Even though we're past the winter solstice, this time of year always feels the darkest and the coldest. Off to work while the sun is still rising, and home after it has already set. The weekends are of utmost importance this time of year for me - I cozy up at home, cook warm and hearty foods, and of course knit and quilt like crazy. Since New Years I've already finished a quilt top. I've had the fabrics tucked aside for a long time just waiting for me to piece the silks, wools, and cottons together into just the right pattern. I've been wanting to make a court house steps for awhile now. These fabrics just felt like a granite or marble staircase with brass or gilded finishes on the railings and a little mildew or wear from acid rain tucked in a corner of a few shaded spots, with the wool suiting of the people walking up and down them every day.