Family, Duty, Honor

My younger Son gave me a number of sweet Winter Solstice gifts this year, and among them was a 5-book set by George R.R. Martin that became the HBO series "Game of Thrones". 

One of the strong women in it is from a house whose words to live by are "Family, Duty, Honor". I was so taken in by the character development of this woman, Catelyn Tully Stark, and how truly devoted she is towards her family. Yet she sets out to make a difference in her world that holds fast to that notion of family duty and honor. All the leaders in this story line have sigils and such words.  Children learn and follow these values all the days of their lives. Like all families in real life, the dysfunction among them shows up just as much as their strength. Catelyn is only one of the mothers featured in the story, and she makes choices that give me pause for thought about my own.

Ever since the first time I heard this particular slogan, I have pondered my own, yet haven't developed them for myself.

Years ago I made a pillow for my older Son's birthday. I pulled a picture of a walleye (MN's state fish) off the DNR websight and simply machine appliqued the pieces layer upon layer. It is surprisingly like that Tully house trout.

One of the hardest things for me is living so far away from my family in the midwest. Staying connected is a challenge just because of the busy-ness everyone exists within. For my part, every quilt, large or small, carries with it my deep love and devotion to each of them.  And yet, I question who I am and what I do all the time. 

The second of my Pay It Forwards was finished last night & I am delighted with how it turned out. Again, it is fashioned out of small scrap pieces of fabric. The diagonal grid turned out really nice with gold thread.  

It is about 16" square and will make a lovely candle mat on an altar or table. I love the entire piece, which is a pattern I've made so many times for Solstice gifts to family. 

It is called a disappearing 9-patch, and this time, I was able to re-arrange the squares so that there is another pattern that shows up (see the blue). Making a scrap quilt, large or small requires strategy so that the randomness of it is also eye-catching.