Ready for some color?

Good morning.

Across our region, signs of spring are gradually emerging. The snow is pretty much gone, and the ice on the lake is melted. Farmers are anxiously awaiting the day when the fields dry up enough to plant, and cattle ranchers are calving out their herds. The grass is coming up, and trees are emerging from dormancy.

Every day, Matthew checks the apple and pear saplings in our front yard for buds. "Nothing yet, Mom", he reports with discouragement.

"Someday soon, buddy," I promise. "It just has to get a little warmer."

Yesterday, people in town were busy working on their yards, cleaning up old grass and winter debris. The local farm & home supply store has their outdoor greenhouses up, ready for the first shipment of trees and plants. After a long winter, everyone is energized to move ahead and make the most of the growing season.

Just like the gardeners, quilters are energized by spring. The store has been especially busy with walk in traffic, as shoppers from near and far arrive in need of supplies. I can't count the number of times this week a customer has started a sentence with the words, "Well, I was cleaning out my sewing room, and..."

Usually, the shopper goes on to describe a "UFO", and just needs a little batting, some backing, or the perfect binding to bring their project to completion. Everybody feels good when we can find something that perfectly complements their creation. Occasionally, we just can't come up with anything. Fortunately, the Quiltshops.com website usually has what we're looking for: "Quilt Search Engine - 224 Shops with 386384 Items." Amazing!

Local quilters whom have spent the winter cooped up inside, or have worked outside in the miserable weather conditions are ready for color! Colorful fabrics are food for their creative souls. Shoppers reach for the brightest batiks, over-saturated ombres, and vibrant florals. We nearly sold out of the colorful "Country Quilts" collection in a single weekend after the last newsletter! (No worries... it's been reordered.)

As a result, the arrival of the new "Freebird" collection by Momo was met with considerable excitement. In colors named "Geranium", "Melon", "Nest", "Grass", "Sky", "Vanilla", "Grape", and "Daffodil", these fun prints make me smile, and bring creative inspiration to my heart. I'm especially excited to combine the specialty fabrics and make a fun bag. I plan to use the "coated/laminated" for a water resistance outer layer, and the heavier weight "twill" for a durable lining. Click here to view the Freebird collection.