I've been trying to keep up with the Cream and Sugar block of the month at my LQS, class meets again this week and my stack of blocks is growing. We've been stitching two a month. These, eventually, will each be "framed" by a larger star block as shown on the pattern below. This is the book that we're using, by "It's Sew Emma". I chose very similar colors; the effect is soft and calming.
Someone else is growing too! Our youngest granddaughter turns ten years old today! We celebrated with her annual shopping trip to the American Girl store, it's become a tradition. Lynnleigh was so excited when we picked her up, she'd been waiting "all year" she said. 😉
She's three in this first photo, either she's getting bigger
or her Bitty Baby has shrunk quite a lot in the past seven years!
After shopping and lunch; Lynnleigh entertained us, and Augie, all the way back home!
Augie was celebrating a milestone, too; he turned 100 days old on Saturday!
At this time of year, with graduations and end-of-school-year excitement, my mind always travels back to those "last" days when I was young. There was so much anticipation of what was to come, what great things awaited, those things that were always just out of grasp and view. I ran across this photograph the other day. This was my graduation day from Vermont College in 1973. Mr. G and were just engaged to be married the night before (such young faces!!) we were both on the brink of a whole new beginning and had no idea whatsoever of what was in store for us in the months and years to come! I wonder what we were both thinking at this moment in time. Fast forward to today, we've only just celebrated our 46th wedding anniversary; and what a blessed life we've led. Each day has held its own surprises and adventures. We think we know how our lives will unfold, we plan and chart our courses; but, as we all know, life can toss us some curve balls. If we're not prepared to run out of our way and remain flexible in what we hope to achieve and when we might get there, we may just end up disappointed, disillusioned and giving up on those dreams all together. Life isn't a sprint and there's not always a straight line from A to B. My advice to anyone on the brink of a new beginning is to stay firm, hold on to your dreams and not let go. You have no idea what's to come but your loving God does; a God who will never abandon you, one who only wants the very best for you and your life. Be of good faith!
How's this for a portrait of love and commitment? This happy couple celebrated seventy years of marriage yesterday! As a church family we were privileged to celebrate with them yesterday after worship, with cake and heaps of congratulatory wishes we all had the opportunity to hear the story of their wedding day in 1951; the moment that these two, embarking on a new beginning of their own, stepped out in love and faith! Would we live our lives differently if we knew what was ahead? Of course we would. But, that would be living a life without faith, and I can't imagine anything sadder. Believing in God's goodness is the key, for what is the definition of faith but the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. There's where our hope for all new beginnings lies! Greet each day full of hope and expectation, it's not just those big milestone moments like graduations, engagements and weddings but it's each little faith-filled step along the way that gets us to our goals!
What a fun weekend we had! Lucy Ann spent a few nights here with Nana and PawPaw, she was eager to complete the sewing portion of her quilt top from a few weeks ago; we had big plans to tie-dye the back for that quilt as well. In anticipation of this activity I ordered a tie-dyeing kit from Dharma Trading Co; it included everything needed for good results at home, this was a first time experience for both of us.
We read all the instructions through and Lucy Ann chose the effect (spiral) of tie-dye that she hoped to accomplish.
Along with a prepared-for-dyeing extra-wide length of fabric for the backing I had also ordered a plain, white T-shirt for her. Armed with all the knowledge from the booklet, we set up our dyeing area in the garage on Thursday afternoon, it had been was raining, more was forcast, and we didn't want to take any chances doing this outdoors. We mixed up her chosen colors; she was quite liberal with the application. Then, after she was satisfied with her dye-soaked bundles, we wrapped them tightly in plastic and let them sit undisturbed for twenty-four hours. The waiting was the hardest part!
In the meantime on Friday, between virtual school sessions (more on this later, in another post), she finished her piecing. Finally, late in the afternoon, it was time for the big reveal. All day long she had repeated how she "couldn't wait" to see how the tie-dye turned out. I had commented to her at lunchtime that I hoped the results would be what she was hoping for, she said: "Nana, however it turns out will be perfect!". We all need more of that Lucy Ann attitude, she is a happy ray of sunshine.
Finally, it was time! We unwrapped her T-shirt first, and she rinsed it off with the hose. It's hard to believe that those white areas were hidden inside that tightly wrapped, dye-saturated shirt. She loved it!
Then, the backing fabric! To say that this was a successful experiment would be an understatement. Look at her smile! From this point, it was into the washer with hot water and Synthrapol detergent.
The quilt top is complete and the backing is ready to go. One more weekend for loading it onto the longarm and she'll have it quilted; she is very hands-on and wants to do this project herself, from start to finish! I cannot remember a time when a quilt student was more enthusiastic (or this Nana was any prouder).
Saturday was our sons's birthday, a milestone one this year. Our DIL had a surprise outside for him!
If someone can please explain to me what kind of warp-speed time trick exists that has transported us from the top picture to the bottom one in what seems to me to be only a blink of an eye, I'm all ears-- how in the world did this happen? I certainly don't feel any older.
One more shot of the newest quiltmaker because the joy on her face says it all.
