Spring Clovers

     

One of my favorite signs of spring is that the clovers start to turn a bright green in the yard.  Spring for me is a sign of warmth and summer to come.   Needless to say I am not a winter person. 

     My mother is Irish and her family loves Saint Patrick's Day.   Two years ago I cut out a bunch of squares and rectangles to do a Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt.  I started to mark them and got a call this week at that time.  My mother was dying.  I put these down and have not touched them since.  As I packed up my boxes at my old house I threw the pieces in a bin.  I was trying to take only unfinished pieces to my temporary house in hopes that I would find time to finish them.  As I went thru the boxes I found this bag and knew it was meant to be a project.

     I then Googled the internet to find Saint Patrick's Day patterns.  I came across this clover design and loved it. 

http://www.quiltingworks.com/howto/shamrock-block.htm

    These blocks were pretty easy and sewed up quickly.  I decided to make 4 of the blocks and then make a runner.  But then I thought of maybe making them as a square and using them as a table topper.

  I could not decide which so of course I used a quilting Facebook page to help me decide.  And the decision was this....

     But they liked the square also.  Might be a project for later.

     Bonnie's design for these made them equal a chevron type layout.  The scrap pieces went together well because I already had them marked.  if not I would not have finished this in a week.  I used the Chevron to make a border around the runner.


     I decided to leave the White inside to make it appear to be a continuation of the blocks.

     After I finished I could not decide if I needed to add a border or not.  The runner was already very wide and might actually work better as a wall hanging.  If I did not add a border, the binding  might cover the green points.   So again I asked the quilting group because I am indecisive and not good deciding in a hurry.

     The decision was made.  Thin yellow.  I cut 1.25 inch strips. Only a little scrappy this time.  

     To quilt it I did my favorite swirls in a pattern on the clovers in a branching pattern.

     In rows on the green border I did a continuous swirl. 

     In the white I did a swirl pattern as a filler.


    For the yellow I did a zig zag to match the points. 


    The backing is made of 2 scrap pieces.


    The binding is one of the green colors in the clovers and border.  I thing it helps to highlight the clovers.


     I finished this during one of our coldest days so far this year.  A day that we received Snow.  A rarity for our area.   So I am now screaming come on spring!!!


     This is actually on of my favorite pieces I have made in a while.  Not sure if its just a family thing, that I know my mother would be happy or that its full of bright spring colors!!! Already ready to enjoy it! 

     Another project finished that is made completely from my stash.  Now I am ready for my next adventure.!!