rose applique. At the time, I wasn't ready for the project but I knew it was that golden yellow fabric that made this quilt special. So, I bought the book and the background fabric on that trip.
The Book
The book is Christmas Gatherings by Lisa Bongean. There are twenty Christmas and winter holiday themed projects in the book. Everything from a Christmas Journal cover to table runners, quilts and more. Some of the projects are quick and simple. Others more complex. There are several projects that interest me in this book. Most include some applique work. If you've never worked with wool in your quilting, I highly recommend Lisa's book Wool, Needle & Thread: The Go-To Guide for Wool Stitchery.
Earlier this year when COVID hit my area and we were under our stay-at-home order, I was spending more than normal amounts of time on the internet. When visiting Lisa's Facebook group - Stitch with Lisa Bongean - I noticed a request from someone looking for the golden-yellow background fabric for this project. I thought, "humm, I have that fabric, maybe I should see about finding the rest of the fabrics I'd need for that project."
A Wool Quilt Project Lucky Find
I went over to Lisa's website and searched around for a bit before stumbling onto a wool kit for Christmas Rose. Seriously, there it was and, it was the LAST one! I clicked that shopping cart button. The kit included the wool and embroidery thread for the applique work. I also purchased some applique needles.
Then I had the thought, "I wonder if any of the other prints I need are available." So, I started searching for the fabrics needed for the flying geese borders. That was a little more of a challenge but hey, I was home anyway so...
I discovered a few of the prints from the Christmas Gathering fabric collection Lisa designed for Moda Fabrics were still available on her site. Just not enough of them. I decided to make the geese scrappy so I wouldn't have to try and match the reds and greens exactly. After searching a few other quilt fabric sites I found enough for the borders.
Fabric Shopping on the Internet
The challenge to finding fabric on the internet is color matching. Color is so dependent on a number of variables. On a computer, the quality of the photo, the monitor settings of the computer, and lighting for both all affect the result. For someone like me who has that gene enabling them to see more than the average number of colors, it's very challenging and unsatisfying. I will likely always be an in-person-quilt-shop-girl.
But this is a pandemic so I did the best I could. I may still make a few more changes to my fabric choices. My hope was that the virus would be more under control so we could still make our trip this year. Then I'd be able to visit Primitive Gatherings in-person to match fabrics. Unfortunately, things didn't work out that way.
Next Christmas
I'll delay the start of this project for awhile to see if I find any other fabrics I'd like to use for the flying geese border. Once I'm settled on my choices, I'll start with the wool rose applique. And, maybe I'll have a new quilt to display next Christmas.
What will you be working on in 2021?
Until next time,