Needles and Pens

A: My latest quilt for Quilts with Love ! "Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think." ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Last night I started working on a brand new quilt journal/scrapbook, since my last one holds three years worth of quilts and is, well, stuffed to the gills. I've been collecting all kinds of little stickers and other goodies to start journaling my latest quilts, but somehow it's been difficult getting started on that first blank page. And yet, despite my apprehension and rudimentary scrapping skills, I have finished page one, "A Box of Chocolates." "Chocolates" was my first finished quilt of 2008, donated to Quilts with Love for the troops serving in Iraq. I've made several quilts and tops for Quilts with Love, journaling each one, and so I've run out of new ideas to include on these pages. The new addition this time, a miniature copy of the Certificate of Appreciation that was awarded to the group last year. I love to fill my pages with pictures and pretties, so I often forget to include the details of the quilt, the size, the fabrics, how the idea ...

Finally, my first finished quilt for 2008! "A Box of Chocolates" is a mostly-monochromatic brown/cream, nine-patch quilt, made from fabric samples that have been in storage for over 20 years now. I think its about time they were put to good use, don't you? I have plans -- and more than enough samples -- to make several more of these, in various colors. This photo doesn't really do justice to the rich colors and prints in the quilt. Here's a closeup for a slightly better view, also showing the border, backing and binding fabrics I chose: Of course, there's a story behind all these fabric samples. Back in the mid-to-late '80's, my parents owned and operated the local Ethan Allen furniture gallery. Unfortunately, recession slowly forced them out of business and the gallery was closed in 1987. My mom -- who has the same affinity for fabric as I have -- couldn't bear to throw away the thousands of beautiful samples in the inventory. In fact, she saved b...

I've had a lot of fun reminiscing over my photo albums lately, so for this week's Photo Hunt theme -- heavy -- I chose this one from 1988, my brother and his daughter, building an awesome snowman. If you've ever built a snowman, you know these were some heavy snowballs! Today that little girl in the red snowsuit is 26-years-old, a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, and currently serving in Iraq. We're so proud of her! Happy Photo Hunting !