I adore wrist watches, I've collected many over the years. These two are the latest additions to my watch wardrobe, they're not new; they've stood the test of time. We lived in Europe a few decades ago, specifically in Geneva, the watch capital of the world! One of my favorite shops downtown was the Swatch shop! At that shop I found many seasonal watches, including these, which were gifts to my mother-in-law at that time. This past summer she cleaned out her jewelry boxes of things she no longer wears and asked me if I would like to have these. Would I? Did she have to ask? The Halloween watch was especially exciting because I had owned one previously and had worn the band out completely, the timing was perfect. I will enjoy wearing the Mother's Day watch too, it is unique. When my husband traveled for work he would sometimes surprise me with a new, colorful watch that he found while he was away; besides being fun to wear, each one has a special meaning to me. I heard recently that watches are going the way of dinosaurs, young people today don't wear them because they have the time on their omnipresent phones. I was surprised, and saddened, to learn that. I look forward to choosing my daily watch, for me it's like deciding which shoes to wear for the day. Looking at my wrist every day not only informs but delights my heart.
Marking time by whatever means does little to slow it down though; today our grandson, Gregory, turns5years old! Tick-tock, tick-tock... time marches on, another milestone to add as a souvenir, just like my growing collection of watches.
Nine years and 1800 posts. Yep, you read that right; this is a milestone post for me. It actually began a little over nine years ago, June of 2006 to be exact. My son talked me into starting a blog, I really wasn't interested at the time; I didn't know what I would blog about. Ahem; I guess I figured that out! Over the years this place has become a forum for miscellany from me: commentaries, quilty content, book reviews, product recommendations, grandchildren show and tell, opinion pieces, faith stories, sewing projects, prayers, photo gallery, travelogue, time management tips, quilt shop reviews, household hints, and a place to brag about Hannes the wonder dog. I have sought advice here and asked for your opinions. If you've been a reader from the beginning, are an occasional visitor or even if you're brand new to The Strawberry Patch, I thank you for taking the time to stop by. Through the years I have considered, at several times, giving this up; but I haven't, I've gone on hiatus and returned, something has always drawn me back. I have some friends and family members who keep up with me through this venue, that's been enough to keep me fueled and running even when it's been on barely more than fumes. If you read my previous post, you know that I attended a memorial service for a freind last week. When I was greeting her husband at the reception afterwards he mentioned to me how Marianna read my blog faithfully, I was deeply touched. One of the greatest side benefits of blogging has been meeting up with some blogger friends in real life... that has been both exciting and affirming, almost like spending time with a pen pal, there has been that instant recognition of previously shared time together (even though it was cyber in nature), omitting all of the awkward small talk and ice-breakers that normally accompany an initial get-together. In sincere appreciation for you being here and in celebration of this milestone I would like to host a little giveaway, it's a small, yet sincere, token of my thanks for your readership and your encouragement over the years. Just leave me a comment; I'd love to know why you've stopped by and for how long you've been coming back to this spot. I'll draw a winning name, at random, sometime next week. Thanks again, now... let's celebrate; 1800 and more to come!
I can hardly believe that Memorial Day has happened, summer is already upon us, and I haven't had time to catch my breath! May has been a whirlwind month marking a few momentous milestones. Mother's Day weekend was a special one, I had my own mother to here to celebrate the occasion with this year. We drove to the Capital City the day before and had a wonderful lunch at our daughter and son-in-law's home surrounded with lots of love, laughter and the little ones, it was a perfect day!
The following weekend we traveled that same road back and forth again; this time for a different occasion, Mason's preschool graduation. It's ironic that I mentioned a time slipping away in the first paragraph; wasn't it just yesterday that I was posting Mason's newborn photo from the hospital room? Sigh.
Here's Mason today, ready for Kindergarten in the fall. His preschool director called the names of the graduates and they walked to receive their diploma; as they proceeded across the front the director read what their future aspirations are. Mason stated that he wants to be a "space guy" and study rocks and moisture and Pluto. He'll be great at whatever he sets his mind to do!
On the 24th of this month we celebrated thirty-nine years of marriage. It's so hard to believe; even though we may have changed, physically, over the years we don't feel any older and are still enjoying each and every day together as much as our first as husband and wife. I couldn't have chosen anyone better to share my life and my heart with. Life is Good!
Their quilts sat folded on the front pews yesterday morning, ready for presentation to our congregation's high school seniors. Following the sermon hymn our graduates, and their parents, were asked to come forward to be recognized; as a church family we celebrate with those who are taking another step in their faith and life journeys. The quilts were presented with these words: "Graduates, there was a day when your parents held you in their arms and rocked you to sleep. They cuddled you in a blanket to keep you warm, safe and comforted. Very soon you will be launching a new life, away from the safety and security of this home, family, church and community. As you go out into the world, may this quilt be a reminder of your parents’ love and the nurture of this Christian community. The peace of the Lord be with you always. Congregation: And also with you. Let us pray: Wherever you wander, no matter how dark the night, may the warmth of this quilt,the love of your parents, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the prayers of this church, the power of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you now and forever. Go with God’sblessings. AMEN".
