When my husband and I got married, Nana decided to employ the old tradition of making the newlyweds a quilt. She keeps in mind our home and our personalities and then just "keeps her eyes open" for the perfect quilt pattern and fabric.
Let me just say, Nana has an eye for fabric. Really. It's amazing. (And she is going to try to get me to take this part out, but it is TRUE, so I'm leaving it in.)
I digress.
First, Nana found "Fractions" by Mountaincreek Creations at her favorite fabric store in Norman, Patchwork Place. This pattern is just perfect for us. It has simple, clean lines and is just a little unexpected and different. Like I said, perfect for us!
The colors were inspired by nature- golds, greens, and reds. Colors that remind us of the many places we have called home. The golds of the aspen trees in the Colorado Rockies. The deep hues of Vermont in the fall. The ripening fields of the Kansas plains.
And the batiks are just a little bit "hippy." Like me. : )
One of my favorite parts of the quilt though is the hand quilting. Nana used a variegated thread to quilt in a flowing pattern that adds movement to the geometric pattern of the quilt.
It's beautiful.
Nana likes to hand quilt over the winter. The quilt sits on her lap and keeps her warm as she sews. And, thank goodness for speakerphone! Nana talks to all of her children often (on speakerphone) while her hands are busy.
This isn't just a quilt for our family. Instead, it is a quilt of our family. It reflects our personalities and our many homes. It is both a centerpiece of our living room and a centerpiece of our family. And, as I curl up under it during the winter, I think of how my mom curled up underneath it too while she made it. When I look at the intricate hand stitching, it reminds me how each stitch was sewn with love.
That quilt is gorgeous! I wish I had the talent to do something so beautiful and enduring. It's kind of the same with the new low calorie cookbook I wrote, though. I had to "lighten up" the recipes in my repertoire, but while experimenting - and sometimes failing - I did it all happily, knowing I was helping loved ones and complete strangers learn to be healthier.
ReplyDeleteKatie .. we did 6 years straight of cloth diapers before it was 'cool.' (And it was decidedly NOT cool!) Our washing machine finally kicked the bucket after 24 years! Enough is enough, after all!
Keep up the beautiful work!
Thanks, Becky! I think my hubby is hoping our washing machine does the same after only 1 year, so that he can make an argument for switching to disposable. : ) Although, I think even he would admit, he doesn't mind the cloth as much as he thought he would.
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