Winter Solstice in September

It has been said that everything we do has consequences. Our actions can either enrich us or diminish our character. I raised my Sons to understand the 'natural consequences' for all their actions. No matter how quietly or privately we do something, it is quickly transformed into who we are. People notice. I've also heard it said that the kind words we say start out with kind thoughts. I suppose the opposite is true too.

I decided to devote as much of the coming week to working on and finishing some of this year's Solstice gifts. This is a fringed scarf made from the leftover front of the throw.

The next thing I did was to find patterns and fabric for some of the smaller projects, such as a mug rug for an Auntie and a couple aprons for others on my list.

This is a time-consuming step whether one shops from their closet or shops at a fabric store. Of course there are pluses and minuses for each choice. Natural consequences, I guess.

However, I am ready to engage in the work now. This is how a kit is made, starting with the pattern selection. Thing is, no one does it for me. I have to trust my ability to chose colors that work. Sometimes they don't. It is a learning experience, and one worth having. I try to learn from those choices, even if I repeat the process to try again.

I browse through quilting magazines or go online for ideas until I find the pattern that is right for my skills. I've learned to sit with the pattern, reading it more than once and being sure it is going to work for what I want. Then, its finding fabric for that pattern. Scrap quilting is not easy because scraps come from different sources. One fabric manufacturer can change their own dyes from year to year, but matching colors from several places can really be a challenge. When you are in a fabric store, you can find the entire line that the manufacturer puts out for the year and everything coordinates.

Thing is, there are always scraps and eventually I have to use them for something. And I do. With great joy.