Its been said that a child's self-image is formed by their image reflected back at them through people in their lives. That means they get the full range of images. This child will turn 18 in June, a child no more. I know I only hold up one mirror for her, and smile whenever I see her. I hope this quilt is also a reflection of her beauty.
And yes, Baylee's GARDEN PATHS quilt for her graduation is finally finished. I've been working on it for months and it was a complex pattern, and took me awhile to do the hand quilting on it. I am most pleased with it. The quilt fits across the top of my queen size bed and is meant to be a personal lap quilt or additional cover, not so much a bedspread.
Wish the hand quilting showed up, however the thread I used blends in. I had a copper heart-shaped cookie cutter to make hearts, so four of them in the larger lavender blocks in the center, then also on the edges going onto the first border. I did a single stitch down the middle of the second border which is a batik fabric and then added more hearts spaced in between those first border sections. It has matching prairie points around the edge and the back is turned under to make the binding work. For security reasons, there is a final serpentine stitch at the very edge.
The back is also a work of art. If you click on the pic, it should enlarge to show the baskets and vases, as well as some of the prairie points at the top and bottom (they run all the way around). This was two pieces of fabric that were joined down the middle with a center seam. Matching repeats only lost a few inches at the top of one piece and an inch after the selvages were cut off. Looking at the pic, I cannot see the line. It is a stunning piece of fabric, and does make the quilt reversible. I am going to use one of the prairie points to write my label information. At first, I was hesitant to use such a dark fabric on the back of that lighter lavender, however, it is striking in person and I am glad for it.
The other thing I finished this morning is the April block my local quilting friend and I are making. Both of us struggled with this one because the instructions were unclear. I learned not to use a striped fabric for such smaller projects and am glad to have this one completed.
I did finish all 20 of the blocks on this jungle comfort quilt and have them laid out. Its pretty wild, but that is what jungles are supposed to be, right? I had hoped to finish it for Le Challenge. The theme this month is BRIGHT and ends on the 15th. Unfortunately, I don't return to the comfort quilt meeting to get the batting and back until the 21st, so I may not enter anything this time.
My quilting adventure this morning took me into the three P's of quilt-making: Pinning, Piecing and Pressing. All of these steps are essential to building any quilt. All of them take a fair amount of time, and when its all I work on in a morning, my mind wanders.
What I do is put on a You Tube tutorial. Yes, that's multi-tasking. And yet, it gets me through these mundane, repetitive tasks so I can keep 'keeping on'.
This morning, I watched a first step for a Mystery Quilt with Eleanor Burnes & Marianne Fons. It runs an hour and a half and is a filmed presentation she made to an audience of quilters. The two seasoned quilters have a running conversation as they worked on this first step and demonstrate how to fussy cut for the centers of the various stars in their quilt. It was interesting and I did stop to look every once in awhile as I worked. The link to it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OKZiRdHWOs&list=TLiRWQNcKstzFIGSvDJL6BbbfJ9a0CLdm_
When I quilt, I put positive energy into each project. And so for me, working with those 3 P's this morning, I adapt the words as intentions going into the quilt to reflect PEACE, PROSPERITY & PATIENCE. The two different quilts seen on my ironing board will be Comfort Quilts going to folks who are in recovery. My three P's for them are like an underpinning of energy. I don't decide how those energies will work in their lives, and simply hope that they do.
And yet, these are my words too. They are like prayers for the evolution of my personal humanity. I found myself taking deeper breaths as I worked as if I was breathing in the wonder of Peace and releasing all forms of stress and conflict. I breathed in Prosperity and released any of the scarcity thinking that gets in my way. And finally, I breathed in Patience, releasing the need for speed, the need for perfectionism, and the need for restlessness.
And now onto cleaning the machine, replacing the needle and winding more bobbins.
Snow here in southern Cali, even in the mountains, is different than when it snows in my home state of Minnesota. Schools are delayed or closed when only an inch of snow appears here in the valley. People stay home. There are no sanding or plowing trucks. You stay home and wait until it melts.
What I did this morning was feed the birds, NOT go to the clubhouse to pin or baste, and get quilt swaps ready to ship. Skies are pretty gray here yet and allow for enough sunshine to come through so the ground keeps melting the snow.
With the endless parts in quilting, they often remind me that life is eternal and love is immortal.
Snow is frozen rain and Cali needs to come out of this drought. It has been falling hard and being blown by wind, yet it is not the all consuming, life-threatening snow experienced in the midwest that strands people and livestock.
Yet, the contrast reminds me of the Log Cabin pattern of light and dark logs that traditionally have signified the ease and challenge in life we can face. I dislike assigning light to good, and dark to bad, because that's a very outdated concept. Who is to say that the good times in one's life are all that good if they make us soft and unable to standup for what is really for our soul work? Challenges have often brought me wonderful evolution of spirit and opportunities. I might like to change that quilting descriptor of colors to read the soft pastels or lighter shades to the more intense brights.
Well, off to the post office and grocery store. I need a few things here just in case the snow keeps building and shuts down the entire town. I can drive the streets just fine and yet want to be off the road when snow-challenged drivers are on them.
As I get older, there are fewer things in my life that I can change like my relatives, my childhood experiences, what I will inherit and yesterday's lost opportunities.
I love the Log Cabin quilts and have made numerous ones already. They are quick, lovely and end up being unique according to the fabrics used and the final block layout. This I can change.
Some say that its silly to invest in keeping high school sweethearts for the family. Sometimes that is true, however, not always. I've seen them stay and go depending upon their relationships and its never up to me. What I know about the quilts I want to give to family is that its more about ME, about my ability to be open to their love and not judge what might happen.
