Afternoon Picnic Project Tour

It was a dream moment to have met Nancy Zieman at quilt market a few years ago. I have so much admiration for Mrs. Zieman, her many talents, and her everlasting legacy and support of the sewing and quilting community. So many of us learned from Nancy Zieman. She was an amazing woman and will always be an inspiration to me.

Today, I am deeply honored to be sewing with Nancy’s latest fabric collection: Afternoon Picnic, in a special project tour with Riley Blake Designs. I wanted to create something from my heart in remembrance of this very special woman. I was inspired by a quote that I’d tucked away in my mind some time ago about butterflies and angels. Butterflies, one of the most marvelous creature of all for their transformative nature. Angels, sent from Heaven above to be our light and comfort. I feel like this quote found it’s way back to my memory when I locked eyes with this beautiful range. The quote is simply:

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“Butterflies appear when Angels are near”

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I decided this lovely collection called for butterflies! I thought it would be a perfect fit for an Afternoon Picnic sort of day for daydreaming, sunshine, and a handmade quilt – and butterflies, of course.

The colors in this collection are so beautiful – I love the sprinkle of black with the fresh blues and reds. I decided to coordinate my butterfly blocks together with a classic blanket stitch in black thread and sew them into a mini quilt to hang on my sewing room wall. The mini would serve to remind me of my quote and the inspiring career and grace of Mrs. Zieman.

The occasion called for fresh market daisies for my Afternoon Picnic playing with this fabric. I used every colored print from the collection in my quilt, and there are some gorgeous creamy background colors in this collection, too. This mini is a sprinkle of sunshine in my sewing room.

Nancy Zieman blessed many of our lives with her creativity and talent. If you’ve not had a chance to read, “Seams Unlikely: The Inspiring True Life story of Nancy Zieman,” I highly suggest that you do. It dives into the heart and journey of this incredible woman.

I treasured the opportunity to create something with this fabric. The collection is arriving in stores now and it’s a keepsake collection you will treasure. For a closer look at all the beautiful colors and prints, you can take a peek here.

Thank you, friends. Have a great week! And be sure to catch the other inspiring projects on this tour at Riley Blake Design’s blog and social media and on the participating designer’s blogs.