Blossoming

Winter art transformed

Glorious summer color

Crowning graceful stems

Manna

Well, it has taken about two years and three months, but I have finally determined my diet parameters, and am approximately 98.5 percent issue free.  A very, very good feeling in many ways.  


There have been points in this process where I have chaffed against the limitations my body has imposed upon me.  In my angst and frustration, the thought came to mind that the blind man also wishes he could see the sunrise, and the deaf man wishes he could hear the symphony, but the reality is that they can't.  No amount of anger or anguish is going to change that fact.  


Now I face, at least for a season and maybe permanently, the understanding that my meals will be nourishing, but not greatly varied.  The story of the Israelites and the manna from heaven came to mind.  Manna was tasty, like cakes made with honey, but I don't imagine there were many ways to fix it.  After a while, the Israelites decided they were tired of eating manna every day, and began to complain.  The Scripture then describes the manna as tasting like cakes cooked in oil.  The Israelites had lost the seasoning of thankfulness.  

So the blind man can spend his time angry that he can't see the sunrise or he can be thankful he can hear the symphony.  The deaf man can focus on the frustration of not being able to hear the music or he can be thankful to be able to see the beauty of the morning.  And   I, as I sit down to my meals, will thank the Lord for my manna.  

Get your sunglasses!

Painted Desert is done, and it is an intense little thing.  In fact when I finished getting the blocks put together, I thought that it was a bit too much.  The black outer border added just enough of a calming effect to make it just right.  

I did the quilting tone on tone so it wouldn't add anymore contrast.  The flowers were lots of fun to do.  

The quilting in the outer border is a darker turquoise, so that there was just a small amount of color pop, but enough that the pattern shows up nicely.

This project gave me some good opportunity to practice quilting with minimal marking.  The quilting in the corner squares was just done freehand, no marking.  

Last, but not least, a happy fabric for the backing.

Most of the quilts I make for my quilt group give a little tug on my heart as I put them in the cabinet to await a future owner.  This one especially wanted to linger in my possession a bit longer.  Someday, though, I hope it gives some cheer to a child dealing with difficult times.  

Starry-eyed Grandma

Here she is--cheerful, sunny, pretty little quilt.  You might be tempted to envision a rosy-cheeked grandma knitting quietly on her front porch.  Or maybe setting out cookies and milk in her old fashioned kitchen.  Or picking posies out of her colorful flower garden.  Truth be told, though, this quilt is more like the crotchety grandma that would whack you on the shins with her cane.  

I have had a time with this quilt.  Most of the 252 star points involved quilting through some very thick seams which caused two broken needles plus a bent one.  I had to manually work the machine around the points.  The rest of the quilting went pretty smoothly, and I felt like I was on pretty good terms with her by the end.  Got the binding on and put her in the wash to get out the markings.

Now I have never before had an issue with getting pencil marks out of my quilts, but two go-arounds with Shout didn't even faze them.  So now I have to go over all the yellow squares and the border with an eraser to try to deal with the pencil marks.  And that won't get rid of them, just lighten them some.  I console myself with the thought that it makes it look a little more authentic since quilt marks in old quilts are not unusual.  


In spite of everything I do like this quilt, which surprised me.  The 1930's quilts are not my favorite, but when I look at this quilt the words that do come to mind are cheerful, sunny, and pretty.  Just don't be fooled!  She definitely has her ornery side.