Travel back with us to January 2024. Our kids had just returned to school after a shortened winter break that followed a month long teacher strike. Our (my - Alysson's) December had been pure chaos with holidays, multiple family emergencies, and a move. But the calendar rolled over to January and things were finally starting to look a little normal.
Enter snow. And ice. Schools closed again, and we were stuck inside our homes.
We had already started prepping for this Champagne sample, which we had planned to sew as a "just for fun" make, sharing in real time on social media.
Pulling from bolts on hand, this bundle became known as Clementine, and we used her to sew up a throw size (60" x 75") sample. We used FQ's for mix-and-match stars and Irish chain accent, and yardage for the background and main Irish chain.
Thankfully, we had made all of our cuts earlier in the week, having no idea that we were about to be iced into our houses for days on end.
It was announced that schools would be closing three hours early in anticipation of the winter event (we live in Portland...winter weather is indeed an EVENT), so we all rushed in to the studio to prepare as best we could to be working from our homes. Thankfully, having already mocked up our plan, mixing and matching our stars went quick, and Meghan and I each took a stack home to work on.
Eventually, the city thawed, our kids returned to school, and we were able to return to the studio. We got our blocks up on the design wall and finally saw them all together for the first time.
Between starting and ending in the studio and being split between our houses during the storm, I think Champagne Clementine may be the sample that has covered the most miles before ever being sent off for quilting. She had quite the construction journey, but bore it well.
Quilters have a long tradition of telling stories through their craft, using fabric and thread to convey an emotion or a message. But I like to think that our quilts hold the stories that went into their creation as well. What we were feeling or experiencing as we stitched them together. That January, those in my home were feeling A LOT, much of it heavy. But there was also so much joy as we gave in to the cozy vibes of being snowed in together. There was so much comfort in sewing at my dining room table and watching the snow fall outside. There was warmth as we baked lemon bars and drank tea in between pressing seams. I believe that all of that is wrapped up in this Champagne Clementine, and I think she shines brighter for it.
