Mother's Day

What was it that brought this big smile to my face on Mother’s Day?

It was William’s surprise visit and the pancakes and bacon he fixed for breakfast, a lovely long phone call from James and Rachel, and a new quilt to share with you today, but mostly, it was the gift I’ve been asking for for sooooo looooong… to be taken for a walk!

It may not sound like much, but for someone confined to home like me, a stroll through the neighborhood felt amazing. The weather was perfect, 70 degrees with no humidity. I took notice of everything: the cloudless blue sky, the warm sun on my face, a soft lilac scented breeze, how vibrantly green the grass looked after several days of rain, and the quiet. There were plenty of family gatherings going on, but we seemed to be the only ones outdoors. It felt like our own little private party.

I wish we had taken pictures of the flowers we passed along the way: great big bushes of lilacs, red climbing roses, deep purple iris with golden beards and clumps of cheerful white daisies. Seeing them all was better than any bouquet I might have received.

We found a nice spot to photograph this basket quilt. It’s another project that my friend Sheila offered to complete for me. She graciously asked how I “intended” to finish it. Wasn’t she a sport to piece all those 1” half square triangles?

Sheila and Barb (Fun with Barb) made these 3 1/2” baskets for me several years ago when they did a block swap. Our quilts used the same blocks but ended up very different in design.              

Sheila patterned hers after a quilt she saw at the New England Quilt Museum. It’s really striking with the red alternate blocks. Notice where the baskets change direction.

 

Barb’s quilt groups baskets according to color. I love her extra wide borders.

I hope your Mother’s Day was as special as mine. Never underestimate the joy that simple pleasures can bring.

Happy Holidays

Happy Passover and Easter blessings!

Falling Through the Cracks

We recently had an airing of the quilts here (future post). So many lovely things resurfaced that I have yet to share with you, including last year’s birthday quilt from Barb.


Somehow it had fallen through the cracks. My computer contained these photos from last February, but I never got around to posting them.


2011 was the 150th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War, which Barb commemorated with this little string quilt.


Look closely at the selvages from which the quilt is made. They’re all from reproduction and Civil War lines of fabric.


And see what’s on the back? It’s another Civil War print with cartouches of battle scenes.

Birthday Quilt

My birthday rolled around again recently. Since I stopped counting and celebrating at 50, I’m often startled when I take the time to do the math ~ 56 this year. How did that happen? One of the few good things about turning another year older is getting a birthday quilt from my friend Barb.


This year’s quilt is a sweet little Shoofly, adapted from the Pink Lemonade quilt along at Humble Quilts.


Barb always selects a surprising fabric for the backing, sometimes consistent with the style or theme of her little quilts, but more often than not, something bold, funny, or completely incongruous. This one is an exquisite china print.



The quilting is one of my favorite patterns, Teacup or Wineglass quilting, named for the household implement used to trace the circles. Barb gives a good explanation of the proper way to approach quilting this seemingly straightforward design. You might think it’s logical to stitch each circle, continuing one to the next where they intersect. But soon, you will reach a dead end. Instead, follow the gentler curve. This diagonal path will allow for a long, continuous line of stitching.

Barb, thanks again for the beautiful birthday quilt. I don’t know how long we’ll be able to keep up the tradition though. After 50, the birthdays seem to come fast and furious!

Finally!

Before our newlyweds turn into an old married couple, let me finally reveal the completed wedding quilt. (You can follow the design/construction process by linking to previous “Carolina Lily” posts under “Labels” in the right side bar.) Today, I’ll focus on quilting, the final design element which transformed a pretty good quilt into one that’s rather special.


The quilting was inspired by a Carolina Lily quilt, masterfully stitched by Carla Barrett of Feathered Fibers . Her elegant feather motif and heavy background quilting were just the look I was going for, yet I had some concerns:

Could I find a machine quilter capable of such refined work?
Thanks to readers, I got several recommendations, and must say, I was very proud of you for sharing. I thought it would be a tightly kept secret.


Could I afford a custom longarm quilter?
To be honest, I was terrified to even ask about the going rate!


Could she complete the quilt within my 6-7 week deadline?
Come on, that’s like asking for the moon. Who’s going to kick loyal clients out of line to take on a new customer? You know the good quilters are backed up for months, if not years!


Could I bear to pack up my quilt and send it to a complete stranger miles from home?
Well no, as a matter of fact, it turns out I could not.


My friend Sheila suggested I call a gal from our local quilt group. Her name is Cheri, she lives right in town, her rates were affordable, she could take my quilt and meet my deadline. The only problem was that Cheri couldn’t start the job until she returned from a machine quilting conference, where she was taking a class called “Quilt Whisper” with……..Carla Barrett of Feathered Fibers. Now what were the chances of that?

From the start, this quilt has had good karma. Almost twenty generous and talented women have had a hand in its creation. I like to imagine the good wishes of my friends imbuing the quilt with positive energy, wrapping James and Rachel in a blanket of blessings each time they sleep under it. You can’t give a better wedding gift than that.

Skipping Christmas

I promised to “be back soon” with the final reveal of the wedding quilt and that post is actually all set to go. But it felt weird skipping Christmas with nary a mention.

We had no Internet service over the holiday, so I missed the opportunity to wish you all a joy filled Hanukkah, a blessed Christmas and a happy New Year. I hope your celebrations were as special as ours.

The “kids” were “home” for the holiday so we had lots of family time together.


William spent three months in Russia this fall, studying at the Moscow Arts Theatre. While it was the trip of a lifetime, he was happy to get back to his girlfriend and American food. He made Anna her first Christmas stocking. At least someone is using my sewing machine.


The newlyweds brought along two additions to their family, our grand kitties, Gandalf and Carrot.

We intentionally kept the décor simple to minimize kitty mischief. Hanging a couple red and green quilts made the house look festive.

We even managed to host a party for 25 friends. It’s an annual gathering that I usually miss when it is at someone else’s home (too much medical equipment required). But with the kids here to help and everyone bringing an appetizer or dessert, we had a grand time.

I hope this holiday season sets the tone for 2012 and that the coming year will offer plenty of opportunities for fellowship with family and friends. Happy New Year!

The Wedding

We are still basking in the memory of Rachel and James‘ beautiful late summer wedding .The bride was absolutely stunning, the groom looked handsome, and the best man wasn’t bad either! Jim and I were so proud and pleased that family and friends could join us for the out-of-state event.

It was an elegant affair from start to finish, planned by two 23 year olds who had never attended more than a handful of weddings themselves. The ceremony was very traditional, and although some of the ritual was new to us, we found it all beautiful and moving.

Watching my dad walk down the aisle, escorted by my brother, was really touching. In spite of Dad’s worsening dementia, he clearly enjoyed the ceremony and dinner. A smile from him is a fleeting thing these days, but the photographer managed to capture several.

A fabulous live “swing” dance band accompanied the reception. Their music even lured me and my wheelchair onto the dance floor. At the end of the evening, the bride and groom opened their wedding quilt, which I’ll share in my next post.

Happy holiday preparations to you!