Family & Friends

The Yellow House

August 22, 2010 / 69 Comments

 This was one of those houses that just made me swoon.  If you visit the Cotswolds in England, and you drive the country roads you might find it.  It has to be one of a kind and the story of the house will remain a mystery.  I’m not sure I could find it again;  too many country roads going in too many directions.   I wanted so much to know the history.  Who lives here  and how many families have lived here before them?  How old is the house?  Has it always been the palest of yellows?  What stories can it tell, this beauty of a house!

I spent Saturday with this house, but only in the studio.  I drew it for applique only to find out I couldn’t capture it’s beauty in fabric!  I tried for a full day, but the house remains elusive.  A house this grand must want to remain in the Cotswolds.   I love every  detail of this house, so maybe I’ll try again someday when I have the palest of yellow fabrics.

Of course all of this leads to another clue. 

Here’s the clues so far, with the new one in red:

1.  Christmas with some pieced blocks

2.  A little bit of snow

3.  A tiny bit of pink in the quilt, 5″ x 5″ or smaller. 

4.  The fabric I’m using is” Le Petie Ecole” from Kaari, the French General! 

5.  I said in an earlier post that there’s a critter in the quilt that I like to draw almost as much as a bunny!

6.  There’s a house in the quilt, and its set on snow.

 I do have some good guessers.   You know who you are! 

Have a great Monday everyone! 

 Anne

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69 Comments

  • Bette

    August 25, 2010 at 6:36 am Reply

    Hmmmm…I’m beginning to think this guessing game is just a ruse to collect more ideas for future Christmas projects….(I’m on to you!…smart thinking!)

  • Tina Dillon

    August 24, 2010 at 8:10 pm Reply

    Not Nutcracker, but maybe Squirrels still figure or woodland animals at Christmas time in their snowy Christmas homes in the woods…….

  • June

    August 24, 2010 at 5:03 pm Reply

    Could it be like an old fashioned sampler with a Christmas theme? A house in the middle with letters of the alphabet and various little animals all throughout. I’m thinking a pretty gray cat or squirrel somewhere on that quilt.

  • Karen M

    August 24, 2010 at 12:08 pm Reply

    I guess I need to try again. I’m thinking maybe a french countryside christmas with a dog. Sorry I’m not a good guesser. Thanks, Karen

  • Liz

    August 24, 2010 at 12:05 pm Reply

    twas the night before christmas and all through the house…….the mouse! love that story and I think my grandkids would like to see that quilt in my house:)

  • Pauline

    August 24, 2010 at 9:29 am Reply

    I’m guessing Twas the Night Before Christmas and all through the house with the other animal being a mouse. Since I haven’t received an email yet all my other guesses are wrong. I’m running out of guesses. No matter what the theme……it will be beautiful.

  • Jackie R.

    August 23, 2010 at 8:47 pm Reply

    Victorian-theme Christmas….your newly-named squirrel collecting nuts…..a red cardinal….victorian-era toys….green wreaths…..and some holiday inspired pieced blocks….a bunny on a hill…..and in the quilt center a snow sprinkled victorian home, inside a decorated tree shines through the window for all to see as they pass by and gasp.

  • Bonnie

    August 23, 2010 at 7:50 pm Reply

    The night before Christmas would be my next guess, has a house, a mouse, sweet treats or Christmas bird houses, someone also mentioned Animals Christmas and that would be a wonderful quilt as well.

  • Melody

    August 23, 2010 at 6:49 pm Reply

    Hi again – another try. what about Christmas houses/scenes and animals dressed for Christmas in snow globe pieced blocks or pieced snowball blocks. The animals would include a squirrel, bunny and scotty dog.

  • Vicky

    August 23, 2010 at 5:43 pm Reply

    I’m going to take one more stab at this, and then I give up! I was looking for animals that I haven’t seen yet in your BOMs while thinking about children’s Christmas stories that I love. I’ve come up with The Christmas Day Kitten by James Harriot (I absolutely adore his stories), or The Mouse Before Christmas, one of my very favorite children’s books. C’est tout! :)

  • Sandy Allen

    August 23, 2010 at 4:30 pm Reply

    Well, that knocks my idea of a Victorian Christmas street scene right out of the water. Now I am seeing a cottage in the woods, with squirrels and deer and other wildlife around it, and maybe Santa and Mrs. Claus in the house. The pink could be the curtains on the window…How’s that?

