Finishes!

Is there any better word than "finish"? (And by "finish" I mean quilted, bound and labeled!) For a quiltmaker it's a word that brings extreme  joy and a song to the heart! I've not only had one recent finish, I've had three!

Yes, strike up the band!! This tiny quilt-let has twelve hand embroidered month of the year blocks. It's an ancient pattern by Bareroots (I think), it's no longer in print that I can find. I stitched and set these little three inch blocks in 1996; thirty years ago! 

This quilt, my version of the Be-Attitudes, from an Art to Heart book by Nancy Halvorsen was begun in 2008. (Compared to the quilt above it's a relative newcomer to the "now finished" team!) This is now hanging in our eating area in the kitchen where "Mealtime Mantra" has hung for the past fifteen years. I plan to switch the two out from time to time, they're the exact same size.

And now the baby of the bunch, coming in over the "finish" line at only two years of age, "Lemoynes Revisited" is the result of a 2024 BOM at my LQS. This finish deserves a standing  O! These finishes are all credited to much "down time" while our granddaughter napped between events at the recent TYR Futures Swimming Championships in Madison, WI! I probably need to attend more of these if only to get more handwork done! Ha!!

Speaking of handwork... Patriotic Tweet by Teresa Kogut is currently under my embroidery needle in the evenings these days, it's a sweet little design, I'm working it on 30 ct Legacy Linen, the color is Victoria Sponge Cake. 

Since the subject is finishing, please indulge me: two more photos of Lucy Ann from the recent meet. The first one, above shows the level of intensity and focus that she displays before she enters the pool for each event. The second pic I simply adore, it captures the instant when she looked up at the board and realized that she had just finished second overall in the mile (1500 m), I am so happy to see this and relive that perfect water-slapping moment! 

Life is Good!

The Lost Is Found

How long do you search for a lost item before you give up? It most likely depends on how crucial to your daily routine the lost item might be. I lost this set of keys, two years ago. Car key, house keys (ours and a few select family members) and the usual plethora of shopper reward cards and a library card.  I searched high and low, as you might imagine. Knowing that the car key was on there narrowed the search field; I knew the keys were on the premises. Is there any single act that causes more frustration, or self-recrimination, than losing something important? I don't think that there is. Over time things can be replaced, one learns to adapt. And yet... do you ever give up hope? I don't. I held on to the belief that one day I might reach into a long forgotten pocket, or reach high onto an out-of-the-way shelf and my fingers would touch the misplaced prize. I never expected my husband to stroll into the sewing room with a clenched fist and a broad smile, deposit the key bundle onto a table and ask "are these what you've been looking for?" The relief I experienced was overwhelming. "Where?" was my only response. "In the glove compartment of my pick up truck!". Oh. I can't even piece that puzzle back together, but it's all okay; I have the keys once again! The car key and electronic key fob belong to the car we traded in to the dealership back in September (the car is still there and the dealership was happy to receive a spare key!). The reward cards I learned to live without (the stores have your phone number anyway!). My library card has been replaced, house keys have been remade. So, what I needed so desperately at one time I have learned to live without. Does that mean that my joy over the 'find' was at all diminished? Not. One. Bit. Think about the parable of the widow and the lost coin in Luke15: 8-10. There was much rejoicing at Chez Goodneedle over my found keys and yet God's joy over the return of a lost soul is so much more than we can ever even begin to fathom! Thank you, God, for your patience with me and the lessons that you teach me each and every day; if I only watch, wait and, indeed, learn from them. 

Life is Good!

On this, the fifth day of November, I am grateful 

for a spirit of perseverance; don't ever, ever, ever give up!

LOVE

My Mom and Dad went on a little get-away in Maine last week. A town square see-saw there provided this too-tough-to-ignore temptation. I understand that Mom was the instigator for this quick trip back to the joyful playground days of their childhood.  There simply aren't enough heart emojis or love buttons to fully communicate how much I adore this photo. I dare you not to smile along with me.

Life is Good!

Reflections On Christmas

Mason and his custom-designed sport locker.

Mason had a special Christmas request this year from PawPaw; a sport locker. He sat at our kitchen island on Thanksgiving day and carefully drew a detailed sketch of what he had in mind. He was sure that he wanted cubbies on the top for his football helmet and other sports paraphanalia and he was clear in his desire for a closet rod where he could hang his jerseys and uniforms. PawPaw took it from there; with a fairly limited time frame, the workshop was a busy one in the past few weeks. Mason's mother informed us that the locker, when it arrived at their Capital City home, would reside in the garage. Mason had a different idea altogether!  On Christmas eve day we loaded up the pick-up truck with the locker firmly and tightly wrapped in a plastic tarp to protect it from heavy rain; it worked, the locker arrived dry and ready. Once unloaded at its destination (hidden just inside the garage) we joined the family inside the house until it was time to reveal the surprise. No one noticed when Mason entered the garage for something else and surprised us all by declaring that he had found his locker! Although anti-climatic, the moment was no less fun; Mason was thrilled to pieces with his gift! He would hear no part of its planned placement in the garage, he was bound and determined that it would stand in his room, at the foot of his bed; his determination won out!

PawPaw in the workshop (where the magic happens... yes, those drawers are dove-tailed) with Mason's sport locker, my only regret is that somewhere along the line we misplaced his design sketch.  There was something so sweet and heartwarming this year about a little boy drawing up his plan and having every confidence that his special wish would be fulfilled.

