I bought the Bonnie Blue Belle Meade pattern before we moved from Nashville. I also bought about 85% of the fabric around the same time, picking up scraps and fat quarters from The Quilting Squares. It was a hard move for me, because we really loved that area, and I loved bitch and stitch nights at the squares. I learned more there than any class I have ever taken. Belle Meade is a pattern modeled after the Belle Meade plantation in Nashville, which is why I chose to do it. That was over 3 years ago.
Fast forward to 2 years ago, when my baby girl was going through a rough patch in preschool. That is when I started cutting the fabric out. I just couldn't work on it before that. Everytime I looked at the pattern and fabric I missed my Nashville peeps. It wasn't until I joined the Quilt Guild here and settled into life in Mississippi that I could start it. I'll never forget it, I was frustrated with everything my little girl was going through, newly pregnant with little man, and had just bought the Carolina Chocolate Drops CD. After it was cut and the spinning squares and the big half square triangles were done, I put it away again.
So this summer I was able to see The Carolina Chocolate Drops live at Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Arts fest. Live, they totally blew me away. I ended up buying their new CD and as soon as I popped it in, I had to start back on the quilt. In about 2 weeks (I only get to sew during little man's naptime) I finished piecing it. I took it to QuiltstoaT here in town, and just finished putting the binding on! I am so in love with this quilt. Unofficially it is my Carolina Chocolate Drops Quilt, because everytime I look at it I have their music in my head!
