Christmas in Cedarburg Quilt

 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