Mini Quilt #30/52 ~ Summer Fun Kawandi

With the dog-days of summer upon us, people across the northern hemisphere are seeking relief from the high temperatures.

What exactly are the dog days of summer?  The “Dog Days” of summer last from July 3 to August 11. In ancient Greece and Rome, the Dog Days were believed to be a time of drought, bad luck, and unrest, when dogs and men alike would be driven mad by the extreme heat! Today, the phrase doesn’t conjure up such bad imagery. Instead, the Dog Days are associated purely with the time of summer’s peak temperatures and humidity.

This week's mini quilt challenge found me pulling a small assortment of teals to give Kawandi quilting a try. After reading skimming a few articles that were the result of an on-line search, I learned that Kawandi quilting has a specific technique where you start the quilt at one corner of the sari; then, the fabric patches are worked towards the center with running or back stitches in a spiral manner.  New patches are laid on top as needed, with edges turned under.  (I skipped the turned edges part.)

Kawandi quilting is a traditional craft in western India, brought to that region via African slaves. 

Using fusible batting for this little project was ideal since the fabric didn't require pinning to hold it in place...  That is until I reached the center.

I finished the mini with the backing folded over (raw edge again) and stitched down.

The colors and texture, especially the back of it) remind me of a swimming pool and takes me back to my childhood of spending days at the pool.  I would have morning swim lessons and then I'd be there again in the afternoons with friends as we splashed and played, keeping cool during the dog days of summer.

Those thoughts of the pool bring back vivid memories that involve all of my senses.  The cool temperature of water and the warmth of the sun and concrete as we giggled during the rest periods that took place every hour for 10 minutes.  The texture of wrinkly fingertips from being in the water for such a long period of time.  The smell of chlorine mixed with the smell of dill pickles that came from the pickle plant that was located across the highway. Weird, I know... but I am not alone in recalling that odd scent.  If you grew up in LaJunta, CO, you just know... LOL!  The look of the bronze Coppertone tanned skin of the lifeguards and the sun-bleached hair of the fair-haired people that spent hours at the pool.  And I cannot skip over the taste of a twist cone from Reid's Drive-in or a float from the A&W Root Beer stand that was across the street from the pool to hold me over until dinner time.  So many memories!

What are some of your favorite summer-time memories?

Leave a comment... I'd love to hear from you!

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs

Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do

Free-Motion Mavericks at Quilting & Learning

Thankful Thursday at Brian's Home

Mid-week Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Little Things Thursday at Good Random Fun

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