Buck up!

Seriously, what is it with all the damn deer?

I like deer. They're pretty and the skittishness makes them seem all mysterious, especially when one slowly steps out of the misty woods and looks at you like it possesses magical secrets. Then again, I'm told they can mess up gardens and I know several people who have had major car damage from hitting one that darted into the road. For all I know they vote against feminist issues and talk loudly in movie theaters. Still—pretty.

So, what is it with all the deer on quilting fabric right now? Was there a memo? Because I have recently learned that I am a Quilt Industry Professional (that's a QUIP in industry jargon that I totally made up—I have a t-shirt and everything!), and I didn't get any damn memo. Did Momo start the memo a couple years ago?

Then Echino's hipster deer print was a thing that was cool for a while.

Joel Dewberry had a whole Deer Valley.

Then Birch Fabrics tried to pretend they were elk.

And Anna Maria Horner tried to slip it in last fall, like we wouldn't notice.

Then at Spring Market this year, it was like OH CRAP, I FORGOT TO MAKE MY DEER FABIC. BETTER GET ON THAT.

Violet Craft's Timber Valley:

Katarina Rocella's Indelible (which I grant you is a very interesting combo of motifs):

And now, my beloved Tula Pink has been taken over by the Quiltuminati, or whoever decides these things and makes everyone fall in line or Angela Walters won't quilt for them EVER AGAIN.

Now, I admit that of all the deer we are currently being subjected to  offered, Tula's are my favorite and yes I will probably buy them in every color and hoard them like I do all my other Tula fabrics. But, Tula, my darling, why? There are so many wonderful creatures on this earth that deserve to be immortalized on quilting cotton. For example:

The majestic platypus:

The star-nosed mole:

Forget hedgehogs. Puffer fish!

I'm sure Kaffe Fassett could do something spectacular with some freaky caterpillars:

This magnificent creature would make EXCELLENT pillows and other bed-related items:

See, fabric designers? There's a whole world out there just waiting for you to exploit it. You don't have to do what the Quilting Overlords command you. Break your chains and draw some stuff that doesn't have antlers on it. It will be ok, I promise. We might even buy some of it.

But no cassowaries. I have dibs on the cassowary.