Creativity

Since last summer, I have made a strong effort to regain my creative side. I can't even explain how dry my soul felt for a while. I kind of think I know how trees must feel in the winter. 

Stuck.
Cold.
Dry.

I like that I've been able to create some crafts and sewing projects. It's been so fun, and I've got to tell you that I am starting to feel life inside of me.

It's growing.
And dreaming.
And budding.

I can hardly wait until the blooms!

Boy.

It is hot. And we turned in to whimps. We finally put in our window air conditioner yesterday. I'm not so sure I like it...although I really do love that I'm not sitting and sweating. That's always nice. For years we didn't have an air conditioner! I felt all 'Mother Earth' gardening, preserving all the food and putting up with the heat. Gosh, I remember times that I would pack up the kids to go for a ride in the air conditioned car just to have a break from the heat.

For the most part, though, I really don't like the house all closed up and the sounds of the air conditioner and fans running. I LOVE feeling the breeze in the house. Today though? There's no breeze. Thank you, God for giving someone the ability to develop Freon.

I've been re-organizing my craft room. I've got more to sew, and I couldn't even turn around in there. I took everything off the shelves, scrubbed them down, organized the fabric and crafting accessories I have and basically got ready for round 2 of quilt making! (As soon as my 'walking foot' comes, I'll be quilting!) I am really impressed that I am able to get all that stuff in such a small little room. I thought about scaling down the volume of my craft materials. I did that many years ago, and it took YEARS to recover. We wouldn't want to go through that again...it was traumatizing.

But it is getting organized, which always makes me feel good. I wish I had learned how to maintain during my projects...like putting away items as I am done with them, throwing away scraps of fabric as they are snipped, etc. I just don't think it's in my genes. Well, it might be in the gene pool, but I must have swam far away!

Have a great week!

A Quilt Top is Made!!

Despite the heat, I have been able complete the quilt top that I started last weekend. I'm so excited!! I fudged on the couple of pieces that I cut wrong, but I couldn't see paying extra for more fabric....so, mistakes and all, here's my first attempt at a quilt. I kind of figured out the pattern as I was going, which is just my way, I suppose.

I don't think the colors show really well. The oranges look kind of peachie in this photo, and the turquoise is light...I like the quilt in person. The colors are really bright.

I will be purchasing the back and the batting this week and then I will hopefully start the quilting process!! We'll see how that goes. I've never done anything like this before. I'm going to use my machine, which is probably cheating, but I can't even imagine trying to quilt this by hand in this heat.

I will keep you posted on my progress!

A Lost Blue Denim Jumper and Building Mountains

Years ago, I borrowed a cute pregnant jumper from my friend Diana. It was the early 90s, and we were both homeschooling moms, so if you guessed that it was a denim jumper, you would be correct. What I especially liked about it was that it had enough room to accommodate a growing belly, but wasn't one of those tent dresses that was so popular. Seriously. Some of those pregnant dresses were like wearing actual tents! So, anyway, this was an unassuming denim jumper that I just loved and wore a lot while I was pregnant with Jordan.

The jumper found its way to the back of my closet during the last month of my pregnancy because as accommodating as it was for my growing belly, Jordan grew so much that this sweet jumper just couldn't keep up and a pretty, soft pink jumper of the tent variety soon took its place. Some months after Jordan was born, Diana found out she was pregnant, so she called asking if I could return the jumper.

Thinking I could just go to my closet and pull it out, I told her I would bring it right over. (She lived across the street.) It wasn't there. I was mortified!! The only thing that I could think of is that the jumper had been mistakenly placed in my give away box and would have made it to Goodwill. Shoot.

I called Diana, and apologized profusely, telling her I would buy her a new jumper. She stopped me in mid-sentence and said a phrase that has had staying power in my life. "You are more important to me than a silly jumper."

Talk about a relationship builder! This sounds so cliche', but that phrase was implanted in my mind that day and has often come to the fore front when dealing with broken antique plates, chairs or ruined ceilings. I have to admit, though, I have often fought the urge to throw out the phrase, " I can't have anything nice!" (and have on many occasions). The times I have said, "You are more important to me than _______", were the times that relationships were strengthened. I remember just how loved and important I felt that day, and I know that the impact that phrase has had when I have remembered to say it has been positive.

Our words are so powerful that they can build or destroy. When I am irritated, it's especially important that I take pause and choose my words carefully. I really want to build mountains - I don't want to strip mine my relationships.

I did find that blue jumper. Funny thing. It was in the back of Terry's closet. Go figure.

On to Another Project!

I have wanted to make a quilt for a long time, but recently I found some fabric that I just loved. It's so whimsical and a bit retro!! I bought a bunch of fabric without really knowing what I was doing. I didn't have a pattern, have never quilted, but thought, "Eh...what's the worst that can happen?" No one would really have to know; unless I blogged about it. So, if I fail, there will be a chance of laughter. 

I will keep you posted on the progress of the quilt. So far, I have the top almost done. I believe I want to add some borders. I have it in my mind, and have even dreamt about how I would create this quilt. So, we'll see how it works.

It all started when I saw this wheel of fabric sitting on the fabric store's shelves. Perfect for what had been twirling around in my mind the last few weeks!! I sewed these strips together. There were enough in each wheel to get three blocks of strips sewn! I bought two wheels so I would have enough to have six rectangles of stripes! Very cute idea. Very cute.

Here I have one rectangle block put together. They measure about 15 1/2 inches wide and, well...somewhere around two feet or so long. It took me a while to figure out how I wanted to lay it all out. I had Alyssa and Kimi sitting in the living room watching a movie while I was placing blocks all around the living room floor! Fun Times!!

I bought several packages of these pieces of fabrics. I think they're something similar to fat quarters, but I'm not sure. I still take offense to the name of the fat quarters. Really? They can't help it!

And here is one strip done. I will show you the other strips later. They are actually all stacked under this top one. This will no doubt be a busy quilt, but I like it. I'm looking forward to seeing it done! I am also looking forward to sharing my end product with you!!

Be blessed!

I love you more!

My cousin Julie passed away yesterday, and my mind is full. When someone I know and love dies, part of my grieving process is to reminisce about good things in my life. And like the saying goes, the good things in my life aren't things.

I spent the morning with my mom and dad because even though I am 48 years old, to be honest, when I hurt, the first place I go is home to my mom and dad. We spent time talking and laughing and remembering stories, and  when I got ready to leave, I told my mom that I loved her. She smiled and called over her shoulder as she was walking to her door, "I love you more!" God, what a gift you've given me!

In my family we say, "I love you." A lot. And we hug. A lot.

It's been that way my whole life. In fact, as I look back, I find it kind of funny that I was almost an adult before I realized that there were a lot of people who just weren't like us. There were some people - even in our extended families - who weren't natural huggies and probably weren't all that keen on having a little dark-headed-snot-nosed-kid hugging them but were too polite to say anything.

Our tradition includes hugging when you see someone for the first time that day, and then hugging before that person leaves. Lots of times there are hugs just for good measure. Some people, I'm sure, might think that hugging that much might lead to hugs becoming routine. Maybe. But I've got to tell you, there are just some epic hugs that are what love is all about.

Like the time I failed my swimming test because I was too afraid to dive off the 'tower' and swim in the 10 foot. My dad found me hiding in my closet and didn't say too much. He asked if I tried. I said yes. And then he asked me if I wanted to go fishing. When I climbed out of the closet, he wrapped his strong arms around me and told me that as long as I tried, he was alright with me and I had nothing to be ashamed of.

Or the times my mom hugged my pregnant belly and told my babies that Grammy loved them and that she couldn't wait to see them.
And the time I was holding it together at the hospital until I saw my dad and he grabbed a hold of me and I was able to cling to him and be his child in incredible pain as we said goodbye to Ben.

Oh, and the time I surprised my family by coming home from college a week earlier than planned. I saw my little brothers playing basketball and when they saw me, they dropped their game and came runnning to greet me. They lifted me up and twirled me around!

And my sister, on my wedding day before I walked down the aisle. She whispered for me to take it all in and I did. I remember the fragrance of the roses and the candles and the beautiful music and my handsome groom waiting for me.

I could go on and on and on and probably will in my mind. Memories are just swirling around today like nobody's business. If I thought that Julie could hear me, I would tell her again that I loved her, and that she was a part of so many lovely memories from my childhood and that I am so thankful to have had her in my life. And I would hug her if I could.

Cause that's what we do.