Top 7 Articles of 2016

#7 – The Gift to Give

....Instead of asking her [my sister] last Christmas, I simply prepared and gave her “Blessing Bags” for her to pass along to those in need. I don’t think I’ve ever given her anything she liked and appreciated better – ever!

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#6 - Introducing the Wings Quilt Block!

...Have you ever created a quilt block and didn’t like the way it looked? Maybe the color scheme used or the size of individual pieces within the block just didn’t look like the way you envisioned?

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#5 – Just Shy of a full blown addiction

…finding free “Block of the Month” (or bi-weekly) (BOM) websites and the Facebook support groups that go along with them! I’m a happy camper that they are out there by the droves!

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#4 – Crumb Quilts

...Those itty bitty tiny scraps are not just for stuffing pillows or pet beds any longer!

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#3 – When Sisters Work Together

…a story I want to share…

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#2 – Whispers in the Wind

 …each time I feel the wind on my face, I will be absorbing the prayer from a Prayer Flag someone, somewhere in this world, has made. Because, now I know about the whispers in the wind!

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And, the Number One article for 2016:

#1 - Labor Day - Labor of Love

 …There are a multitude of those giving from the heart ~ a labor of love ~ their creativeness, expertise, and devotion through making quilts, dresses, shorts, pillowcases, bags, and on and on for whatever the need may be! 

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Which is your favorite?

When Sisters Work Together

I have a story I want to share…

A lady came into Thomas Sewing Center, a place where my sister works part time. This lady told my sister about her sister who had breast cancer and is not doing well at all and asked if my sister would make her sister a pillow. Without catching her name or telephone number, or her sister’s name, my sister created the pillow immediately, and took it back up to the store. It was a good while before the lady came back in to pick it up. When she did, she brought in two pieces of fabric ~ although Thomas’s has lovely fine high quality fabrics ~ she purchased her fabric elsewhere! She asked if my sister would make her sister a quilt. My sister then found out her name ~ Brenda ~ but not her sister’s name.

My sister assured her it would get done for her sister.

My sister called me.

She told me the story and asked if I would make it.

Of course, I told my sister.

While in town last week, my sister gave me the fabric…

One piece was 1.5 yards and the other piece was 2 yards.

They didn’t match.

When Mother & I went to Thomas’s to shop for a new sewing machine, I gave momma the mission to find three pieces of fabric that would match nicely with the 1.5 yard piece – a light, a medium, and a dark. I had already decided to use the 2 yard piece Brenda provided as its backing.

Momma did a great job!

I had an idea how I wanted to make the quilt, but it changed after looking through Nancy’s Notions most recent catalog! It was there I saw this quilt kit:

Then I brought out the graph paper and coloring pencils and modified the pattern to fit my colors:

When I got back from the Dallas trip, I put the sewing table together, then figured out how to operate the new Janome 8900, with my sister’s help via telephone!

This “A Sister’s Quilt” is the first project done on the new machine!

It goes into the quilting frame today! I need to get it done and in the mail back to my sister as soon as possible. My sister will then get it to Brenda’s sister…

We are sisters working together...

Sisters of the World

It’s been a while since I’ve shared an amazing website or blog discovered or, in this case, a Facebook page. I’ll try to do better once January arrives!

The universe is amazing when you trust her to bring for you what you need most at the time and allow her to take away what no longer serves you, then you are in the perfect place in the perfect time. Melanie Wadham

If you’re on Facebook, I highly recommend following Melanie’s page: Woman2Woman. Within her “about” section, she quotes Pam Brown:

No woman is without sisters, however desperate, however lacking in kin. For all the women of the world are bound together as a family, by common experience and concern.

You will find uplifting quotes sprinkled all over her page. A recent one she shared resonates with me: “Some changes look negative on the surface but you will soon realize that space is being created in your life for something new to emerge.” ~ Eckhart Tolle

And, she posted this from Lewis Carroll:

“There is no use trying,” said Alice; “one can’t believe impossible things.”

“I dare say you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen. “When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

I discovered this video when reading through her page:

For a variety of reasons, getting through December is hard on some of us. It’s this time we need to fall back on our sisters. So, sisters of the world, let us join hands and give a little love…