The Cottage Journal 02.11.2021
I have to-do lists but they are not written anywhere – they just roll around in my head. I know, I know – my mind gets a bit cluttered at times! These lists are of all of the different quilts I want to make. If I write them down in an official list, I fear that I’ll become too structured in my own plans to hear the promptings of the Holy Spirit. So each morning when I enter my studio, I try to check in to see what comes to mind, and that’s what I work on.
Last week, I remembered this pattern that I printed out and stashed away, months ago. I usually don’t work from patterns. Rather, I’ll study the picture of the quilt and start thinking about how to construct it. It’s fun to do the “quilt math” myself, and most of the time I make modifications all along the way. Can you see my scribbled calculations?! What I loved about this pattern was the simple elegance of the 9-patch blocks on-point, and the cathedral windows style quilting design that was used.
I had an ah-ha moment when some red silk ties, found at an estate sale, came to mind. The white background was changed to a marbled black, since that’s the fabric I had on hand. And the Our Father, embroidered on the back, has made this the first of a series of prayer quilts, just now added to that ever-lengthening list in my mind!
Red Ties Prayer Quilt by Katie Longsmith, 2021 / Size: 53″ x 53″ / vintage silk ties and new cotton fabrics / The Lord’s Prayer machine embroidery design by Embroidery Library / Cathedral Windows custom quilting design
Longsmith Cottage 