Summer is Here

Summer is here with a force. Even before the offical start of summer the heat had arrived and the air conditioner was kicking into overdrive. We have been doing the usual summer stuff, such as mowing the lawn multiple times a week, cleaning the porch and watching children play now that school is out. I also have raspberry vines that have ripened all at once. But that is a blog story in its self.

One of the projects we have wanted to do for some time was tile the floor of the screened back porch. The floor was indoor/outdoor carpet from the previous owner. We had lived with it for several - make that too many years. So it became the first summer project of this year.

In the late spring my DH "beefed' up the foundation to carry the extra weight of the tile work. Then there was the stripping of the old and laying of the new sub-floor. About now you are wondering what this has to do with quilting.

Now is where my 'training' as a quilter came into the play. It's all about the color. I wanted a netural beige floor as it would help make the area look larger. A bolder color would make the room looker smaller and limit the possibilities to accessorize. I chose a large (16 inch) beige tile and a medium rose-beige grout. Too light of a grout color would blend into a monotone floor and too dark would be all you would notice.

I decided not to lay the tile in a straight horizontal layout but an off-set like brick work. It is much more interesting. After a few days of very hard and dirty work, we have a new tiled floor. After a fresh coat of paint of the half walls, we are pleased with the results.

Again, you might ask what this has to do with quilting; the answer is - probably not much. It took time away from my sewing room but I needed the exercise. I think I have gained confidence in my quilting years to know I can try new things. Color theory has taught me to choose and balance colors for the results I want. In this case, my result was a relaxing area to sit and enjoy a summer morning with a cup of tea.