To that end, I am making another graduation quilt for my #3 Granddaughter's beau. He is into baseball. I had half a yard of baseball fabric which was just enough to do the first dark in a 16-block log cabin. This is the Light With Dark layout.
The sun came out after dumping a bunch of snow this morning, and so it is a little distracting on the pictures. You can always select the pictures here to enlarge the images.
I use the MAKE A QUILT IN A DAY LOG CABIN PATTERN book by Eleanor Burns all the time for these log cabin ideas. Usually I select the layout from the suggestions in back of the book. This is the Whirly-gig layout.
Taking pictures in advance confirms the choice. This layout is called Starlight and was selected because the two lightest beiges both have stars in them. The top one was and is still my first choice because it has a natural border to it.
I have a light true blue (this pic shows a more aqua or teal) to make the first official border. Then, want to purchase another baseball print for the outside border and enough of it to do the binding.
It is all about what I can change and all about choice.
What a surprise! I had forgotten that I signed up to RECEIVE a Pay-It-Forward, so when this little package came all the way from Australia, I could barely contain myself as I tried to open it.
It is just precious and I am grateful to receive this lovely fabric art. One thing I am becoming aware of is how different the fabrics are in other countries. I have never seen the like of these colors and this print. Shaz is interested in many fabric arts and always seems to have something new and of interest for her blog readers. http://alshasspace.blogspot.com/
I am still open to receive, willing and able to receive as part of the language of love. The whole system of "Pay-It-Forward intrigues me. I've signed up several times and this is the first person who actually made me something. I've continued with my part of the contract (sending out something to 3-5 people). I have two projects going right now that I plan to finish and send out when they are completed. Its a very provocative endeavor and one that I feel strongly about. It is my hope to offer it again towards the end of Summer.
Shaz included a small card with a hand-written note, and that seems to be the custom when sending these small gifts. I have started doing that as well. This little card was a gift in itself as it held a Spring Cherry Blossom Fairy on the front, and pricing for Australia and New Zealand on the back.
And in truth, cards people send me are enchanting. I know I cannot keep things forever, so have made it a habit to keep them in a box and go through them from time to time. Those hand-written notes are simply a joy for me to read again.
I've heard about theory of the Five Emotional Languages of Love, which come from a Christian marriage counseling book written by Dr. Gary Chapman. I probably won't read it for those reasons, however, do like most communication theories and tend to consider them when I relate to others. This represents a theory I am looking at for today.
When we communicate as evolved beings, we think about the other person's style and know that when we adjust our interaction to meet their style, there is a much better flow of thought, emotion and connection. Chapman's list is:
- Words of Affirmation
- Quality Time
- Gifts
- Acts of Service
- Physical Touch
For me, quilting covers all five of these languages, even if the recipient doesn't see or feel it right away.
Some people write on labels or the quilt. Words give the name of the quilt, sometimes a quote, and always words of love the quilt-maker feels. Most quilters will include a card with more kind words.
Obviously there is time that goes into quilt-making that is spent alone by the quilt-maker and not shared in the moment of creation with the recipient. It does become a gift. It is an act of service. And the quilt itself provides that physical touch...again not shared in the moment.
I signed up for another quilt block swap last week. This one is for 6" blocks and again, is International. That means I am doing BOM's with my local friend (not a swap), one Calendar-themed swap with Crow Calling Woman (Rex), a 12" Christmas Block & this new 6" block swap. Additionally, I am participating in the Applique Mystery Quilt (I am WAY behind & find appliques most challenging), and another Spring Mystery Quilt.
This morning, I worked on a number of projects, moving them along to the next steps towards a finish. I don't believe I am pressuring myself by taking on these smaller projects each month. Most go out to folks who are new contacts, and they give me a chance to grow in my skills as I make the larger quilts destined as gifts of love to family and friends.
I probably will always feel a sense of isolation because my family lives thousands of miles from me. I will probably seek perfectionism, and often simply let go and move on from projects that stress me out. I am working on it all.
There is a saying that peace at any price doesn't give genuine peace. Genuine peace comes from making choices that create more life, not less. And so it is with quilting.
I have been working on Baylee's graduation quilt for some time now. It really seemed like it would be done this week.
All the hearts were hand quilting, and a straight line of hand quilting went through the middle of the second border (batik). It is my intention to run a Serpentine stitch at the closing seam where the Prairie Points are just to ensure their closure.
Not sure if the photo picks up the subtleties of the stitches that are meant to blend in with fabric colors. As it laid flat, I could see that batting in the last border could easily shift. It was not really anchored going through it. Package instructions say to quilt it every 6" and technically with the quilting in the second border, it should work. It wasn't.
A 'finish' at any price in this case, was not going to provide me with a genuine finish. Leaving it and calling it done, would someday bring cause for concern. Baylee might never say anything, but if the batting bunched, it would ruin the entire look of the quilt. All the work in it would be lost and only the unlovely part would be noticed. Its how we are.
The invisible ink pen is spent, so I will buy another one when I go out today. I've pinned places on the outside border where another heart needs to go.
A 'genuine finish' will happen on this quilt because I am making a choice to give it more life not settling for less.
Any Work In Progress (WIP) seems to drone on, even for the quilt-maker. I worry sometimes that people will think that I repeat myself as a sign of aging. Its not that. There are endless steps to making even one quilt and if a quilter has many quilt projects like I do, they tend to talk about them all and think about them, planning the next steps.
Does a quilt-maker just stop sharing? Does she make peace at any price by not sharing? How is it we learn genuine peace? My quilt-making brings a lot of internal issues to the forefront for me to consider. Its not just about piecing or pinning or cutting.
