It’s been a while since I last talked about Michael’s Train Quilt, aside from an odd mention here or there.  I’ve been in the process of machine quilting it, which turned out to be more of a project than I anticipated.  I thought I was going to freeform quilt it, but it became very clear very early on that it wasn’t going to work well.  So then, after much deliberation, I ended up basting it with spray-on basting, pinning it in places, and just running random lines across the quilt.  It looked really bad when I first started.  The more lines I get going across it, the better it is starting to look.  I’m hoping I might get the quilting done this weekend.

By Lucy Knisley

Then I can think about doing the binding, god help me.

The point is, I’m close.  Very close.

And it got me thinking.  While I don’t think I really like sewing or quilting as a hobby, and while there is a lot to learn from sewing a garment that can apply to knitting – I’m thinking about doing another quilt.

Bear with me.  I’ve always really liked apple posters that show all the different varieties of apples.  Like this, this or this.  Then, earlier this week I saw a picture by Lucy Knisley, pictured at right.

Now let me say – I think the best art inspires you yourself.  It might mean it creates some strong emotion in you, but it also might just mean that it speaks to you and inspires you yourself.  This is what happened to me.

And I thought to myself, “That’s nice.”  Then, “She got the Red Delicious wrong.  And I prefer calling a Crispin and Mutzu.  I can’t believe she didn’t include Pink Lady or Winesap or Johnathan.”

Which just shows you how much of an apple snob I am.  But then I thought – I wish I could paint like that.  I’d make a better poster.  And then I realized that it’d make the perfect little/not so little quilt.  I could take white or cream squares, draw out the apples.  Color them with crayon, iron them, and then embroider on them.  It’d be so cool.  And then I could make it into a quilt.

So I’m thinking I gotta get my apple mojo going.

What apples would you have to include on an apple quilt?