...in July I entered blogger-world and posted for the very first time. I was very reluctant in the beginning and, truly, only began at the urging of my son; I doubted I'd have anything to say! I suppose that hasn't been the case... 1,000 posts later! Yep, this is a milestone post from The Strawberry Patch and, of course, to celebrate (and show my appreciation for you stopping by and reading whatever happens to cross my li'l ol' mind over these past five years) I will host a giveaway. A LOT has happened since that very first post: our son is married, my husband has retired, grandchildren have arrived, Sundance moved in, quilts have been made (some have even been completed!) tips, tricks, techniques, recommendations, sorrows, joys, challenges and victories and have been shared with all of you, my blogging friends and family. I've only felt love and support every step of the way and I've never looked back. To enter the giveaway, leave a comment and I will draw a winner next week, on Easter Sunday. Make sure I have your e-mail address, or a way to contact you, should you be the lucky winner! There are no bonuses or gimmicks to enter multiple times, that confuses me way too much. Just a comment, that's all. I thank you and look forward to many more years, and posts, together.
You've seen this photo before, I worked the entire month of April, in tandem with our Quilt Ministry, to get the quilts prepared for our congregation's graduating high school seniors. We had sixteen quilts finished, ready and waiting on the front pews yesterday morning. I have copied the quilt presentation portion of the Senior Recognition service here, it was beautiful! All the late nights of stitching were worth every minute. The parallel between wrapping up in a quilt and being surrounded by a loving Christian community is humbling.
Presentation of the Quilts
[A] Dear Friends in Christ, there was a day when your parents held you in their arms and rocked
you to sleep. They cuddled you in a blanket to keep you warm, safe and comforted. Very
soon you will be launching a new life, away from the safety and security of this home, family,
church and community. As you go out into the world, may this quilt be a reminder of your
parents’ love and the nurture of this Christian community.
(Parents stand with back to the altar and with child facing them, wrap quilt around child’s shoulders,
leaving hands on shoulders while they repeat the blessing, following the pastor’s prompts.)
Parent(s): __________, I come this day before God to bless you and thank Him for your life.
You have given my life a deeper meaning and calling. Through you, I have
experienced God’s love, joy and forgiveness. Wherever you go, whatever you do, my
love goes with you; you will always be part of my heart. May this quilt remind you of
the warmth of my love, the care of this faith community and the comfort of the Holy
Spirit. And on those nights when I cannot wrap you in my arms, wrap yourself in this
quilt and know that in God’s family you are never alone.
(Parents and graduate switch places. Parents hold quilt while graduate place hands on parents’
shoulders to bless them by repeating these words after the pastor.)
Graduate Addressing Parent(s): You have given of your heart and of your home. You have
loved and cared for me, even when it was difficult. Today I honor and thank you for
your courage, patience, wisdom and love. Wherever I go and whatever I do, I will
always be your child, blessed by your love. I thank God for blessing my life with you.
[P] The Lord be with you..
Congregation: And also with you.
As you might imagine, there wasn't a dry eye to be had!
We had a visitor this weekend, precious little Mason came to visit Nana and Papa. We spent some time playing together upstairs in our new media room. When I took note of the fact that he had climbed up to sit in the chair with his quilt on the back I ran to get my camera. Suddenly he was down and away; it all happened that fast, in the blink of an eye he was off the chair and onto something else! "Go-go" he says, as he runs away!
Yes, Mason... you certainly do "go-go"... your Nana's keeping up as fast as she can. I don't want to miss one minute of this, I know all too well how quickly time passes. Life is Good!
He traveled from the Capital City to the small, hometown, barbershop that has cut the hair of his ancestors. Mason's first haircut was over before he knew it, a rite of passage from babyhood into little boy-hood. Sitting on Gramps' lap he was calm and cooperative. The experience wasn't one bit traumatic, thanks to the wisdom and experience of Benny the barber. All together now... "awwww"!
Life is Good!
(I'm not sure that those sitting and waiting were nearly as impressed by this momentous occasion!)
Guess who came to Nana and Gramps' house with a brand-new skill to show off? Yep, you guessed it! Mason can wave "hello" and "bye-bye" on command now; we think, without a doubt, he's absolutely the smartest child on earth.
Kyle's graduating this afternoon, but he won't be in attendance at the ceremony; no, he has a seat elsewhere today. We are grateful for a wonderful employment opportunity that has come his way, he's flown to Texas to explore his options there. I do admit to being disappointed about the cap and gown thing, and the celebration party here afterwards. I wanted those photos to frame, but the larger picture is so much more important, my head knows that and my heart will surely follow. I need to get used to something else now too; our son, and eventually our daughter-in-law, living over 1300 miles away! That will be hard for us, but good for them in the long run. We've never traveled to, or researched, the treasures of the Texas "hill country", there are new adventures awaiting all of us! Congratulations, Kyle, Happy Graduation Day; we love you and wish you all the best as you begin this new chapter of your life!
A chronicle of random musings celebrating daily life, faith, family, sewing and making quilts from my semi-rural North Carolina studio:
"Strawberry Patch Quiltworks"
