Spinning Wheel Ride

If my last post wasn't enough excitement for me in one week, the Garden Issue of Australian Homespun arrived in my mailbox as well. I may have gasped just a little when I opened it ...

A quilt that I made back in January is gracing the front cover! Very special!

It is made from Amy Butler's luscious fabric line, 

Soul Blossoms

, and is my representation of a bright, summer flower garden.

The fabrics in this line are wonderfully vibrant, and the full blown florals spoke to me of the 'flower power', infamously psychedelic times of the late 60's and early 70's. I called this quilt 'Spinning Wheel Ride' for the 1969 song by Blood, Sweat and Tears. I thought this song was psychedelically just right, and has a very matter of fact, and positive message about trouble in life! For me, it says: leave your trouble behind, and enjoy the exciting ride life has ahead for you, all astride a painted pony!

What goes up must come down

Spinnin' wheel got to go 'round

Talkin' 'bout your troubles it's a cryin' sin

Ride a painted pony let the spinnin' wheel spin

You got no money and you got no home

Spinnin' wheel all alone

Talkin' 'bout your troubles and you never learn

Ride a painted pony let the spinnin' wheel turn

Did you find the directing sign on the

Straight and narrow highway

Would you mind a reflecting sign

Just let it shine within your mind

And show you the colors that are real

Someone is waiting just for you

Spinnin' wheel, spinnin' true

Drop all your troubles by the riverside

Catch a painted pony on the spinning wheel ride

The blocks are simple kaleidoscopes, although that center join takes some mastering, and was the source of some cussing, I must confess. But I conquered it in the end ... after 35 of them!

Belinda

 of 

Eucalypt Ridge Quilting

 worked her magic with an edge-to-edge design called '

Denali

' by 

Anne Bright

 .

The Homespun team did a beautiful job of making my quilt look good. How I love that pale blue bucket lavishly filled with apricot roses!

Australian Homespun and XLN Fabrics are very generously running a competition to win one of TWELVE fabric kits to make 'Spinning Wheel Ride'. Details are on page 12 of this month's magazine (No. 99, Vol 12.8). International distributors of the magazine are listed below.