Neil and I have just returned from a very short vacation (4 days) in Arizona. We have dear friends, Muffy and Dave Tiede. who spend a few months away from the Minnesota winters in a lovely home in the sun. These are friends who we lived next door to when Neil was attending the University of Minnesota Law School and these were the friends we were the closest to when our children were babies. We spent a lot of time together…both kids and adults. We have just recently connected (40 years later) after both leading very busy professional and personal lives in separate cities. We spent 4 days just catching up and it was as if we hadn’t spent 40 years apart in different locations. What a joy it was to have unlimited time to talk and laugh. I now realize how much influence they had on our lives. They were a very strong role model as a couple and as a family.
Like others who live in Arizona, they have fruit trees in their yard and we took full advantage of their produce daily. I couldn’t help but take a picture of her harvest one morning. This arrangement didn’t last long as we dug in immediately for that morning’s breakfast. Good news, there were more to come each day.
There is nothing that is more pleasing to me and surprising than to walk into room that will be mine for a few days to discover Thimbleberries quilts on the bed. Muffy made these quilts a number of years ago and I had forgotten how charming this pattern was. She used them exactly as intended…on twin beds so they kind of match but not exactly. The same fabrics are used but the positions are flipped to make them uniquely their own, yet very compatible when used together. I’ve decided to make one using just scraps. It’s a perfect pattern for using up bits and pieces and that is just what I have left from past fabric groups that I think will really blend well together. The original pattern was called Twice as Nice (I think) and developed for a magazine (American Patchwork and Quilting) years and years ago. It really is just alternating 9-patch blocks and half square triangle blocks, of which you could easily make any size. These blocks are 6″ finished blocks when sewn in the quilt. Therefore, the squares are cut 2-1/2″ square and the half square triangle blocks started out as 6-7/8″ blocks, cut in half diagonally. These quilts do have borders, but I think I am going to make mine without, unless I find a big chunk of multi colored fabric in my stash that would go with all my other scraps. Of course, a trip to the quilt shop for border fabric is not out of the question. Here is a picture of the quilts we slept under this past week…the whole week could not have been better. Thanks Tiedes!