turning off my brain

This past Thursday night and Friday I joined a friend (Thursday my husband actually joined me) in Quilt Carolina. If you've never participated in a Shop Hop before, you basically have a set amount of time to visit a certain number of stores. There are prizes and coupons and discounts for the shoppers who are participating. I hadn't planned on buying fabric (famous last words) as I have way too many projects queued up and in progress to add to that growing pile. But in one store, they had a discount for that day, and there was a fabric there I've had my eye on for some time.

If you're not a fabric lover, batiks are hand dyed fabrics, usually from Asia, and they have patterns and multiple colors in them. Think tie dye, but more professional and elegant looking.

There's also a pattern designer named McKenna Ryan that I've admired for years. Her backgrounds use batiks, and there's one pattern set that has had my mind whirling on our pond and a quilt that includes its creatures for some time.

I think you see where this is headed.

Anyway, I'm standing at the cutting counter with a batik and a matching solid, and one of my classmates (who works at the store) says "Ooh! What are you making?"  and I answered, "a catfish".

That's the simple answer. That's what the fabric will be used for - a catfish in a pond full of animals.

She was more than shocked. And I understand. Beautiful hand-dyed fabric, gorgeous colors, an amazing soft material, and I'm thinking about a slimy animal that makes gutteral sounds and is a bottom feeder.

I got home from our trip late Friday evening, and my brain was whirling, wanting to immediately start sketching out this quilt idea. I've made myself wait. I must finish some other projects first, but I am at least going to sketch out some thoughts for this project. I'd like to do it sooner rather than later. Some ideas just demand attention. :)