I loved this fabric line from
the first time I saw it. But, I was trying to be frugal and not buy
everything that attracted my interest - my stash was outgrowing it's storage
space. So I didn't buy any. I still checked on it periodically and
was really sad when it was no longer available. Fast forward to our
mission in Wisconsin, we traveled a lot all over the state and UP because
we were assigned to take car of vehicles and apartments and were always inspecting the cars or
exchanging mattresses because of transfers etc.
It was May or June of 2014 and I
looked up the quilt stores online and noticed that there was one nearby,
it was just a 7 mile side trip on our way to West Bend. It was Ye Olde
Schoolhouse Quilt Shop in Cedarburg Wisconsin. We arrived just as a
busload of ladies were leaving from a shop hop tour. The owner and staff
were hustling about to prepare for the next bus arriving in 45 minutes so I had
the whole shop to myself. It was a store that carried the kind of fabric
I am drawn to; Civil War Reproduction colors. And, up on wall was a quilt
made out of this fabric line - The Spirit of Christmas by Judie
Rothermel. There were only a couple of bolts of fabric from the line but there
was one kit left with the whole line plus a few additions. I was thrilled
as I picked up the kit and carried it through the store while looking at
everything else. But, I talked myself out of it because we were on a
mission and there were more important things to consider. I put the kit
back and made a few small purchases, talked to the staff that were so inviting, and left to deliver
supplies to West Bend.
Later in the year (we didn't go home
till Thanksgiving) I talked my husband in to taking me back to the quilt shop
on our Pday. I didn't expect that the kit would still be there 6 months
later but I wanted to go shopping. You know how it is . . . sometimes.
We arrived on a cold day, I took my time and looked at everything. To my
surprise and delight the quilt was still on the wall and that one kit was still
sitting there; the dilemma again. I knew I didn't want to make the quilt
pattern that came in the kit but I also knew that it was the only way I was
going to get any of that fabric line.
I couldn't pass it up again - after
all, it had waited for me – sigh. I'm so glad I bought it. And now 4 1/2
years later it was available when I decided to make the cockscomb block
applique. The rest of the quilt just grew out of that.
Robin
