Anti-Depression Therapy

The weather forecast is for rain this week, so I am taking preventative steps against the oncoming gloom.  My Thirties Something quilt is the perfect antidote!  These Depression era fabrics always cheer me up.  I have also discovered free hand-quilting is great fun.  No marking, no rulers, no stencils...just going with the flow here.  As Gene Kelly once sang,  "Come on with the rain, I've a smile on my face."

Hampton Tiles

I saw this photo in Hamptons Cottages & Gardens magazine last summer...

...and I have been making my own version ever since.  

I will hand quilt this around each tile ( 263 in all) and revisit every single fabric once more.  Some of these fabrics came from faraway places, so I can take an imaginary trip around the world now.  Thanks again to my friends in London, Germany, Japan, New Zealand and the USA for all your contributions!

Challenge Update

Yay!!!  Naomi was the first to meet the challenge.  I love the decorative topstitching she added!  She plans to make another now.  The next one should be a breeze, now that she knows the technique.  "Keep calm and quilt on...."