Sometimes You are Pleasantly Surprised.

Things have been REALLY nuts around Casa Quintana lately....things like flying to Atlanta for a training session 2/7; coming home late afternoon 2/9, going to Erie, PA for something for my husband, coming home, taking care of things (and recuperating  and going for a weekend quilt retreat on 2/15.  Add in there working on Taxes and my daughter's FAFSA report.....and things have just been a tiny bit nuts.

On Thursday of last week, I got a note from a friend telling me about an exhibition to benefit a cancer clinic.  I'm always up for doing things like that..even if I was leaving for the retreat the next day...and that was the deadline for the show.  Add in that they were looking for things which were bright and cheerful....and well...I had to think a little bit.

This particular piece is one I did in 2007 as part of the Kaufman "Life, Love and Hope" challenge which Luana Rubin of eQuilter put together.  This is my submission..and I suppose it is close to being part of a series as it is based on a poster by Alfonse Mucha, just like "In Orchid Paradise."  The title is, "Life, Love and Hope."  When I look at it now, it seems to me to be a bit...simple.  Too simple.  I can't  pull up a closeup of the faces right now, but I think they are a bit pallid....and of course, I don't like the idea that I pulled so strongly from Mucha.  I'd do it differently now.

They were asking for pieces in particular which would be offered for sale....and I thought I would be happy to part with this one...but something in the back of my head said I should check with my daughter to see if there were any of my quilts she was particularly fond of,  as she has never said much about any of my quilts.

Much to my surprise, she said that this was one of  her favorites....Maybe because I had her pose a couple of times so I could get the arm/hand placement correct...something I often have her do. (At first she would balk, but after a while, I think she began to understand what I was doing and was a more compliant model.)

So....I then asked her about the other I sent them....the Sun Fish I showed earlier this month...and to my surprise, she wanted that one too.  The one which she suggested I offer them was my "Voice of the People"  The frog done in the North West Tribal tradition of Button Robes, or robes of power.  Why? It scares her.

So, I hope to get back to working on new pieces....I have many running around in my head..and fabric and pieces gathered....but this weekend was spend working on a traditional bed quilt for my niece who requested this of me....I'm going to have to institute a new schedule!