Is this going to be as good as I hope it will be?

Do you remember this book?

Harold draws himself in and out of adventures and predicaments, all with his purple crayon. His story still delights me, as it did when I was a child. (I related to Harold especially since I shared the same round-shaped head.) I am encouraged to strike out and try something new, confident that any difficulty can be remedied with some creativity and some forward thinking. So, I venture to tell his story in a quilt, using methods that are new and experimental to me.

My drawing, hanging up as a reference.

There's a big, multi-guild quilt show here in June, and the theme for the challenge quilt is Children's Storybook. Make a 18"x22" mini quilt for exhibition and viewers can vote on their favorites.  "Of course!" I said. "I love children's literature!" I said. "What was I thinking?" I say, now. "I have too much to do!"

A patchwork background made of various neutrals,
and story shapes added with fusible webbing.

I thought about making something glittery with Rainbow Fish, or 3-D with the Very Hungry Caterpillar, or flowery with The Secret Garden. Those are good stories, and images that will catch the eye, and the votes. But the purple crayon is speaking to me these days, and I am going to put my time and energy into something that I like, that speaks to me.

A practice scrap, to see if stitching on the purple cording
with a zig zag will work. Yep, it works!

Finally committing to a healthy eating plan and taking off some unhealthy weight, taking steps to improve communication in my marriage, agreeing to take on a leadership role at my quilt guild, trying new approaches to reach students at work, saying yes to that still, small voice that is calling DH and me back into public service... These are all areas of my life where I'm engaging in adventures and predicaments.

Hmm, I wonder if I can glue the cording on first, to get the placement
I want, and stitch it on later. Yep, glue works!

I'm not going to push the metaphor too far, but the purple crayon symbolizes for me a "yes" response to possibilities and interactions.

At the end of Harold's story, he made his bed (Get it? He made his bed?) and drew up the covers (Drew up the covers!) and fell asleep. (I remember being amused by the play on words even when I was little.) I love spending time in my sewing room, where I get quiet  and thoughtful and peaceful. Have you heard this: Quilters lead pieceful lives.