Endless imagination

Trying to get my studio back to being more than just one giant heap of stuff, I started by grabbing my perfume bottle quilt "kit", and dedicated myself to cutting the fabrics I selected for bottles, and the background pieces. Without the bulk of extra yardage in the box, the blocks already made almost fit, and the lid can go on it! Tuesday, I set a goal of making 6 blocks every day until I have them all done. At that point, the count to be completed was 48. The first day, over lunch, before quilt group, and after I got home, I managed to finish 9 blocks. Wednesday evening, I sat down and started working on my quota of six. I don't know what stimulated my imagination, but as I was sewing, I started thinking of perfume names inspired by each fabric. Since then, it's been a game that is hard to give up and go to bed. Usually, though, when I start making mistakes, like wrong side of the background down, or seam a bit too wide, I know progress has met the law of diminishing returns.

All the fabrics used in the perfume bottles have gold on them, with a few silver, and even a copper or two. A couple prints that have an Asian look inspired the titles, "Chrysanthemum Empress" and "The Emporer's Garden". The print with pine cones and gold needles had me stumped for a bit . . . I didn't think "Pinesol" sounded too enchanting or would inspire a woman to wear it. Finally, the muse struck, and that became "Passion in the Pines". The most difficult part is refraining from using the words "passion" and "garden" too often.

Of course, now I'm starting to think it would be fun to embroider these names onto each block. Only 168 of them. Yup . . . I'm wound too tight!

The thoughts of fragrance do remind me of a funny story, however. Several years ago, at a Quilt America conference in Indianapolis (wish we still had that one to attend), I took a class on care and cleaning of the Featherweight. I was planning to have lunch that day with a friend who is a land surveyor, and at the time, we worked together frequently. I was sitting next to a gal I knew from our Guild, and I told her, "Sherry, when we break for lunch, you have to tell me if I have grease on my face or anything." She agreed, and when the appointed hour came, she checked me over, and said, "You don't have any grease or dirt on you, but you smell like WD-40". I thought about it a minute and said, "Maybe that's a good thing!"

P.S. In the three days of my quota plan, I have completed 28 blocks!