Pandora's Box

In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first human woman created by the gods, molded out of earth and given seductive gifts. Named Anesidora "she who sends up gifts" she was given a "pithos" or large jar that held all of the evils of humanity. This jar often mistranslated as "Pandora's Box" gives us an explanation of why there is evil in the world. Like the Christian teachings of Eve in the Garden of Eden, once again we have a woman giving in to temptation and allowing evil to triumph. Pandora opens the box, releasing the evils of humanity, plagues and diseases leaving only Hope behind in the box when it is closed once more.

Now feminist ideals aside, I believe this story has relevance in my latest quilt finish. I in no way released a pithos of evil into the universe. However, there were many moments I found myself faced with the quilting equivalent of Pandora's Box.

So here is a quilt that has been "in-process" for quite some time. By some time, I mean I started this quilt in 2007. I have completed at least 100 quilts in the interim. This was only my 6th quilt ever attempted and therefore there was a laundry list of issues.

I started by cutting the fabric before I had any idea of where I was going to place the squares. Rookie error; I forgot the phrase "look before you leap." Then, I sewed some together in the same pattern long enough for a king quilt but with only enough fabric for the width of a twin. (Clearly no one is in the market for long thin quilts.)

When I decided to finally assemble the strips together the pattern totally clashed. I then assembled a strip to insert between the rows to make the quilt wider and more uniform. However, I had to use new fabric not already in the quilt because I didn't have the correct fabric from the original quilt anymore and no way to obtain it.

So I improvised! When I started this quilt I was also wildly unaware of how or which way to iron my seams, so they were everywhere! I wasn't that careful either, so my blocks were cut slightly uneven and my seam allowance is somewhere between 1/4" and 1/2", maybe 3/8" depending on the block, go figure!

In addition, every color has the same country color theme except the fire-engine red I must have picked out in the dark. I had decided to hate this fabric choice until the end when I realized that fabric might be this quilt's saving grace. The one fabric that provides this quilt the most life, the most umph, the wow factor.

Overall this quilt was a complete disaster to finish and could have turned into an entire waste of time and fabric, but somehow, it didn't. So I have a beautiful quilt, with an amazing back and so much history. So why would I tell my readers my shortcomings you ask?

Well, I'm telling you because EVERYONE makes mistakes, EVERYONE has learning experiences, EVERYONE jumps first without looking every now and then. It is all a part of the learning process, and almost no one is instantly perfect in their piecing, even in their cutting, seam experts in their sewing, smooth and pucker-free in their stippling, and NO ONE chooses their quilt fabric colors every time without regrets occasionally.

You have to practice, create, and practice some more, and each time you will get a little bit better, a little more steady and a little less wild. And if you're lucky it might just work itself out in the end anyway and end up a true masterpiece.  Over the last ten years I have avoided this quilt, scared and intimidated to deal with all of the "evils" dreading their return into Pandora's Box. Then I realized, I didn't need to return anything to this quilt. I didn't need to fix anything, what was done, was done and now I had a beautiful jar with only Hope left. And Hope, is such a beautiful thing!

As such, I have named this quilt "Anesidora." So she made a few mistakes, she's only human, she's beautiful and I love her. She was named as "she who sends up gifts" and I'm pretty sure I know who I'm going to give her to. Everyone has their own version of Pandora's Box, what is yours?

Linked up with Crazy Mom Quilts, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, and Busy Hands Quilts.

Couldn't Cut the Mustard

Irony: "An outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected."

A History major I was not. Math and science were my specialty which might explain my eventual path toward being an accountant. I did however study environmental philosophy along the way but that's neither here nor there. History however, I just couldn't get the facts straight. The only way I can think to explain it is; have you ever been driving somewhere, following directions, taking roads and having absolutely no idea where you were going, which way was North and where you came from?

Then suddenly however you pull out onto a road and say, "I had no idea this is where that road went!" When it comes to history; I am on a back road with no sense of North and I never seem to find my way. I never have that ah-hah moment. I can't remember dates, geography or names. Completely clueless! I see I have digressed. Back to the initial statement, Irony!

I sometimes find my posts ironic as I attempt to explain the history behind something as that is not something that would have ever crossed my mind or captured my attention. It does however lately. I'm not sure if it's a hidden wisdom that comes with age or if I never gave myself enough credit. But today... we will discuss Mustard! (What?)

According to the Saskatchewan Mustard Development Commission, "Some of the earliest known documentation of mustard's use dates back to Sumerian and Sanskrit texts from 3000 BC." So Mustard is old, which we would know from the Christian bible parables about the potency of a mustard seed despite it's small, insignificant size.

This is a great article on "13 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Mustard" which tells us Mustard is the second most commonly used spice in America bowing only to the front runner Peppercorn. This article also tells us that our commonly referred to term "Mustard Yellow" is a LIE!

"The particular shade of yellow to which mustard lends its name owes its hue not to mustard seeds themselves, but to the vibrantly colored turmeric added for an extra kick of spice and brightness. Crushed mustard seeds alone vary from a pale yellow to a dark brown depending on their variety, but 'turmeric yellow' doesn't sound quite as good."

So from mustard yellow, mustard gas, those who "couldn't cut the mustard" and the never ending types of mustard (Dijon, Bordeaux, Beaujolais, Creole, Meaux, German, English, Chinese, Sweet, Honey, Yellow...) I give you this latest quilt finish which I'm calling...

Wait for it...

Turmeric! Because I'm nothing if not literal.

This quilt is 60" x 72" a traditional lap size quilt and has already been sold so it will not be making its way into my Etsy Shop! But please check back next week for hopefully another finish and another chance to take home a comfy quilt (and maybe another history lesson)!

Linked up with Crazy Mom Quilts!

WIP Wednesday

Working toward a Friday finish!

Check back Friday to see this finished beauty.