Quilt finished...

Isn't that a good feeling? I just love finishing something. In the quilting world, it seems like a rare thing, indeed. There are just so many stages between step #1 and done. Ya know? Now this particular quilt didn't take me long. The pattern was in Coffee Time. It was called Caramel Latte. Of course, I had to rearrange the colors and now it is a bit more like Expresso By The Sea! I just used the fabrics that I had and it turned out very nice I think. I used some of everything in it. There's civil war reproductions, asian, calicos and batiks. I pieced it back in February, and quilted it and bound it this month. I still need to get the label made. see? Not really finished, eh? Close enough to show you, though. It is for a dear friend and his sweet wife- one of my sons was born on their bedroom floor. Now there's a long story. But I don't think I'll be getting into that. At any rate, he likes coffee and she likes blue. Hope it's a good match.

Lindsay's quilt...

This is the quilt that I made for our friend, Lindsay. She just graduated from the nursing program. The fabrics are all batiks and the pattern is from the "Stack a New Deck" book.

I have finsihed several projects here lately. Kinda makes up for getting nothing else done!

Think Spring!

You know it's spring when the farmer keeps you up at night, plowing. He usually stops by midnight, bless his heart, but I was ready for bed long before that. His bright headlights periodically shining in my window and the sound of that monster-tractor resembling a jet at take-off. Yawn.

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It has been lovely weather. When I saw this little patch of woods down the road from us, it just reminded me of my kids. Notice how all the little saplings are just bursting forth with tender green leaves, while the older, more mature trees are patiently waiting. And how does that remind me of my kids? Well, they are the same way. When that first breath of warmer air drifts in, they are ready to declare it "SPRING!" They want to rush outside, barefoot, and sleeveless- 'cause it's spring! I said, guys, it's still too cold to be doing that! But they wouldn't be suppressed and so they had their day or two in the sun. And then winter returned with a vengence and all those tender green leaves were burned right off with the freezing weather and they looked so pitiful- all crumbledy and brown. The kids just couldn't believe that they were being forced back into the house by the bitter winds and cold. They looked just as pitiful as those little trees and their moans were a whole lot louder. Made me kinda sad to be the older, more mature one that said, " I told you so." But now spring is really and truly here and the kids appreciate the warm weather even more, if that's possible. The baby trees have recovered and the green out there... well, it's just amazing.

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I wonder if we ever really appreciate our blessings when we are in the midst of them? When they are just coming on, oh, we are soooo thankful. Like with Spring. That warm air feels so lovely after a long cold winter, the colors seem almost magical, they are so bright after winter's drabness... and yet the warm air, the gorgeous colors of trees and grass and flowers will still be here throughout the long summer... do we ever pause then and say, Wow! This is just so great! Or when we are blessed with a new person in our lives- we are just so awed by that miracle- and yet, when they are 15, are we as apt to stop in our tracks when we look at them and feel that wonderful feeling wash over us? They are the same miracle today as they were all those years ago. What about that new house or car? They brought us so much happiness back then. Now, do we come in and out and not even feel a moment of thrill? It's the same blessing today as it was yesterday. With us, it's always more... more... more... when, if we counted for the rest of our lives, we could never complete the list of wonderful things that fill our lives. Our family, our friends, our health- whatever measure we have, our homes, our possessions, the way the breeze makes those white curtains dance, that perfectly formed, pink-striped flower, those gorgeous fabrics that fill our eyes with something just so "right," that cool drink of water... What a miracle life is! Joy is right there in front of us, all the time, but sometimes it's our perspective that makes it look like just another hot summer day.

Just to show I'm still alive...

I thought I'd better post something. As a quilter, I do believe this is my busiest time of year. How about you guys? Lots of quilt shows, college graduations, high school graduations, and weddings. Shew! I think, if possible, that I have been busier now than at Xmas. In another week, I'll be trying to get the garden in. I have noticed the local farmers are starting to plow- I don't remember a year when they were so late in getting things into the ground- It has been so wet and so cold, this spring. Just keep that little tidbit in mind when it comes time to gamble in commodities!

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I have finished 4 graduation quilts- one I pieced and the other three I just quilted. I told them that we would need to keep it real simple to get them all done, and I didn't hear any objections. Woo-hoo. Meanders and loopy loops all the way around- except for mine, of course! But there should be some perks to being the quilter! I even quilted up a Disney princess quilt. I found a very pretty variegated thread from King Tut that had lots of pastels and it looked real sharp in that sea of white. White quilts stress me 'cause no matter how many times you sweep and dust and such, there is always a navy blue thread just dying to become entombed in a white quilt!

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This blue and red quilt block was a trial piece that I did and decided that I liked it well enough to make a soldier quilt from it. I accidently cut the strips the wrong size and you can see how the blue is overlapping. That really bugged me, but my guys begged me to leave it that way- I think they were afraid that the red would morph into hearts if it was more balanced... I guess I see their point. I kinda like how the batik blocks seem to float and leave a shadow. It's a very guy quilt, huh?

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I have new favorite CD. It is Fernando Ortega and Carrie, if you don't have it , you should! He is a pianist and plays beautifully. But he also writes almost all of his songs and they are just wonderful. He has a very "real" voice and this particular CD is just very worshipful. "In the Shadow of Your Wings." is the name of it. That top picture I just couldn't resist posting. Doesn't that little boy look just like his daddy?