You Really Bought That?!!

Creativity and how it manifests itself in each of us fascinates me.   I'm betting some of you are thinking you're not creative at all.  In reality, we all are in some form or other.  For me, it's something I have to work at.  I need to feed my creative soul with inspiration.  After doing this awhile, it gets easier and easier, becoming more second nature.  

You never know where you'll find that inspiration either.  

 
Take this ratty piece of patchwork.  Would you give it a second look?  It's dirty, has lots of stains, and probably lay on a garage floor somewhere.  I took a good hard look and bought it for $5 at an outdoor antique show.  The funny thing is the man selling this piece looked at me like I was crazy for buying it.  Um, mister....you're selling it, so I guess we're both crazy.  Not so crazy really.  He didn't know I was really just looking at the fabric prints!  I wonder what he thought I would do with this?  

When I say dirty, I mean dirty!  Eeek!  Looking closer reveals a few really sweet prints.  I used two of them in my newest collection, Prairie Gathering!  

The first one is this sweet tiny rosebud print.  Even covered in God knows what, you can see how simply lovely it will be.  You can see the new Prairie Gathering fabric on the left.  The team at Marcus Fabrics did an amazing job in replicating the details of the print and the soft colors, and I chose a very light mottled look for a little aging effect in the background.  If you like the grungy one, you'll have to gunge the fabric yourself!  Teehee!! 

The second print I used from my grunge patchwork is this adorable flower motif.  I liked how the flowers and leaves were mostly tan with just a rim of red around them.  It's really a classic old print, isn't it?  Again, team Marcus produced the perfect replica...with a lovely soft, vintage look!  

If you'd like to see where another antique print in the Prairie Gathering collection came from, click on over to the Marcus Fabrics blog where I wrote about one of my 1800's "prairie pockets".

Don't forget to hop on over to my pal, Paula Barnes' blog TODAY for the next block in our Friends and Companions Designer Sew-Along!!  Be sure to leave Paula a comment for a chance to win some goodies from her.  

Remember, if you're loving the blocks and the fabrics you see, it's not too late to purchase a kit.  You can buy a Friends & Companions kit at either Homestead Hearth Quilt Shop or from Red Crinoline Quilts.