Adventures in Shopping

So this is how my life works: because I'm planning to go with my friend to a bead shop about 30 miles away on Friday I know I have to allow myself Thursday (today) to recover from anything I might choose to do on Wednesday (yesterday). And because I cannot get the Fabric of Life challenge out of my head - even though I'm feeling the pressure of the journal quilt deadline - yesterday (Wednesday) I decided to go to a different town nearby to see what I could find in the way of African prints. Before I even got to the quilt shops I ran into something toxic at the Post Office. It didn't smell like a perfume, but it was strong - too strong for me. I was surprised that I didn't feel worse than I did when I got to the first quilt shop but by the time I was done at the second store I was in a world of hurt. Fortunately this town is right on the coast and I was able to go to a park where Reilly and I could take a walk and have the ocean breeze blowing on us. I didn't think to note how long we were there; it was long enough that I felt better for the drive home (thank Goodness). After a good night's sleep I'm feeling pretty normal today. If I can just avoid doing something stupid or thoughtless today I should be okay for tomorrow!

This is the print I'm trying to work into the Fabric of Life piece. The one I only have a fat quarter of. What I want to do is make a border for the top and bottom of the quilt that incorporates this print. I was a little disappointed yesterday in that I didn't find the African prints I'd hoped to, but I did find a couple of batiks I think might work.

So now I have four fabrics to choose from to use in making the borders: from left to right, a blue and white I found in my stash (it looks like something someone gave me judging from the shapes of the pieces I have), a muddy orange I bought here in town on my first foray for additional fabrics, the mostly brown batik I bought yesterday, and another blue and white batik I bought yesterday. I was trying to duplicate - or imitate - an indigo blue with white dots in the first border I put on the quilt and to find something that would blend with the mask print. The muddy orange looked too bright; I hope the brown won't be too dark. I think the blue batik is actually going to work better than the leaf print. (The photo doesn't do either the brown or the blue batik justice.)

At this point I may be able to set this aside to begin work on my next journal quilt. Or not. I might have to get the rest of this top constructed before I'll be able to change my focus. Once I get started on something I tend to want to stay with it until it's completed to my satisfaction or I get stuck, whichever comes first. (If I don't get started on something soon it will be a moot point as there won't be enough time to get anything done!)