How To Tame A Pink Elephant

Day 16: How do you tame a pink elephant? That was the question I was asking myself with respect to Mousie's grandma's vintage and pink-heavy flour-sack quilt. We'd already decided that I'd need to cut it apart due to errors in spacing, but I specifically didn't want to undo any of her grandma's stitching, although there were a few places which asked for expert repair. The solution came to me in my sleep several nights ago: frame blocks with "streets and alleys." But what colour? Mouse expressed a preference for blue, so with that in mind, I bought two fabrics. This morning, I dove into the project with a will and when I finally allowed myself a much-needed break from sewing, I had over half of sixteen plates reassembled. Further plans include wide borders of the lighter blue (it's a bit greyer than it looks in the photo, and the muslin is natural, not white). Hand-quilted designs on the borders will allow me to put my skill alongside grandma's, eventually creating an heirloom Mousie can use with joy. She tells the story best in her words of thanks: "I cannot tell you how moved I am that you are undertaking this project - my grandmother died before I was born. She is a face in a picture - your work is making her alive for me." As legacies go, I could do worse.