An Ugly Fat Quarter

 This is what happens when I don't listen at our guild meeting. At the meeting two months ago, someone said, "We're going to do an ugly fat quarter exchange," and that's when I stopped listening. I don't have many fat quarters that haven't been cut into, and I certainly don't have any ugly ones, at least they aren't ugly to me. So right then and there, I decided that I would not participate in this activity.

Fast forward a month to our next meeting. "Everyone who brought an ugly fat quarter, or one you aren't sure how to use, turn it in." Wait. It didn't have to be ugly? It could have been one that I wasn't sure what to make with it? Okay, I'm intrigued, but I didn't bring one so I'm still not participating. And then it happened. "If you didn't bring a fat quarter, but want to participate, several people brought extras." Quilters are so generous. I don't move or raise my hand. I didn't plan to participate so there's really no need to jump in now.

Then Holley hands me a fat quarter. It's beautiful. It has a white background, bright colors, and birds. I want to keep it. I don't want to trade it. I don't want to participate. But others saw her give it to me, so now I have to play. I reluctantly go to the table to turn in my beautiful-not-ugly-in-any-way fat quarter and then I hear someone say, "You will receive a different fat quarter from the one you turn in. You won't know who it belongs to. You are to take the fat quarter you receive, make something with it, and bring it to the next meeting."

This is fabulous. Some wonderful person is going to make something for me out of my beautiful-not-ugly-in-any-way-with-birds-on-it fat quarter. And it gets better. The fat quarter that I received is a fabric from a collection that I have many pieces of in scrap form that I didn't know what to do with. A double win!

So this fabric, from Sandy Gervais' Red, White, and Bold collection by Moda, became a festive table topper. I've wanted to make one of these ever since I saw it in the book On the Run by Heather Mulder Peterson of Anka's Treasures. There will be a matching set of six coasters, too. The specific piece that started this project is the cream print with red and blue flowers.

I can't wait to see what the beautiful fat quarter so generously given to me becomes. Our next meeting is this Saturday. I will most definitely be listening.