Monday, January 16, 2017

At Times Like These


Hello everyone. Where were we when I last posted? Oh yeah, smack dab in the middle of the worst year ever! Twenty-sixteen brought an unrelenting onslaught of disasters -- everything from wildfires, hurricanes and floods to mass shootings, civil unrest and unprecedented political farce. In the midst of it all, a sudden death in the family left me paralyzed with grief.


It's only been nine months, and healing from grief takes time. 


Meanwhile, my friends have stuck by me every step of the way. Lately though, I've noticed them promoting pursuits more constructive than my usual ranting and raving. Kathy keeps asking if I’ve written a new blog post, and Linda has gone so far as to issue an ultimatum: "No new quilt photos until you start blogging again!" 


While social media is hardly a cure for despair, creative endeavors are. To that end, Linda did a deep dive into my sewing room looking for something to pique my interest. Well, something finally did, an assortment of homespun plaids all cut and ready to sew. Kathie Holland, do you remember sending this kit to me years ago?



The blocks are pieced using Mary Ellen Hopkins' “connector corners” technique. Stars cleverly appear as the blocks are sewn together. Wanda Hanson assembled the quilt and added plaids of her own to make it a more functional table runner size.



Wanda chose a lovely striped backing and binding in my favorite colors. I like how her diagonal machine quilting echoes the linear theme.


Plaid Fancy

18" x 27"


Some of the comfort a quilt provides comes from the soul of its maker. This one's imbued with the love and kindness of compassionate friends, who in bringing it to life, restored a bit of my own!

15 comments:

  1. I am so glad you are posting again!

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  2. So glad to see you posting! Your little plaid quilt looks great. (I still have box of those plaids from the mid-90's!)

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  3. So nice to connect with you again, Diane! And I love that quilt too.

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  4. what an exquisite little quilt. Pun intended.
    I heard from Kathy not that long ago and she is not quilting at all- what a shame.
    Loss of a loved one is a wound that heals very slowly. be kind to yourself. I was thrilled to see a post!

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  5. Welcome back! Thoughts are with you still. HUGS... and stitches

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  6. Wonderful to find your post - and so grateful for friends who are with us on our journeys. Lovely, lovely quilt and what a perfect sharing spot for that quotation.

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  7. I love the still life photo with the little quilt. Glad to see you back.

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  8. I am glad you are posting again and feeling better. It is a gorgeous quilt and I am glad it is bringing your light back. Be sure you put it in a prominent place!

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  9. Oh, my goodness....I almost fell out of my chair when I saw a post from you. I am delighted. PLease tell your friends, Thank them for the push..They must really love you. Grief, I understand...I do not stand alone in thqt...I put it all out there for the world to see. Not soon after to drifted off, my poet mother fell out of her wheelchair and broke her neck.. She was still clear minded and on her way to lunch bunch with her friends...She lost her balance in her wheelchair as she stubbornly refused to wait for a caregiver and bent down to retrieve a scarf. She was 93. I happily remember how the two of you shared poetry...hugs

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  10. It was great to see your post and that lovely little quilt,
    Sue ...

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  11. Love your little plaid quilt Diane. Glad to see you are getting back to blogging. :-)

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  12. Such an inspiration to hear your voice. You lift me up, you really do. How great to get this teamwork to finish this too. :). I love it and the backing is perfect.

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  13. Hello! Enjoyed your post today, you have a gift for writing! I love Wandas little quilt, I still have a plaid collection- this inspires me to dig them out and at least "pet" them. :) and what a perfect still life you've created! I think I have the same spatterware bowl, it was my great grandmas. Hope our occasional sunny days help to lift your spirits!

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