Monday, August 3, 2015

a change of seasons {cultivate blog tour}


When sweet Bonnie Christine asked me to participate in the blog tour for her current collection, "Cultivate," how could I say no?  (If you're not new to the house, you might recall the "Birds and the (Honey) Bees" quilt I stitched up last year for another one of her lines, "Sweet as Honey.")

And as an added incentive, right now Art Gallery's hosting the "Cultivate in Fall" Challenge.  The prompt?  Create a fun, unique project inspired by the idea of change.

Hmph.

I paired eight prints from Bonnie's collection with similarly-hued Liberty tana lawns to construct the leaf.

Initially, my mind went to this place of reaping all that summer has to offer.  But then I had a conversation with someone at work about my in-laws' upcoming move.  You see, a few months ago, my husband's parents put the wheels in motion to move south to spend some time with my sister-in-law and her family.  My colleague acknowledged how bittersweet it must be.  (We've all pretty much lived in the same city since childhood.)  Then she paused a moment, adding, "A change of seasons."

The soft hand of Art Gallery is quite the match for my favorite tana lawns ;o)

That simple phrase, used to sum up such a momentous occasion in our lives,  struck a chord.  And from that little seed of observation grew this medallion:  a turning leaf, signaling change on a dial of the seasons.


I just love how the vibrant colors of Cultivate melt beautifully into one another as the leaf changes from green to yellow to orange to brown, with the point appropriately fixed halfway between summer (II) and fall (III).

I spring II summer III fall IV winter

The starting point of something to keep Gigi and Poppy company as they sip morning coffee on their new deck.  And a small effort to honor a lifetime of memories stretching across all seasons:  Easter egg hunts for the golden egg; summer nights on the screened-in porch; trail riding at the turn of autumn; and of course, the holidays.  Most of which will soon join the ranks of "Remember when..."s, with uncharted adventures waiting in the wings as we all adjust to the pivot.


A change of seasons indeed.


Of course at 38" round this certainly isn't suitable for keeping anyone cozy just yet.  But soon enough it will be throw-sized and tucked away in the truck before it starts rolling south.


And in the interim, follow along with the rest of the tour for loads more inspiration.  Up next is Caroline of Sew Caroline, followed by many many talented makers.  So go ahead, check out the full line up :: the fun is just getting started ;o)

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Sarah

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