Lucy Ann wove a potholder on a loom, she was so proud of her creation; a gift from her great-grandparents. I remember making these too, when I was her age. A classic craft that delights today as much as it always has; making something with ones' hands, linking generation to generation. 

Lynnleigh, at her home, Christmas morning. She and her brother each received tablets and headphones from Santa. At almost three, Lynnleigh was ecstatic over each and every gift she opened; according to our son she clutched a charging cord for this unit to her heart and said how much she loved it after unwrapping it! She was content to sit and watch a video with a few goldfish crackers when all the hoopla died down. My mother made her the little purse in the foreground; as you might have already guessed, her favorite color is orange.

This might just be my favorite photo of the season. Gregory's wish this year, topping his Santa list for months now, was "scuba gear"!  (Who ever could have predicted that it would be warm enough to actually use it?) When this cute little elf-in-flippers and a snorkel clomped into the kitchen for show and tell at Christmas breakfast I thought my heart might just burst to witness his joy. For sure, when I reflect on Christmas 2015, I shall remember the happy innocence displayed on four very special little faces. 

Life is Good!

Overflowing Joy

Lucy Ann's joy cannot be contained; when given a "shaker" filled with glitter how would you react?

Our little angel held hers to the heavens and shook it... Christmas joy, experienced through the eyes of children, is pure and unbridled; thank you, Lucy Ann, for sharing your joy and filling our hearts.

1 Peter 1:8 ~ "... you believe in him and rejoice with an undescribable and glorious joy..."

Life is Good!

Quilt Block Joy

Night Moon Star ~ 6", finished

This is the third week  in Advent; " joy"  is the word of this week. This quilt block gave me great joy, not only because it's pretty to look at... but becasue it's DONE! Quiltkeemosabe and I met this week to work together on a common block and to compare notes on the instructions we've written for constructing five additonal blocks from Rosemary Young's Quilt Block Bible.  This is block number 14; 12 and 13 are pictured below, they all were difficult; I ended up resorting to foundation piecing for accuracy as the measurements were anything but straight forward, there didn't seem to be a satisfactory solution for rotary cutting that would provide consistency.

Blocks # 13 and 12; Aunt Eliza's Star Variation and Aunt Eliza's Star, respectively.

Block # 15 ~Album Star

This block was straight forward and easy to piece using a few of Deb Tucker's handy dandy tools from my collection: the Wing Clipper and Corner Pop rulers made putting this one together a snap.

Block # 16 ~ Album Star Variation

Block #17 ~ Signature Star

These latter additions were equally easy and straight forward to piece. I did two variations of #17, one as pictured in the book and one as a traditional signature block with a light area for signing in the block center; all of the blocks finish to 6". We've now completed 28 blocks... only 174 to go! The joy associated with our "work" sessions together over this book go much deeper than our ever-growing quilt block collection; there's joy in the act of getting together, of laughter, of sharing a simple meal, and, most of all, in celebrating friendship. Where will you find joy today?

Life is Good!

Joy

Yesterday was the third Sunday in Advent; "joy" is our Advent word of the week. The children of the congregation presented "The Signs of Christmas", a pageant, during the Sunday School hour. The final scene wasn't really that for these grandparents; I captured yet another mini-drama, an unscripted one, that unfolded at the very end, it is documented above. 

The joy of the season is reflected in the children. 

Life is Good!

Not Quite Right

There's something not quite right with the world today, my friend Helen is no longer here; she joined The Church Triumphant on Tuesday. Today she will be laid to rest alongside her beloved husband, Marvin. I can only imagine how joyful the reunion in Heaven must be; for the two of them, and for Helen's precious loved ones who are waiting for her there. Helen was one of the very first people I ever met when we moved to Puerto Rico in 1995. She and Marv welcomed us into Grace Lutheran Church in Santurce, that's the way Helen always was; warm and welcoming, and it's the way she lived her life. When I began teaching beginning quiltmaking classes from our home there, in the winter of 1996, guess who the first one was to sign up? She recruited others and helped them to procure their supplies as well. Helen embodied the spirit of hospitality. She was quick to invite and always happy to offer herself in any way that was needed: a car ride, a meal, a phone call, a visit, a hug, a prayer... you could count on Helen. We used to laugh together over our "plight", being residents of the Island of Not Quite Right... the nickname she gave to Puerto Rico. Don't get me wrong, it's an absolutely lovely place to visit. Living there, day to day, can be another story all together. This is Helen in 1996, holding her quilt that she named, what else: "Not Quite Right!" My heart is heavy today; please join me in prayer for her family, I can only imagine how deeply they are grieving now. I am thankful for the happy memories of Helen and the joy and love that she spread so easily... in a way that was always, absolutely,  just PERFECTLY right!

Life is Good!

Validation

This is all the validation any quilt maker could ever hope to receive. You may recall an earlier post where I showed a photo of a recently completed Picture Play quilt, made especially for our great-niece in Illinois. I snapped this photo a week ago last Sunday evening of that very same little girl sleeping under her brand-new quilt. Her Mommy told me that she slowly fell asleep as she quietly ran her finger from patch to patch, naming each object one by one. Is there any greater joy than this? I can't think of a single one.

Life is Good!

Finding Joy

Click here for a sure-fire day brightener ~Simple Secrets to a Happy Life~

Thanks, Quiltkeemosabe, this virtual hug just begs to be shared. Enjoy.
Life is Good!