I'm starting to lay groundwork for a quilt that I'm making -- get this! -- for myself. I promised Jacob that I would use at least part of his fabric presents to me to actually create a quilt that I would keep for myself. It's taken on a life of its own, though: it's actually going to be my first two-sided quilt.

So, if you'd asked me the question even up until a few days ago, I would have said the answer was yes! Over the past year or so, I've been trying to find a few quilt blogs to read, quilt blogs of people whose sense of color and design interested and challenged me, and let me tell you -- these blogs were killing my spirit.

Every person who makes any sort of craft, and gives those crafts away as gifts, hopes those items will go on to have long, useful, and productive lives after they've left the crafter's hands. I got a bit of a preview tonight:

I think back, and I know exactly where it started: a double wedding ring quilt that was sewn by my father's mother. I didn't know her well; let's just say there were severe family differences, but I was too young to be cognizant of that fact at the time. I just knew that I liked the quilt, and it kept me warm. When I look back through the eyes of adulthood, the eyes of someone who has now made a few quilts of her own, I know it was probably pieced out of clothing scraps, and the centers were either plain white cotton or unbleached muslin.

So, knowing about the box of summer 2009, here's the rest.  A little over a year ago, Jeff and I flew out to Hawaii to visit Brad and Alice, who were living outside of Hilo, Hawaii at the time.  While we were there, Alice took me to Dragon Mama, a futon shop in Hilo that also carried a gorgeous array of fabric for sewing and quilting.

I've been good. Despite my friends handing me fabric, I'd managed to decimate my fabric stash this year.  Mind you, my stash wasn't that big, especially in comparison to what I've seen mentioned by a few quilt bloggers I read.  Me, I'm cranky; if my stash starts building up, it means I'm not using what I'm purchasing, and that doesn't seem like a good use of money.

However, i can give you a taste of what's to come in 2010.  You can blame Jacob and Alice.  Well, and me.