  • Sandra

    August 23, 2010 at 3:39 pm Reply

    Hi Anne I spent the afternoon with you in my daydreams as I read the article about you and your home in “Quilter’s Home”. I loved all the pictures of your beautiful you certainly captured the vintage feeling you were going for. Thank you for allowing us to see where you live and create.
    Blessings Sandra

  • Karen

    August 23, 2010 at 2:20 pm Reply

    I like the Country Christmas in the Cotswolds idea, with a pink pig, or other pink animal? Or maybe Christmas in Paris with a pink poodle?

  • Sue

    August 23, 2010 at 10:59 am Reply

    Maybe your friends in England can help you solve the mystery of the yellow house.

    I still think a squirrel is in the newest, upcoming BOM quilt. And, I think little houses will also be in it-sort of like what happened with the basket quilt. Whatever you come up with, I am sure we will all love it.

  • Jackie Vanderhorst

    August 23, 2010 at 7:50 am Reply

    love the yellow house, as I use to live in a yellow house and it always seemed so cheerful. Maybe someday you could do a whole wall hanging of yellow houses, birds, bunnies, scotties, and squirrls, somewhat like your tisket, tasket blocks. I still think it’s Cotswold at Christmas with maybe Scotty dogs. This is my second guess. Loved your trip photos, especially the England ones.

  • AnnieO

    August 23, 2010 at 7:49 am Reply

    I don’t even remember what my first guess was, so I’ll have a go at it again! Some beautiful star blocks surrounding a house sitting on the snow in a medallion center, with a pretty red bird in front of it on a pink mailbox! Ok, that was hard.

  • Laura Tawney

    August 23, 2010 at 7:17 am Reply

    Here is another guess – Christmas in the Cotswolds and the favorite animal that I haven’t guesses yet but would be a lovely addition to a country theme would be a lovely little squirrel. I love squirrles as we have some really cute ones that run along our deck fence that we feed. One in particular is a litle brown one and my how he chirps! Really funny. I don’t know why I didn’t write that one earlier as I just love them. Another cute addition could be a little fox. We have a Shiba Inu and a Pomeranian and they have such cute little fox like faces.
    Laura T

  • Diane

    August 23, 2010 at 6:46 am Reply

    Oh, Anne, what a beautiful house! I, too, find myself gazing at old, vintage houses and wondering what their story is. Sometimes they’ve fallen into sad disrepair and they look so sad, dreaming of happier times. So I guess a house from the Cotswolds in England could be the center of the quilt, snow on the roof, a bird flying overhead, pieced blocks surrounding it. This is driving me crazy — can’t wait to see this pattern so I can begin to make it!

  • mimi'sdarlins

    August 23, 2010 at 6:17 am Reply

    The house is beautiful1 Knowing its location gives it added charm. Maybe you’ll need to look at some of your creamy fabrics rather than yellow to do it in applique? I’m sure you’ll just pick up your pencils one day and the house will appear :-)

  • Ruth B

    August 23, 2010 at 6:16 am Reply

    Has to be squirrels. I love your squirrels. I don’t think I’ve ever said that to anyone before. So, a house and squirrels with a Christmas theme.

  • Nancy C. in Utah

    August 23, 2010 at 5:40 am Reply

    Anne, What a BEAUTIFUL house. It’s funny because so many ladies want modern homes with all the latest gadgets. When I look at houses as we drive through different cities, the ones that catch my eye and steal my heart, are the older homes (especially Victorian design), these homes have personality that can’t be found in today’s new designs. I can spend hours visulizing the families and the traditions they had. Time spent together enjoying each other’s company and oh the Christmas celebrations they must have had. It was a different time and I personally think a better time, when the families held tight to each other. What a wonderful time, beautiful homes and very simple but oh so special Christmas Eve and Christmas days planned entirely around the family. AND as my hubby just pointed out, the anticipation of that special Thanksgiving dinner served around Grandma’s kitchen table. Special times, special people! Hugs to you and scratches to your furry babies.

  • Lynn S

    August 23, 2010 at 4:02 am Reply

    I remember when you released your itty squirrel pattern, that you said you were planning on doing a quilt with the design. Is this the one? If not it will be you little scottie.

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