From a Little Yo-Yo

It all started when my sister, Jackie, gave me a piece of fabric that she found in her inlaw's house as they were cleaning it out. Her mother-in-law liked to sew and had lots of fabrics tucked away in an old trunk.

I get together once a week with a great group of friends who love to quilt at Park Sierra. When I left in May a few of them were making "yo-yos" and they were telling me how fun and easy they are to make, especially while travelling, because of their small size. "It's something you can do on your lap while rolling down the highway." I thought I'd like to try it but forgot to grab some fabric while packing.

Here's a shot of the fabric . . . a bit dated, don't you think?

One of the 210 yo-yos it took for this project.

The fabric I was given dated back to at least the 70s by the color and design. I graciously accepted the gift and thought I'd give that yo-yo idea a try. Well . . . needless to say I got hooked. I began using this fabric . . . then of course, as all good quilters do, I had to add some other colors of fabrics to survive the somewhat boring tedious-ness of making enough yo-yos (not quite 2" in diameter) with which to create something useful. My friends have made whole quilts down to placemats out of tacking yo-yos together until they end up with the size they need. Well . . . that sounded like a whole lot of BORING work to me.

So I decided that since Jackie was the one that got me started on this endeavor, and we have been guests in their house many times, and their guest bed does not currently have any kind of "cover" other than a plain navy blue comforder—that I would make her a decorative one. I designed it on the computer, K popped for the additional fabric I needed and, when we arrived in Cascadia, I started putting it together.

I made it small enough that I could handle it on my sewing machine, but large enough to cover her double bed. The yo-yos, which turned into flowers, represent her love of flowers, especially those blooming in her rose garden.

I had fun making it and I think she'll like it . . .
although it looks pretty darn cute on our bed.

Life is Good!