Surprise! Southwestern!

Version Three, a by Jane-Ace on Flickr.

He likes blue. That's what he said, so I went to the fabric store looking for a  focus fabric in blue.  It seemed likely that I would end up with something patriotic, which would be fitting in that he was born in early July and often through the years combines his birthday celebrations with Independence Day festivities. Then I saw the print that looked so much like a slide from a biology lab. It was so organic and busy and flowing and a little bit sparkly ... it looked arty ... and just a little like frog eggs... but still I liked it and thought he would.
   Wow! I wavered over the selection an awfully long time before committing to it. Blues are impossible to match, anyway. 
     Once the focus was chosen, the  rest of the choices were easy. I looked for some Japanese prints, and found two that suited, including a rather thin cotton bamboo print. The stripes were chosen to keep it masculine. I think I bought all the burgundy fabric they had. It wound up being just enough for the small border, nine pieces and the binding. Also, it matches my living room sofa exactly. 
    This would be a difficult quilt to pass along. I liked it more and more with every stitch. That's a nice predicament with a gift, though, and this gift was being timed to be given as he completed his delayed until then undergraduate degree. I really wanted it to be special, even if it did give more of a Southwestern vibe than any sense of blue. He seemed to like it, though. 

   And thus ended my same pattern streak with what our class calls "The Buddy Quilt", always assigned to beginners due to it's straight lines, easy cuts, thin and thick border, regular binding, and small size. I learned to match seams, press to the dark side, measure twice and check again before cutting, ask for help when needed, and so much more. Perhaps the neatest thing was seeing how very different each quilt done by the same pattern turned out due to the fabric selections.