This is what I have been calling my Candy Quilt. It looks like candy, all colorful and sweet and entirely yummy for me to look at. I started this quilt last summer. I wanted to make a quilt so I pulled out some books and patterns and started looking for something I wanted to make. As I have mentioned before, 2015 was a year with so many challenges. So many things out of my control. So many things that felt overwhelming and scary and life changing and I couldn't fix or control any of them. It was a year of reluctant acceptance, though none of that came easily. As I was trying to decide what to sew it dawned on me I didn't want to follow anyone's directions. I just wanted to sew. I didn't want to think about anything else, I just wanted to focus on something and enjoy it and feel my way through. On my terms and in my way. So I did. It felt amazing. And it gave my brain a rest. It took it out of that space of chewing on stuff that was challenging and difficult that I couldn't really fix anyhow. It was EXACTLY what I needed and when I look at that quilt now, I feel that still. After I finished the top I thought about how I wanted to quilt it. I knew what I wanted and I kept coming back to images of a local friend's quilting. She quilts beautifully and the more I thought about it I knew she would get this quilt so I asked and she graciously accepted. Looking at the finished quilt I am so glad she did because it is exactly what I was hoping for! Thank you for your beautiful quilting, Rachel! Here are some close up shots: