Saturday, June 26, 2010

Peacefully attempting handmade quilts


Love of fabrics and stitching during peaceful hours in my empty nest has led me to new attempts in making a handmade quilt. I am having fun so far, and thought I would blog the different steps of this beginner...so now and then, you'll see progress on this blog.

Peace or war, faithfulness honored...


With his career placed in the hands of the Marine Corps, my brother served our country faithfully and with his whole heart. We were both young teens when he enlisted and through the years, I saw his ranks change, many honors awarded him, and much wisdom show up with each graying hair. For many years, he held the standard high as his country's flag waved in gentle breezes. During the National Anthem, his attentive stance with glistening eyes focused on the flag he loved so well, and he stood tall among all those who served with him. His toughest tour of duty took his heart into battle. He answered the call bravely and once again met it with faithfulness. This tour called his only son back into battle and because he knew the challenges of conflict, they both faced war. The elder on his knees while the younger fought on rocky mountain terrain.
I am so proud of my brother's service, and thank my heavenly Father God for sparing both their lives in patriotic service. I thank this family with a project I cross stitched while praying for their safety.

piece by piece in peaceful moments

Each first Friday, I join a group of friends who love to quilt. This is totally a new adventure for me, but I am learning so many features of quilting! One of my lifelong dreams in sewing is to learn how to create handmade quilts as my grandmother did for me. I would love to pass on to my grand daughters the quilts I make and the love of sewing.

I chose a bow tie pattern for my first attempt. I loved making the little ties!
I chose colors that basically match any room in my home and eventually will have a small printed white cotton as my background.

Next the little ties made beautiful fans! Putting these together took only a couple of peaceful evenings while my guys watched their sports channel. I made a pile of 30 of them and cut out the 9 inch squares of white.



And that's how far I am right now on this fun project!