Needles and Pens

Still waiting for baby... so I decided to start another project to pass the time. ;o) Our guild challenge this month was to "do something with hankies," so I thought it was the perfect time to revisit those that were given to me several years ago, by my husband's grandma. I chose these reds, pinks and whites for my project. I could see something very "valentine-y" for the end result, and since my birthday is on Valentine's Day and Grandma's was very close, well, that seemed appropriate. Incidentally, Grandma and I shared the same first initial, too: Next came the fun part. I found this Hanky-Panky Crazy Quilt pattern, by Cindy Brick, at the HGTV website. It seemed perfect for what I had in mind. I spent hours playing with different combinations of fabrics and embellishments that I thought might work: The hard part was cutting into Grandma's hankies, but I finally convinced myself that I only had them as a keepsake, and a wallhanging for all to enjo...

I've met a lot of quilters online over the past few years, quilters of all ages, lifestyles and personalities, but the one thing they all seem to have in common is a heart of gold. When someone is hurting or in need, quilters come through. This story is just one more example. One of my online quilting groups welcomed a new member early this year, and in the months that followed, she had a string of misfortunes, from a cancer diagnosis, to surgery, to the tragic death of a family member. Thoughts, prayers and good wishes flew through cyberspace, but you just can't send a real hug through email. Coincidentally though, this new member happens to live very near my hometown. Maybe a real hug wasn't out of the question, but could we make it a group hug? Plans were made in secret, and within days I started receiving quilt blocks in the mail, as well as donations to help with supplies. Meanwhile, our new member and I made plans to meet at our local quilt guild meeting. Mind you, in...