I have wanted to read Jude Hill’s What if diaries for years … believing they held one of the keys to truly “getting” Spirit Cloth. And now they are revealed in Jude’s latest (and last) online journey entitled Patchwork in Perspective.
So, I’m backing up here for some, uh, backstory. As I began to work on P’s patchwork coverlet, I created 11 wonky log cabin blocks with her outgrown baby clothes. Then I asked Meg (her mom), to choose eight of the blocks and arrange them to her liking …
One of those that didn’t make the cut particularly appealed to G, so I promised to make him a pillow … months ago. Now that I’m nearing the point where I’ll be quilting P’s coverlet, I’ve used the leftover blocks to test a double gauze backing, which was too scratchy …
and a flannel backing, which was too thick …
and a simple muslin backing, which was just right …
But here’s the thing: I saved G’s favorite block, this block, for last. And as I contemplated how to quilt it, something came to me and I quickly penned it with erasable marker …
“What if … words are … like shadows … like dreams that fade away … with hardly a trace left behind … leaving thoughts in their wake … and a new understanding of how you might go … ”
I'm Going to Texas (version 2.0) 
Brilliant! These items will be “love worn” and treasured.
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Sue – if I’m lucky there will be mending someday
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I love your testing story too. The other blocks might well become places for words too.
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Vicky – you read my mind … those log cabin blocks will hold the words and music for A Love Song to Parker Mae
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so beautiful!
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Mo – when I showed this to G he said it reminded him of Rod’s song … and he started singing “when I was young I was naive and dumb”
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That testing…the Goldilocks of the cloth world 🙂 I love when words are added, and yours are no exception. And I love that Meg got to be a part of the process 🙂
xo
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Oh yea! I wondered if someone would pick up on the Goldilocks-ing … and yes, Meg has great design sense, so I trusted her eye more than my own
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Plus, P. is her kid, so there’s that! haha
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I was there with Goldilocks for sure! It’s like the work unspools before us as ideas roll out as we go. So fascinating. I simply love the words that landed in G’s patch – solo beautiful. Every story, every step, building connections between thoughts and words and life and hands.
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unspools … yes, this fits perfectly
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These sound like Jude’s words, but just to verify? Goldilocks came to my mind as well. You’re not undoing the not-just-right versions, are you?
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The words came to me from who-knows-where, but the context is that I’ve been immersed in Jude’s blogs so … no surprise that she’s rubbed off on me. And no, the not-just-rights will become pillows (or maybe a sham)
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Oops sorry! It has that poetic and evocative feel of much of her ramblings. It’s a nice thought to memorialize.
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Goodness … please don’t apologize. I will take it as a compliment if I sound even a little bit like Jude!
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